While driving my jeep wrangler 2009, I hit a bump in the road and the car went into the death wobble - violently shaking from side-to-side. The only way to stop it was to slow down or come to a near stop and then continue. It does this very often now - usually starts somewhere between 35-55 MPH and just after hitting a bump.
2009 Jeep Wrangler steering complaints
Page 3 of 3: complaints 41 to 65 of 65, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Today while driving down the road with kids hit a bump in road at 35 MPH and the jeep went into death wobble. Then something broke and I lost all steering power and could not turn wheels. Almost had a wreck. When I got the vehicle to a place to look at it the steering box had broken off.
Last night I turned my car on...I noticed the airbag light stayed on longer than usual it went of but a couple minutes later it lighted up again for a couple seconds and from then it has been doing it, while driving it I noticed that my cruise control and horn are not working. I read a lot about the issue and I can for sure say its the clock spring, this makes a lot of sense when I bought the car in 2009 I received the car with a broken clock spring I had to go back the next day so they could replace it.
Every time since february when I hit a bump the jeep starts shaking violently. I keep hearing of it being the jeep death wobble. It has torn up my tires and affected many parts and now I can not even hit a bump at 30 MPH without it starting to shake. Not sure what to do to fix. I called my dealer to see what they suggested and they had never heard of the jeep death wobble which chrysler had apparently sent out a notice to all companies about it. I have heard of several complaints on this. My jeep is stock and never been modified and never been taken off road. It is a family vehicle and now I just want to get rid of it!
Anytime you hit a pothole or bump in the road the vehicle goes into a violent shimmy/shake. When this occurs you must exit the roadway immediately and come to a complete stop before you can gain control of the vehicle. This vehicle is straight from the factory, no modifications have been made. I work in a garage on vehicles and have knowledge of mechanics of vehicles. There is no ball joints, tie rods, bushings etc. That has wear that would be responsible for this vehicle to have this dangerous issue. When you contact jeep, they say to replace the steering stabilizer shock. There is a design flaw in the jeep. This is why I have had to replace the steering stabilizer shock twice so far.
While driving approximately 45mph I experienced a violet shaking of the steering wheel and could not control the vehicle until the speed slowed to approximately 15mph. I researched on the internet and someone said jeep used a bolt smaller than the hole on a track bar that connects the front axle to the vehicle and this gets wallowed out and causes this.
I was driving home at 60-65mph from baltimore with my cousin, fianc and aunt when I hit a minor pothole. The entire steering wheel/front section starts to violently shake and I was unable to stop it until I stepped on the brakes and slowed the car down to almost 25 MPH on the highway and almost drove off to the side of the road. This happened 4 other times following that incident in a matter of 2 weeks? Time. Finally I called the dealership where I purchased the car. They told me it was the steering dampener and that I would have to replace it. They also told me that I had to pay for the part, even though I had purchased an extended warranty from them. I was told that this was very common on jeeps and although there have not been any reported deaths, I am positive this will one day lead to an accident and /or death. This is a very serious defect on jeep's part and they need to address the issue before they kill someone. By the way, my car only has 37k miles on it. Still fairly new!
I have experience what is commonly referred to as the "wrangler death wobble" on over three occasions. These are dangerous situations where the steering begins to wobble uncontrollably side to side. The violence of the wobble increases quickly making it tough to hold onto the steering wheel and maintain control, especially if this occurs in multi-lane roads. Increasing speed results in the wobble becoming more violent. The only way to recover is to brake quickly and bring your vehicle to a near stop (at least under 5 MPH) before the wobbling subsides. The "death wobble" appears to be brought on by the jeep tires hitting a pot hole, railroad crossing, or other rough spots in the road at a slight angle. Usually around 35+ MPH. Faster speeds, such as highway (55-75) do not seem to create the issue but accelerating to enter a highway does, and has in my case as you pass between 30-40mph. To recover the driver aggressively apply the brakes (without warning to those behind them) as the wobble severity increases quickly. This creates a safety issue. The wobble also has an adverse affect on the steering dampers which soon begin leaking fluids from the violent wobbles.
I was driving on the interstate going 65 MPH and all of a sudden the jeep started shaking uncontrollably. I thought I was going to wreck and I was in a panic. I slowed down to an unsafe speed to make it stop. Then I exited and checked the vehicle out to my surprise everything was fine. So I got back on the road and continued on. Then I had to exit and it started doing it again. This time is was so violent I thought I was going to go off the exit and crash. I have never had a lift on my jeep or anything it is all manufacture parts. I believe with all my heart that jeep has made a faulty front end. When I contacted them they said they didn't know how to fix it. Please recall this it is very dangerous and going to get someone killed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel began shaking violently as the entire vehicle began shaking abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician advised the contact that a wheel alignment would need to be performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs on several occasions. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised 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 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while traveling 50 MPH, the contact drove over a road bump and the vehicle experienced an extreme wobble. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred several times after the initial repair. The manufacturer was not contacted about the issue. The failure mileage was 36,000 and the current mileage was 45,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving over 40 MPH, the entire vehicle began to shake uncontrollably. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle shook violently. The accelerator pedal had to be released in order for the contact to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure. The front suspension bushing was replaced. Also, the contact had an independent mechanic perform a front end alignment however, the failure was not corrected. The vehicle continued to shake violently. The manufacturer was made a ware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 64,000. Updated 12/21/12 *cn updated 01/09/13
Hit railroad tracks at approximately 55 MPH. Front of vehicle started to shake uncontrollably. Took to dealership which changed steering dampener. The same problem happened approximately two weeks later. Two more trips to the dealership with no solution.
While driving my vehicle down the interstate for about 10 min at a speed of about 72miles per hr, my jeep started shaking from the front and back. It was so intense I felt as though I was going to crash. I have had tires blow and u joints go bad and this didn't compare. I don't drive in a rough terrain and not often at these speeds. But I felt as though I had no control. When I decelerated to 50 the shaking had stopped. There had been no previous warning of this problem. When taking it in to get looked at the dealer said there was nothing wrong. The next day I took it in for the same problem and my universals need replaced, axle seals are bad and my drive shaft needs to be replace.
While driving on the interstate the vehicle began shaking and the steering wheel shaking uncontrollably. It is not the first time it has happened and the dealership tells me that there is nothing wrong but obviously there is. I see all over about people all having the same problem. My vehicle is completely stock this should not happen. There needs to be something done about this problem before someone gets seriously hurt.
While driving at 55 MPH on a slight turning radius, the right front started to vibrate, then it went to the left side, back to the left side,back and forth. Each time it transferred, it increased.the severity of the wobble effect. I had to put a "death grip" on the steering wheel to maintain control of the vehicle. The only way that I could stop the "death wobble" was to pull off the road and stop the vehicle. It was like a demon took control of the vehicle. The next day the vehicle did the same thing while I was driving with my daughter(age 29). This time on a straight section of road going at 45 MPH. She thought that the tire fell off! Again, the only way that I was able to stop the wobble was to stop the vehicle. Both of these incidents could have ended in serious accidents! This is a well maintained stock vehicle with balanced tires.
While crossing 2 lanes of on coming traffic in the middle of the day the ABS, esp and traction control lights came on and would not let me push the gas along with the right front brake "locking up". Because of the traction control coming on when I accelerate from a stop, even slowly, the engine responds as if I was slipping and losing traction, sputtering power and then all of a sudden it just stops. Now this has happened a few times within the last couple of days which is very scary considering there is absolutely no warning and can happen at any speed while driving. I have read some other forums on this issue and it seems to be pretty common with the make, model and year of this vehicle. This should not be taken lightly and should be fixed by chrysler as it is a manufacturing defect.
My wife had just taken our 2009 jeep wrangler to the dealership for routine maintenance, which included an oil change and tire rotation. On her way home from the dealership the vehicle started shaking dramatically so she pulled off the road and called me. I told her that if the tires were rebalanced then a weight might have fallen off causing one of the tires to be out of balance and told her to try and drive it home at a slow speed. She was able to get the vehicle home and the shaking did not happen again. A couple days later she took the jeep back to the dealer and asked them to recheck the tire balancing. They indicated that one of the tires was out of balance so they fixed it and we thought the problem was solved. A couple weeks later I was driving the jeep at about 55mph when we hit a small bump in the road and it started a rather violent shaking and wobbling in the front end of the vehicle. I had to slow down significantly to regain control of the vehicle. My wife took it back to the dealership and they drove the vehicle but said they were unable to get it to duplicate the shaking and they indicated that there might be a problem with the drive shaft. I started driving the vehicle more often in order to take note of all the conditions present when the shaking occurs and to try to diagnose the problem. I was surprised when I started to research it on the internet and immediately found several websites discussing a condition referred to as a "death wobble". The symptons described are precisely what we have experienced. There is a violent shaking and wobbling of the vehicle and you have to slow down immediately to regain control. Our jeep is stock and no after-market modifications have been made to the suspension system. I consider this to be a significant safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
While driving down the highway @ roughly 55 MPH, my 2009 jeep wrangler hit a small bump in the road. My steering wheel began violently shaking side to side. I immediately pushed on the brake and tried to safely slow the vehicle without causing the vehicle behind me to crash into me. I pulled-over to the shoulder. This vibration referred to as "death wobble" occurs each and every time I am traveling between 55 and 60 MPH and, I brake or hit a bump in the road. It is an awful sensation.
Jeep "death wobble" steering wheel oscillates violently back and forth at various speeds after hitting small bump in road, car taken to jeep dealer tsb which calls for larger steering stablizer installation done, all suspension parts found to be good including tires and balance, however, problem still occurs, fear for life for myself and family when driving car especially in winter.
Death wobble as shown on websites, going 50 or so miles per hour , front end wobbles uncontrollably!! Uncontrollable, extremely unsafe at time ,when shaking and wobble starts!!! Has almost caused an accident on each of the >> times this has occurred!!! Why is the federal safety agency and jeep waiting for people to be killed before something is done to help everyone on the highway with this obvious safety issue??? Very scary and frustrating. Think of your family's life as well as all of us!!! We are all at risk . How many lives need to be lost????
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 jeep wrangler. The contact was driving approximately 55 MPH and going around a bend when the vehicle began to shake violently. The shaking would only stop once the vehicle was brought to a complete stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that the steering stabilizer needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
I was driving on the highway around 65 MPH during rush hour traffic. I hit a bump in the road and the front end of my jeep felt like it was violently bouncing from side to side. I could hardly keep the vehicle in my own lane. I was terrified. I got off the road as soon as possible. I got out, looked at it and saw nothing wrong. I called my husband, and he would not let me drive it home. He drove it to our mechanic, and other than my brakes needing work, he found nothing wrong. The mechanic fixed my brakes and I took it home. The next time I took it out, it did it again. My mechanic took it back, drove it himself, and the jeep did the same thing. My mechanic did some research online and said it was the "death wobble". He tightened some bolts on the bar that aren't the right size for the vehicle.. It didn't help. Now I have a jeep that I am afraid to drive, and really can't afford to fix, if it can even be fixed. From what I researched online, it seems to only get better for awhile, then the problem returns. Why isn't jeep taking care of this problem? Do people have to get injured or killed before they do something? The lemon law may be my only option if it can't be fixed, and I may have to keep the vehicle for some time before that could go through. Please do something about these jeeps with the "death wobble".
I experienced a classic "death wobble" as described on jeep problems.com. Extreme shaking from side to side and loss of ability to steer until I slowed down below 20 MPH.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that there was a loud, unusual clunking noise and vibrations from the steering wheel. The failure was more pronounced when driving at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the steering gear was replaced. The remedy lasted for two weeks and the failure recurred. The contact stated that the failure was due to the steering gear box. The vehicle was not further repaired. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileage was 29,000.
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