A Look At The 2019 Ford F-250 Death Wobble Recalls

Gilbert Smith
Jan 19, 2021

Some Ford trucks suffer from a problem known as the “Death Wobble,” a condition where the vehicle will shake and rattle while in motion. Although no actual deaths have been reported as of yet, this is still scary stuff.

Has the 2019 Ford F-250 had a death wobble recall yet?  

Afraid not. As of fall 2020, the 2019 Ford F-250 has five recalls on the record with the NHTSA and one investigation, but none related to the death wobble.   

These include: 

  • Seat belt pretensioners 
  • Daytime running lights 
  • Tailgate 
  • A park pawl 
  • A fire hazard with the block heater 

Green 2019 Ford F-250 With White Background

As you can see, there’s nothing here for the Death Wobble, even as Ford stares down a major class-action lawsuit over the issue. But there have been complaints.

Vehicle Shakes Violently

NHTSA Complaint ID: 11297589

Incident date Dec. 1, 2019, in Chandler, Ariz. The owner noted that the truck has a tendency to shake violently, especially on uneven pavement, when driving 50 to 70 miles per hour.

The owner took the truck into the dealer, where they found that the shock resistance system and steering both needed to be repaired. The owner was informed that it would take up to eight weeks to get the Shimmy Shock part needed to repair the truck.

The dangers of the Death Wobble seem obvious. This level of shaking could result in loss of control, leading to an accident. At the very least, being violently shaken inside your truck could lead to injuries with or without a collision taking place.

Truck Shakes at 70 mph

NHTSA Complaint ID: 11296954

Incident date Jan. 2, 2020. The owner indicated that the truck would shake and vibrate violently at 70 mph any time it hits the slightest bump in the road. The truck had 3,500 miles on the odometer at the time of failure.

Is a Recall on the Way?

The 2019 F250 Death Wobble is an interesting case of how the recall process can work.

The Death Wobble is a known hazard with Ford Super-Duties that can become a significant safety hazard. However, since there are only two NHTSA complaints on file, there may not be a full-scale recall issued anytime soon.

For a recall to be issued, the issue needs to be severe enough and affect enough owners before the NHTSA can reasonably determine it to be a manufacturing defect.

Thankfully, these repairs may be covered by your warranty, meaning that even if there is no recall, you can still get it handled for free.

If you have any shaking taking place with your Ford Super-duty, you’ll want to consider issuing a complaint with the NHTSA. You can also get in touch with Ford at 1-866-436-7332 to see about getting it taken care of.

How Do You Know if You Have any Pending Recalls?

Three easy steps:

  1. Check your VIN
  2. Type it into the NHTSA lookup tool
  3. Call Ford at 1-866-436-7332

You may also want to ask about any recalls or repairs the next time you take your truck into the dealership for an oil change or a tune-up. It’s not uncommon for an automaker to issue repairs without officially sending out a notification letter.

Owner Reviews

accountCircle George McGee on May 24, 2021
Helpful
There are 156 NHTSA complaints filed against 2015 F-250 Crew Cab 4x4. My complaint is 11153304, filed in 2018. Ford service twice told me they could not replicate the issue and saw no problems. I had it serviced at local shop which fixed the problem for about a year. New steering stabilizer, new tires, front end alignment check. They also installed an after market bar that is supposed to dampen the violent shaking. The wobble happens several times a week when it gets bad. The temporary fix is new tires every year and not driving faster than 60 mph. New shocks, new track bar, new steering stabilizer again this year. I talked to the dealership to see if new F250 still have this problem. They acted like they never heard of it. The sales guy suggested I talk to the service guy and describe the problem. What nerve. So I did talk to the service guy. He too gave me the dumb look like this was news to him. He suggested I drop off the truck and they would take a look and call me. I stopped trusting dealership service years ago. My mistrust has not changed.
accountCircle Mike Vis on February 6, 2024
2019 Steering Linkage on passenger side wore out at 55k miles
Truck specs: 6.2 L Gas, crew cab, short box. Wife said truck was making strange sounds when turning to the left. Drove it and repeated the sound and feel inn steering wheel. Took it back to the shop and put on the lift. Found that the linkage at the tie rod end on the passenger side has a lot of movement. I would say what she was feeling is a death wobble in the steering after review of the wore out parts. Wife drives it as a daily driver and we pull a camper and livestock trailer a few times a year. It is not used that hard to have a steering linkage issue at this low of miles. Was this caused from the stabilizer not working properly? Other issue is we get a engine light that comes on. First time i replaced the fuel cap and it went away. It has come back after a year of that replacement. Will hook it up to the computer tonight and see what codes come up.
avatar Gilbert Smith
Gilbert Smith is a New Mexico-based automotive journalist who enjoys writing about cars, trucks, and SUVs. He is a longtime contributor to Vehicle History and a member of the site's original content team when it launched.
  • Articles
  • chevronRightAlternative
  • A Look At The 2019 Ford F-250 Death Wobble Recalls