Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford F-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 55-60 MPH with her in the front passenger's seat, the vehicle was shuddering significantly, and the steering wheel was shuddering back and forth. The driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle nearly drove into a ditch. The driver was able to maintain the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and came to a complete stop. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving, and the contact became aware that the failure mostly occurred while exceeding 54 MPH on a bumpy road surface. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle would rumble and shake while driving at various speeds without warning. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, there was a blowout of the passenger's side front tire which caused damage to the passenger's side front quarter panel and step rail. The contact was able to place a spare tire on the vehicle and drove to an independent mechanic where he had all four tires replaced. The contact also took the vehicle to a body shop where he had the damage to the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and he was informed that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V246000 (Tires). The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle started jerking and shaking. The contact pulled off to the side of the roadway, turned the vehicle off, and waited to restart the vehicle and continued to drive safely for three miles before the failure recurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact drove to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed; the contact was informed that the steering arm needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,695.
I'm told by the MEN..."DEATH WOBBLE"!! 2016 Ford 350 Platinum At a certain speed and with a bump in the road, FEELS LIKE THE TIRES ARE GOING TO GO FLYING OFF!! I had to get myself together fast, slow down, and get a better control of the steering! Oh man, the accident it could have caused being next to semis and the every day people driving their vehicles!! This could of caused a BAD accident on the interstate and with the road work going on in Amarillo, Texas! This scared the heck out of my daughter!! This puts EVERYONE at risk!! Oh, and we pull a fifth wheel RV!! The dealer I went to first wasn't very helpful, matter fact...I have NOT been told or not noted on my oil change/vehicle sheet that anything was wrong. This past week, I took it to another Ford Dealership.....well, everything associated with the "Death Wobble" needs to be replaced!! …
I have a 2013 F350 King Ranch. It only has 31.755 miles on it. I've had it for 2 years. On November 28, 2021While merging onto the freeway my trucks front end stated shaking, bouncing and vibrating so bad that I had to immediately stop to about 5mph. This just happened out of absolutely nowhere. It didn't do it again until I returned home. This time it again came out of know where at around 60mph. I had to come to a dead stop on the freeway. The truck was Uncontrollable. I again accelerated to 65mph. It started again and I stopped. This happened another 7 times on the way home. I could control it between 53-60mph. When I got home, both of my front tires were worn down on the outside 3in of tread. There were chucks of rubber the size of dimes that broke off during the violent shake and wobble. I had to get new tires the next day and today my truck to the dealership this morning. …
I was driving through a construction area on interstate 95 and hit uneven pavement and the front of the vehicle starting shaking violently. It took everything I had to hold the steering wheel the shaking was so violent it rendered the brakes almost useless. Fortunately no one was next to me in the next lane because I could not control the vehicle and I had to ride the shaking out in both lanes until my speed came down do approximately 40 mph, Everything smoothed out and the vehicle began to operate normally. I knew I experienced the Ford Death Wobble because It has happened to many of my friends vehicles already and has been a topic of discussion amongst many of us which is why I brought it to the dealership immediately. If you google "Ford death Wobble" thousands of people are experiencing the same problem and they have a Facebook page dedicated to it. …
For years my truck starts vibrating excessively, shaking the entire vehicle when driving over certain sections of roadway or bumps. Sometimes, my steering is difficult to maintain when this happens. This occurs at speeds around 50 mph+. I always assumed it was just a bad road section and never pursued any repair as I didn't think it was a truck issue. Recently, I have come across some articles, that described my exact situation/condition when driving my truck. It makes me have to slow way down below the speed limit for the violent shaking to stop. Sometimes, I though it was just my stiff suspension on bad roads. It is being called the Ford Death Wobble and affects many Ford Super Duty Trucks. …
We have consistently had issues with severe wheel oscillation, which I've seen referred to as the death wobble, that causes the entire cab of the truck to shake violently and feels like the front tires are bouncing back and forth laterally on the road, when driving over 55mph and hitting any sort of uneven road or bump, especially after bridges. We have spent thousands on replacing different parts which sometimes alleviate the issue for a short period of time, but it always comes back when you least expect it. We have come incredibly close to being rear ended on the interstate several times because the only way to stop it is to slam on the breaks to decelerate quickly and get the truck below 30 miles per hour. It is more common when not hauling anything but still occurs wether hauling a light load or very heavy one as well. …
Have been experiencing what has been termed as the death wobble that is a known problem in the ford f250 and f350 from 2005 to 2019 trucks. Mine is a f350 2016. While driving on highways over 50 can experience a violent shaking in the front end after hitting a bump in road. Feels like the truck can not recover and like loosing control of vehicle. Very scary sensation that at any time could make you loose total control and put myself my passengers and all drivers near me in danger. I use this vehicle to tow things and it could be a disaster. I did some research and learned it was a thing other people were experiencing as well. I contacted dealership and explained my circumstance and it was something the absolutely knew about. I have had a repair done and hopefully it will fix the problem. I understand sometime it helps for a short time and will come back. …
While traveling at Interstate speed (55-75 MPH), when you hit a certain bump or pothole or road irregularity, the front passenger wheel will begin vibrating which quickly grows in magnitude until the entire engine compartment and cab starts to violently shudder, to the point where all 4 tires begin losing contact with the road surface. The only way to regain control and reduce the harmonics is to apply maximum braking. However, as the truck starts to slow, the shudders will become more violent until finally dampening out appx. 100 yards later at around 40 MPH. Once damped out, the truck will drive smoothly and predictably again at speed until the next bump. As it stands now, I am afraid to drive the truck and my wife refuses to drive it. The big fear is having this happen while in a turn or in heavy traffic where the sudden maximum braking can cause an accident.
Steering complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2016 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 76 complaints about the steering of the 2016 Ford F-350 SD, 36% of the model year's 209 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › arm › idler and attachment (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford F-350 SD steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2016 Ford F-350 SD, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford F-350 SD steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.