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 2017 Ford F-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V880000 (Power Train) and 22V644000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was foggy. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering while driving and the vehicle would hesitate to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The power train warning light was illuminated. A message indicating a steering failure was displayed. The contact related the failure to the recalls. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact also stated that the tailgate of the vehicle would open independently while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring intermittently. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 67 MPH and going over a bump on the roadway, the vehicle started sharking uncontrollably. The contact was able to stop on the side of the road and waited until the vehicle stopped shaking before the vehicle started to operate normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the front-end of the vehicle was repaired however, the failure continued. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the steering dampener needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 139,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated while his son was driving 65 MPH and going over a bridge, the driver noticed that the steering wheel had started to shake abnormally causing the vehicle to also shake abnormally. The brake pedal was depressed, and the failure ceased when the vehicle was stopped. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as a dampening valve system for the power steering assist that was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving onto a bridge at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle started to shake and vibrate violently causing the driver to nearly loss control of the steering wheel. During the failure, the steering wheel also vibrated and was difficult to control. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was previously serviced for the same failure and the steering sensor was replaced but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,500. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle drove over a speed bump and started shaking violently. The vehicle had experienced the death wobble. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was not available.
Third time returning my Ford F350 to the Friendly Ford dealership where it was purchased because of death wobble. Vehicle is driving at high speeds all three times has been on the freeway and all of a sudden it shakes violently and almost loses control of vehicle. The first time happened in January 18 of 2020 the second time happened June 25 of 2022 and then just three days ago October 12, 2022. The vehicle was almost crashed the last two times it happened. The shaking was so violent on the last time did it caused my fuel line to come loose and spell diesel fuel all the way back into town. again it has been to the dealership three times now to fix the problem and was told this last time that everything looked OK and that I had to test drive it and re-create the situation in order for them to diagnose it. Extremely dangerous to re-create the death wobble. …
Okay, been hearing a lot of noises up underneath it, got under there and looked at my heat shields, that are just flaking off everywhere. I'm scared that my truck is going to catch on fire at this point. All of the heat shields around pretty much everything are disintegrating and falling apart. I've already filled out several of these and I went and tried to turn the truck in and to no avail. They have done everything in their power to not fix nothing on my truck. Nothing. I need some help. Please give me a call [redacted] The linkage, the power door locks and the door handles leaking, are all problems that I have and every one of them they know about and I'm scared that the front end is going to fall apart because of that linkage problem.. I can't get them to do nothing for me. …
Truck started doing the death wobble when hitting brakes and sometimes when hitting bumps in the road. Death wobble was very violent and last for a few seconds each time before we could get vehicle stopped. I made my local ford dealer aware of my problem and they inspected it and said it was related to the drive shaft recall. I made the earliesr appointment which was a couple weeks later. I dropped my vehicle off and they said that due to this recall malfunction it had caused damage to my tie rods and drag lengths and those parts needed to be replaced. They said their damage was directly correlated to the drive shaft recall however I would have to pay out of pocket for that to be fixed ($1400). They have had my vehicle for a week and fixed the tire rods and drag lengths but do not have the part for the drive shaft recall. …
Purchase the truck used from a Ford dealership February 15, 2022 w/39K miles that came with Blue Oval Certified Gold warranty that had an instant inspection. Took delivery February 25 was a online purchase. A week later March 5 driving thru a construction zone at 55MHP at high volume traffic and right front tire hit a high spot of the interstate in the right lane and the trucks steering wheel went into a valent movement/shaking left and right that it was so difficult for me to hold on the steering wheel. This death wobble didn't stop till I was able to exit the interstate at a 40MPH speed. Its obvious the previous owner didn't address this issue. Thank God I was driving because my wife wouldn't been able to hold on the steering wheel as it was purchase to tow our 5th wheel camper. It fears us now towing the camper safety. It's unbelievable Ford never issue a recall for this issue. …
While driving at freeway speeds of 60+mph and go over any bump in the road - such as a bridge transition that should be barely noticeable - the truck begins to shake UNCONTROLLABLY and will push you into other lanes of traffic. The ONLY way to get control of the vehicle is to brake hard and fast getting below 40 mph so the shaking will stop and you can regain control of the vehicle. It is unbelievably unsafe, dangerous and absolutely frightening. It is terrifying to drive my $60,000 truck. This occurs on a daily basis if driven at those speeds. Although we have not had an accident as of yet, it will happen if we drive the truck on the freeway. Extremely disappointing that the US Department of transportation has failed to do something about this. It has and will continue to kill people on the road. Ford must be mandated to fix these trucks.
Steering complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2017 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 292 complaints about the steering of the 2017 Ford F-350 SD, 51% of the model year's 574 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist › hose, piping, and connections (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford F-350 SD steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2017 Ford F-350 SD, though it has 13 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 2017 Ford F-350 SD steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles, and 44% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 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.