U.S. public vehicle records

2006 Ford F-250 SD: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

274 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

40,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2006 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 244 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 97 of 274 complaints (35.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	86	31.4%
Braking behavior	54	19.7%
Engine operation	4	1.5%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.1%
Electrical and battery issues	2	0.7%
Transmission and shifting	1	0.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Steering

Suspension:Front

Suspension

Tires

Wheels

Electrical System

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering: 97; Suspension:Front: 80; Suspension: 61; Tires: 12; Wheels: 9; Electrical System: 7; Engine: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling: 7

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 70; 25,000 to 49,999: 80; 50,000 to 74,999: 41; 75,000 to 99,999: 24; 100,000 to 149,999: 21; 150,000 and above: 8

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (80). 30 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2006: 9; 2007: 38; 2008: 45; 2009: 49; 2010: 47; 2011: 39; 2012: 8; 2013: 15; 2014: 9; 2015: 7; 2016: 4; 2017: 4

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 86 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 54 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 4 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10161126 · 2006-06-30 (June 30, 2006)

DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING SPEEDS WHEN A SEAM IN HIGHWAY OR BRIDGE STAKES RIGHT TIRE THEN LEFT, STEERING WHEEL OSCILLATION CAUSES TEMPORARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEEDS 60-70 MPH THE VEHICLE DRIFTS OUT OF LANE AND TO CORRECT APPLYING THE BRAKES TO BELOW 50 MPH IS REQUIRED. ALL OF THESE ACTIONS CAUSE SAFETY ISSUES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. REPAIRS WERE MADE ON 5/11/06 WITH FORD TSB 5-22-1 COMPLETED. RECURRENCE OF ORIGINAL SYMPTOMS RETURNED FOLLOWING WEEK ON 8 SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING TRIP TO NC AND RETURN TO UPSTATE NY. ALL ON INTER…

Owner-reported narrative. 10,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10161126 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162191 · 2006-07-12 (July 12, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THE SHAKING WAS CENTERED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SHAKING CAUSED A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHERE THE WHEEL BEARING WAS CHANGED. THE REPAIR, HOWEVER, DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162191 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10164252 · 2006-08-02 (August 2, 2006)

BOTH FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER ELECTRIC HEATED SEATS SWITCH IS TOO EASILY TO INADVERTENTLY BUMP INTO THE "ON" POSITION BY DRIVER/PASSENGER LEGS. FORD NEEDS TO REDESIGN A RELOCATION OR RETROFIT KIT TO MOVE THE SWITCH OR CHANGE THE MOMENTARY ON/OFF SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SWITCH. THIS CONDITION HAS MADE ME PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD MANY OF TIMES TO LET THE SEAT COOL DOWN WHICH TAKES A WHILE...ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. THIS SITUATION CREATES AN UNEXPECTED SUDDEN HEATING OF THE SEAT AND CAN MAKE THE OPERATOR VERY UNCOMFORTA…

Owner-reported narrative. 8 miles reported. Look up ODI 10164252 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10166270 · 2006-08-22 (August 22, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE PUMPED OUT A LOT OF BLUE AND WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. THE FUMES ENTERED THE VEHICLE, AND THE SMELL WAS WORSE WHEN DRIVEN 45 MPH. ALSO, THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE EGR BELT AND EGR COOLER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES, BUT COULD NOT BE FIXED.

Owner-reported narrative. 6,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166270 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10173548 · 2006-11-15 (November 15, 2006)

FRONT END AND STEERING WHEEL SHUTTERS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SHUTTERING START FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE MUST BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP TO REGAIN CONTROL. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 14,452 miles reported. Look up ODI 10173548 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10174494 · 2006-11-27 (November 27, 2006)

VEHICLE SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY AFTER HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH. VEHICLE MUST BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETE STOP TO REGAIN CONTROL, THEN RIDES SMOOTHLY. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM, DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR DURING A ROAD TEST OF 22 MILES. THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATES THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED IN 35000 MILES. DEALER REFUSED TO TEST DRIVE IN A SPECIFIC AREA WERE THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE T…

Owner-reported narrative. 35,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10174494 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10176104 · 2006-12-14 (December 14, 2006)

PURCHASED VEHICLE 5 WEEKS AGO. HAVE 5K MILES ON IT. SPEEDOMETER STARTED STICKING AT 30 MPH AND CONTINUED TO VARY. PARKED WITH POWER OFF IT STILL READS 20 MPH. I AM AT WORK OUT OF TOWN (5 1/2 HOURS FROM HOME) HAVE NOT TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP YET. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10176104 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10176370 · 2006-12-18 (December 18, 2006)

MY 06 FORD F -250 EXPERIENCES WHAT SEEMS TO BE NORMAL WHEEL-HOP ON THE HIGHWAY (BETWEEN 50-65 MPH) BUT THE HOP INSTANTLY TURNS INTO A "HYPER-SHAKE" CAUSING COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL WITH THE TRUCK BOUNCING OUT OF THE LANE TO WHEREVER IT WISHES TO GO UNTIL THE REAR BRAKES MANAGE TO SLOW IT DOWN ENOUGH TO REGAIN CONTROL. THANK GOD IT HAS NOT KILLED ANYONE YET (INCLUDING ME).IT COULD HAVE VERY EASILY WENT HEAD-ON IF THAT IS WHERE THE ROAD WAS HEADED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10176370 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

11V352000 · Exterior Lighting:Brake Lights | Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights

Reported: 2011-07-13 (July 13, 2011)

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005 MODEL YEAR EXCURSION VEHICLES, AND 2002 THROUGH 2007 MODEL YEAR F-250, F-350, F-450, AND F-550 TRUCKS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS SHIPPED WITH A SUBCOMPONENT (SLIDER) THAT MAY EXPERIENCE DEFORMATION. A MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WITH A DEFORMED SLIDER MAY MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE TURN SIGNAL, TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL FLASHERS AND/OR BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO ACTIVATE.

Consequence: NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

NHTSA campaign record ↗