2019 Ford F-250 SD Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe violent front-end and steering-wheel shaking after hitting a bump, pothole or bridge joint at highway speed, a behavior many complaints call "death wobble." It tends to appear early in the truck's life, and owners frequently report that dealer repairs with dampers or shock absorbers did not stop it. A separate, much smaller group of complaints covers hard starting and stalling on the 6.7L diesel, sometimes traced to the high-pressure fuel pump at high mileage.

1. 1
   Steering

   Steering wheel shakes violently after road bumps

   • 887 complaints (76%)
   • median 20,000 mi at 1.4 yrs old (486 state mileage)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,479 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe the steering wheel oscillating back and forth so hard it is difficult to hold after a bump, expansion joint or rough patch, usually above 50 mph. Owners say they had to brake sharply, sometimes to under 30 mph or a full stop, before the shaking quit. Several report the dealer replaced the steering damper or stabilizer; some say the shaking came back within a couple thousand miles, and others say the part was on backorder or the dealer could not reproduce the concern. Mostly reported between roughly 5,000 and 50,000 miles, at highway speeds after road impacts.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Road test at highway speed over expansion joints and patched pavement, and ask whether the steering damper has been replaced and whether any related service bulletin was applied. Look for uneven or feathered front tire wear, which complaints mention alongside the shaking.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Experienced violent shaking of the vehicle on highway. This has happened 3 times at speeds over 50 MPH. We believe this is what is commonly referred to as 'death wobble'. This is a very scary event. I am so surprised that the NHTSA has not forced Ford to do a recall on this issue. There are thousands of complaints on this issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11404750, filed 2021-03, 24,000 miles

   “Driving on a 3 lane highway in the left lane approximate speed was 70mph. I went over a small pothole and the truck started shaking uncontrolably for about 40 seconds. I was able to slow down but was almost hit from behind as the road was crowded. When I slowed down to 40 miles an hour the shaking stopped. The steering wheel was shaking and the truck felt like it was going to come apart.”

   NHTSA complaint #11308238, filed 2020-02, 27,644 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front-end bounce, shock and damper replacements

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   A second group of complaints describes the same event as tire hop and front-end bouncing rather than steering-wheel shake, with items on the dash and console thrown to the floor. Owners say dealers replaced shock absorbers and dampeners, and some were told the parts were backordered; in a few cases the dealer pointed to cupped or feathered front tires as the cause. Complaints also describe it happening over railroad crossings and uneven lanes, sometimes at speeds as low as 45-55 mph. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to roughly 40,000 miles, on rough pavement, railroad crossings and uneven lanes.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the front tires for cupping or feathered edges and ask whether shocks or the steering damper have been replaced. A front-end inspection before purchase is worth doing given how often owners describe repeat episodes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While accelerating on a major highway. I hit a bump or groove and my truck started to violently shake. Cars around me slowed down and backed away from my truck and at the same time I slowed the vehicle down. Once I hit about 30 MPH it stopped and I pulled off to the side. Scary thing is, I had my entire family in the vehicle and I almost lost control.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362926, filed 2020-10, 32,100 miles

   “While driving my 2019 f-250 super duty at 52 MPH to get on interstate I hit a small bump on the pavement and I lost control of my pickup due to extreme and uncontrollable violent front end shaking/wobble. I was able to brake the vehicle in time to get to the shoulder. I got out and looked at tires and front suspension but did not find any issues. I started back on the highway crossed a set of railroad tracks going 50 MPH and experienced the exact same action. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11324497, filed 2020-05, 25,583 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Hard starting, stalling and diesel fuel-pump failure

   • 70 complaints (6%)
   • median 49,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints on the 6.7L diesel describe losing motive power while driving, a no-restart condition, and a mechanic finding the high-pressure fuel pump had failed and sent metal debris through the system; repair estimates in the complaints run into the thousands. Another owner reports hard starting and stalling while slowing for a traffic light with no warning light. One complaint on the charge-air cooler hose describes loss of power with a burning odor and black smoke from under the hood. Reported from roughly 15,000 miles up to beyond 130,000 miles, with the pump failures concentrated at higher mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a used diesel, ask for fuel-system service records and whether the filters and quick-release couplings have been serviced per the bulletin. A pre-purchase inspection that checks for metal debris in the fuel system is worth the cost.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder and turn off the vehicle, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact performed a visual inspection of the engine compartment but did not find a failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11641131, filed 2025-02, 175,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The message Mass Air Flow Sensor was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that he smelled a burning odor and noticed that black smoke was coming from underneath the hood. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Charge Air Cooler (CAC) hose had failed and needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11562332, filed 2023-12, 15,000 miles

Buying note. Test any candidate at highway speed over rough pavement and expansion joints, since front-end shaking is the most common owner report and often came back after repairs. Ask what damper, shock or tire work has already been done, and on a diesel, review fuel-system service history before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.