Diagsheet

2016 Ford F-250 Super Duty · symptom sheet

Suspension noise, struts or alignment

  • 111owner reports
  • 60,000median miles
  • $3,000median quote
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Jul 14, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

111 of the 287 complaints on this car describe suspension, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 F-250 Super Duty.

Tick what matches of 111 reports

46
12
3
12
13

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the struts or shocks (12 reports), the ball joint (12 reports), the sway bar link (5 reports) and the bushing (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the suspension system covers the 2016 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the suspension system on the F-250 Super Duty

EA08-007opened Mar 14, 2008
Suspension · model years 2005 to 2007

Violent front end oscillation. Closed mar 31, 2009.

NHTSA summary
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON 78 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF SEVERE SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATIONS AFTER THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TRAVELED OVER AN UNEVEN SURFACE.ODI WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THESE COMPLAINTS BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ALLEGED LOSS OF CONTROL AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL OCCURREDAT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MILES PER HOUR.AT THE TIME THESE COMPLAINTS WERE RECEIVED, ODI WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE TSB 07-10-10 AND EARLY WARNING FIELD REPORTS THAT DISCUSSED THE SHIMMY CONDITION ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.SINCE OPENING THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI HAS CONFIRMED, BASED ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, WARRANTY DATA, TESTING CONDUCTED BY VRTC, AND ODI INSPECTION OF COMPLAINT VEHICLES, THAT THE OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EXPERIENCING SHIMMY EVENTS ON THEIR VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI HAS ALSO CONFIRMED THAT OWNERS TYPICALLY DO NOT MAINTAIN THEIR TIRES AT THE PRESSURES RECOMMENDED BY FORD ON THE TIRE LABEL.FURTHER, ODI HAS FOUND THAT IN ORDER FOR SHIMMY TO OCCUR, TIRE PRESSURES MUST BE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW (AT LEAST 20%) THOSE SPECIFIED ON THE VEHICLE TIRE LABEL.ODI CONSIDERS THESE UNSAFE TIRE CONDITIONS TO BE THE RESULT OF ONE OF THREE TYPICAL SITUATIONS.THE TIRES ARE BEING IMPROPERLY MAINTAINED, THE OWNERS ARE INTENTIONALLY SETTING THE TIRE PRESSURES LOW TO ENHANCE RIDE QUALITY, OR AFTERMARKET TIRES (NOT DESIGNED FOR USE ON THE VEHICLE) ARE INSTALLED TO CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OR FUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE.THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE INTENDED AND DESIGNED TO BE USED AS HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES AND AS SUCH REQUIRE
PE07-057opened Nov 15, 2007
Suspension · model years 2005 to 2007

Violent front end oscillation. Closed mar 14, 2008.

NHTSA summary
ODI HAS RECEIVED 78 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF SEVERE SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY AND OSCILLATIONS COMMENCING AFTER THE SUBJECT VEHICLES TRAVELED OVER AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE. THE MAJORITY OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH OR GREATER.THIRTEEN OF THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY ODI ALLEGE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND THAT THE VEHICLE CHANGED DRIVING LANES UNCONTROLLABLY.FOUR OF THE COMPLAINTS RECEIVED BY ODI ALLEGE THAT THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD SURFACE AS A RESULT OF THE VIOLENT SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATIONS.IN ONE CASE THE CONSUMER ALLEGES THAT AFTER THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD SURFACE, IT CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA.ADDITIONALFACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE OPENING OF THIS EA WERE EARLY WARNING FIELD REPORTS,SUBMITTED BY FORD, DESCRIBING SUSPENSION SHIMMY / OSCILLATIONSAND A FORD TSB (07-10-10) DESCRIBING THE SUSPENSION SHIMMY ISSUE AND HOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM.FORD HAS DESCRIBED SHIMMY AS SELF-EXCITED OSCILLATION OF THE STEERING WHEELS WITH ACCOMPANYING WHEEL TRAMP.THIS PE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA) TO DETERMINE IF THE SHIMMY CONDITION THAT OCCURS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES CREATES A CONDITION WHERE THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL OR STARTLES THE DRIVER, THUS PRESENTING A SAFETY RISK.
PE96-052opened Aug 23, 1996
Suspension · model years 1994 to 1996

Separated front suspension. Closed jan 27, 1997.

NHTSA summary
CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REPORT THAT BOLTS WHICH RETAIN THE AXLE PIVOT BRACKET TO THE FRAME CROSS MEMBER CAN LOOSEN OR FAIL, CAUSING THE INBOARD END OR THE AXLE TO BECOME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE.OWNERS ALLEGE THAT THIS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, HOWEVER THE COMPLAINT DATA SHOWS ONLY ONE INCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY FOLLOWING AXLE SEPARATION, WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.IN ADDITION TO THE 225 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, THERE WERE 4,315 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND MEMBERS, AND 22 VEHICLES WERE REPLACED FOR GOODWILL.DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED BY FORD, UNDER REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT INDICATE THAT THE BOLTS WERE INADEQUATE FOR THE DURABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE VEHICLE.ALSO, BOLTS WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN INADEQUATELY TORQUED AT ONE OR MORE ASSEMBLY PLANTS.OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS WAX TREATMENT OF THE FRAME, CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM.INCREASED BOLT DIAMETER AND INCREASED TORQUE APPARENTLY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM.A SERVICE BULLETIN, 96-20-13, WAS ISSUED TO ADVISE DEALERS OF THIS CORRECTIVE ACTION.IN THESE DOCUMENTS, FORD ALSO REPORTED THAT A VEHICLE, EQUIPPED FOR SIMULTANEOUS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF ALL PIVOT BRACKET FASTENERS, WAS EVALUATED RESULTING IN A SLIGHT VEHICLE PULL TO ONE SIDE WITH NO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.ODI HAS NOT REPLICATED FORD'S VEHICLE TESTING, HOWEVER ANALYSIS OF THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION INDICATES THAT EVEN IF THE INBOARD END OF THEAXLE BECAME DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME, THE OUTBOARD END WOULD REMAIN FIR

None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.

What owners paid

7 of the 111 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,326 to $5,000.

$1,326$3,000$5,000
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 44,000 and 120,000 miles, from the 44 reports that gave a mileage.

216
117
118
1019
1920
1121
2522
1923
1624
625
126

What owners wrote

“Vehicle developed a death wabble at 98,000 miles and is getting worse. hit a bump and started to wobble violently and had to hit brakes and pull to side of road and stop to get to quit wobbling. happened two more times on the way home. thought i was going to loose control of vehicle.”

Filed Sep 5, 2023 · 98,000 miles

“I was experiencing what is known as the "death wobble" in my 2016 Ford F250 FX4 truck. The truck only has 56,000 miles but is out of warranty. I recently spent $1326.00 to have the problem repaired. Apparently this is a major problem with these trucks. I have the repair bill but didn't include it with this statement.”

Filed Jan 18, 2023 · 56,000 miles

“What has been name “death wobble “ that occurs in Ford F 250 trucks and other. Where the front end of vehicle and steering wheel shakes violently making vehicle almost impossible to control until you bring vehicle to a stop”

Filed Mar 28, 2022

“Driving 65mph on I40 hit a transition area of the pavement and the truck began the shake violently almost unable to control truck due to the shake. Had to come to a complete stop to make it stop. Happened again when I hit the next bump. I have read this is referred to as the death wobble. It is very scary and could cause an accident even loss of life due to an accident.”

Filed Jan 19, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 111 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

Other problems on this car