Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | 85500 | 1 | |
| After i had my tires rotated and was traveling about 45 mph the front end began to severely shimmy. it occurred several times. the only way to get it to stop was to decelerate. i had the dampener and tires replaced (they were worn unevenly) today. i have major concerns about the safety of the vehicle long term. there are many anecdotal references on google concerning this being a major problem (google search wrangler death wobble. ) one story indicated that there were a limited number of formal complaints to your organization so i wanted to make sure i added a complaint as this condition could cause an accident for an unsuspecting driver. i will update the result of the repair in terms of whether it resolves the incident or not. *js | |||
| 07/04/2011 | 85500 | ||
| After i had my tires rotated and was traveling about 45 mph the front end began to severely shimmy. it occurred several times. the only way to get it to stop was to decelerate. i had the dampener and tires replaced (they were worn unevenly) today. i have major concerns about the safey of the vehicle long term. there are many anecdotal references on google concerning this being a major problem (google search wrangler death wobble. ) one story indicated that there were a limited number of formal complaints to your organization so i wanted to make sure i added a complaint as this condition could cause an accident for an unsuspecting driver. i will update the result of the repair in terms of whether it resolves the incident or not. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 39000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact was driving 50 mph when the front of the vehicle began shaking extremely violently. the contact stated that the failure was so extreme that the vehicle would venture off the roadway when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 39,000. kmj | |||
| 11/10/2009 | 39000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact stated while driving 50 mph the front of the vehicle shakes so violently to the point it will carry the vehicle off the road. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and cannot duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was notified who informed him to contact nhtsa to file a complaint. the failure mileage was 39,000. mw | |||
| 08/16/2011 | 52000 | ||
| Death wobble at speeds between 55 and 60 mph. | |||
| 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. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 42000 | ||
| I love my 2005 jeep wrangler but i'm afraid it's going to kill me or cause a major accident. hitting a bump or rough patch at speeds over 50 can trigger a death wobble. the tires spin sideways- uncontrollably- and the car literally jumps and shimmies out of control. if i'm lucky i can guide it off the freeway to a stop. this happened a year ago and i had my tires aligned, which helped for a while. it started again, so i took it to the dealer who aligned my tires and replaced my steering damper. jeep knows about this problem- there's a replacement part available for newer models. i drive conservatively, and never off-road, and have not made any modifications to the factory parts. this is a dangerous and common complaint- jeep should be made to recall and fix this problem before people are killed!! how can there have been no action to date with so many complaints! | |||
| 08/12/2008 | 18000 | ||
| 2005 jeep wrangler shakes violently after hitting any minor bump while driving 45 mph or above. the vehicle must come to a complete stop before the shaking will stop. tires have been replace, wheel alignment which stopped the shaking for a few months. the shaking is back and now the steering stabilizer arm is being replaced just to see if that will stop the shaking. this is very dangerous as it can cause accidents trying to come to a complete stop on a freeway. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 3 | ||
| 2005 jeep wrangler right side tire wear out unevenly. *cw the consumer stated she had to purchase 3 sets of tires. *jb | |||
| 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 | |||
| 06/18/2007 | 17000 | 6 | 10/18/2006 |
| 2005 jeep rubicon unlimited has uncontrollable vigorous front end shaking. vehicle begins to shake after hitting road patches, seams, and any other type of bump at speeds of 30 + mph. shake is so violent that vehicle must be stopped to resume regular driving. very dangerous conditions in heavy traffic and unsafe for passengers and other motorists dealer is going to replace camber bolts and steering dampener but parts are on national backorder with an indefinite time for repair. first incident was in june and it has happened several times since then. it is driven on an as needed basis only, due to the death wobble. *tr | |||
| 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 | |||
| 08/09/2005 | 3611 | 1 | 05/14/2005 |
| At 3611 miles,i took my 05 unlimited wrangler back to the dealer. i complained about extreme bumpiness and partial control loss when going over bumps and railroad tracks. also the rear glass rattles, and the wiper gets stuck in between the tire rack. the dealer said that handling was normal characteristic for the vehicle. they replaced tire mount bracket and adjusted rear glass. so far i have taken this vehicle to 2 different jeep dealerships 5 times, for the same problems and it has not been resolved. *nm | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 08/12/2008 | 18000 | ||
| 2005 jeep wrangler shakes violently after hitting any minor bump while driving 45 mph or above. the vehicle must come to a complete stop before the shaking will stop. tires have been replace, wheel alignment which stopped the shaking for a few months. the shaking is back and now the steering stabilizer arm is being replaced just to see if that will stop the shaking. this is very dangerous as it can cause accidents trying to come to a complete stop on a freeway. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 01/14/2007 | 30000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. whenever the contact drives over 40 mph, the front end of the vehicle shimmies. as a result, he lost control of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the vehicle could not be diagnosed. the current mileage was 54,000 and failure mileage was 30,000. | |||
| 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 | |||
| 04/19/2005 | 5 | 1 | 04/19/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. while driving 45 mph over a bump in the road, the front end would shake so severely that the contact would have to stop the vehicle in order for it to stop jerking up and down. the vehicle would operate normally on occasion; however, if he drove over a bump, the shaking would occur. he took the vehicle to the dealer approximately ten times, but they could not duplicate the failure when they test drove the vehicle. the manufacturer advised him to take the vehicle to a dealer. they also stated that they would send a representative to the dealer to inspect the vehicle, but they never did. the current mileage was 21,437 and failure mileage was approximately 5. updated 10-30-08 *bf updated 10/31/08. *jb | |||
| 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 | |||
| 05/01/2006 | 11000 | 1 | 05/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. the contact stated that whenever he accelerates over 50 mph or applies the brakes, the vehicle shakes violently. the steering wheel jerks in a rapid motion from left to right and occasionally causes him to lose control of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong. the contact replaced all four tires in an attempt to correct the failure. the current mileage was 27,000 and failure mileage was 11,000. *updated 12/12/07 *bf updated 12/12/07 | |||
| 10/02/2005 | 10 | 20 | 07/25/2005 |
| Since i have owned the 2005 jeep wrangler 2 door i have complained about vibration when i hit a bump at about 30-35 mph that s tarts shaking the vehicle so violently i have to slow down to below 5 mph. the jeep jerks all of the road out of control until i slow down. the dealer has replaced several parts on the suspension. the dealer is kings jeep 513-774-5333. i have also seen on web at this address http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqvkg2lp4r4 . this problem may lead to loss of control and or a death. jeep needs to address this as it appears to be an issue with other jeeps too.*ak | |||
| 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 | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 02/01/2006 | 2 | 03/09/2005 | |
| 2005 jeep wrangler front brakes were severely worn and ball joints need replacing. *ts ***no answer required*** *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE - TORQUE ARM | |||
| 08/30/2007 | 37000 | 12 | 10/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle began shaking violently. the contact stated that the shaking occurs mainly on the highway or when exiting the highway. the vehicle does not pull left or right. she must grip the steering wheel firmly once the shaking begins. the technician recommended to torque the front end and to have the brakes inspected. the current and failure mileages were 37,000. | |||