2006 Ford F-350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 F-350 most often describe violent front-end and steering-wheel shaking that starts after hitting a bump, pothole or pavement joint at speed and often persists until the truck is slowed sharply. A second cluster of complaints covers diesel engine and fuel problems, including sudden stalling, white or blue smoke, coolant loss and fuel tanks that dealers describe as corroded or delaminating inside.

1. 1
   Steering

   Front-end shake or "death wobble" over bumps

   • 55 complaints (38%)
   • median 59,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (50 state mileage)
   • filed 2007–2025

   Owners describe the front end and steering wheel shaking violently after the truck hits a bump, pothole, railroad crossing or pavement joint, sometimes at speeds as low as 30 mph and worse above 40-50 mph. Several say the shaking does not stop on its own and that they must brake down to about 20-30 mph to regain control. According to the complaints, dealers and the manufacturer often attributed it to tire pressure, alignment or worn steering dampers and stabilizers, and in some cases replacing hoses, stabilizers, track bars or ball joints did not resolve it. Reported from a few thousand miles up into six-figure mileage, most often between roughly 15,000 and 140,000 miles and at highway speeds after a road irregularity.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the truck over expansion joints and rough pavement at 50-65 mph before buying and ask whether the steering damper, track bar and front-end alignment have been serviced. A service bulletin describes steering wheel oscillation and another covers front suspension bottoming out or banging.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving east on interstate i10 east of benson, az at around 75mph, hit a rough patch of road and the vehicle went wild, shaking, vibrating, loss of control. I hit the brakes and went across 3 lanes of traffic into the medium, where I skidded to a stop. I see from the internet this is called the f350 death wobble! The Ford f350 and all related vehicles need to be taken off the roads, they are a potential death trap. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11404937, filed 2021-03, 60,000 miles

   “Excessive front end shimmy on occasion with my Ford f350 4x4. I have received a letter from Ford discussing this issue. The first time the problem occurred, my tire pressure was low and subsequently maintaining proper tire pressure seemed to prevent the problem for a while. However, recently I hit some bumps while traveling on the highway at a speed of approximately 65 MPH and the front end began to shimmy very violently. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10269346, filed 2009-05, 54,200 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Diesel stalling, smoke and fuel system trouble

   • 37 complaints (26%)
   • median 66,000 mi at 5.3 yrs old (35 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2023

   Complaints describe the engine quitting without warning at road speed, hard starting or long cranking, rough running with the check engine light on, and heavy white or blue smoke. Several owners say the dealer found a corroded, rusted or delaminating fuel tank, a slow fuel fill, or injector and turbo-related faults; some report repeat repairs without a lasting fix. Most often logged between about 20,000 and 130,000 miles, with a few at very low mileage.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for fuel-system and injector service records, check for a slow fill at the pump and look at the fuel tank and filler area for corrosion. Service bulletins describe slow fuel fill and water in the fuel tank on these diesel engines.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “F-350 EGR cooler went bad and smoked up entire neighborhood. Other motorists could not see as the smoke emitted from my F-350 was like a very very thick fog. I contacted Ford, who knows about the ongoing and extensive problem, but they refuse to do anything but document the problem and want NHTSA to make it a recall. Apparently there are a lot of other F-350 owners with the same problem. This is very dangerous. I'm not sure if the fumes that are emitted from this problem are safe either.”

   NHTSA complaint #10293340, filed 2009-11, 114,056 miles

   “Vehicle would not start,A/C , performance, engine light sluggish take off, performance, white smoke and EGR leaking diesel fuel on top of motor, this truck has had two rebuilt engines upon the first 50,000miles.engine covered in oil, fuel injector main problem started with overheating.”

   NHTSA complaint #10443255, filed 2012-01, 23,913 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   Low oil pressure and sudden engine shutdown

   • 19 complaints (13%)
   • median 64,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2017

   Complaints describe the engine losing power and stalling at speed, sometimes refusing to restart, with dealers diagnosing low oil pressure, a failed oil pump or an injector control module and park block. Some owners report turbocharger or injector replacement and continuing problems afterwards. Spread from about 8,000 to over 120,000 miles, with several reports in the 49,000-63,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for oil change records and whether the oil pump, injectors or turbo have been replaced, and watch for hard starting or long cranking on a cold start. A service bulletin describes a hard or no start condition on the 6.0L diesel due to low injection control pressure.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The above mentioned truck which has 11,750 miles on it. Since it was purchased at the end of 2005, the turbocharger has been replaced five times or at approximately 2000 mile intervals. The vehicle is well maintained with oil and filter changes more frequent than Ford recommends. Due to a previous complaint regarding faulty turbos, Ford extended my warranty until 2011 through an oasis service contract. Ford acknowledged problems with faulty turbos through the issuance of six or more technical service bulletins. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10442383, filed 2012-01, 2,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The dealer advised the contact that the park block and the injector contact module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 123,823.”

   NHTSA complaint #10486602, filed 2012-11, 123,823 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Coolant loss, overheating and EGR cooler

   • 15 complaints (10%)
   • median 107,976 mi at 5.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2017

   Owners describe a strong coolant smell, overheating and stalling while driving, with the dealer pointing to the EGR cooler or EGR system; some say the problem returned after repairs. Complaints also mention coolant overflowing from the degas bottle and repeated overheating. Usually reported between roughly 25,000 and 110,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for residue or staining around the degas bottle and EGR area, and ask whether the EGR cooler has been replaced. A service bulletin describes coolant degas bottle overflow.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the EGR cooler was faulty and needed to be replaced. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The failure was repaired but the problem persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000. Pam”

   NHTSA complaint #10651475, filed 2014-10, 65,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2006 Ford f350. The contact stated while attempting to reverse, the vehicle lost power and released smoke. The vehicle was towed to dealer who performed a diagnostic that located the failure at the engine exhaust EGR valve. The manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. The EGR valve was replaced. The failure mileage was 113,048 and the current mileage was 114,232. Updated 02/03/12 updated 02/08/12”

   NHTSA complaint #10435497, filed 2011-11, 113,048 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbags failing to deploy or warning light on

   • 7 complaints (5%)
   • median 113,214 mi at 9.1 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2024

   Complaints describe crashes, including hitting a deer and a head-on impact, in which the airbags did not deploy, plus a case where the airbag warning light came on during driving. The reports do not describe a common repair or a dealer explanation. Mileage varies widely, from barely 2,000 miles to about 190,000 miles.

   What to check: Have the airbag warning light and any stored airbag codes checked before purchase, and confirm the light comes on and goes out at start-up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on northbound fm 920 between peaster and poolville, texas in the rain. Because of the rain, I was not driving the speed limit of 60 MPH, only driving approximately 50 MPH. There were two vehicles approaching me southbound on fm 920. One of them was passing a vehicle and was driving head on to me while passing the other vehicle in the rain. I did not want her to hit me so I swerved to miss her and ended up in a ditch and hit a tree head on. The airbags did not deploy. My pickup was totaled. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10714112, filed 2015-05, 106,428 miles

   “The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11581799, filed 2024-04, 120,000 miles

Buying note. Give the front end a long test drive over rough pavement at highway speed and budget for steering and suspension work if the shake appears. On diesel trucks, have a shop check fuel system, oil pressure and coolant condition and ask for service records covering the turbo, injectors and EGR cooler.

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.