NHTSA Complaint #10269346 — 2006 FORD F-350

EXCESSIVE FRONT END SHIMMY ON OCCASION WITH MY FORD F350 4X4. I HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM OCCURRED, MY TIRE PRESSURE WAS LOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY MAINTAINING PROPER TIRE PRESSURE SEEMED TO PREVENT THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE. HOWEVER, RECENTLY I HIT SOME BUMPS WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHIMMY VERY VIOLENTLY. I KNEW TO HIT THE BRAKES TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING, BUT I HAD TO STAY ON MY BRAKES UNTIL I SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH BEFORE I COULD REGAIN CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. I CALLED A LOCAL FORD SERVICE CENTER, BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD "ONLY BE GUESSING" AT THE PROPER WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I THEN CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE, AS I AM NERVOUS ABOUT RIDING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY SUGGESTED THAT I CALL SEVERAL SERVICE CENTERS UNTIL I FIND ONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCE WITH TRYING TO FIX THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. I HAVE DONE THAT AND I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR SERVICE TOMORROW. THE REASON FOR MY WRITING THIS COMPLAINT IS THAT THE LAST OCCURRING WAS SO SEVERE, THAT I WAS AFRAID OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE QUICK DECELERATION I WAS FORCED INTO IN ORDER TO REGAIN STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR