NHTSA Complaint #10415851 — 2005 FORD F-250

MY KIDS AND I WERE DRIVING ON I-70 WEST COMING FROM CAMBRIDGE OHIO TO COLUMBUS. WE HIT A ROUGH SPOT IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT END STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE WHOLE TRUCK WAS SHAKING. I LET MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND CHANGED LANES. THIS DID NOT STOP THE SHAKING. I WENT OFF ON THE BERM AND CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. AT APPROX. 35-40 MPH IT STOPPED SHAKING. I CHECKED THE TIRES AND ALL WERE FINE. WE PROCEEDED ON AND ROUGHLY 10 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT DID IT AGAIN. I AGAIN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND HEADED TOWARDS THE BERM, I DID TRY HITTING THE BRAKES THIS TIME. BRAKES MADE NO DIFFERENCE. THE SHAKING DID NOT STOP UNTIL WE WERE BETWEEN 35 AND 40 MPH. I HAVE OWNED THIS TRUCK SINCE IT HAD 5,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVE TRAVELED THIS ROAD MANY TIMES. THE TRUCK HAS ALWAYS BOUNCED AROUND WHEN HITTING ROUGH ROAD SURFACES, HOWEVER, IT STOPPED ONCE PAST THE ROUGH SPOT. MY TRUCK IS ONLY USED OCCASIONALLY AND HAS ALL OF ITS ORIGINAL COMPONENTS IT LEFT THE FACTORY WITH, INCLUDING THE TIRES. I CAN NOT FIND ANY LOOSE TIE ROD ENDS. ONCE I GOT HOME I TURNED OFF THE TRUCK AND WHEN I WENT TO RESTART IT TO PULL INTO THE GARAGE THE BATTERY WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. THIS COULD OF BEEN TOTALLY COINCIDENCE, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE VIOLENT SHAKING CAUSED A BATTERY PLATE TO SHORT OUT. IN MY OPINION THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE AND IS NOT A SAFE CONDITION FOR ANYONE TO BE IN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN DRIVING, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER AS IT COULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS AND UNFORTUNATE CONSEQUENCES FOR OTHER OWNERS WHO COULD EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM, AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT WARNING.