Problems with 2008 Ford F-250 STEERING

When traveling more than 40mph and a wheel hits a groove or bump in the road, the entire truck shakes violently and is hard to control, forcing the driver to quickly decelerate to regain control of the truck. it feels as if the tires are bouncing uncontrollably. this has been happening since we purchased the vehicle new in 2009. also when driving over railroad tracks or very bumpy roads, the brake pedal, when depressed, goes all the way to the floor. after pumping the brakes, normal braking returns, but the initial brake failure is very frightening as is the uncontrollable shaking when hitting a bump at highway speeds.

It starts shimmying back and forth viciously and will not steer. i put on new struts, steering gear box, shocks, tires, and have spent over $,3, 000 in the past few months. i never know when this will start and have come close to several accidents. i have read many letters from people with the same problem in this model. why is there no recall?

While in motion, at 30 mph or higher, the truck wanders left and right. impossible to maintain straight travel...basically no centering of steering. unsafe and it appears that you are driving as a drunk would. also, violent shaking of steering wheel after hitting a bump at speed.

Steering gear box seems to have broke. lose of all steering. steering wheel spins around but does not control anything now

The steering sort of wanders all over the road, especially on turns then it gets hard to steer, yesterday while driving at highway speeds 60/70mph same issue then when over a bump then vehicle started to drift off road

The truck steering is uncontrollable and dangerous. when driving the truck jerk the steering wheel over into the other lane.this happens all the time when driving on regular city streets.truck turn on its own and goes into the other lane. very hard to correct wheel will not turn back to straight position. we have taken it into 2 different auto repair shop 4 times and no one can find the problem. we did have gear box changed and had it changed a second time to make sure this was not a defective steering box. cant find anything wrong with it. no mechanic can find anything wrong with truck and can not fix this issue.has happened over 10 times.happens very time it is drove unknown problem! not drive able and dangerous.

My truck has the 6.4 diesel engine. while turning on a one lane street the vehicle failed to respond to my efforts. after a couple of seconds it responded and i maintained control. my vehicle is currently at mike white ford in coeur alene idaho getting a new motor installed. myself and the service advisor walked into the shop to heck progress on the motor install. i asked him to address the steering box recall where from the factory a steering box was installed that doesnt sit flush with the frame. this problem could result in the bolts attaching the steering box to the frame breaking due to the poor fitment. i showed him a hole where a bolt attaching the steering box to the frame was broken off. he stated to me that he didnt thom that there was a recall on the steering box. i stated that yes there was and asked hom to please fix it. this lemon of a vehicle is all that my family has to drive! i want it fixed properly. not just shimmed and throw new bolts on it. i mean a new steering box that sits flush against the frame. this vehicle carrie's my children and grandchildren on a daily basis and needs to be safe. thank you for your time in this matter.

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?

Steering gets stiff and vehicle wanders from side to side, requiring a forceful tug in the opposite direction to correct steering. when attempting to drive in a straight line, it feels like a boat chine walking, except is much harder to correct. this has happened at all speeds and on all road surfaces. began in the last 250 miles with about 143,000 miles on vehicle.

Steering wheel locked up getting off exit when applying brakes, this has happened 4 times.

While driving on the highway at about 50 mph, truck seemed to want to wander due to excessive play in the steering box. steering wheel would turn about 1/4 to 1/2 way before it would react. i took it to my local mechanic and he told me it could possibly be adjusted. he checked all the linkage and steering box bolts for looseness. he tried to adjust the box but there was a flat spot on the steering gear that had worn and could not adjust because it would cause the steering to bind up and not return correctly. he told me this was very unusual for a steering box to be worn out with only 47,000 mile on the truck and that it should be replaced because it would be very unsafe to drive. after returning it to me i drove it for a few days and decided it was best to have the steering box replaced. my cost was over $700. i feel this is really a very unsafe situation for drivers to be in and have no alternative but to have it repaired. i hope ford realizes that i am not the only one that has experienced this problem and cares enough about there customers to fix this problem before it kills someone. i have owned many vehicles in my life and never experienced a problem like this with such low milage.

Steering box worn out after 47000 miles. excessive play that cannot be adjusted out by any ase certified mechanic. causes me to over steer the vehicle to keep control.

Making a left hand turn in my f250 sd , the steering locked and would not straighten out quickly as normal. i had to quickly animal steering back to neutral position barley missing opposite lane traffic. as i straightened the truck out i felt the wheel being pulled to the left and right by itself. i decided to take my hands off the wheel and it darted to the left. i straightened it out and held the wheel fighting the jerking of the wheel. after a couple of miles it seemed to stop. i brought it to my mechanic. he said my front left caliber is sticking. i decided to do a complete brake job. 4 new calibers, rotors, brake hoses etc. also he aligned the front and checked all steering components. he could not find anything wrong with the steering. i got the truck back and it stopped really good. unfortunately the following day the steering acted up. my mechanic could not duplicate what i experienced . knowing that he checked everything, there could only be two items left. steering pump or steering box. i had the mechanic change the steering pump and flush the steering system. now after spending a ton of money on all of this i was hoping it would be solved. after the steering pump had been replaced it seemed to drive like new. the next day im driving the truck feeling that the problem is solved when i made a left hand turn, i heard a loud popping noise and felt my steering wheel and column shake. steering locked again and i had to nail the brakes so i would not collide with the median. i barely got the wheel to straighten out. this time the truck was pulling left to right more defined. i did all i could to keep it straight. luckily i was only a couple of miles from my house. i could not go over 20mph or i would have lost total control of the truck. i later had the truck towed to my mechanic and he is going to replace the steering box. lives are at risk.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. while driving approximately 10 mph, a popping noise came from the steering column and the steering wheel malfunctioned. the contact was unable to steer the vehicle in either direction and crashed into a parked vehicle. there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering shaft was fractured and detached. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 93,000.

We have no problem with our truck until a couple of days the power steering gearbox stop working while driving. it barley works if the truck is at a stand still it will not turn at all. their is nothing wrong with my power steering pump. i look at the top of the gear-box and notice a leak coming around the set screw that holds the bearings.

Takata recall steering lock up and complete brake failure when turning and decelerating. three occurrences in last 3 months. last 1-10-2017

I have had nothing but problems with the steering and front end of this truck. the dealership has replaced everything they can and now they tell me it is the steering gear box that needs replacing but that part is on back order indefinitely. i see now that the nhsta has an open investigation regarding this matter and i am waiting for a recall to be issued. it is very dangerous and wanders all over the road.

While driving at speeds 55 mph or more when driving on to a bridge or change in highway,or hitting a pothole in the road the front end of my truck starts shaking violently it only stop this by slowing down to about 20 mph.the shaking is so violent you almost lose control.it happens whenever i hit a rough spot in the road.

Several times while driving down the road and after making either left or right turns i feel the vehicle seeming to keep making the turn and i have to jerk the steering wheel to correct. also the steering wheel today was approximately turned to two oclock while going straight.

Vehicle has loose steering with 2 to 3 inches of play left to right. steering sometimes does not easily move at low speeds.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. while driving approximately 60 mph, the steering wheel shook violently and wobbled out of control. the contact had to depress the brake pedal harshly in order for the failure to seize. the contact stated that the wobbling of the front end caused the radiator to eventually burst. the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the tires and performed an all wheel alignment; however, the failure persisted. the manufacturer informed the contact that the vin was not included in any recalls. the approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

While driving down the road at 20-40mph vehicles power steering was lost and truck began to pull to the right veh was difficult to keep on the road..after making turn onto another street veh started pulling left..after moving steering wheel left and right from center a few times..power steering was corrected for the time of driving..this instance has occurred several times since and is usually at low speeds.i took veh to shop and was told that veh needs steering gear. *tr

When i turned off the highway the steering was almost stuck- as if the truck had been turned off. i made it to the side of the road, turned it off and back on and then it steered ok. this has happened twice before. *tr

Slowing down exiting to the left off hi-way after about a half an hour at 70mph. brake pedal felt like it kicked back, both brakes and steering locked up, slid unto shoulder, then everything released like normal. brought to dealer, they replaced hyro-booster system and fluids. issue seemed corrected, exiting right on hwy no issue, however everything locked up again first time exiting left. after 10 days researching issue, dealer assured replacing damper assembly(?) and all four tires would resolve. issue happened again same day as pickup. being towed back to dealer for third attempt to correct. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. while driving approximately 62 mph, the steering wheel and both front tires began shaking without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 77,600.

Intermittent power steering failure while driving the vehicle, this has happened many times. the power steering will stop working while driving during turns, the steering become very hard like (manual). the failure lasts about 4 seconds. not sure how to proceed, afraid to drive. *tr

I took my 2008 ford f-250 to the ford dealer to have an alignment and oil change. i had the vehicle aligned approximately eight months ago but the alignment has steadily deteriorated. the vehicle has a little over 77,000 miles. i purchased this vehicle brand new and have been the only owner. i have never been "off-roading" or "mudding" in the vehicle. all miles are highway/city miles. little towing has been done with the vehicle. all recommended services have been provided by ford dealerships. there have been no modifications to the vehicle nor have there been any accidents that would effect the steering of the vehicle. the dealership called and stated that my steering gear box is about to go out. the fix for this would be over $1100.00 which i am unable to afford at this time. it seems the gear box in the "super duty" would last longer under these reasonable conditions. *tr

When turning the vehicle, it feels like the power steering goes out and the vehicle turns really hard and it is nearly impossible to return the steering wheel to center without using excessive force on the steering wheel. it almost feels like you cannot recover from the turn and that you are going to crash. we took it to the dealer tonight. they will hopefully have time to diagnose the problem tomorrow and fix the issue. i suspect it is the same issue that i read the nhsta has investigated before, and i am wondering what it takes for a recall to be issued. i hope it doesn't take people dying in a crash before someone steps up and takes this issue seriously. we have maintained this vehicle meticulously and all service on the vehicle has been at the dealership since the day we bought it. unfortunately this is not the first safety issue we have had with this truck. *js

Loud pop noise on drivers side felt through floorboard. steering became erratic with truck veering left to right and very difficult to keep in lane. if it happened at highway speeds i would have gone off the road for sure. took vehicle in for alignment and front end inspection and nothing found out of order. day after that it did it again. just came back home now and it did it again with a police officer behind me. he followed me to my house and thought i had been drinking because of the way the vehicle appeared to be out of control at only 20mph. i'm scared to drive now because the frequencies between normal and not are shortening.vehicle suspension is not modified from stock. *tr

On my daily commute to work i experienced what i have later researched to find out is called the "death wobble". the first occurrence happened while maintaining a speed of approximately 55 mph which was the suggested road speed limit, after riding over a small bump in the road my front left end initiated into a violent shaking sensation that felt as though i had just blown a tire. after reducing my speed abruptly and nearly being rear ended the front end regained its control and i continued and arrived safely to work after reducing my speed to 45 mph. i looked in the wheel hub and underneath but did not see anything out of the ordinary from plane sight. i experienced the violent shaking on multiple occasions, different locations and found myself experiencing it more and more at lower speeds and on smaller road bumps/pot holes. after day 2 i scheduled an appointment for 6/30/14 with ford service to have the repair & diagnoses. the next day 6/27/14 we had to evacuate our job site in louisiana due to extreme weather conditions and possible tornados, on my commute home, the so called death wobble occurred again and this time resulted in loosing control and crashing into a small tree because of the violent shaking and necessary braking to regain control. i was able to escape with minor damages to my front bumper. ford is having to replace my ball joints, bearings and tie bar that will cost well over $600 in repairs excluding a new front bumper that i cannot afford to fix. i'm afraid this could result in a serious injury/fatality if not recalled and fixed. had i gone into incoming traffic it could have been my life or theirs and i would think ford would be fully responsible. there are hundreds of similar cases from older models and even newer up to 2013, mine is a f-250 2008. http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-f-250-super-duty/tohp1m75vbfbft9il/p5. *tr

This problem occurs when the vehicle is at a stop sign or red light and i turn left or right . that's when the truck darts from left to right. i have a tough time keeping it on the road. after about a mile down the road it seems to go away. when it does happen it is a very drastic left pull then hard to the right pull. it feels like the wheel has to be turned to compensate for this action, then it takes off in the other direction. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f250. the contact stated while driving the steering wheel was loose and caused the vehicle to swerve. the local mechanic inspected the vehicle and found the steering wheel gear box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 44,000 and the current mileage was 45,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the steering gear box failed without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic however, had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 195,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact lost control of the steering. the vehicle traveled off-road, over a ditch and into an open pasture before crashing into a row of trees. the driver's side mirror was torn off the panel and entered the driver's side window. the contact did not sustain any injuries. a police report was filed of the incident. the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence and was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 113,000. the vin was not available.

Super duty diesel is wandering left and right going down highway above 35 mph. steering box creating loose steering responses. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated that the steering was sluggish and, while making a turn, the steering wheel became stuck in the turn position. an independent mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 75,000.

When exiting the highway i lost the power steering and brakes. this happened multiple times over the course of several weeks. the vehicle would also lose steering pulling into parking spaces and under normal driving conditions. the brakes fade significantly under heavy use and while towing. the steering pump was replaced and the problem still has not gone away. *tr

My dealership identified during routine servicing that the steering gear box on my 2008 ford f250 diesel truck is faulty and needs replacing. the steering wheel does not return easily coming out of a turn. they recommend the steering gear box be replaced with official ford parts but then stated it could take up to 120 days to get the part. it was recommended i don't drive the truck in the meantime. i understand an investigation has been started on this problem as people have reported complete loss of steering. it is not considered a recall yet. i am very concerned and am not driving my truck but cannot wait long for a solution. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated that while traveling 60 mph, the steering wheel shook violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the steering box had failed. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 55,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the steering assist failed and the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection where they stated that the tie rod, rack and pinion and the gear box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 250,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f250. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the steering failed and leaked oil from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised to the contact that the gear box needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 41,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250 diesel. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the steering box malfunctioned causing him to lose control of the vehicle. the contact had to crash into a pole in order to bring the vehicle to a stop. no injuries were reported. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the steering gear box needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 29,000. *tr

Intermittent problem with steering. sometimes steering is fine.other times truck wants to pull left after making a left turn. same condition after right turns. i've had a couple of experiences while steering is pulling right or left, trying to correct the trucks jumps from lane to lane. no accident yet ! very scary! i looked the problem up on the internet they call this problem " memory steer". i also read the problem is the steering pump. the spools in the pump that shuttles power steering fluid to right or left turns are sticking. i strongly suggest a recall before a fatal accident happens. *tr

2008 f250 6,4 powerstroke 4x4 drive above 55 and hit rolling bump and the front end starts shaking violently steering wheel also shakes. i have had everything inspected and everything is tight as a vehicle with only 59,000 mile should be. the more i drive it the worse it gets its starting to just shake randomly without hitting a bump. *tr

Driving 65mph and changing lanes power steering was lost as well as power braking. after fighting the wheel hard to straighten out and braking hard i finally eased over to a stop. when stopped discovered the serpentine belt had broken, second issue in 20k miles with said belt. belt and tensioner were replaced 1.5 years and 20k miles prior. tensioners destroying belts are a known fault with 6.4l engines. i am not a small guy and i feel many would not have been able to get the truck under control with no power steering or brakes. luckily i was not towing at the time or i wouldn't have had control. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250 super duty. the contact stated that when driving over a road bump and traveling 45-65 mph, the front end of the vehicle would wobble uncontrollably. the contact had to reduce speed in order to bring the vehicle under control. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 45,000 and the current mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel became loose which caused the contact to lose control of vehicle and swerved off of the road. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for diagnostic testing where the steering gear box was replaced. the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 44,000.