My 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (3.6L eTorque, automatic transmission) has had recurring drivetrain instability since about 2,000 miles while under factory warranty. It intermittently has high RPM flare during acceleration, delayed shifting, shuddering under load, and abrupt engagement. At low speeds (about 10–5 mph), it harshly downshifts, grabs suddenly, RPMs jump up and down, and it can feel like it will stall; it has stalled intermittently. Braking feels inconsistent, and at times it feels like the vehicle resists braking or surges before slowing. The forward collision warning/automatic emergency braking has activated with no obstacle present, and the power steering assist has been lost intermittently. There is also an engine tick and a high-pitched whining noise from the engine/drivetrain area. In January 2026, the transmission catastrophically failed and required replacement of the transmission, torque converter, cooler, and control module. The vehicle was out of service for over 24 days. After installation of a new Mopar remanufactured transmission and torque converter, the same symptoms returned. AAMCO has now found that the new torque converter failed, with metal shavings throughout the transmission, in the fluid, and at the bottom of the pan. I was advised that the vehicle should be sent to a Jeep dealership because no codes are currently present. I was also advised that the dealership may replace only the torque converter rather than the entire transmission, despite recurring failure and metal contamination. This presents a safety concern due to loss of acceleration, unpredictable torque engagement, stalling, unintended braking activation, power steering loss, engine/drivetrain noise, and repeated drivetrain failure. I have all the records if requested, file is too large to send in the upload area.
Jeep Wrangler steering noise problems
18 of the 15,954 owner complaints about the Jeep Wrangler describe clunking or noise when steering, most of them for the 2018 model year.
- owner complaints
- 18
- worst model year
- 2018
- typical mileage
- 36,000
By model year
- 20211
- 20191
- 20183
- 20151
- 20121
- 20111
- 20102
- 20091
- 20071
- 19982
- 19971
- 19951
- 19931
- 19911
Often reported together
Harsh shifting 6Steering lock-up 3Grinding brakes 3Airbag light 3Adaptive cruise 3Water leak 2Stalling 2Ball joint 2
What owners say
Continuous engine problems Says not in park/ is in park Clicking sounds when turned off Steering wheel won’t lock Will turn over but won’t start even tho all lights come on and air All lights will turn off when brake is pressed and when foot is off brake the lights will flash and the car will beep continuously All lights in gear will be lit up orange but can’t move it
Every light started blinking and the auto start started flashing and said auto start disabled. The jeep slowly started to die. I pulled over off the high way thankfully in a safe spot and it locked up. The steering wheel locked the shifter couldn’t move. Turned the car off and back on it was clicking but not turning off. Had to get it towed. There were no loud noises no oil leaking nothing. No indicators before hand of the Jeep needing oil change or misfiring. Got it diagnosed and they said my engine seized up and I had blew a piston. WITH NO WARNING or indicator of anything in the months weeks days prior. My engine light never came on.
The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received a recall notification for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V290000 (Air Bags) however, the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the cruise control was engaged but failed to respond. The contact stated that the cruise control button was located on the side of the steering wheel. The contact also stated that the steering wheel would make abnormal clicking and grinding sounds while turning. The ABS warning light, stability control warning light, and the parking brake warning light were illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failures were related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V290000 (Air Bags). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
I had my driver's side clock spring replaced at dealership in 2019 due to recall. Last 2 months, airbag light comes on and off but usually only when I am in full turn. On aug 3, 2020, I noticed my outside temp was reading celsius so I tried to change it back to fahrenheit. Button was not working. Checked my horn...nothing....cruise control....nothing. I noticed my steering wheel making clicking kind of popping sound. 30 min later, I put my jeep in park and the air bag deployed.
There have been 1000s of people who drive wranglers complain of the steering clunk when driving. When the jeep warms up and the suspension cycles you can feel a thud iin the steering column somewhere. It makes you feel very uneasy and scared not knowing when the steerint shaft will finally go. Most problems result from the lower and upper intermediate shaft being made from 2 separate metals and expanding. Jeep located these near the manifold. The replacement part is always on backorder so jeep must know there's anproblem somewhere.
Improperly tightened ball joints. They were loose and made a clicking noise when steering.
After turning the steering wheel straight after a left turn, just before it hits the 12 o'clock position, the power steering locks up or resists. Does not happen all the time, mostly when the engine is at full operating temperature. Sometimes the resistance is strong where it can cause you to fight it and over correct. I can here a clunking sound through the steering wheel that originates at power steering motor. This clunking does not happen when the engine is cold, only when the engine is hot and when I'm experiencing this problem. *tt updated 9/20/18
At 60 MPH my jeep started violently shake. I had to pull off the interstate in the emergency lane. This has happened over 10 times. I took it to the dealer and he said ball joints and steering damper was bad. $1,100.00 to fix it. It is still not steering correctly. There is a popping in the steering wheel and shakes somewhat when I hit a bump in the road. This is very dangerous. I had no idea there was a death wobble in the jeep I loved so much. I will be trading the jeep for a different SUV after I get the wobble fixed again. I am expecting a grand baby in dec and there is no way I will put it in the jeep.
While driving over speed bumps or slower speed bumps I could feel a distinct "clunk" in the steering. The dealership looked at it and said they could not feel the clunk anymore. The clunk returned a few months later, now I can see there is play in the sector shaft as well as the pitman arm on the steering box.
Related recalls
Steering: hydraulic power assist: pump
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Jeep Wrangler, Wrangler 4XE, and Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The electric hydraulic power steering pump wiring may overheat and cause a vehicle fire, even when the vehicle is parked with the ignition in the "Off" position.
- Risk
- A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures, until their vehicle is repaired. Dealers will inspect and replace the wiring and electric hydraulic power steering pump, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 9, 2026. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is 21D. The Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on on June 11, 2026.
Recall number 26V363000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Wrangler and 2019 Ram 1500 vehicles. These vehicles have improperly machined steering column stub shafts that may break, possibly causing the steering wheel to detach from the steering column.
- Risk
- If the steering wheel detaches from the steering column, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the steering column, replacing it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 5, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V29.
Recall number 19V201000 · Recall details
Steering
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. The intermediate steering shaft may not have been properly welded causing a split where the external spline is formed.
- Risk
- If the weld seam splits, the steering wheel may lose center positioning causing a loss of steering responsiveness and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U48.
Recall number 18V343000 · Recall details
Steering: column
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011dodge journey, jeep wrangler, chrysler 200, chrysler 200 convertible, dodge avenger, dodge nitro, jeep liberty, dodge caliber, jeep compass, jeep patriot, dodge grand caravan and chrysler town & country vehicles. Some of these vehicles may have been built with a missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet.
- Risk
- A missing or incorrectly installed rivet could compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash, decreasing the effectiveness of the frontal impact safety system. As a result, the condition may increase the potential for injury in a frontal crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect for rivet presence and alignment and repair the steering column pivot as required, free of charge. The safety recall began on july 4, 2011. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 11V315000 · Recall details
Questions about the Jeep Wrangler steering noise
Which Jeep Wrangler years have clunking or noise when steering problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2018 (3 complaints), 1998 (2 complaints) and 2010 (2 complaints).
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