2008 FORD F-250 Complaints

EXHAUST MANIFOLDS LEAK. FORD USES ALUMINA HEADS WITH STEEL MANIFOLD BOLTS AND CAST IRON EXHAUST MANIFOLDS. THE THREE METALS HAVE DIFFERENT HEAT RANGES WHICH CAUSE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLDS TO WRAP OR CRACK AND BREAK THE BOLTS CAUSING LEAKS.

I EXPERIENCED "DEATH WOBBLE" 3 TIMES IN TWO WEEKS AFTER HITTING A BUMP ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 60 - 65 MPH EACH TIME. THE VEHICLE SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO 40 MPH OR BELOW. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING FORWARD IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED.

VIOLENT SHAKING OF FRONT WHEELS AND STEERING WHEEL AT HIGHWAY SPEED 65-70MPH AFTER HITTING BUMP IN THE ROAD. I CALLED THE FORD SERVICE DEPT AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM! HOWEVER, THERE ARE SO MANY OCCURRENCES THAT A NAME HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE ISSUE, THE DEATH WOBBLE. IT SEEMS FORD IS IN DENIAL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY TRY TO BLAME TIRE PRESSURE ACCORDING TO ONLINE SOURCES. THERE SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL FORCED BY THE NHTSA BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED, IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY! I HAD JUST HAD THE TRUCK TIRES ROTATED BALANCED AND AIR PRESSURE CHECKED BEFORE THIS TRIP!

MY VEHICLE HAS A DEATH WOBBLE WHEN HITTING A BUMP AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. I RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM FORD THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES; SPECIAL FIELD ACTION 09L02 DATED JANUARY 2018. I WASN'T AWARE THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT RECENTLY TALKED WITH SOMEONE WHO OWNS THE SAME VEHICLE AND HE HAPPENED TO ASK IF I HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. UPON RECEIVING THE NOTICE AND RECALLING THAT CONVERSATION I THOUGHT I SHOULD FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT. IN PARTICULAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO RATTLE AND SHAKE IN A MANNER THAT MAKES THE VEHICLE UNCONTROLLABLE UNTIL YOU COME TO A VIRTUAL STOP. I HAVE HAD ALMOST A DOZEN OCCURRENCES. MY MECHANIC CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND ALIGNMENT AND STEERING ISSUES, TIE RODS AND BALL JOINT ETC. THEN AFTER IT HAPPENED AGAIN SENT ME TO THE TIRE SHOP. THE TIRE SHOP CHECKED THE TIRES AND SENT ME BACK TO THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE VEHICLE AGAIN, REPLACED SOME WARN PARTS IN THE STEERING COLUMN (I BELIEVE IT WAS A BUSHING SOMEWHERE, BUT CAN CONFIRM IF NEEDED, I HAVE RECORDS SOMEWHERE). THAT DECREASED THE FREQUENCY, BUT I STILL HAVE EXPERIENCED IT TWICE SINCE THEN. IT SEEMS INTERMITTENT, AND FRANKLY ALMOST RANDOM AS I CAN NOT ALWAYS RECREATE THE CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE THE PROBLEM. I CAN TRAVEL ALONG THE SAME ROUTE, SAME SPEED, AND NOT ALWAYS EXPERIENCE THE LOSS OF CONTROL I CALL A DEATH WOBBLE. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, AS DESCRIBED IN THE SFA YOU HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS, APPLY THE BRAKES AND HOLD THE WHEEL STRAIGHT. IT'S A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AND SCARED THE HELL OUT OF MY FATHER AND DAUGHTER WHEN THEY EXPERIENCED IT WITH ME ON A FREEWAY OVERPASS THAT CURVED AND I HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND COULDN'T STEER.

HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE INFAMOUS "SUPER DUTY DEATH SHAKE" FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW ....HAVE HAD DEALER INSPECT THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL ....ALWAYS TOLD IT IS DUE TO TIRE PRESSURE OR WORN TIRES....I CHECK PRESSURES REGULARLY AND NEVER HAVE TO ADD MORE THAN A # OR TWO.....NEW TIRES MASK THE PROBLEM BUT IT IS STILL THERE......SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS HAVE NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENTS....USUALLY HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEED BUT OCCASIONALLY AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS 35 MPH.....VIOLENT OSCILLATION AT TIMES HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ....THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED .....RECEIVED A "RECALL NOTICE RELATED TO THIS ISSUE ON 2/6/2018 ....WAS TOLD BY FORD ON 2/7/2018 THAT THEY HAVE NO PLANS TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE

SINCE OWNING MY F250, IT HAS RANDOMLY EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION "DEATH WOBBLE" AFTER HITTING BUMPS AT HIGHWAY SPEED. SO BAD, THAT I INSTALLED A STEERING STABILIZER TO HELP MITIGATE THE ISSUE (FORD DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE A BETTER FIX). I ALWAYS KEEP MY LOAD "E "RATED TIRES INFLATED PER RECOMMENDED PRESSURES YET THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GOING TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE VIBRATIONS HAPPENED. FORD HAS YET TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OTHER THAN TO SAY SLOW DOWN WHEN THE SEVERE VIBRATION OCCURS. FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS THIS HAS BEEN AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN FOR MANY F250 OWNERS AND FORD'S ANSWER IS WHEN IT HAPPENS ," SLOW DOWN"? THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE UNIQUE TO MY VEHICLE; THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ABOVE ISSUE. NUMEROUS POST, BLOGS AND VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE ON LINE, YET FORD CONTINUES TO BLAME THE OCCURRENCE ON LOW TIRE PRESSURE AND PASS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTROLLING A VERY HAZARDOUS "DEATH WOBBLE" TO THE VEHICLE OWNERS. THIS IS AN ISSUE THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS, YET HAVE FAILED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND CORRECT THE HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION FORD CREATED. ANY DATA ON HOW MANY ACCIDENTS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR POOR ENGINEERING/DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNSAFE HANDLING OF THEIR 7000 LB PLUSS TRUCKS?

THIS VEHICLE HAS NO AFTERMARKET ALTERATIONS AND THE FRONT END PARTS ARE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION BUT AT CERTAIN SPEEDS WHEN HITTING A BUMP THE VEHICLE SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY AS IF IT IS GOING TO EXPLODE! IT ONLY HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 FORD F-250. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SLID OFF THE ROAD DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE SEAT BELT UNLATCHED INDEPENDENTLY. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN NECK, BROKEN SPINAL CORD, DISLOCATED JAW, DISLOCATED SHOULDER, AND SPRAINED RIBS. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NOT REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE BED RAILS THAT ATTACH THE BED TO THE FRAME ARE ROTTEN AND ARE DETACHED FROM EACH OTHER . THE BED FRAME MOUNTS ARE RUSTING OFF FROM THE BED ITSELF . NO OTHER RUSTING ON THE TRUCK EXCEPT FOR ONE SPOT ON THE OUTER PASSENGER SIDE BED WHEEL WELL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-250 SD. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE STEERING SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC (SUMMERS AUTOMOTIVE) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15E014000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.