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 2011 Ford F-350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced a Death Wobble. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel were shuddering violently from the right to the left, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to regain control of the vehicle upon decelerating to 10 MPH. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to Litchfield Auto Repair, where the axle track bar ball joint, the steering damper, the drag link, and the tie rod or the tie rod end were replaced. Additionally, the mechanic performed the front alignment; however, the failure recurred while driving 75 MPH and hitting a bump. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the previous repair was performed correctly. …
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH, the steering column and the front-end of the vehicle started shuddering significantly. The contact depressed the brake pedal and slowed down significantly until the vehicle operated as needed. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure occurred a second time while driving over a bump on the roadway. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred a third time while his wife was driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced the death wobble after driving over a bump in the road. The contact stated that the vehicle violently and uncontrollably shook after driving over the bump in the roadway and the contact was able to regain control of the vehicle once the vehicle had slowed down. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed him that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
On this day, I financed the vehicle and was promised that it was safe to be on the road. This is the second vehicle. He's done this to me with. He gets these vehicles and just put stickers in the windows and then people break down or their lives are in jeopardy so I left there After I purchased the truck the following day I was driving and I noticed a bunch of defects which included a death wobble, front end parts being bad and engine light being on I took it to another shop and they said that it should've never even gotten an inspection sticker I also went on [redacted] and found out that the vehicle did not go through any emissions test and being a diesel it's supposed to that's why the engine lights are on on the third day of owing it. The driveshaft snapped right off this Dealership has multiple reviews and reports of being shady and just putting inspection stickers in the windows. …
While traveling down the highway at the speed limit, the truck hit a bump and started to shake violently. I slowed down and pulled over to resecure a freezer that was shook loose. We continued on and when I went to make the next right turn, one of the straps, which was sliced during the death wobble, snapped. The freezer slid and seesawed over a cooler. The corner of the freezer came through the rear window striking my wife in the arm and head. I have brought the truck to multiple shops, replaced steering stabilizer, shock, and tires to no avail.
Within a span of 30 min. I experienced 3 uncontrollable steering oscillations also known as the "death wobble." The DW experienced, the speeds were around 50 miles per hour. Less than that, the aforementioned oscillations were not experienced. Reason for the 30 min time frame was due to making it back home from the first occurrence. First oscillation was on smooth road, the other two were on less than smooth roads.
When you hit a bump, the truck violently shakes. This usually occurs at speeds greater than 40mph. The only way to get it to stop is to come to almost a complete stop. Very dangerous if someone is behind you and you have to stop fast to get it to stop. This occurs very frequently. I replaced parts the repair ship tells me is bad and the problem continues to occur. This occurs almost every time I drive.
The steering gets stiff all of a sudden. You have to pull it back when making a turn right or left. It happens intermittent. If you had to swerve to miss an animal or road obstruction you could be in a world of trouble. It seems to be happening more frequent now. Had a shop look at it but didn't act up. We will try again. I'm not they only one having this problem.
The steering wheel shakes violently . It occurs at above 50MPH. The steering wheel can not be held or the vehicle controlled. You have to slow to almost a stop to regain control of the wheel and ultimately the vehicle. The shacking was very subtle to begin with but now it is getting more violent as time goes on.
I own a 2011 Ford F-350 Lariat Dually truck and was driving down the highway at approximately 60 mph, when I hit a bump in the road and all of a sudden my truck started to shake violently. I didn't know what happened as this was the first time this has ever happened. I thought something happened with the rear wheels on my truck. I was shaken up, scared and had to stop on the side of a busy road to see what it was. I looked around the truck and didn't see anything and was unaware of the famous "Death Wobble" that are notorious on F-250 & F-350 Ford trucks. I then returned to the highway with my flashers on and drive, but at a lot slower speed because I was unsure of what caused the shake. I was able to make it home safely and I told my husband about it. He wanted to see if it would happen to him so he took it for a spin and it happened to him 3 times in a 5 mile trip. …
Steering complaints in other F-350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2011 Ford F-350?
NHTSA has 50 complaints about the steering of the 2011 Ford F-350, 37% of the model year's 136 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford F-350 steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2011 Ford F-350, though it has 4 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 2011 Ford F-350 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 69,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 2 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.