NHTSA Complaint #10204597 — 2006 FORD F-250 SD

MY 2006, 5.3 GAS ENGINE, 4 WHEEL DRIVE, F250 SUPER DUTY HAS HAD EXCESSIVE WHEEL HOP, BOUNCING, VIBRATION, AND SOMETIMES, VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE TRUCK, WHEN GOING OVER EXPANSION JOINTS, BUMPS AND ROAD DEFECTS SINCE IT WAS NEARLY NEW. THIS RESULTS IN THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING AND MAKES THE TRUCK HARD TO CONTROL. WHEN NEW WITH 300 MILES ON IT IN FEB. 2007, I DROVE IT FROM MA TO FL AND NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES IT SHUDDERED, WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP AT SPEEDS OVER 50. THAT IS, IT DID NOT JUST GIVE ONE HARD JOLT, BUT BOUNCED A FEW TIMES. THE BOUNCING GOT WORSE AS MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WENT UP. SOMETIMES THE TRUCK WOULD MOVE LATERALLY AFTER A HARD BUMP, THAT IS, MOVE TO THE EDGE OF THE TRAVELED LANE, OR PARTIALLY INTO ONE OF THE ADJACENT LANES. NOW, WITHIN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, AT ITS EXTREME OF VIBRATIONS AND BOUNCING, THE VIOLENT SHAKING HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE, BOTH TIMES WHEN TRAVELING ON A HIGHWAY AT 60-68 MPH, AFTER GOING OVER AN EXPANSION JOINT COMING OFF OR GOING ON TO A BRIDGE. FIRST TIME, ON SEPT 16, 2007, WITH ABOUT 9000 MILES ON THE F250, SHAKING LASTED ABOUT 5 SECONDS, ON I64 IN VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, AND THEN, ON SEPT. 28, 2007, FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS, OR ABOUT 1000', ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. DURING THESE LAST 2 INCIDENTS, I THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT EASILY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAVE EITHER INJURED SOMEONE ELSE OR MYSELF. BOTH OF THE SERIOUS VIOLENT SHAKING EPISODES HAPPENED ON A DRY INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN DECENT CONDITION WITH OTHER TRAFFIC TRAVELING AT THE SAME SPEED AND MANY, MANY OTHER VEHICLES GOING OVER THE SAME BUMPS. I HAVE CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE AND ALL THE TIRES READ ABOUT 50#, THE SAME AS WHEN I GOT THE TRUCK ON JAN. 31, 2007. THERE ARE NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS IN THE TIRES. NOW, IT SHUDDERS WHEN GOING OVER VERY MINOR BUMPS, SOMETIMES EVEN AT BELOW 45 MPH. I'VE MADE IT BACK FROM MY TRIP AND THERE ARE ABOUT 9500 MILES ON THE TRUCK AND I AM TAKING IT TO THE DEALER THIS WEEK. THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE. *JB