Violent front end vibration / wobbling known as "death wobble".
2005 Jeep Wrangler steering complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 58, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl * the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. While driving between 50-65 MPH, the entire front end of the vehicle began to move up and down uncontrollably. The contact had to depress the brake pedal in order for the failure to cease. The failure occurred multiple times. An independent mechanic speculated that the steering stabilizer, ball joints, brakes, or control arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.
When reaching speeds of 55 miles per hour the jeep shakes to a point of almost losing control of the vehicle until the jeep reaches a speed of 65 - 70 MPH then settles down.
This is second time this has happened; it has happened to me at least 4 times since 11/30/2013. I was accelerating, and when I hit about 50mph, my left tire hit a small pot hole. My front end began shaking violently; my steering wheel was literally bouncing in my hands and I could not actively control the jeep. The shaking would not stop until I slowed down to about 5 miles per hour on a busy roadway. I almost caused an accident. This jeep has a shimmy/wobble that occurs on some bumps. Some lead to the "death wobble," and others do not. The shaking is so intense that the front end felt like it was going to come apart. I have new tires, and the vehicle was just purchased used from the dealership, after having received a full service. I took it into the jeep dealership that confirmed that everything looked ok, and the bushings were fine.
Death wobble!!!! Started about dec 2011 around speeds of 55-60 MPH. Car will suddenly start to violently shake. When viewing from behind in another car it appears as if the wheels may come off. I have replaced the shocks, struts, stabilizer bar, track bar, springs, spacers, calipers, hubs, new tires, balance and rotate tire every 5000-6000 miles, new front brakes, new back brakes, two rear alignments, 3 front alignments, and rotors, I death wobble has gone from bad to dangerously worse. My wrangler is a factory right hand drive jeep that I use to deliver mail. I was using as my primary car as well. I must drive 25 miles to work via interstate and then another 65 miles on my route. The car consistently shakes when I hit speeds of 45 MPH or higher. A bump in the road will trigger the wobble as well. I spoke to two different jeep dealerships today and was told that there is no solution to my problem. I have been to at least 6 different mechanic shops, one off road shop, and two different alignment shops. I was told that I could try replacing the gear box ($899.99) and also try replacing my rims! If the maker of my vehicle has no idea on what or how to fix it........then who will? I would like to resolve my death wobble. I am extremely annoyed! I no longer feel safe driving my car to and from work and when it rains I am a nervous wreck just knowing I will have to drive my jeep on the interstate. Sadly its gotten to the point that I will not allow any of my kids in this vehicle. I end up having to leave my jeep at work in another town if my husband isn't able to drive it to and from work for me. I am willing to fix the problem.......if jeep would just let me know what that is!!!! In good conscious I could never sell and stick someone else with this problem/headache!! Also, when I fill my jeep up with gas, it overflows splashing gas everywhere!
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH over a road bump, the entire vehicle shook violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspections and they stated that they did not have a repair available to rectify the "death wobble" he had experienced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 43,000. Updated 09/18/13
I have a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited....it would not start one morning and I had it towed to my mechanic. A tiny pin in the steering column broke. This 1/2" pin is not sold separately and I had to have the whole steering column replaced at a cost over $600!
I have a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited...while driving on the highway hitting a speed of about 62 my jeep starting shaking so violently that I thought I was going to loose my front end! The steering wheel felt like it was going to come off in my hands and that my tires were ready to fall off as well! This was very very scary since I had my grandchild in the jeep with me! I paid over $800 to have the suspension rod/tie rods replaced. Then shortly thereafter, my jeep would not start. A little pin in the steering column broke and the that part is not sold separately so I had to have the whole steering column replaced...about another $600.
Hi, apparently my situation isn't unique, I have a 2005 jeep wrangler unlimited with less than 70k miles. At about 50mph it starts shaking violently, this has happened to me at least 5 times since I've owned this jeep, about 2 1/2 months. I took it to the tire shop and they inspected the tie-rod ends and found no problem. It was shaking so bad I thought that surely my front end was coming apart so, I googled my problem and was LED to a plethora of information and found the term "death wobble", I thought it felt like driving over railroad tracks, but death wobble seems to also be an appropriate term as well, because the front end seems to be shaking to death. I, like so many others, went to kevin's off road, kor, website and read about the potential causes and cures. In my particular case there hasn't been any aftermarket modifications, it's as stock as they come. Anyway, kevin's recommended solution to my "wobble" is to replace the track bar, the steering damper, control arms and bushings. The cost for this is around $366 for the parts and I'm not sure what the labor costs will be. It seems to me that maybe someone at chrysler should actually go drive one before they say "it's not our fault". They should be part of the solution since they created the problem. My 1989 jeep doesn't have this problem, leaf springs vs. Independent coil springs, perhaps,... A smoother ride but at what cost? $366 plus labor for me. Can you please help apply pressure to chrysler to make this right? Thanks for your time and interest.
I was driving down a straight road at about 47 MPH when I my steering wheel started shaking uncontrollably. It seriously felt as if my wrangler was going to shake the steering wheel and tires right off. The only way I able to stop the shaking was to pull over and slow down, then as soon as I hit 47 MPH this happened all over again. Did some research on this and they call it a "death wobble," and this has been associated with jeep wranglers for some time now. But for some reason chrysler doesn't want to acknowledge the severity and dangerous nature of this malfunction. This kind of defect could kill someone!
Whenever jeep reaches speeds of 50 MPH and hits a bump front wheels and steering wheel shakes violently. You must slow at once to get it to stop. After asking other jeep owners I have found this to be a common problem. Went to the jeep dealer and was only given a service bulletin and no answers.
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 failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage wa 82,000. The dealer did acknowledge there was a problem with the steering. However, they did not have a fix for it. The consumer stated he found a mechanic that was familiar with the problem and all four control arms, trac bar and steering shock were replaced. Updated 02/07/13
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.
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.
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.
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,
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 erratic 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, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
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.
Death wobble violent shaking of steering wheel with after market parts I have spent thousands of dollars trying to fix the problem and it still death wobbles jeep need to reimburse people for this if I would have been told this by a disclosure of some sort when I went to purchase the jeep I would have not purchased it.
Front end shakes violently after hitting a bump and will not stop shaking until vehicle is brought to a stop. Dealer has attempted to fix it 5 times between august 06 and january 07. Dealer replaced steering dampner in august, 2006. Replaced trac bar in december, 2006. I had independent shop check front end. Found nothing out of spec. At one point dealer claimed that it was caused by tires. New tires fixed problem for a short time. Had tires balanced 4 times in 2009. Replaced stabilizer shock again in august, 2009 and again in december of 2011 with heavy duty one. Problem persists today in january of 2012.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Purchased 2005 jeep wrangler x from 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.
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.
2005 jeep wrangler experiences high speed wobble every day at speeds above 45 MPH. This is a very common problem with jeep vehicles. Internet users refer to the condition as "death wobble." I would not want that name associated with any of my products. I got rid of a 2001 jeep grand cherokee that did the same thing. The steering wheel shakes so violently that the brakes must be applied at high speed to correct the problem. This is dangerous for vehicles following and could cause an accident. I absolutely do not let my wife or kids drive this car. I don't want to be the one who confirms the death wobble moniker. The failure occurs daily. I have balanced the tires repeatedly and rotated and cross rotated tires. Even broken down tires and rotated them on rims to achieve optimal balance. I will never own another jeep product. They need to step up and fix this problem.
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.
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.
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