Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 1900306 | 08/30/2006 | 10020334 | Steering shimmy. *tt | 09/14/2006 | |
| 1901004 | 11/29/2004 | 10011958 | Power steering fluid contamination. *tt | 02/08/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph or above, the vehicle would shake uncontrollably. the contact had to reduce speed to regain control. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who test drove and was able to recreate the failure in the vehicle however, they advised that they were unable to remedy the failure. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where a diagnostic was performed that located the failure at the steering assembly. the steering assembly was replaced and the failure was corrected. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage wa 82,000. | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph or above, the vehicle would shake uncontrollably. the contact had to reduce speed to regain control. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who test drove and was able to recreate the failure in the vehicle however, they advised that they were unable to remedy the failure. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where a diagnostic was performed that located the failure at the steering assembly. the steering assembly was replaced and the failure was corrected. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage wa 82,000. kmj | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact stated that while driving at 60 mph or over the vehicle shake out of control. the contact had to reduce speed to bring the vehicle under control. the vehicle was taken to the dealer test drove the vehicle and was able to recreate the failure; however they advised that they were unable to correct the failure. the vehicle was taken to the local mechanic a diagnostic was performed that located the failure at the steering assembly. the steering assembly was replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage wa 82,000. li | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 10000 | 1 | |
| We have had several shimmy and wobble problems at various speeds. we have had the vehicle to the dealership for repair of this several times without resolution (the latest was as recent as 9/17/2012. for safety we no longer drive the vehicle on the freeway. *tr | |||
| 09/01/2008 | 10000 | ||
| We have had several shimmy and wobble problems at various speeds. we have ad the vehicle to the dealership for repair of this several times without resolution (the latest was as recent as 9/17/2012. for safety we no longer drive the vehicle on the freeway. | |||
| 06/27/2012 | 90874 | 1 | |
| Was on vacation in alaska when we started to get the jeep death wobble ( shimmy) . we tried wheel balance as i thought maybe we lost a wheel weight. still shimmying. installed a new steering dampener and this helped a little. still shaking at around 55 to 60 mph. ended up buying 4 new tires and that seems to have helped but there is always a slight shimmy in the steering wheel. nothing like b/4 thou when you would have to slam the brakes on to get it to stop shaking. waiting for it to start again. *tr | |||
| 06/27/2012 | 90874 | ||
| Was on vacation in alaska when we started to get the jeep death wobble ( shimmy) . we triued wheel balance as i thoought maybe we lost a wheel weight. still shimmying. installed a new sterring dampner and this helped a little. still shaking at around 55 to 60 mph. ended up buying 4 new tires and that seems to have helped but there is always a slight shimmy in the sterring wheel. nothing like b/4 thou when you would have to slam the brakes on to get it to stop shaking. waiting for it to start again. | |||
| 03/30/2007 | 30000 | 1 | |
| This problem has been occurring since the first week i bought the jeep used back in 2007. i returned to the dealership three times in the first month to have them balance, rotate tires, check alignment. was told i needed new tires. new tires does fix the problem for a while. i have replaced brakes, rotors, tires, had alignments, rotations etc. only to have the problem recur. i have now found that this problem is called the jeep death wobble and has hundreds of like complaints. my tire wobbles terribly at around 55 miles per hour. i am now told that i should replace my upper and lower ball joints. chrysler/jeep has already acknowledged a similar problem on their liberty. they need to discover the problem so that we can fix this and ride safely before someone dies from this defect. *tr | |||
| 03/30/2007 | 30000 | ||
| This problem has been occurring since the first week i bought the jeep used back in 2007. i returned to the dealership three times in the first month to have them balance, rotate tires, check alignment. was told i needed new tires. new tires does fix the problem for a while. i have replaced brakes, rotors, tires, had alignments, rotations etc. only to have the problem recur. i have now found that this problem is called the jeep death wobble and has hundreds of like complaints. my tire wobbles terribly at around 55 miles per hour. i am now told that i should replace my upper and lower ball joints. chrysler/jeep has already acknowledged a similar problem on their liberty. they need to discover the problem so that we can fix this and ride safely before someone dies from this defect. | |||
| 01/01/2010 | |||
| When i hit speeds of 50mph, my jeep wobbles terribly. i have read numerous reviews and complaints that this is not uncommon and it even has a name, the death wobble. we are going to pass the jeep onto our 16 yr old daughter, but would like to know if it is going to be recalled or if it is fixable. i would hate anything to happen to our daughter, especially if jeep is aware of this problem, | |||
| 04/03/2010 | 49000 | ||
| Hello, i own a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited. while driving on the highway, trying to maintain the proper speed limit, my jeep will develop a death wobble to the front end. this erractic and almost uncontrollable behavior occurs at anywhere from 55 to 60mph. after trying to research the solution to this problem, i have noticed multiple other jeep owners having the same issue. my jeep is my daily driver, and also is used to transport my 4 and 5 year old kids around. due to the economy i can not afford to purchase another vehicle, nor will i sell these problems to someone else. i am surprised there hasn't been more highway related incidents/fatalities due to this issue. any help will be greatly appreciated in solving this issue. dealerships are no help and i cant afford to replace the whole front end just to end up with the same problems. thank you for your time in this matter, respectfully, medic/firefighter brad king | |||
| 10/01/2005 | 5000 | ||
| Front end starts into a violent wobble between 50 & 55 mph. the only way to stop it is to slam on the brakes. i have tried different tires and different tire pressures and the wobble still persist. the suspension hasn't been modified in any way and the entire vehicle is in stock condition. i think that this is a well known problem that could result in loss of life and there should be a recall to fix it. | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 25000 | 1 | |
| Was driving over 50 miles per hour when i hit a little bump and my whole front end of my jeep started to shake violently, i thought the wheels were going to come off, i could bearly control the steering wheel to make it to the side of road, i have had less violent ones but they are becoming more frequent now, i just went to dealer and they said my steering damper will have to be replaced for 255.00 , i have been reading all the complaints about this death wobble and all the work that people are having done only to have the issue come back, i do not want to waste money on all the things that they will try and replace only to find its not the real issue. please help! *tr | |||
| 07/09/2011 | 25000 | ||
| Was driving over 50 miles per hour when i hit a little bump and my whole front end of my jeep started to shake violently, i thought the wheels were going to come off, i could bearly control the steering wheel to make it to the side of road, i have had less violent ones but they are becoming more frequent now, i just went to dealer and they said my steering damper will have to be replaced for 255.00 , i have been reading all the complaints about this death wobble and all the work that people are having done only to have the issue come back, i do not want to waste money on all the things that they will try and replace only to find its not the real issue. please help | |||
| 07/01/2011 | |||
| At speeds in the range of 45-50mph, and usually around 47mph, the steering wheel and front wheels will violently shake and wobble from side to side. the only way to recover is to either speed up or slow down. this seems to be a common problem with jeeps as there are youtube videos of the jeep death wobble. it becomes very serious and could cause a person to lose control of the vehicle. this is an ongoing problem, and seems like something the manufacturer should address. | |||
| 09/27/2011 | 57100 | ||
| I was driving on the bypass near my home and experienced the death wobble between 50-55 i thought the front end was falling out so i slowed down and got to the sise of the road and began checking out the vehicle. it has happened several times since. my jeep is at the dealers as i write this getting checked out. i think jeep should put a recall on this problem before someone gets hurt or killed. | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 20000 | ||
| This jeep bought used' in 2007 with 18k miles and no modifications. no post-purchase modifications have been made. problem first noticed at 20k miles and happens intermittently and without warning. at 45+ mph, while entering freeway on-ramp overpass, hit expansion joint in road. jeep began to violently shake from the front end of vehicle, and steering wheel wobbled left to right, 5 to 6 inches each side, uncontrollably. vehicle sounded and felt like it was going to literally fall apart. driver tried breaking gently but vehicle continued to shake/wobble even worse. with difficulty, driver got vehicle to side of road and called for help. another occasion, while driving downhill 55 - 60 mph and decelerating, vehicle started violently shaking/wobbling, unprovoked by roadway defect or obstruction. driver broke hard, down-shifted, got vehicle to shoulder of road and came to complete stop. wobble did not cease until car stopped. other occasions, typically while driving between 45 - 60 mph on freeway, steering wheel will start wobbling, subtly at first, then all-out shimmy/wobble from front end. on one occasion vehicle seemed to self-correct, but driver sensed wobbling trying to return. on all occasions driver(s) grasped steering wheel hard to try to calm vehicle. three different family drivers (and only drivers) of this vehicle all experienced similar vehicle malfunction. jeep has been taken to three different service centers (chrysler/jeep, les schwab, ken's tires) for inspection and repair. owners purchased suggested parts and service each time. problem eventually returns. | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 21000 | ||
| Purchased 2005 jeep wrangler x for individual november 2010. vehicle had 21k miles. death wobble occurs everytime vehicle reaches speeds above 45 mph. jeep is out of control and you must come to a swift, but complete stop to keep from losing control. driver of vehicle and other vehicles less than 10 feet away are in danger when this occurs. discovered that this problem is common today and i hope that jeep comes up with a solution to this issue. | |||
| 06/30/2011 | 22000 | ||
| Driving over uneven road surfaces, man hole covers, pot holes, expansion joints in concrete, or any ripples in the road surface, what is commonly known as death wobble occurs. this is an uncontrollable left and right progressive wobble of the front wheels. this wobble does not stop until the vehicle is slowed down to approximately 10 mph. parts replaced have been the steering stabilizer, track bar bushings, pitman arm and pitman tie rod end, tires, tires balanced three times (twice in two weeks), alignment performed twice, and steering gear box adjusted. two different jeep dealerships claim the stabilizer is the problem, and the one replaced must be faulty. do the research, the steering stabilizer is not the problem... only a mask. the death wobble happens daily. usually multiple times. | |||
| 11/20/2010 | 21000 | ||
| Purchased 2005 jeep wrangler x for individual november 2010. vehicle had 21k miles. death wobble occurs everytime vehicle reaches speeds above 45 mph. jeep is out of control and you must come to a swift, but complete stop to keep from losing control. driver of vehicle and other vehicles less than 10 feet away are in danger when this occurs. discovered that this problem is common today and i hope that jeep comes up with a solution to this issue. | |||
| 06/30/2011 | 22000 | ||
| Driving over uneven road surfaces, man hole covers, pot holes, expansion joints in concrete, or any ripples in the road surface, what is commonly known as death wobble occurs. this is an uncontrollable left and right progressive wobble of the front wheels. this wobble does not stop until the vehicle is slowed down to approximately 10 mph. parts replaced have been the steering stabilizer, track bar bushings, pitman arm and pitman tie rod end, tires, tires balanced three times (twice in two weeks), alignment performed twice, and steering gear box adjusted. two different jeep dealerships claim the stabilizer is the problem, and the one replaced must be faulty. do the research, the steering stabilizer is not the problem... only a mask. the death wobble happens daily. usually multiple times. | |||
| 05/28/2010 | 10000 | ||
| I bought my 2005 jeep brand new off the lot. within a year i began to notice the death wobble. i had been a very moderate driver, and had less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle. when i took the jeep to the dealer, they replaced the stabilizer arm, which the warranty covered, but the problem remained. the dealer then rotated and balanced my tires and adjusted my alignment. they charged me over $200 for that. this seemed to mask the problem for about a year, then the death wobble returned. i took the jeep to a different dealership where i was promptly sold 2 new tires (stock uniroyal tiger paws @ $104 each) and a steering dampener. total cost this time was well over $500. this took care of the wobble for about a year. now the wobble is back, and i'm wondering what to do. i can't afford another dealer to fleece me again, and i hear jeep isn't acknowledging this wide-spread problem. they should issue a recall. in the meantime though, i love my jeep and want it fixed. i don't want it to kill me or anyone else. does anyone know of anything that can be done to resolve this problem? i can't afford $200-$500 every year on band-aid solutions. | |||
| 03/13/2010 | 39000 | 1 | |
| 2005 jeep wrangler with 39,000 miles shakes violently on the freeway at 50-75 mph. almost lost control and then could only get the vehicle under control by slowing to 40mph and almost got re-ended. 1) there was a bump in the road and the vehicle started shaking 2) almost lost control, then near miss by vehicles behind me when i had to reduce speed to 40mph to regain control 3) i will be sending the vehicle to the shop, but from what i have read, there have been many complaints by other owners and nothing the dealer does to fix this problem has worked. *tr | |||
| 01/06/2010 | 29500 | 1 | |
| I own a 2005 jeep wrangler with 29,500 miles on it. recently, the front-end has started to wobble/shake violently at speeds around 40-45 miles per hour causing near loss of control. when it happens, the only solution is to apply the brakes and come to a complete stop. i have checked the internet and it appears to be very common, in fact, it has been labeled the death wobble. problem is, no one seems to have identified the exact cause or fix. some of the recommendations include: install after-market heavy steering stabilizer (did that, no change), alignment, wheel balance, steering box, camber angle, etc. any suggestions? *tr | |||
| 06/11/2008 | 23533 | 1 | |
| Jeep shakes violently when a bump is hit or road is uneven. the problem started about 2 months after purchasing the used vehicle. the problem did not show itself during the test drive but after investigating through the internet their are several jeep wrangler owners with the deathwobble problem. i clicked on your link provided by a local television news station wsoc channel 9 in charlotte, nc after they covered a story about another chrysler vehicle. i implore you to do what is right and ask chrysler to recall or repair, at their expense, my vehicle and other vehicles affected by this defect. an extended warranty was purchased from the dealership, crossroads ford p&a code 00994, and we were told at the time of purchase chrysler's warranty was still valid. after taking it back to the dealer several times and even taking it to the jeep dealership no one will accept accountability. we have no other choice but to drive it and fear for the life of our son. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2009 | 79515 | 1 | |
| I was driving on texas f.m. 722 in the afternoon. it had started to hail and i had slowed to appx. 45 mph when i lost all steering. my jeep skidded sideways then went into the bar ditch and through a fence, narrowly missing a power pole. further evaluation by a mechanic showed that the steering gear box shaft had been cracked, for a long time, based on the rust present half way through the shaft. the shaft then snapped as i was slowing down causing complete steering failure. *tr | |||
| 02/01/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Paris rent a car rented 2 @2005 jeep wranglers that had bald tires, bad brakes and inproper steering while visting st. johns, virgin island. paris rent a car, p. o box 1155, cruz bay, st. john vi 00831. *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 18500 | 1 | |
| 2005 jeep wrangler. severe wheel shimmy at speeds between 50-55 mph. shimmy occurs after hitting a bump. dealer and chrysler say steering damper needs to be replaced but part is on national back order. a technical service bulletin nhtsa 10020334 has been issued. *tr | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Email from constituent requesting that nhtsa investigate the jeep wranglers in reference to a problem called the jeep death wobble caused by a defective steering dampener. *nj the dealer informed the consumer that the steering damper needed to be replaced on her vehicle. *jb | |||
| 06/11/2008 | 22000 | 1 | |
| Steering dampener needs replacing on 2005 jeep wrangler. the wheel shakes so bad at 50 mph if you hit a bump it can be ripped from your hands. part is backorder until august. dealership said that there is a waiting list of 2000 people for this part. thus it might warrant a recall. *tr | |||
| 05/28/2008 | 44000 | 1 | |
| Driving wrangler at 50 mph when the front end began to shake violently. this was very traumatic, i had to pull off the road. when i searched the internet, i found that this has been a recurring problem among jeep owners. dealership didn't seem to know about problem. dealer stated that the steering damper and stabilizer bar went bad. of course these items were not covered by warranty. jeep needs to acknowledge problem and fix it. someone is going to die from this. please google death wobblehappened to my wife and children. will not take kids in this vehicle. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2007 | 12819 | 1 | |
| 2005 jeep wrangler x. this is a stock vehicle, no modifications. between 45-55 mph both accelerating and decelerating has the death wobble (dw). first major dw was june 07 (12,819 miles) as i was driving on a smooth speed limit 50mph road, dealer replaced both steering damper and front trac bar. next major dw in april 08, dealer replaced front trac bar again. next major dw 1 may 08, dealer replaced steering gear. next major dw 12 may 08, dealer stated manufacturer has developed a stronger steering damper and there are over 1,600 on back order, expect to be installed in july 08. current mileage is 20,631. the jeep death wobble is a serious safety issue and jeep needs to fix it. dealer service manager and lead jeep mechanic both state this is a recurring problem on jeep wranglers. *tr | |||
| 02/05/2008 | 20000 | 8 | 07/01/2007 |
| I have researched death wobble in jeep wranglers extensively and found that not only is this a wide spread problem, but jeep completely denies it's existence. what happens is at 40-70 miles per hour a harmonic action starts the front end vibrating and will cause a severe shimmy, to the point where the vehicle needs to be slowed or stopped. this has happened on the freeway and streets, both with hair raising results and near miss accidents. i have replaced tires, shocks, stabilizers, springs. this will fix the problem for a short time but eventually it comes back. under warranty they fix a couple things which masks the problem, but it still will return. this is a design flaw, jeep issue and they will not repair or acknowledge this problem. the designers need to come up with a fix, with a recall and soon before people are killed. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 1 | ||
| I bought my 2005 jeep unlimited with 6,000 miles on it. i have been to the dealership seven times to have it fixed. my major complaint is it surges out of control when taking my foot off the brakes from a stopped position. it does it in drive and in reverse without warning. the dealership has no solution. i also have a problem with the steering wheel shaking once i hit a small bump in the road,as small as the reflectors that line the middle of streets. there are times the steering wheel shakes so hard that i have to let go of the steering wheel. they have replaced my steering stabilizer arm,i've had the rotors turned i've replaced the brakes.replacing the stabilizer arm seemed to help for a short time. my other issue with this lovley death trap of mine is when i run the a/c the whole thing bogs down like i'm pulling an eighteen wheeler out of a ditch. the dealership solution was to come in and test drive another jeep to see if i actually have a problem. when i take my car to the dealership they keep it for at least two weeks and the problems are still there.my advice to other jeep owners with these problems is to always take the back roads and always leave a car length of space all the way around your jeep, and never use the a/c!these problems began at about 10,000 miles and my jeep just rolled over32,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 08/29/2007 | 6 | ||
| We purchased our 2005 jeep wrangler x used in may of 2006. the first time we took it above 50 mph, we noticed a serious vibration in the front end. we took it back to the dealer, they checked it out and could not find anything wrong. we took it back to the dealer again about two weeks later, and they took it to a jeep dealer and had there mechanics look at it, and they couldn't find anything wrong. after taking it back and complaining again, they came to the conclusion that the tires were bad. they replaced the tires. that seemed to solve the problem for a little while. since then, we never took the vehicle on highways or any roads that you had to travel above 50 mph. we just had it inspected in june of 2007, and it passed with no problems. two days ago, we had to travel on an interestate that the speed limit was 65. we never made it above 55. we had to brake and the front end began to shake so bad that we almost lost control of the vehicle. i know of other people that have had the same problem with the same year jeep. there is a very serious problem going on with these vehicles. i just hope that someone doesn't have to be killed before something is done about it. needless to say, this jeep will never see 55 mph again until this problem is resolved. also, now we now why someone would get rid of it. it only has 29000 miles on it. i have an 88 bronco ii that i feel safer driving than i do this jeep. | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 1 | 08/15/2005 | |
| Steering feels loose and wobbly when going above 45 mph. taking it in to get looked at next week - closet appt. i can get - i will not drive this anywhere. other problems too and there is only 18k miles on it. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2006 | 1 | 05/15/2005 | |
| I had the first experience with the front end shimmying when i had approximately 15,000 miles on the jeep. it happened after crossing a seam in the pavement on the highway at 70 mph. it happened several times since then when hitting any small bump in the road. i took the jeep to the dealer, and they replaced the steering stabilizer with a heavy duty model but it made no difference. i still had the problem. i could not let my wife or children drive this vehicle because it could easily send you either off the road or into oncoming traffic when the shimmy occurs. you have to come to almost a complete stop before it will stop shaking and drive normal again. *ak | |||
| 04/01/2007 | 9617 | 1 | 01/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle engages in a death wobble (uncontrollable shaking) caused by steering suspension failure. the dealer replaced the steering dimpler, but the problem still exists. the current and failure mileages were 9,617. the vin is unknown. | |||
| 02/28/2006 | 14000 | 1 | 02/28/2005 |
| Uncontrollable handling ( in the front end) when going an excess speed of 45 miles or more and hit any kind /size bump in road. found out it was the stabilizer bar. when i first took my car in (months ago) they told me ( chrysler) it was my rotors. didn't understand how my rotors could do that since i wasn't braking at the time the shaking was happening. i ended up taking it to a mechanic and they figured out what it was. the guys at chrysler have a nickname for it; sudden death. not once did i get a recall letter about this problem. they must of been worried about it because it only took them about 2 hours to fix it. they went and bought an after market stabilizer bar. i have had oil changes from the same place that have taken longer. i had the car for about a year when i first noticed the shaking but i heard about other wranglers having the same problem. someone needs to let other jeep owners about this problem . it's very dangerous. *jb | |||
| 01/17/2005 | 600 | 1 | 01/14/2005 |
| Purchased 2005 wrangler rubicon unlimited on january 14th returned vehicle to dealership for steering shudder and awful front end handling on january 17th and dealership found bad steering stabilizer from the factory.*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 04/12/2007 | 9600 | 1 | 06/09/2006 |
| 2005 jeep wrangler with 9,600 miles. experienced death wobble at 40 mph. dealer said it needed new after market steering dampner..this does not solve the problem of death wobble.. dealer avoids this problem area.. *jb | |||