Complaint 1288399

Complaint Summary

SUSPENSION

Owner Narrative

I TOOK MY FORD F-450 LARIAT FOR ITS 60,000 MILES SERVICE. AFTER THE SERVICE WAS DONE, WHILE DRIVING IT HOME FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP (AUTONATION FORD IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TX), ON THE FREEWAY AS SOON AS I GOT TO AROUND 50 MILES PER HOUR THE VEHICLE'S FRONT STARTED TO SHAKE/WOBBLE VERY VIOLENTLY. SPEEDING UP TO THE SPEED LIMIT (60 MPH) DID NOT HELP AND THE SHAKING GOT ACTUALLY WORST, I HAD TO STOP FOR THE SHAKING/WOBBLING TO STOP, THANKFULLY I WAS STILL ON THE RIGHT LANE AND THERE WAS A WIDE ENOUGH SHOULDER FOR ME TO STOP. AS SOON AS I RESTARTED AND GOT TO ABOUT 50 MPH THE VIOLENT SHAKING RESTARTED, AND I HAD TO STOP AGAIN FOR THIS SHAKING TO STOP. I EXITED THE FREEWAY AT THE FIRST EXIT AND DROVE BACK TO THE DEALER. ON THE WAY BACK THE VIOLENT SHAKING REPEATED AT LEAST 5 MORE TIMES, ONCE ON THE CITY STREET WITH 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT. WHEN I DESCRIBED THE SHAKING TO THE SERVICE ADVISER, HE SAID THEY HEARD ABOUT THIS, AND THEY CALL IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE". ACTUALLY ONE OF HIS MECHANIC EXPERIENCED IT BEFORE ON HIS TRUCK. NOW MY FORD F-450 IS IN SERVICE AGAIN AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX MY "DEATH WOBBLE" PROBLEM. I FILED A COMPLAIN WITH FORD TODAY, BUT I DO NOT EXPECT MUCH TO HAPPEN. GIVEN THAT THE MECHANICS KNEW ABOUT THIS "DEATH WOBBLE", AND AFTER AN INTERNET SEARCH I FOUND THAT IS AFFECTING MANY OTHER FORD OWNERS (THERE ARE MANY GROUPS DESCRIBING THE SAME PROBLEM), I CONSIDER THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THESE VEHICLES, BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS HURT. STOPPING ON THE FREEWAY, WHILE SEMI-TRUCKS WERE BEHIND ME DRIVING AT FULL SPEED WAS THE SCARIEST EXPERIENCE, AND DID NOT THINK THAT I WILL GET AWAY WITHOUT BEING HIT BY OTHER TRUCKS. PLEASE TELL FORD TO FIX THE "DEATH WOBBLE". I DO NOT THINK THAT I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR THIS FIX.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.