2017 FORD F-350 SD Complaints

2017 FORD 350 SRW/CREW CAB/LONG BED/DIESEL, 31K MILES, STEER/BUMP RESONANCE / DEATH WOBBLE AS SOME REFER TO IT AS, HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 2K MILES AGO. I WAS ON A STRETCH OF HIGHWAY THAT HAD A VERY WEIRD RIPPLE WHICH TRIGGERED THE FIRST INCIDENT, I THOUGHT IT WAS AN ANOMALY DUE TO CONDITIONS AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING MORE. SINCE THEN I HAVE NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL THAT IS PARTICULARLY PRONOUNCED WHEN IN A SLIGHT LEFT HIGHWAY TURN (UNLOADING THE STEERING DAMPER I ASSUME). WHILE TRAVELLING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL I WENT OVER A BRIDGE TRANSITION AND WENT INTO A STEER/BUMP RESONANCE WHICH FORCED ME TO THE SHOULDER AND SLOWING TO 30 MPH OR SO BEFORE IT DIMINISHED. THIS CAN BE DISTURBING ON AN EMPTY ROAD AND DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS ON A BUSY ONE. I'M JUST LUCKY THAT IT WAS A RELATIVELY LOW TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT DURING THE MOST CURRENT INCIDENT.

VEHICLE OWNER WAS TRAVELLING AT 65MPH ON FOUR LANE INTERSTATE. UPON CROSSING OVER AN EXPANSION JOINT AT AN OVERPASS THE STEERING AND FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY. THE SHAKING PERSISTED UNTIL SPEED WAS REDUCED TO UNDER 45MPH. NO VEHICLES WERE PRESENT IN THE ADJACENT LANES. IF THERE WERE IT IS VERY LIKELY AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED.

AT APPROXIMATELY 24,500 MILES, WHILE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 70 MPH, I CROSSED A SMALL CREASE IN THE ROAD AT THE BEGINNING OF A BRIDGE, THE TRUCK WENT INTO A "DEATH WOBBLE", OR AS FORD CALLS IT "SUSTAINED STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATION". THIS IS A VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE FRONT END THAT CAUSES YOU TO TEMPORARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR SPEED TO UNDER 45 MPH. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZER. THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY 11,200 MORE MILES. AT AROUND 35,700 MILES, THE DEATH WOBBLE RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. REDUCING THE SPEED TO LESS THAN 45 MPH STOPPED THE WOBBLE. HOWEVER, SINCE YOU CANNOT DRIVE 45 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, IT HAPPENED EVERY TIME I SPED UP AND HIT THE SLIGHTEST OF SMALL BUMPS IN THE ROAD. HAPPENED 6 MORE TIMES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE. THIS TIME IT WAS WORSE THAN BEFORE. TRUCK IS NOW SITTING AT DEALER AGAIN FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS WHILE THEY "LOOK" AT IT. ALL FORD IS WILLING TO DO IS SLAP ANOTHER POS STEERING STABILIZER ON IT AND PUSH ME OUT THE DOOR. THIS IS NOT THE FIX. FORD HAS A PROBLEM ON THEIR HANDS, BUT IS REFUSING TO LISTEN, OR SIMPLY CANNOT FIGURE THIS OUT. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!! STEP UP AND FIX YOUR TRUCKS FORD!!!!

WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY-SPEED ABOUT 65 MPH, THE TRUCK HITS A GROVE IN THE HIGHWAY ROAD AND STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND UNCONTROLLABLE. I SLOWED DOWN WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THE TRUCK IN ONE LANE AND IT STOPPED THE BUCKING/WOBBLE ACTION WHEN THE SPEED WAS REDUCED TO 20 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE PAST WEEK AND VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED TO BE LOOKED AT IN THE SERVICE CENTER.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON A HIGHWAY HIT A SMALL POTHOLE AND THE STEERING / FRONT SUSPENSION STARTED WOBBLING VERY VIOLENTLY, HAD NO MORE CONTROL ON THE THE STEERING. HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER. NO DAMAGE VISIBLE TO TIRES OR STEERING COMPONENTS SO I CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE WOBBLE WAS GONE. THIS HAPPENED BEFORE ON BRIDGE JOINTS IN A CURVE FOR A SHORT MOMENT, BUT NOT AS VIOLENTLY AS TODAY. TRUCK SEEMS NOT SAFE, WILL TAKE IT TO DEALER ON MONDAY.

I PURCHASED A NEW 2017 F-350 A COUPLE YEARS AGO. IT HAS ABOUT 22,000 MILES ON IT. I EXPERIENCED THE "DEATH WOBBLE" YESTERDAY FOR THE SECOND TIME. I NOW KNOW WHY IT'S CALLED THAT. I WAS GOING ABOUT 60MPH ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY WHEN THE TRUCK AND STEERING STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I ALMOST CRASHED TRYING TO SLOW IT DOWN AND DEFINITELY COULD HAVE KILLED ME! IT SOUNDS AS IF THIS IS BECOMING ALL TOO COMMON OF A PROBLEM WITH THESE TRUCKS. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE AGAIN!

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY TO WORK AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WHEN MY TRUCK STARTED TO SHAKE SO BAD IN THE FRONT END I ALMOST TOOK OUT THE VEHICLE TO MY LEFT AND ENDED UP HALFWAY IN THE DITCH. I HAD 0 CONTROL OVER MY TRUCK

DEATH WOBBLE. FRONT END SHAKES SO BAD YOU CANT CONTROL IT BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH ON HIGHWAY.

TRAVELING ON A PAVED HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. THE ROADWAY HAD A BUMPY SECTION. WHEN DRIVING THRU THE BUMPY SECTION, THE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND NEARLY CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL. IT CONTINUED TO SHAKE UNTIL THE TRUCK SPEED WAS REDUCED BELOW 30 MPH.

I STARTED TO HEAR A CLUNKING IN THE FRONT END OF MY 2017 F350 WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS (LOW SPEED AND HIGH SPEED). I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER AND THE SAID I HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY IN MY TIE ROD ENDS, SO THEY REPLACED THEM ALONG WITH A LOWER CONTROL ARM. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, I STARTED HEARING THE NOISE AGAIN AND WHEN I WOULD GO OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, EVEN AT LOW SPEED, THE TRUCK WOULD WANT TO WANDER. I TOOK IT IN A SECOND TIME AND THEY FOUND THE ANTI SWAY BAR HAD EXCESSIVE PLAY, SO THEY REPLACED THAT. I ASKED WHY A NEW 1 TON TRUCK WOULD ALREADY NEED FRONT SUSPENSION COMPONENTS REPLACED AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW. THE TRUCK DID DRIVE BETTER FOR AWHILE, BUT SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED HEARING THE NOISE AGAIN. I HAD TO GET THE OIL CHANGE, SO I ASKED THEM TO CHECK ON IT WHILE IT WAS IN THERE. THEY SAID THEY DID THE OIL CHANGE BUT COULDN'T CHECK THE NOISE COMPLAINT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME. THEY DID HOWEVER DO ANOTHER 42 POINT INSPECTION AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK. I BROUGHT IT IN ABOUT A WEEK LATER BECAUSE THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, BUT THE TECH SAID IT COULD BE COMING FROM THE REAR LEAF PACK BECAUSE, "SOMETIMES THE TRUCKS COME FROM THE FACTORY WITH THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS LUBRICATED AND THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE", SO HE SPRAYED DEGREASER ON THEM AND THEY COULDN'T HEAR ANY NOISE ANYMORE. I ASKED WHY THE FACTORY WOULD DO THAT, AND AGAIN, THEY HAD NO ANSWER. I DROVE IT WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER (AROUND THE CORNER) AND OF COURSE IT DIDN'T MAKE THE NOISE. I TOOK IT HOME HOPING THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED, BUT I SOON REALIZED THAT THE TRUCK STILL MAKES THE CLUNKING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, EVEN BACKING IN MY DRIVEWAY AND IT STILL WANDERS, EVEN PULLING INTO ONE DIRECTION WHEN I GO OVER BUMPS/TRANSITIONS ON THE ROAD/HIGHWAY AT LOW AND HIGHER SPEEDS. I HAVE MADE A COMPLAINT TO FORD AND WILL BE CONTACTING A LEMON LAW ATTORNEY.