NHTSA Complaint #10479506 — 2011 FORD F-250

WHILE TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON INTERSTATE 70 IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH UNEVEN PAVEMENT THE VEHICLE'S RIGHT FRONT WHEEL PASSED OVER A PAVEMENT PATCH WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY RAISED. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL PASSED OVER A PAVEMENT PATCH WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY RAISED. THESE TWO RELATIVELY MINOR BUMPS CAUSED A WOBBLE IN THE STEERING WHICH THEN INTENSIFIED UNTIL THE VEHICLE STEERING WAS VIRTUALLY UNCONTROLLABLE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VIOLENT BOUNCING AND WOBBLE I HAD TO BRAKE HARD ALMOST COMING TO A STOP. THIS UNEXPECTED RAPID SPEED REDUCTION QUITE NATURALLY CAUSED VEHICLES TO HAVE TO BRAKE VERY HARD TO AVOID A COLLISION. SUBSEQUENT RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS REVEALED THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. HTTP://WWW.THEDIESELSTOP.COM/FORUMS/F149/FRONT-END-BOUNCE-HIGH-SPEEDS-274673/ IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT I AM NOT A BEGINNER AT OPERATING HEAVY DUTY PICK UP TRUCKS. I DROVE 3/4 TON AND ONE TON 4X4 TRUCKS FOR 30 YEARS AS PART OF MY DUTIES AS A RURAL AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WITH CO-LATERAL DUTIES IN REMOTE AREA SEARCH AND RESCUE. HAD I BEEN TOWING MY FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER WHEN THIS HIGH SPEED WOBBLE OCCURRED IT COULD VERY WELL HAVE RESULTED IN A MAJOR TRAFFIC INCIDENT/COLLISION INVOLVING MULTIPLE VEHICLES. AS IT WAS WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE AVOIDED REAR END COLLISIONS AS A RESULT OF THE NECESSITY TO UNEXPECTEDLY BRAKE AND SLOW TO REGAIN CONTROL OF OUR TRUCK. *TR