NHTSA Complaint #10607347 — 2008 FORD F-250

ON MY DAILY COMMUTE TO WORK I EXPERIENCED WHAT I HAVE LATER RESEARCHED TO FIND OUT IS CALLED THE "DEATH WOBBLE". THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED WHILE MAINTAINING A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHICH WAS THE SUGGESTED ROAD SPEED LIMIT, AFTER RIDING OVER A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD MY FRONT LEFT END INITIATED INTO A VIOLENT SHAKING SENSATION THAT FELT AS THOUGH I HAD JUST BLOWN A TIRE. AFTER REDUCING MY SPEED ABRUPTLY AND NEARLY BEING REAR ENDED THE FRONT END REGAINED ITS CONTROL AND I CONTINUED AND ARRIVED SAFELY TO WORK AFTER REDUCING MY SPEED TO 45 MPH. I LOOKED IN THE WHEEL HUB AND UNDERNEATH BUT DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY FROM PLANE SIGHT. I EXPERIENCED THE VIOLENT SHAKING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND FOUND MYSELF EXPERIENCING IT MORE AND MORE AT LOWER SPEEDS AND ON SMALLER ROAD BUMPS/POT HOLES. AFTER DAY 2 I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT FOR 6/30/14 WITH FORD SERVICE TO HAVE THE REPAIR & DIAGNOSES. THE NEXT DAY 6/27/14 WE HAD TO EVACUATE OUR JOB SITE IN LOUISIANA DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS, ON MY COMMUTE HOME, THE SO CALLED DEATH WOBBLE OCCURRED AGAIN AND THIS TIME RESULTED IN LOOSING CONTROL AND CRASHING INTO A SMALL TREE BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENT SHAKING AND NECESSARY BRAKING TO REGAIN CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE WITH MINOR DAMAGES TO MY FRONT BUMPER. FORD IS HAVING TO REPLACE MY BALL JOINTS, BEARINGS AND TIE BAR THAT WILL COST WELL OVER $600 IN REPAIRS EXCLUDING A NEW FRONT BUMPER THAT I CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX. I'M AFRAID THIS COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS INJURY/FATALITY IF NOT RECALLED AND FIXED. HAD I GONE INTO INCOMING TRAFFIC IT COULD HAVE BEEN MY LIFE OR THEIRS AND I WOULD THINK FORD WOULD BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR CASES FROM OLDER MODELS AND EVEN NEWER UP TO 2013, MINE IS A F-250 2008. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/FORD-F-250-SUPER-DUTY/TOHP1M75VBFBFT9IL/P5. *TR