Each time I drive my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Diesel over 55-60mph, I experience the 'death wobble' and i have to brake /slow down to under 50mph before it will stop. This is really dangerous on the Atlanta highways where people are driving far in excess of 60mph and tend to tailgate & change lanes quickly. When I first bought the truck, I didn't experience this but in the past year, it has been happening pretty much every time I drive on the highway (which I avoid now). The most recent time was the WORST, which is prompting this complaint.
2021 Jeep Gladiator steering complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 95, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Experiencing the well known Jeep "death wobble" at highway speeds above 65MPH when riding over a minor surface bump. Very violent shaking of entire vehicle. I have to immediately reduce speed to below 45mph to stop shacking. Reducing this speed at highway speeds is very dangerous, especially if occurring in the passing lane.
Truck has death wobble. Truck steering motor gets stuck at times. Truck has electrical problems and computer problems. The steering is bad and the suspension is loose. I feel unsafe driving this truck.
Multiple attempts to correct “death wobble “. Problem began in March 2023. Available for inspection upon request. Steering issues caused safety concerns for the driver and passengers, as well as other drivers and passengers on the road. Problem confirmed and multiple attempts to repair were made by Jeep dealership. No inspection by anyone besides the dealership service department. No warning lights activated.
Uncontrollable wobble in the front end that starts after 50mph. I have seen many other online comments about this, and they are saying Jeep cannot fix it. This is absolute fatality waiting to happen. This needs to be addressed immediately before someone dies, if it hasn't already happened. This issue goes back quite a number of years. There has not been a recall on this and I cannot believe that. I have seen that there has been a class action law suit filed by Jeep owners, and I am astounded that nothing has been done. I am hoping the federal safety agency can help us before something happens. Thank You.
While driving at highway speeds and the vehicle goes over a bump, bridge connection, etc the vehicle goes into an uncontrollable “death wobble”. This began with less than 10,000 miles on the vehicle, and the vehicle has not had any alterations from factory (factory wheels, tires, suspension, etc.). I brought the vehicle to the dealer in Oct 2022, and a part was on national backorder, after 2 months it arrived and was installed Dec 2022, and the problem persists and now the dealership says a different part is needed, also on nation back order. When you are driving the vehicle and the “death wobble” starts it is extreme shaking of the vehicle front end, and steering wheel. The only way to fix is to slow the vehicle down to 25-30 mph, which can be very dangerous on the highway, especially when in the fast lane on a busy highway with other traffic traveling between 65-80 mph. This has occurred well over a dozen times, and has not only been frightening each time but a few of those times my vehicle has become a hazard to other drivers to avoid. Currently I cannot feel safe driving the vehicle on the highway and have been confined to local driving on city roads.
In the last two months my truck has developed an issue at high speeds when a bump is gone over that causes the front end to shake violently. The only way to stop the vibration is to slow down which can be hard to do on the highway at 70mph without causing an accident. The problem occurs without notice or warning and the bump does not have to be large. Have taken in to dealer and the front stabilizer bar is loose and allowing play in steering system. Have been told at least 2 months before parts arrive. The shaking has happened twice in just the last week. It appears to be getting worse with each mile driven. I do not feel safe driving this truck but have to keep driving it.
Death wobble when hitting bumps on highway after 55mph.feels like front end wants to come of the jeep very scary situation. 2-Clutch noise when pressing and realeasing
While Driving at highway speed on I75. As the vehicle hit a pot hole/ bumpy portion of roadway, the steering was uncontrollable. I checked the internet and it’s referred to as the “Death Wobble”. This has happed twice to me. The dealer changed the steering damper. It’s a serious safety issue. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a recall yet. This needs to be addressed before someone is seriously injured or forbid killed.
October 2022 at 19000 miles the vehicle started getting steering wheel wobble after crossing bridge seams at 70mph. It gradually got worse until we'd almost loose control so in November I contacted the dealer and FCA. They have had it back in the shop, replaced the steering dampener, track bar, and are now waiting on more parts to replace because they are unable to find the root cause of this steering issue. I see a lot of people reporting the same issue and having the same experience. Since the vehicle randomly causes loss of control, I am looking at arbitration to get it replaced via the lemon law. Jeep needs to be forced to recall these vehicles and either fix or remove ALL of them from the road.
My 2021 Gladiator frequently experiences the Death Wobble at Highway speeds when I hit bumps in the road. We received a postcard in the mail references the problem with 2018 - 2020 Jeep Wranglers and Jeep Gladiators but not 2021 and this same problem is happening. It is very scary when you hit a bump and the steering wheel just starts shaking like crazy or as referenced above a Death Wobble.
My Gladiator frequently experiences the Death Wobble at Highway speeds when I hit bumps in the road.
12-30-2022 When driving truck on interstate going over a bridge the bump caused a death wobble and wouldn't stop until brake pushed. Did this twice in about 2 miles while driving 65 miles an hour. Took it to the shop and was told replacing front end parts after they experienced it also. Shop called said Chrysler said to turn steering wheel to left and right 25 times, then they test drove it again and said it quit. We picked it up and still doing it.
Steering wheel shaking wile driving around 65 MPH, specially on cold weather around 30 to 40 degrees. Death wobble is the term I found been coming on jeep wranglers and gladiators. But not understand how this issue is not a recall from the FCA company. I bring my vehicle one time to the dealership the entire front suspension was replaced and the issue was ok for 11 months, now is happening again.
While driving on the highway at accelerated high speed, the steering has completely locked up on two different occasions and unable to steer at all. The truck has to come to a complete stop for the steering to unlock.
My 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport is very unsafe to drive specially at Highway speeds or speeds above 45 mph and multiple dealerships service departments are refusing to fix or even acknowledge the issue after not being able to fix the problem already due to no major recalls being offered by Jeep only a bulletin. Steering is very loose, and I cant drive my Jeep Gladiator Sport straight specially on a windy day. I have to constantly adjust my Jeep Gladiator Sport from side to side to keep it in my lane specially if being passed by a semitruck. My Jeep Gladiator Sport sways at speeds as low as 45 mph, but the problem increases at higher speeds. Most of the pulls on highway speeds or windy days are to the left and I have to hang on to the steering wheel for dear life or constantly correcting the wheel.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Gladiator. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel started to shake abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front outer drag-link socket needed to be replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was 16,801.
On Monday, 28 November 2022 I was driving on I-40 in downtown Knoxville, TN. After hitting a bump in the rode the steering wheel began to shake violently and the front-end shake and wobble. I was traveling approximately 65 mph. When I slowed down to 35 mph it stopped. This occurred on a busy interstate at approximately 0900 hrs. I was lucky to be in the outside lane. There were no warning lights before or after. This happened three (3) more times in the same fashion today. When I got back home I scheduled an appointment with my local Jeep dealer. The earliest appointment is 20 December 2022. There was no crash and no police report.
1) Frequent spontaneous windshield cracks. 2) violent, out of control steering wheel vibrations at highway speeds nearly causing severe collisions. Reoccurring incidents. I’m ready to file a lawsuit.
Vehicle is 2 years old, with only 21,000 miles. Driving on the freeway, above 65mph, the vehicle wobbles violently if you hit a pot hole or a small bump. It jerks the steering wheel very hard from side to side, making it very difficult to stay within your lane. The only way to make the extreme wobble go away is to slow down significantly (<40mph) or sometimes come to a complete stop. A simple internet search and you will find MANY complaints about this with Jeeps, and it is commonly referred to as the "Death Wobble". PLEASE help us consumers put an end to this terrifying issue. I was on my way from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) and was almost involved in two accidents because of this. Very few drivers expect for the vehicle they are following behind of to slam on their brakes, which is exactly what I had to do on several occasions to control the wobble. I was almost rear ended on the freeway going 60+ mph on more than one occasion. For the sake of every Jeep owner, AND everyone else on the road, Jeep cannot continue to release vehicles with this well-known defect. My vehicle is currently at the dealership being looked at, but I suspect it will be an issue with the suspension parts, either worn or loose. Either way, not acceptable for a vehicle with this type of mileage. No warning lamps or messages given before the wobble occurs. As mentioned before, you hit one pothole or bump the right way and it starts to wobble very violently.
Driving down the road approximately 60 MPH and the vehicle front end starts to wobble and the steering wheel starts turning violently back and forth. Very hard to keep control. Slowed down drastically and vehicle returned to normal. This happened twice on two trips 20 minutes apart. This could have easily caused a crash, and created a hazard requiring my vehicle to slow dramatically from highway speeds to regain control.
“Death Wobble” at Highway Speeds > 45 MPH. The steering wheel begins to “Wobble” after hitting a pot hole or uneven surface such as a bridge joint. I have taken it in and was told everything is to factory specs. This is not the case and I have video. The latest incident occurred Saturday Nov 5th.
Four times within 8 months of the vehicle being new and now being the fifth time I have experienced what is termed "death wobble" where loss of control due to violent pounding/shaking of the front end occurs where most times it is necessary to slow down or stop drastically from highway speeds to get vehicle back in control.
Traveling speeds excess of 60 mph, any bump or flaw in the road will cause the vehicle to enter into severe vibration and shaking of front end/ axle. The steering wheel violently shakes from side to side and the vehicle will stay shaking until you reduce your speed to under 50 mph. Ball joints and other steering components are put under severe stress. The issue has been reported to the dealer who is unable to correct the issue even with replacing steering stabilizer as they suggest. A formal case was opened with the Chrysler group.
SUSPENSION: 2021 Jeep Gladiator - 12,000 Miles: On several occasions at freeway speeds vehicle hits uneven road / bumps and vehicle looses steering control like it jumps off the pavement / shutters over road way with no control: At one point I thought I blew a front tire and did loose some control of vehicle and pulled over to shoulder to scope it out: No tire blew: This is a major concern: My safety and the safety of passengers are at risks: I would not put my family members in this vehicle other than city driving!! Tried contacting MOPAR but was unable to do so - 12 March 2022 - A Joke
Steering is very loose. Vehicle constantly drifts and requires constant steering correction. Approximately 3” of slack in steering response.
At highway speeds a uncontrollable wobble of the front wheels occurs when hitting a tar strip or bump that is only brought under control by stepping on the brakes very hard to slow the truck to 60MPH or less. I think that sudden slowing while in traffic puts not only my life in danger, but also those drivers around me. At this point, the dealer is replacing the steering damper. But I suspect this is a band aid to cover a larger issue. Current mileage is 13,XXX miles. The wheels, tires and suspension are factory stock.
1. Major electrical system intermittent failures, each incident progressively longer lasting and various malfunction warning lights/messages displayed in dash. 2. Loss of power steering while driving on three separate occasions within a 40 day period. First incident was loss of steering for only a few seconds. Second incident vehicle had to beame shut off and on multiple times before the computer reset and the vehicle drove fine. Third incident was catstrophic loss of electrical the system while driving, vehicle was pulled into middle turn lane where the engine died and would not start. Vehicle unable to start, shift, display hazard warning indicators etc. Vehicle displayed many errors and stated due to safety it would not be allowed to start without servicing. 3. Jeep has been at dealer three times. First incident, electrical malfunctioning was blamed on power step installation. Second incident was blamed on loose ground wire in engine bay. Third incident has yet to be determined by dealer. Vehicle is still at dealer, and there were approximately 73 computer DTC's pulled by the technicians that I was informed of. 4. Many various warning lamps and messages appeared on dash. Everything from shifter, engine, power steering, 4WD, no bus error, TPMS, electronic stability control, anti lock brakes, airbag system etc. These errors flickered on and off randomly before moving to next error displayed.
I was exiting the freeway with a speed limit of 75 mph. On the off-ramp I lost control of the Gladiator. The front end wobble was so bad that I could not hold onto the steering wheel for fear of breaking my wrist. Instead I had to wrap my arms about the wheel in an attempt to stop the wobble. I was unable to keep the vehicle in my lane, and finally ended up in a large ditch next to the off ramp. What happened appears to be a problem with the Mopar 1.5" lift kit installed by the dealer. The kit was installed 8/17/2021. This incident occurred in Jan 2022, about 4,000 miles later. I had the kit installed and then inspected about a month later specifically to check for any loose bolts, and to double check the torque for the bolts. The CV bar in the front lost a the bolt on the passenger side, dropping the cross bar and resulting in total loss of control of the passenger side front tire. I felt very lucky not to have been injured, and not to roll the jeep. It took about 150 feet to stop the vehicle in the ditch. I am attaching a photo of the bar held in place after the accident using bungie cords. This was done just to get the bar off the road and allow for moving the vehicle. The mechanic was able to secure the cross bar with a new bolt. The original bolt and nut were not found. We speculate that either the bolt was not torqued correctly or might have been missing a lock washer. At any rate, potentially this could have resulting in much worse. If this happened just a few seconds earlier on the freeway, the damage and injuries could have been much worse. Now the vehicle is driving like new, after new bolt and alignment. However, I will be checking those bolts more frequently, particularly if I notice any extra play in the steering. Before this happened, the play in the steering had increased. I thought I just needed an alignment, but it was much worse than that. Really I would think this cross bar needs redesign to ensure it can't break loose.
Driving at approx. 70 mph the vehicle steering became very difficult to control. I was unable to turn the steering wheel ( it felt like a vehicle without power steering at low speed). I slowed the vehicle down, I could feel the steering get easy as I neared a stop. After stopping at a stoplight and resuming the vehicle drove normally. The vehicle was never shut off.
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