2000 Jeep Wrangler

FRAME ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AROUND THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THE CHASSIS IS OTHERWISE RUST FREE, BUT IT SPONTANEOUSLY ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, LEAVING THE REAR AXLE FREE FLOATING, UNSTABLE, AND VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE A CRASH. THE FRAME HAS HOLES IN IT THAT LET WATER IN. THERE IS NO DRAINAGE HOLE WHERE THE FRAME GOES FROM FLAT ON THE BOTTOM AND CURVES UP AROUND THE WHEEL WELLS. WATER GETS INTO THE FRAME, SITS THERE, AND ROTS IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THERE IS NO WAY TO SEE THIS ROT FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT WITHOUT CUTTING OPEN THE FRAME AND WELDING IN REPAIRS. IF YOU GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH "JEEP TJ FRAME ROT" YOU CAN SEE OTHER CASES OF THE FRAME FAILING IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION. HERE'S A BLOG POST WITH SEVERAL INSTANCES OF IT HTTPS://SARAHSTONESADIE.BLOGSPOT.COM/2019/05/JEEP-TJ-FRAME-RECALL.HTML IF YOU GOOGLE "TJ FRAME CAP" YOU'LL SEE THERE'S AN ENTIRE SUB MARKET OF PRODUCTS SPECIFICALLY MADE TO ADDRESS THIS FAILURE. TOYOTA HAD A FRAME RECALL, WHY CAN'T JEEP? IT'S CLEARLY FAILING IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE AND CAN CAUSE SEVERE SAFETY ISSUES. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE "PRE_ROT" THAT SHOWED IT ABOUT 6 MONTHS(?) BEFORE IT COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH. THE OTHER PICTURE IS AFTER IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS A SMALL RUST BUBBLE THAT STARTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT THAT FAIRLY RAPIDLY RESULTED IN COMPLETE STRUCTURAL FAILURE.

2000 JEEP WRANGLER TJ WITH VISIBLE FRAME RUST IN FRONT OF REAR WHEELS. LACK OF DRAINAGE HOLES ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THROUGH FACTORY DRILLED FRAME HOLES LOCATED IN FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WELLS AND ACCUMULATE IN THE LOWER PARTS OF THE FRAME. BY THE TIME RUST IS VISIBLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME, THE INSIDE HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPROMISED TO A GREATER DEGREE AS THE RUST PROGRESSES FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THERE ARE READILY AVAILABLE KITS TO REPAIR THESE JEEP FRAMES FROM SEVERAL PRIVATE COMPANIES WHICH ILLUSTRATES THE SEVERITY AND PREVALENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND INEXPENSIVE, THE COST OF INSTALLATION AS WITH MOST MAJOR VEHICLE REPAIR, IS DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES WELDING WITH SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT AND SKILLS. A REPAIR COMPLETED BY AN UNQUALIFIED PERSON MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE UNSAFE FOR USE ON PUBLIC ROADS. THIS VEHICLE HAS 175000 MILES DRIVEN ENTIRELY (EXCEPT ONE TRIP TO ATLANTA) IN TENNESSEE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN ALMOST ENTIRELY ON PAVED PUBLIC ROADS. *TR

I BOUGHT MY JEEP IN OCTOBER 2000 AND HAD IT UNDERCOATED AT THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT EVER LEFT THE LOT. I HAD TAKEN IT BACK IN MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE IT RECOATED AND WHILE THE THE BODY EXPERIENCED SOME RUST DUE TO STONE CHIPS AND AGE THE FRAME STILL LOOKED GOOD UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN I WENT TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE ON THE JEEP. WHEN LIFTING UP THE JEEP TO WORK ON IT, WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD SOME STRANGE MARKS THAT SEEMED TO BE SHOWING ON THE FRAME. WHEN WE SCRATCHED OFF SOME OF THE UNDERCOATING WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS CRUMBLING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AFTER LOOKING CLOSER AT THE FRAME WE DISCOVERED THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAD LEFT OPEN HOLES IN THE FRAME INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WELLS ON THE SIDE OF THE FRAME NEAR THE TOP OF THE ARC OF THE CURVE IN THE FRAME. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AN OK DESIGN BUT THEY DID NOT LEAVE ANY DRAIN HOLES IN THE FRAME AT ALL. THIS HAS LEAD TO THE ENTIRE FRAME BEING COMPROMISED WITH NO WAY TO KNOW THAT IT WAS HAPPENING AND NO WAY TO TRY TO PREVENT IT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS A FAILURE OF THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING WILL LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL AS WELL AS THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.

FRAME TOTALLY RUSTED WHEN BOUGHT FROM PRIVATE SELLER. THERE ARE HOLES AND RUST EVERYWHERE. WE TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE JEEP ONLY HAS 114,000 MILES ON IT! WE PAID 7500 AND ALL WE BOUGHT IS A RUSTED FRAME BUT A BEAUTIFUL VEHICLE. NOW WE MUST PARK IT. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT!!! CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE A RECALL. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED DRIVING IT!!!

JEEP HAS LESS THAN 40,000 MILES AND IS WELL MAINTAINED NEVER OFF ROAD. . WAS DRIVING OVER A BRIDGE WHEN THE REAR END FELT LIKE IT WAS SEPARATING FROM THE BODY OF THE JEEP. JEEP BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL AND I WAS ALMOST HIT TRYING TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. JEEP WAS TOWED TO MECHANIC WHO SAID THE FRAME IS NO GOOD REAR CONTROL ARMS SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME THE FRAME HAD RUSTED OUT FROM THE INSIDE. THERE IS NO SOLID STEEL LEFT TO WELD ONTO.