After researching the internet I cam across the acronym of the issue. What happened is exactly described in this article as the "death wobble." http://abc7news.com/archive/8547340/ this has happened multiple times while I'm driving at an average speed or high speed. If I hit a dip or turn at a average to high speed my jeep shakes uncontrollably. Today I was driving to work on the 60 eastbound in the high speed lane going the speed limit (cruise control). My jeep hit a dip and shook so uncontrollably I almost had to do a complete stop on the freeway. I tried the best I could to merge to the slow speed lane to possibly exit the freeway. A few vehicles were behind me when this happened and it almost caused a severe accident. It literally feels like the axel is going to snap in half or the vehicle may even flip if the shaking were to continue. When the vehicle is shaking like this the only way I've experienced for it to stop is quickly slowing down almost to a complete stop. If I slow down slowly it still shakes uncontrollably so much so that it puts me in the other lane. This issue needs to be fixed and can most definitely kill someone. This happened today at least 3 times. I then finally put my vehicle in four wheel drive at 2h while driving fearing if it happens again, my axel may break; or worse my life taken. Before this incident I'd say it's happened every now and then. Approx. Once every 3-6 months since I got the vehicle. I also have my tires rotated every time I get my oil changed at 3,000 miles. This should not be happening
2010 Jeep Wrangler steering complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 66, newest first, as owners wrote them.
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Tl* the contact owned a 2010 jeep wrangler. While driving 68 MPH, the vehicle shook uncontrollably. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A local dealer was notified (camacho auto sales inc, 1358 e palmdale blvd, palmdale, ca 93550 (661) 449-8600). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was surrendered to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that someone was investigating and would call the contact back. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.
I was returning home from the grocery store and was driving on a paved city street with no potholes, speed-bumps, or other obstructions. As I made a left turn into our driveway I heard a noise and then suddenly the jeep turned hard right and I hit another care parked on the right side of our driveway. I had no control of the steering. Upon inspection, I noticed that the stud coming from the steering gear box had sheared in half between the steering gear box and the pitman arm. There was nothing that I did that would have caused this to happen. Also, this jeep has never been off road. I contacted chrysler and they said I need to contact my insurance company. They offered no assistance.
Wasn't due for an oil change for 3000 miles I use synthetic rod blew while on freeway with my daughter in the car . No brakes no warning no steering we could have died! Chrysler turning their head! Mechanic says it's a defect in engine and never seen an engine blow at 64,000 miles and still have all proper levels of fluids! I was going 65 miles an hour on a freeway thank god it was a straight stretch and I was in the right lane, had there been a turn or had we have been on a bridge we would have died or seriously injured someone else!
On 7/9/16 and 7/19/16, I was driving on i95 and my car started the "death wobble" - uncontrollable intense shaking that I almost got into an accident. The only thing that stops, I discovered recently, it is to slow down to a stop, which is pretty difficult on a highway without getting rear ended or into an accident. This apparently is common among jeeps, especially wranglers, but it should be fixed by chrysler. This is really dangerous!!
Yesterday while traveling with my 2 young grandchildren, I experienced something known as "death wobble", a violent vibration in the front end. It happened 3 times yesterday and twice today. All times I was traveling on a freeway at around 55 MPH. It began to wobble as I entered a curve in the road. I was lucky enough to be able to slow and pull to the shoulder each time. The only way to make it stop is to stop the vehicle. I'm especially concerned because this also happened to my 2007 wrangler. Why has jeep not fixed this problem? It's both terrifying and expensive to fix. I will never purchase another jeep.
When reaching speeds of 45mph and above the steering wheel starts to shake violently from left to right. When this started, a mechanic saw nothing wrong except for a worn out steering stabilizer, so he replaced it. The problem persists, but now it only happens when I hit a bump in road when traveling above 50mph. I took it to a second mechanic and he installed an aftermarket track bar and balanced the wheels. The problem is still there. A simple internet search shows that this is not an uncommon occurrence with jeeps, yet the manufacturer has done nothing to correct it. My vehicle is completely stock, except for the track bar, and currently has approximately 60,000 miles on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the front of the vehicle violently wobbled making it difficult to maneuver the vehicle. The contact mentioned that he was able to avoid a crash due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle needed a steering damper and a track bar. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle also was taken to get a front end alignment and tires rotated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Updated 06/29/16*lj updated 11/17/2017
Jeep goes into a death wobble at 60/65 MPH. Replaced steering stabilizer and still wobbles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was constantly illuminated. The contact also stated that the horn became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the clock spring failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v176000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
There are recalls already for the issue below for right hand steering vehicles. This recall should be applied to all jeep wrangler vehicles 2007-2012. A broken electrical circuit in the airbag clockspring wiring assembly can lead to non-deployment of the driver frontal airbag and will not be able to properly protect the driver in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injuries. Anytime that the steering wheel is moved from neutral/straight position the airbag light will turn on and a chime is heard.
I have what is commonly known as the jeep "death wobble". I cannot believe that a recall has not been issued for this. I almost caused an accident entering a highway with a construction zone as there was no where to pull over. The jeep was uncontrollable at 55 MPH.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the steering ability seized and the traction control warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. The mechanic stated that the steering gear was faulty and needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
Air bag light comes on. I have checked all fuses and everything is ok. I have done extensive research and it is my opinion that it is a faulty clockspring.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering column fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,500. Updated 09/03/15*lj updated 11/03/2017
I have a 2010 jeep wrangler sahara unlimited with 62k on it. I first noticed a jar and shaking after hitting a bump a few months ago and didn't think anything of this, until tonight!y jeep is completely stock. I was coming home from work and hit a bump on the highway and my whole entire front end completely shook where I could barely control the vehicle. I had to slow down but was scared to death because there was a semi behind me, when I slowed down it didn't do it anymore! This is so dangerous I go on multiple trips with my two sons and can't imagine to safety that is at risk with this type of malfunction in a jeep.
The problem happened 3 times. Two at very low speeds during the day, and once at night at high speed. The first time it happened, I was driving the jeep and the engine stalled. It was hard to steer, but I was moving slow. I thought it was a weird fluke. I put the car in park and restarted it with no problem. The second time it my husband was driving, we had just pulled out of our neighborhood and the jeep stalled. The breaks don't work well, and the steering is difficult. He put the jeep in neutral and restarted it with no problem. The third time it happened, was on january 10, 2015. I was driving at night with my child on a long trip. I had been driving the jeep for several hours on the interstate. It happened at around 10:00 pm - it was very dark. I was in the passing lane going about 65 MPH when the engine stalled, the headlights went out, all the interior lights went out, dashboard went dark, and I knew from the previous two times, that if I applied the breaks or tried to steer, it would be very difficult. I decided that I didn't want to look down and try to find neutral and accidentally put it in a low gear. So I turned the ignition switch and everything came back on (engine, light inside and out, power steering, and power breaks) while the jeep was in drive traveling at 65 MPH. I took it to the jeep dealer to have it repaired. They told me that the trans range sensor went bad. My main concern is - why is the engine stalling and jeep losing all power while moving when the sensor goes bad? There was no warning light to let me know a sensor was bad. Are all jeeps designed with this sensor, and will all jeeps experience the same thing if their trans range sensor goes bad, or was it just something that happened with my specific vehicle?
While driving at all speeds I would get an airbag warning light and chime associated with steering inputs. Contacted service department. They said no recall exists and im out of warranty and would have to pay to get it fixed. Looked up recalls and failed components common to my complaint. Found the exact problem on my jeep up to 2009 and another recall for my year jeep but only right handed steering models. Did more research and the same part number component is used in all of them in this year group but my vehicle isn't covered. This is a gross neglect to address a know safety concern and could result in serious injury or death. The jeep was bought new, and airbags should be warrantied for longer than 36,000 miles. Especially when they are being recalled for every year and model around mine and I have the same exact problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The failure occurred multiple times. The dealer stated that the clock spring was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,300...updated 09-24-14 *bf updated 02/25/2015
While driving my air bag light came on. When I turn right it goes out. As I straighten out it comes back on. Research says it's a clock spring sensor or module based on how it goes on and off when the wheel is turned. Contacted my local dealership and was told that this is not a warranty issue and that it would cost around $400 for the part and labor. This is a device that has been recalled on many other jk jeeps, yet there is no recall on the 2010. Additionally I have a certified pre-owned warranty and they said it isn't covered under that warranty either. This is crazy.
While driving down the road at approx 45mph, the jeep began to shake/jump uncontrollably for no apparent reason. We took it into the jeep dealer from whom we bought the vehicle. He tightened the track bar (??) and replaced the steering stabilizer. We explained to him that we were beginning a cross country trip, so he should check everything. A week or so later, we began the trip from florida to california. Two days into the trip (east texas), while traveling at highway speeds, we experienced the shake again. We had to top the vehicle and took it to the nearest jeep dealership, driving on side streets at minimal speeds. The dealership replaced the upper and lower ball joints. There were already two jeeps in the shop with the same problem and while we were there, another person came in with the same issue. We then continued our trip. Two days later, in california, we again experienced the shake while traveling at highway speeds. Again, we took the car to a jeep dealer who said we needed to replace the steering stabilizer. We told him it had already been done. He noted that the stabilizer that comes as standard equipment with the jeep is not robust enough and that most jeeps will experience this problem if not upgraded. We also reported this sequence of events to jeep. We have since researched this issue on the internet and have found the problem is know as "death wobble" and seems to be quite prevalent.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 45-60 MPH, the front end of the vehicle shook violently causing the steering wheel to become difficult to control. The contact mentioned that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the tire rod end and the steering damper needed to be replaced and the tires needed to be rotated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,447.
Vehicle was parked in front of a house . I left the vehicle in 1st gear then set the parking brake and turned the wheels into the curb to prevent roll back and I got out of the vehicle. I went inside and the vehicle rolled down a hill and into a house. When the police came they found it still in gear and the emergency brake was still on .
Driving on road when jeep violently shakes. Lose control over steering and entire front end shakes. This is known as the death wobble. Had to immediately pull over and try not to crash. Got control over vehicle, picked up speed again and the violent shake happened again. Driving with children in the car on a busy road this is very frightening!
When hitting bumps the front end of the vehicle shakes. "death wobble" lose control until I can stop jeep.
I purchased a used 2010 jeep wrangler unlimited on july 11, 2013. It had just under 10k miles on it. Within the first few days of driving it, I hear and feel a thump in the steering, while driving. It is not a normal noise from suspension working. The issue has gone on and on. Later at about 18k miles, I began having death wobble issues. I have had it to 2 shops and inspected things myself. Ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rods/ends, steering stabilizer, you name it. I finally after several scary events, and continually having shops tell me there is nothing wrong, have found the issue. With 25k miles, I am having to have the steering gear box replaced. The sector shaft is shot. The steering wheel is all over the place. This is my daily driver, so unfortunately I have no option but to drive it and hope I make it to and from safely, as well as the other drivers on the road. I believe after a lot of research on the jeep forums, that jeep has a problem with the gear box, and that it is one of the common causes of death wobble in the jk models. I am taking mine in tomorrow to have it replaced. I have only 25k miles on it, but it is 4yrs old. So, I am sure I will end up stuck with the bill on this.
I have a 2010 jeep jk unlimited 4x4. I bought the vehicle used from a local dealer in july of 2013, with approx. 10k miles on it. At about 18k miles, I began experiencing the common dreaded "death wobble". I was driving down a country road with my children in the back seats. All of a sudden, while hitting a small bump in the road, the steering wheel began rapidly moving back and forth and the frontend of the vehicle was shaking violently. I quickly stopped the vehicle, checked on my now frightened children, then go out to examine my vehicle. I couldn't find anything obvious, like tie rods or ball joints. So, I slowly drove home. I went over the entire front end. Couldn't find anything. After reading a lot of forums on the matter, I found I am one of many jeep owners that have/are fighting this same issue. I went ahead and put on a new steering stabilizer, and trackbars, as these are claimed to be the most common issues (even though mine looked fine and had no play). I continually have had the problem and have had it to shop for an alignment, tire rotations, and checking the balancing on the tires. The shop said tires and alignment were fine. We found that there was some play in the sector shaft where the pitman arm connects to the steering gearbox. Some guys are saying they have replaced theirs 3 times in 30k miles. I don't offroad, my vehicle isn't exposed to harsh conditions, where one could expect mechanical failures. I currently have 26k miles on mine, and have been trying to find out the cause, meanwhile throwing $$ and parts on it to try and find the issue. After researching and seeing the large amount of owners fighting death wobble and the component failures which cause it, I feel chrysler should be held accountable to some level. I think they should be recognizing the problem and the large scale of it, and offering some type of solution to fix the issue.
This has happened multiple times, while driving at a higher rater of speed (anything above 45mph) and going around a curve, the front end begins to violently shake to the point that it is difficult/impossible to control and you must pull off to the side of the road. Aka the death wobble. There was not a pot hole, or anything in the way, just a regular road. I have had to do this on several occasions and on busy highways, nearly causing an accident and being rear ended since I had to stop suddenly and pull off the road. I have take it in a number of times with this problem and no solution is found, they just keep wanting to rotate my tires.
2010 jeep wrangler air bag light came on also horn and cruise control is not functioning because of a bad clock spring. I have been reading online where this is a common problem with this vehicle.
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