Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford F-350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle started to shimmy. The contact stated that at the time of failure the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact stated that after slowing down the vehicle operated normally. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she received notification in the mail of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20E090000 (Steering, Suspension, Equipment) however, her vehicle was not included in the recall. The contact stated that neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
When driving 50 mph or above and hitting a bump in the road such as a bridge apron the truck develops an uncontrollable shimmy in the front end. It requires a firm grip from both hands to control the steering and lasts until the truck is slowed to under 20 mph and often until it is completely stopped. Luckily there hasn't been another vehicle in the lanes next to me when this has occurred. If there had been it may have caused an accident. Tires are relatively new and the alignment is spot on. It feels like the same problem I had as a teenager in my 1959 Ford F100 when the king pins were worn.
Twice today, traveling at 75mph on highway [redacted] (northbound and then several hours later southbound) just north of Ardmore OK, I experienced a violent shaking of the steering wheel/front wheel shimmy. The vehicle was difficult to control due to the violent shaking that did not stop until the vehicle slowed to approximately 20mph. Once the shaking stopped the vehicle was okay to drive.
My 2005 F350 Diesel Pick up has suffered from the Ford death wobble on and off for the last 15 years. While navigating a left hand corner at speeds over 40 it begins to shake uncontrollably after hitting a small bump or pot hole until speed is reduced to 30mph or less. I have replaced bearings, uppper & lower ball joints, torque arms and other suspension parts without finding a cure.
I have a Ford f350 heavy duty 1 ton, I had experienced on separate occasions when traveling with speed around 50-65 MPH, if a bump (slight) dip or any slight variance in road my truck will begin a violent shake. I had received the recall notice of improper air pressure and cause and effect. I have had my tire pressure checked on numerous occasions, I have also had taken my truck to local dealership to check front suspension , nothing found to be wrong with front end. (suspension). On sept. 12, 09 I was traveling on hwy 199 coming from madill, OK (job) coming towards durant having employee in truck (front passenger seat) my truck began to violently shake, throwing my truck into a concrete bridge. I steered truck the best I could considering the truck was uncontrollable. …
Death wobble. 1st time it happened was entering the highway off the ramp and accelerating to merge into traffic and going over the overpass the bridges in mass. Are a mess, any way, when I drove those series of bumps at about 60-65 MPH in a truck it gets bumpy anyway but all of a sudden the steering wheel, and the truck started violently shaking out of control so bad I lost complete vision it was shaking so bad with no capability of steering the truck..instinctively I applied the brakes not even checking to see what was behind me as it was shaking so bad, you cant turn around, you can not see out the mirrors. As I stated you kind of lose vision and everything goes blurry because your shaking in the vehicle so bad. A quick google and you find this happens to many many owners of this very the same truck. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford f-350. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle wobbled. The steering veered to the left when the wheel was turned to the right and vice versa. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front tie rods, front stabilizer bars, gear box, and multiple parts on the front of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the injectors, cam shaft sensor, and the wiring harness for the injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
When ever this truck hits a bumpy part of road (e.g. Pot hole, crack in pavement, or debris) the vehicle (and steering wheel) will shake violently back and forth for several seconds (4 to 5 seconds) or until I slow to speeds around 35mph or below. This happens on a regular basis and has happened since I bought the vehicle two years ago. The tires are like new, and the front suspension components have been checked and determined to be in good usable condition. Searching the web for possible causes or fixes of this issue, I have found that many other people also have this same problem, with little to no help coming from service repairs at a dealership.
My 2005 has a violent front end wobble if I hit a bump while turning right. When I took it to the dealer, I was told to over inflate my tires. He also said that it was a common complaint with this model. The dealer called it a " death wobble " and told me to make sure that I was holding the steering wheel tight when it happens. This is a regular occurrence.
Multiple times driving the truck at speed limit and hit small bump or a little bumpy part of road triggers the death wobble. Have to almost come to complete stop on highway to stop wobble.
Steering complaints in other F-350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Ford F-350?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Ford F-350, 25% of the model year's 114 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford F-350 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Ford F-350, though it has 1 recall 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 2005 Ford F-350 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.