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2008 Jeep Wrangler steering complaints

Page 5 of 6: complaints 101 to 130 of 156, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2008 Jeep Wrangler steering problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Jan 18, 2013 · Steering · 10,000 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler unlimited x. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH over a road bump, the vehicle began to shake violently without any warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised that the bracket and steering stabilizer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 91,000.

Filed Dec 27, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 48,000 miles · TN

Vehicle began violently shaking on the interstate. It now shakes at any speeds greater than 40 MPH and any bumps in the road or turns also set it off. The vehicle was unable to be turned or moved off the road during the shaking and the shaking only stops once the vehicle slows down to under 10 MPH.

Filed Dec 15, 2012 · Airbags, Electrical · 40,000 miles · AZ

The horn no longer works and per the dealer, it is the clockspring. This cost about $500 to replace. The same make and model of the previous year had a recall but they have not recalled the 08 which apparently has the same problem.

Filed Nov 5, 2012 · Steering · 29,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH or less and going over a bump the vehicle would shake violently in the front end. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that there was no test for the failure and they would just have to replace the stabilizer. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The current mileage was approximately 30,000.

Filed Nov 1, 2012 · Airbags, Steering · 71,375 miles · TN

On the 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes on every other minute with a chime, an indication that there is something malfunctioning or interfering with the vehicle's airbags.this has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring is the culprit for potential airbag failure in the 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment when simply driving around. Daimler chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying.

Filed Oct 23, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · NY

I am the original owner of a 2008 jeep wrangler that has had 5 separate "death wobble" events in the last 5 years. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty jeep wants me to pay for repairs that they have to this point proven they do not have a proper understanding of and solution for the jeep death wobble. Please help. My family and I are afraid to drive in this truck in this condition.

Filed Oct 10, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 35,000 miles · CT

During a routine maintenance service, the dealer noticed a large amount of "play" in the steering wheel of our 2008 jeep wrangler sahara 2-door. It measured greater than the allowable movement. After reading about the effects of "death wobble" it was decided that this could be the early signs of this problem. With the numerous documented cases of this issue, we asked the dealer to contact chrysler to cover the $600+ repair/upgrade that was suggested(including an upgraded steering damper, upgraded tie rod, and wheel alignment). The vehicle is completely stock, well maintained, has 35,000 miles, and has never been off-road. The dealer agreed that there was a problem with the factory parts and it shouldn't be our responsibility to cover the cost of the upgrade. They dropped the price down to $100 and it is now being repaired. The vehicle should be ready tomorrow, so we will find out if these new parts will prevent the "death wobble" issue.

Filed Oct 10, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 27,434 miles · AZ

Driving down paved road and front end started to shake violently. Had to pull over and stop for it to stop. Had same problem in march 2011 and took to dealer for repair which only lasted about 4000 mile and 19 months.

Filed Sep 28, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 59,795 miles · VA

While driving at highway speeds, when a pothole or bump is hit by the vehicle, the tires begin to wobble out of control. This causes the steering to fail and violently shake the steering wheel. While coming off or on highway ramps the wobble causes the vehicle to veer off the road.

Filed Sep 18, 2012 · Airbags, Electrical · 125,000 miles · RI

Air bag light came on during driving. Took it to the dealer where they told me the clock spring needed to be replaced for $525.00. After researching the issue I discovered that jeep has recalled the right hand drive clock springs for 2007-2012 but not on the left hand drive jeeps. They are the same part and a recall should be issued across the fleet. This is a safety issue as it can cause the air bag to deploy on its own, or not deploy in an accident.

Filed Sep 17, 2012 · Steering · 32,169 miles · UT

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH the front end would shimmer and shake violently. The failure also occurred whenever he drove over a bump in the road or it was uneven. The vehicle was taken to the dealer about three years ago for the same failure and the steering damper was replaced. The failure recurred; however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. There were no warning lights when the failure occurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,169.

Filed Aug 21, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 27,000 miles · PA

Hit bumps in the road and the front end starting shaking very badly. Had to come to a stop for the shaking to stop. The famous jeep death wobble. At the dealership they acted like they never heard of the problem before. After seeing these complaints I realize its a common problem and jeep should of fixed it. It cost me $400.00 to fix it. Also since I purchased this vehicle I complained to the dealership that the transmission shifts funny. They keep telling me there is no fix for this and it is a common problem with this transmission.

Filed Aug 21, 2012 · Steering · 38,975 miles · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the contact started losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle was shut off and restarted after several minutes, in which the power steering assist was reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they stated to the contact that they had to replace the steering damper. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls under the issue. The failure mileage was 38,975 and the current mileage was 38,998.

Filed Aug 7, 2012 · Steering · 52,300 miles · CO

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler ltd. The contact was driving 50 MPH when the front end began shaking violently and the vehicle became uncontrollable. The vehicle had to come to a complete stop before the shaking stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there could have been various reasons for the cause of the failure. The vehicle was neither inspected or repaired however the contact secured an appointment for further inspection of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 52,300.

Filed Jul 30, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 70,000 miles · TX

While driving about 60 MPH and then begin to slow down on a major highway (slight bumps in the road). The steering wheel begins to wobble back and forth violently and the whole vehicle shakes like crazy. Must slow down immediately (almost to a stop) and then the shaking ceases. I've heard it called the "death wobble" and I understand why. This has happened numerous times over the last 4 years and the jeep dealership has "fixed" the problem numerous times. My wife and children are afraid to ride in the vehicle, and I cannot, in good conscience, sell the vehicle to anyone. The condition seems very dangerous to me.

Filed Jul 21, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 18,000 miles · DE

Having problem with "death wobble". While traveling at a high rate of speed, over 40mph. A violent shaking has occurred a multiple number of times. Feels as though the entire front end of vehicle is ready to fly off. Control of vehicle is compromised. Especially at such a high rate of speed, which usually occurs on the freeway with other vehicles around. Dealership says that the steering stabilizer needs to be replaced. Research on the internet says that this just masks the problem. Personally looking at the steering components of the vehicle. I cannot see how a worn out steering stabilizer can cause so much chaos.

Filed Jul 20, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 103,000 miles · CA

Death wobble, terrible steering shimmer. Driving on highway at 55 MPH. Hit one bump on the road and all of a sudden the vehicle started shaking violently. I needed to slam on the breaks to keep the vehicle from maybe flipping over. It has happened before, but not this violent. To fix this I installed a dual steering stabilizer set up made by skyjacker.

Filed Jul 16, 2012 · Steering · 38,000 miles · RI

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the wheel began to shake after driving over a road bump or when making a turn in either direction. The vehicle would become hard to control when the failure occurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the dealer was notified of the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case for the contact (case number: 22425937). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 39,000.

Filed Jul 5, 2012 · Airbags, Steering · 30,000 miles · AZ

On the 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes on with a chime. This has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring could cause airbag failure in the 2008 jeep wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment without warning. Daimler chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying.

Filed Jun 13, 2012 · Steering · 27,000 miles · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler x. The contact was driving 50 MPH when the wheels started to shake and the vehicle failed to steer properly. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. The mechanic confirmed the steering stabilizer needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 28,600.

Filed Apr 27, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 19,146 miles · CA

The car experienced the so-called "jeep death wobble." at about 65 MPH on the freeway, the front end of the car began to shake so violently and uncontrollably that I had no choice but to slow to a stop in the emergency lane. After attempting to drive at highway speed again several minutes later, the wobble occurred a second time, forcing me to pull over once more. Had I let go of the steering wheel during the incident, the car would surely have swerved and possibly spun out.

Filed Apr 9, 2012 · Airbags, Electrical · 36,000 miles · TX

Airbag warning light in instrument panel consistently goes off during irregular speed, steering wheel operation, and temperature. There is no pattern that correlates with the timing of the airbag warning light. When it first started, it would only come during at brief moments and turn off again. Now, april, it turns off after vehicle start (like normal operation), comes back on immediately, and only briefly does it turn off at random times. The majority of the time the warning light fluctuates is during steering wheel turning. Turning to one particular side does not alter the light more than the other. Sometimes hard bumps in the road or off-road scenarios will change the light too. Knowing very well this could be the clockspring, no other lights or functions involved with this device confirm this is the problem. The horn works at all turning angles, esp and ABS all function normally. There are also no dtc codes from the computer. All visible electrical plugs in the cabin and behind dash have been unplugged, cleaned from debris and reconnected. I find the current recall for only the 2007s and right hand drive 2008s very frustrating! The assumption that only rhds will have their windows down more on dirt roads might be factual; however, there are numerous of 2008 jeep wrangler owners that use their vehicle for work, or off-road scenarios that will easily bypass the rhd assumption. This is a very scary problem to have. I do no feel safe that any accident I have the airbags will deploy properly. The faith of my vehicle saving my life is completely lost.

Filed Apr 3, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 25,040 miles · FL

Driving on the highway at approximately 65 miles per hour my front end began to shake and the steering became so erratic that I had to grip the steering wheel to keep the car from veering into another lane of traffic. I was able to slow the car down and pull over to the side of the road. Once I began again there was no vibration. This is the second time this has happened within two month. There are many cases of this happening on the internet. It's called the "death wobble" and I don't feel safe in the car anymore. The dealership has told me that its a worn sway bar but 25k miles shouldn't wear out this type of part.

Filed Mar 27, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 35,000 miles · VT

Known to many who have jeeps, the "death wobble". When this first happened to my daughter's car, thankfully I was the one driving. It was on the interstate and I thought a tire had blown. The steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably and I pulled over. Nothing looked wrong but I called a tow truck regardless. They looked at it at the station and could not find anything wrong. I had no idea this was a problem jeep created when they built the vehicle. It is a situation where the front axle begins oscillating with such violence that control of the jeep is difficult until slowed down, and the entire vehicle shakes to the point you feel it will come apart.

Filed Mar 1, 2012 · Steering · 70,000 miles · IN

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep wrangler limited. The contact was driving 55 MPH when the vehicle began to shake abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the steering dampener needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.

Filed Feb 28, 2012 · Airbags, Electrical · 72,000 miles · NM

Airbag light stays lit constantly. Horn does not work. Esp\bas light on dash stays lit constantly. Dealer diagnosed the issue as a faulty clockspring.

Filed Feb 23, 2012 · Steering, Tires · 34,000 miles · TX

Front wheels and steering began to shake and vibrate violently while making a right-hand turn from a stop and after accelerating to about 40 MPH. Vibration stopped after braking to almost a stop. Same symptoms occurred twice more after hitting small bumps in road at between 50 and 60 MPH and again stopped after braking. Dealer said they duplicated the condition and replaced steering dampener at 35726 miles but vibration has occurred once more since repair. I have owned the jeep since new and it is completely stock with no modifications and original p255-75-r17 tires which were at proper inflation. Tires have also been checked and do not have any damage or abnormal wear.

Filed Feb 14, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 30,000 miles · MD

When my jeep hits a bump on the highway (left tire first) the entire jeep starts shaking violently. It feels like the tires are about to fall off. This happens whenever I go over 50mph (which could be extremely dangerous on the highway with other cars). It doesn't stop until I come to a complete stop. I have found hundreds of posting about this issue and every single one says that chrysler says nothing is wrong. If most jeeps built after 2007 have this issue, maybe it's a manufacturer defect?

Filed Feb 14, 2012 · Brakes, Steering · MT

2008 jeep wrangler. Consumer writes in regards to mechanical problems and brake line routing defect *tgw the consumer stated the first problem he had with the vehicle was the transmission. It began failing to engage and shifting out of gear. The dealer discovered that the transmission oil filter had not been installed and was lying on the bottom of the transmission oil pan. In january 2011, while driving at highway speeds, the consumer began to experience intermittent violent shaking of the entire vehicle, which seemed to be originating from the front end. The consumer stated it felt as though a wheel was loose. The consumer went to a repair shop, where the tie rod and pitman were replaced. Two weeks later, the shaking occurred again and soon it became increasingly violent ,making it nearly impossible to control the vehicle and stay in his lane. The consumer returned to the repair shop where they replaced the steering damper, which seemed to correct the problem for awhile. In july, the consumer took the vehicle for a routine maintenance check. While checking the front end, the mechanic was able to get two full turns on a nut on the track bar. Since then, the shaking has not occurred. The consumer stated as he approached a line of vehicles stopped at a light, he attempted to apply the brake, but it went soft and to the floor. An inspection revealed a hole in the brake line above the right front wheel, where the line left the wheel well and went into the engine compartment. The hole was caused by rubbing on the line by the edge of the plastic wheel well lining.

Filed Feb 2, 2012 · Steering, Suspension · 60,000 miles · NV

Once my vehicle reaches a speed of 50 MPH, goes over a bump, or around some turns, it starts to shake uncontrollably. This shaking does not subside until I stop the vehicle. It has gotten worse and worse to the point where it happens about every 2 miles if I am going 50 MPH. I can not go above 50 MPH which is quite dangerous on the freeway because the speed limits here are 65-70 MPH. When I go over a bump and it starts to happen, if there is no place to pull over (which has happened) I must come to a complete stop right where I am, or continue to drive while the vehicle is shaking uncontrollably, and I am unable to steer. This is completely visible to others not inside the vehicle as well, as I have been pulled over, verbally yelled at, honked at, etc...

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