2009 FORD F-350 SD Complaints

WHEN DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH AND HIT A BUMP FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY. (KNOWN AS THE DEATH WOBBLE). HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN PAST MONTH. WE WILL BE TAKING IT TO MECHANIC. AFRAID TO DRIVE IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 SD EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL CONTI PRO (NA) TIRES, SIZE: 275/6518 (NA). WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A BUBBLE ON THE TREAD OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THERE WAS LITTLE TREAD LIFE LEFT AND THE TIRE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE AND VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT PROVIDED.

HIT ROAD BUMP & THE 'DEATH WOBBLE' OCCURRED CAUSING THE TRUCK TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY & FORCE US TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT TO FORD DEALERSHIP & THEY QUOTED ME OVER $7K TO FIX VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING SUSPENSION RELATED. I TOOK IT 2 LOCAL DIESEL MECHANICS WHO EVENTUALLY FIXED IT AFTER REPLACING APX $700 IN PARTS. THE PART THAT FIXED IT WAS THE TRACK BAR BALL JOINT & TRACK BAR BUSHING. IN SEARCHING ONLINE AMONGST FORD ENTHUSIAST AS WELL AS OTHER DIESEL TRUCK OWNERS....THIS IS A SCARY, DANGEROUS & SOMEWHAT COMMON PROBLEM. FORDS RESPONSE IN A LOT OF INSTANCES IS THAT TIRE PRESSURE, TIRE WEAR, ETC... IS THEIR COMMON RESPONSE. ALL I KNOW IS WITH AS MANY GUYS THAT I'VE SEEN HAD THIS, THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT IS DANGEROUS. IF SOMEONE HASN'T BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS ALREADY, I'D BE SHOCKED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 SD EQUIPPED WITH BF GOODRICH RUGGED TERRAIN T/A TIRES, TIRE SIZE LT 285/65/R20 AND DOT NUMBER BE0T02112911. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD HAD SEPARATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE WAS NOT REPLACED. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2009 FORD F350 SRW DIESEL CREW CAB. AT APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A STRONG FRONT END VIBRATION; DEATH WOBBLE. WHEN I GO OVER UNEVEN ROADS AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55 MPH. THE VIBRATION IS SO GREAT THAT THE STEERING WHEEL REQUIRES A TIGHT HOLD TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE TRUCK. THE VIBRATION CONTINUES UNTIL I SLOW DOWN TO AROUND 40 MPH. THIS BECOMES EVEN SCARIER WHEN I AM ON A FREEWAY FLY OVER THAT TURNS AND I HIT AN EXPANSION JOINT. THE TRUCK SHAKES AND TRIES TO PUSH AWAY FROM THE TURN. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS. THE FIRST VISIT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT I NEEDED NEW TIRES. I BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND IT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK THE SECOND TIME AND THEY CHANGED OUT THE BALL JOINTS, TIE RODS, STEERING DAMPER, DID A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND BALANCED MY WHEELS. IT SEEMED TO WORK FOR A SHORT TIME UNTIL A PART FELL OFF THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK AND HIT ANOTHER ONE BEHIND ME IN THE CAR POOL LANE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHAT I LOST. I WAS TOLD A PART FELL OFF BUT THEY DID NOT WORK NEAR IT. FUNNY THING, IT BEGAN TO VIBRATE AGAIN AFTER THAT. I RECENTLY TOOK IT BACK AND TALKED TO THE TECHNICIAN BEFORE I LEFT THE TRUCK SO HE WOULD UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS DOING. HE TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE BUT DID NOT GET IT TO VIBRATE AS I REPORTED TO HIM. HE TOLD ME THAT MY TRUCK DRIVES JUST LIKE ALL F350'S WITHOUT A LOAD. I HAVE PUT MY SLIDE IN CAMPER IN THE BED OF MY TRUCK, 3,500 LBS. AND IT STILL VIBRATES VIOLENTLY. I THINK THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A LOAD AND IT TRULY FEELS LIKE A DEATH WOBBLE AS DESCRIBED BY MANY INTERNET POSTINGS. THE FORD REP I SPOKE TO SAID THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FILING A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH FORD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, HE DROVE OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE WOBBLED VIOLENTLY. THE SHAKING DID NOT STOP UNTIL THE VEHICLE SLOWED TO 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE FRONT HUB HAD SEIZED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE GEAR BOX. THE TIRES, SHOCKS, AND DUAL STABILIZERS WERE ALL REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED SO THE DEALER ADJUSTED THE STEERING GEAR BOX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 75 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE ROD FAILED, WHICH MADE A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 DIESEL. THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL FUMES EMITTED INTO THE VEHICLE WHENEVER IT WAS IN THE EXHAUST CLEANING MODE. ON OCCASIONS, BLUE SMOKE ALSO CAME OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,988.

ON MARCH 23, 2012, WHILE TOWING MY RV ON I16, THE TREAD ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE OF MY 2009 F350 PEELED OFF. MY FACTORY INSTALLED TIRES WERE CONTINENTAL CONTITRAC LT275/65R18. ACCORDING TO CONTINENTAL THESE TIRES WERE NOT A PART OF RECALL #11T002000 AND YET, GIVEN THE EXACT SAME FAILURE, I WONDER IF MY TIRES SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE TRUCK HAD VERY LOW MILEAGE, THE TREAD STILL HAD A DEPTH OF 11 AND THE BED LOAD WAS ONLY 2700 LBS(USING CAT WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS.) OF THE TRUCK'S 4000 LB CAPACITY. THE TIRE PRESSURE, BEFORE LEAVING 2 HOURS EARLIER, WAS AT THE RECOMMENDED 80 LBS. AFTER TALKING TO MY FORD DEALER IN AUSTIN, TX I LEARNED THAT THERE WAS NOTIFICATION 11B24 CONCERNING THESE TIRES. HAD I BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS I WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION. TO THIS END I HAD ALL 5 TIRES REPLACED BEFORE I AGAIN TOWED THE RV. WHILE I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE TRUCK, I COULD NOT TAKE THE CHANCE OF TEMPTING FATE ANOTHER TIME. AS THE TRUCK LEFT QUARTER PANEL WAS DAMAGED I DID START A CLAIM FOR REPAIR WITH CONTINENTAL. BASED ON ANY RESPONSE FROM YOU I WILL ALSO REQUEST PRO-RATED COMPENSATION FOR THE REPLACEMENT TIRES. I SAVED THE FAILED TIRE AND CONTINENTAL HAS REQUESTED THAT I SEND IT TO THEM. I WILL DO THIS WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F-350 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE WOULD CONTINUOUSLY RECUR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS BOLTED TOGETHER, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TWIST AND SNAP BACK INTO POSITION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,700.