YearToAvoid

2016 Ford F-250 Steering Problems

NHTSA lists 118 steering complaints for the 2016 Ford F-250, 41% of all 289 complaints filed for the year. Owners describe the front end shaking violently at highway speed, often called the

Steering complaints
118
41% of 289
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
80,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical steering symptoms owners report

  • Owners describe a violent front-end shake known as the death wobble that starts after hitting a bump, expansion joint, or rough pavement at highway speed.
  • The shaking often forces drivers to slow to around 20-30 mph before the steering wheel and truck stabilize.
  • Some owners report the wobble begins around 21,000 miles and worsens over time, still appearing after replacing tie rods, drag links, steering dampers, track bars, and ball joints.
  • One owner reported the death wobble caused a loss of control and a crash off the road while driving at 80 mph.
  • A separate owner linked a steering wheel failure to move while exiting a freeway to an airbag recall campaign, resulting in a crash into a tree and hand injuries.
  • Some owners report the front end wobbling and wheels shaking even at very low mileage, shortly after purchase.

When 2016 Ford F-250 steering complaints were filed

First complaint Mar 8, 2017, latest Sep 23, 2026.

2016 Ford F-250 steering complaints: complaints filed per quarter102017 Q12019 Q32020 Q42022 Q12023 Q22024 Q32025 Q4
118 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q1 to 2026 Q3; peak 2022 Q3 (10).

Steering recalls for the 2016 Ford F-250

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Steering complaints by F-250 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201043 (41%)
  2. 2011149 (40%)
  3. 2012130 (40%)
  4. 201340 (34%)
  5. 201481 (48%)
  6. 2015126 (43%)
  7. 2016118 (41%)
  8. 2017717 (62%)
  9. 2018252 (63%)
  10. 2019776 (67%)
  11. 202045 (17%)
  12. 202115 (9%)
  13. 20227 (6%)
  14. 20234 (9%)
  15. 20244 (11%)
  16. 20254 (25%)

Frequently asked questions

Is steering shake common on the 2016 Ford F-250?
Yes. NHTSA lists 118 steering complaints for the 2016 F-250, making up 41% of all 289 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2016 F-250 death wobble?
NHTSA's data provided for this page lists no related recalls tied to the steering complaints for the 2016 F-250.
At what mileage do steering problems usually show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for steering complaints on the 2016 F-250 is 80,000 miles, though some owners reported symptoms starting much earlier.
Has the death wobble caused any crashes?
NHTSA lists 2 crashes and 1 injury among the steering-related complaints for the 2016 F-250.
Is steering shake worse on the 2016 F-250 than other years?
The 2016 F-250 shows 41% of complaints tied to steering, similar to 2010-2016 years, but lower than 2017 (62%), 2018 (63%), and 2019 (67%), which had higher shares.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.