Ford F-250 Wheels Problems
Owners have filed 125 complaints with NHTSA about wheels problems on the Ford F-250 across 19 model years. The 2011 model year has the most (17). The words owners use most often: “death wobble” (29% of reports).
- 125wheels complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 79%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Death wobble: mentioned in 36 of 125 complaints (29%)
- Front end: mentioned in 19 of 125 complaints (15%)
- Small bump: mentioned in 7 of 125 complaints (6%)
- Truck started: mentioned in 7 of 125 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do wheels problems happen?
Based on 80 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 125 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Ford F-250 wheels complaints by model year
| Model year | Wheels complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 F-250 | 9 | 6% | 70,000 |
| 2013 F-250 | 8 | 8% | 64,000 |
| 2012 F-250 | 16 | 6% | 108,657 |
| 2011 F-250 | 17 | 7% | 65,000 |
| 2010 F-250 | 5 | 7% | 38,000 |
| 2009 F-250 | 6 | 11% | 91,000 |
| 2008 F-250 | 3 | 2% | 107,000 |
| 2007 F-250 | 2 | 3% | 120,000 |
| 2006 F-250 | 15 | 7% | 116,000 |
| 2005 F-250 | 6 | 4% | 65,000 |
| 2003 F-250 | 3 | 3% | 33,500 |
| 2002 F-250 | 2 | 1% | 120,589 |
| 2001 F-250 | 5 | 2% | 120,000 |
| 2000 F-250 | 3 | 1% | 268,000 |
| 1999 F-250 | 8 | 1% | 94,000 |
| 1998 F-250 | 1 | 2% | 220,000 |
| 1997 F-250 | 10 | 3% | 139,939 |
| 1996 F-250 | 3 | 2% | — |
| 1995 F-250 | 3 | 2% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Wheels:lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Model years: 1997, 1998
Problem: Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles and light duty pickup trucks. The lug nuts on these vehicles may not create sufficient clamp load allowing wheel movement in relation to the hub/rotor mounting surface.
Risk: This can result in the loosening of lug nuts, stud fatigue failure, and the potential for a wheel separation from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners of these vehicles will be receiving two notifications. The first notification, which began in may 1998, will provide an interim repair procedure until parts become available. This interim procedure can be completed by owners or their dealers. It specifies that the lug nut torque must be verified to be 100 lbs. Then the lug nuts need to be tightened an additional 1/8 to 1/4 turn more. There will be a second owner notification, which is expected to begin july 20, 1998, under which dealers will inspect the wheel studs and replace the wheel lug nuts.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Death wobble at speeds greater than 46 mph. I have to come to a complete stop to make it stop. I almost got rear ended by a semi before I could get off the interstate on the shoulder. My vehicle is a 2014 but I have experienced this several times since I bought it new. Took it to my local ford…
The front suspension randomly shakes when doing speeds above 60 on the freeway. Itâs very dangerous especially because we almost experienced running into a semi while driving on I-50 between a cement construction wall and the semi. I find it hard to believe that Ford will NOT own up to this…
December 24th at approximately 1100 hr. Driving normally on the Garden State Parkway Southbound approaching exit 98. The vehicle instantaneously began to shake out of control. I was able to keep the Vehicle in the travel lane and was able to pull over to the shoulder. I Vehicle pulled over to see…
Purchased my truck last year and was unaware of problems with this truck.whikr traveling couple miles from my home on a paved two lane road I ran over a small gravel or walnut which immediately sent my truck into uncontrollably shaking in the front end my speed was between 30 and 35 mph it was all…
Death wobble occurred randomly at about 40mph. Driving through mountains, slowed down and pulled off to the side to avoid putting others in danger including the passengers in this truck. There were not any warning lights/alerts from the truck prior to this happening.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford F-250s have wheels problems?
No. NHTSA has 125 owner complaints about wheels for the Ford F-250. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford F-250 wheels?
Yes: 1 safety recall list wheels. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about wheels problems on the Ford F-250?
The most frequent phrase is “death wobble”, in 36 of 125 complaints, followed by “front end” (19).
Other Ford F-250 problems
- Steering problems (808)
- Suspension problems (766)
- Tires problems (460)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (387)
- Power Train problems (319)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (290)
- Electrical System problems (259)
- Engine problems (244)
See all Ford F-250 problems.