As I was driving home from work on Feb. 14, 2023, in Rocky Hill, NJ. the vehicle developed a sudden loss of steering control. I had it towed to Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Princeton, NJ. The service manager informed me that the area of the frame to which the steering gear box is bolted had completely rotted, and the steering box had separated. The car was not driveable and could not be repaired. The vehicle will be available for inspection until April 15, 2023.
2005 Jeep Wrangler steering problems
58 complaints (9% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 39,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 58
- of this car's complaints
- 9%
- typical mileage
- 39,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Linkages1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Jeep Wrangler steering problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2005 Jeep Wrangler owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Keep wobble almost caused head on collision afraid to drive vehicle over 55 mph
Steering stabilizer goes out on average about 20,000 to 30,000 miles with normal street or highway driving. Steering wheel starts shaking back and forth and wheels shake violently . I see jeep is now recalling some 2018-2019 jeeps and would like mine fixed too .
At 45-50 MPH the steering wheel shakes violently. It has the "death wobble".
This is an update to the federal safety agency complaint 10919986 - death wobble, I have replaced the stock steering damper and added an additional steering damper for the driver side steering rod. This has resolved the reported death wobble when driving over 50 MPH. Rod deflection has been prevented by adding the driver side damper. Please make this available as a solution. I see many people have spent well over $1,000 for new suspension parts etc. This is a $60 steering damper shock fix!! Please pass along. I shocked this is not obvious at the dealer, the driver steering rod is long and will have deflection at high speed/bumps, like a tuning fork.
Jeep death wobble - mine too, over 50 MPH, random wobble other times drives smooth, bumps do initiate it not always though, read all the complaints on the federal safety agency, stabilizer is key to resolving the issue and steering damper. I believe this design promotes accelerated wear of these parts which is why there are reports of it coming back after a year or so. I'm surprised there is no dealer fix for this, admitting the need for heavier steering components. I'll be getting after market heavy duty just to drive on the street. The fuel issue is another one that should be recalled, had to go through 300 plus entries here to find answers to the opda problem. Mine has not started with the fuel issue but at least I will know what it is when it does occur.
Jeep has severe death wobble when traveling @60 MPH. Front wheels will start to vibrate violently at this speed and seems to start when hitting a bump or imperfection in road surface. Required action is to apply brakes until shaking stops which could involve a decrease in speed of 15 MPH or more creating a dangerous situation especially in heavy traffic. I have had vehicle inspected at three shops with no worn components found. Had an alignment performed tires balanced track bar mount replaced control arm mount reinforced replaced steering stabilizer replaced tie rod end replaced sway bar links and still problem is no better. Jeep only has 49,000 miles so nothing is really worn too bad. This problem started roughly 10,000 miles ago and I am not sure what to do next other than replacing every steering and suspension component at a cost of probably a cost of thousands of dollars. From what I have read this is a common problem with the coil sprung jeeps with a track bar which seems to be a design flaw. Just want to add the vehicle is a safety hazard due to the fact you never know when the wobble will start and if you are in heavy traffic and all of a sudden you have to slam on the brakes to regain control of your vehicle it could be a very dangerous situation. Chrysler/jeep needs to remedy this engineering flaw not expect consumers to foot the bill.
'death wobble" the jeep shakes uncontrollably between 50 and 55 MPH making speed and steering very hard to control. No one seems to know what causes it. Been to many jeep mechanics.
While in motion on a country road, comming out of some turns the front end/stearing suddenly began shaking hard rendering the vehicle unable to control. The vehicle then began to swerve until hitting an enbankment and rolling multiple times.
The death wobble at approx 60-65 MPH/ repaired steering stabilizer/front axel joint/ right outer pitman adjustment sleeve/ left hand steering arm to connecting tie rod/ left inner to lh adjustment sleeve/ alignment, repairs cost $675, have been on the highway and still shimmies.
Questions about the 2005 Jeep Wrangler steering
Does the 2005 Jeep Wrangler have steering problems?
Owners have filed 58 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Jeep Wrangler, 9% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2005 Jeep Wrangler steering problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 39,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Jeep Wrangler steering?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Jeep Wrangler have bad steering?
The Jeep Wrangler model years with the most steering complaints are 2018 (1,117 complaints), 2019 (448 complaints) and 2021 (255 complaints).
Other 2005 Jeep Wrangler problems
Fuel system 448Suspension 51Engine 41Transmission 41Electrical 20Brakes 13Acceleration 10Body 9Wheels 9Tires 8Lights 5Visibility 5Airbags 4Seat belts 4Driver assistance 2
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