Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 46 | 51% | 73,000 miles |
| 2013 | 30 | 39% | 108,000 miles |
| 2012 | 66 | 44% | 115,000 miles |
| 2011 | 50 | 37% | 69,000 miles |
| 2009 | 14 | 50% | 170,000 miles |
| 2008 | 47 | 36% | 91,000 miles |
| 2007 | 8 | 22% | 58,000 miles |
| 2006 | 51 | 35% | 57,000 miles |
| 2005 | 28 | 25% | 50,000 miles |
| 2004 | 9 | 6% | 73,000 miles |
| 2003 | 6 | 7% | 56,000 miles |
| 2002 | 16 | 14% | 63,000 miles |
| 2001 | 28 | 18% | 63,000 miles |
| 2000 | 44 | 14% | 63,000 miles |
| 1999 | 48 | 12% | 130,000 miles |
| 1997 | 12 | 8% | 92,000 miles |
| 1996 | 6 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 1995 | 5 | 4% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, she rolled over a road deformation and the front tires began to function abnormally and had begun to "wobble." The contact stated that she took her foot off of the accelerator, the contact stated that the vehicle could not maintain her lane and was jerking from the center lane to the right and left lanes. The contact stated that she pulled off the roadway and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred several more times since the first incident. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the vehicle's front shocks and steering arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that on subsequent failures she had replaced all four tires. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front end of the vehicle was violently shaking, making the vehicle difficult to control. There was no warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering damper had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving 65-75 MPH over a bumpy road surface, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The contact stated that the steering wheel and the front end of the vehicle were shuddering violently, nearly causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact stated that upon decelerating to 20 MPH, the vehicle failure ceased, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily. The contact resumed driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 20N04. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
I have had a few instances where the steering wheel gets a little shaky when hitting a bump but had a significant event that recently happened. I was traveling about 70 mph, with 3 other individuals in the truck with me. We were on a relatively smooth highway, one that is very well maintained. We went over a bridge and as we came off of the bridge and over the "joint" between the road and the bridge, the steering wheel began to violently shake, worse than anything I have ever experienced. I was white-knuckled trying to keep control of the vehicle, all the while slowing down on the highway. The truck was drifting left as it was shaking and I finally was able to come to almost a complete stop, which is when the shaking stopped. The shaking lasted maybe 20 -30 seconds. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle drove over a small depression in the roadway and the vehicle started vibrating violently. The contact was able to steer the vehicle however, it was difficult to keep the vehicle in the lane. The contact stated he stopped depressing the accelerator and was tapping the brake pedal to slow the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after slowing down to 30 MPH, the vibration stopped, and he regained control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vibration failure had become a recurring failure at various speeds. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front shocks, steering control arms, and ball joints needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at 55-60 MPH on cruise control, the vehicle hit a bump and started shuddering uncontrollably, causing the steering wheel to shudder as well. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that as he was losing control of the vehicle, he depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped shuddering. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. The contact stated that the vehicle was not yet diagnosed; however, the dealer replaced the steering bar. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving at 50-65 MPH, and sometimes at slower speeds. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
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.
Related recalls (1)
Steering › Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Vehicle description: medium duty trucks and chassis-cabs. One or more of the four rivets on the lower steering shaft flex coupling May not have been crimped during the sub-assembly process.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the lower steering shaft rivets and replace any shafts with uncrimped rivets.
NHTSA investigations
Alleged Loss of Steering
The Office of DefectsInvestigation (ODI) opened PE13-014 after identifying five complaints alleging steering gear failure in model year (MY) 2008 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pick-up trucks and to evaluate the relationship between the design history of the steering gear assembly and the alleged defect.As background, ODI investigated steering gear sector shaft fractures in approximately 1.3 million MY 1999 - 2001…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-350 years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2012 (66), 2006 (51), 2011 (50), 1999 (48) and 2008 (47) model years. Steering complaints make up 44% of all complaints for the 2012.
Is there a recall for Ford F-350 steering problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 98V-116 (gear box (other than rack and pinion), May 29, 1998). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-350 steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the hydraulic power assist system (55 mentions), followed by the steering wheel/handle bar (19).
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.