NHTSA Complaint #10430876 — 2006 FORD F-350

2006 F-350 LARIAT SUPER DUTY- IN MARCH WHILE DRIVING ON I-70 I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AT 65MPH AND THE FRONT END AND STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY THROWN INTO THE PASSING LANE. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO SUMMIT FORD IN SILVERTHORNE, CO WHERE THEY CALLED MY DESCRIPTION THE "DEATH WOBBLE" AND THEY REPLACED THE TRACK BAR, BALL JOINT AND STEERING DAMPENER. I FELT FORTUNATE THAT NO TRAFFIC WAS NEAR ME AND I SURVIVED THE UNCONTROLLABLE EVENT! NOW WITH THE $600.00 "REPAIR" EXPENSE I LEFT THE SERVICE CENTER SATISFIED THAT I WOULD BE SAFE ON THE ROAD. TWO WEEKS AGO WHILE ON A TRIP, THE SAME "DEATH WOBBLE" HAPPENED AGAIN AND I WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND IN THE OTHER LANE AGAIN, THANKFULLY NO TRAFFIC WAS BESIDE ME OR ONCOMING WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. SO NOW I HAVE LOST ALL CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF MY TRUCK AND DROVE CONSERVATIVELY TO GET HOME AVOIDING ALL BUMPS AND SLOWING DRAMATICALLY WHEN APPROACHING ANY IMPERFECT ROAD SURFACES. EVEN WITH MY NEW CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO DRIVING THE "DEATH WOBBLE" HAPPENED AGAIN AT ONLY 50MPH. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND YOU-TUBE VIDEOS OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AS WELL AS COMPLAINTS ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S WEBSITE. I HAVE FOUND 2 DOCUMENTS ISSUED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 04-26-1, AND A LETTER DATED APRIL 2009 (LITERATURE PROGRAM 09L02) ADDRESSED TO [XXX] REGARDING "SHIMMY, A SEVERE VIBRATION AND OSCILLATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL...........". I AM RUNNING THE TRUCK AT THE LABEL SPECIFIED TIRE PRESSURE AND THERE ARE NO SUSPENSION MODIFICATIONS . I AM CONSIDERING REPLACING THE F-350 WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT I CAN BE ASSURED OF NOT HAVING THIS PROBLEM. MY QUESTION TO FORD IS, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW? [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR