2001 Jeep Wrangler

HIT A SMALL ROUGH SPOT IN THE ROAD, NOTICED A RUMBLING RIGHT AFTER. STOPPED TO CHECK - NOTICED SKID PLATE HANGING DOWN ON ONE SIDE . FRAME HAD RUSTED THROUGH ALLOWING SKID PLATE AND TRANSMISSION TO SAG. FURTHER CHECKING REVEALED FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN MULTIPLE PLACES. IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING AN ESTIMATE OF POSSIBLE REPAIR THOUGH THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ENCOURAGING.. APPARENTLY THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE TJ SERIES OF WRANGLER. DISAPPOINTING, CONSIDERING A FEW WELL PLACED DRAINAGE HOLES MAY HAVE PREVENTED IT. HOPEFULLY JEEP HAS TAKEN STEPS TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE . I HAD A FORD F150 FOR 13 YEARS & THE FRAME WAS STILL SOLID THE DAY I PARKED IT. I REALLY ENJOY MY JEEP , BUT IT MAY BE TIME TO SWITCH. :-( UPDATED 4/24/15 *JS

ALL JEEP WRANGLERS FROM 1987-2006 HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE FRAMES RUSTING OUT CAUSE THEM TO BE UNSAFE FOR DRIVING ON PUBLIC ROAD UNLESS THE FRAME IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED, MY FRAME ON MY 2001 JEEP RUSTED OUT WITH ONLY 92000 MILES ON IT. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE FRAME NOT BEING PREPED, PAINTED, AND DESIGNED PROPERLY ALLOWING WATER TO SIT IN THE FRAME BECAUSE THERE ARE NO DRAIN HOLES AT THE LOWEST POINT OF THE FRAME. *TR

REMOVED TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER TO REPLACE CLUTCH. FOUND COMPLETE BOTTOM OF FRAME RUSTED FROM INSIDE SO AS TO MAKE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SINCE HAVE FOUND THAT NEW FRAME IS NOT AVAILABLE AND IF A USED FRAME IS FOUND IT TO IS RUSTED AS TO BE DANGEROUS. HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I WORK IN COLLISION REPAIR AND FIND THIS TO BE A SERIOUS FAULT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS. MY SON'S JEEP WOULD KILL HIM IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE FRAME BEING RUSTED AND CORRODED FROM THE FRONT CONTROL ARM TO THE REAR CONTROL ARM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND NOTICED AN UNUSUAL NOISE UNDER MY JEEP AND GOT OUT TO CHECK IT OUT AND FOUND THAT MY FRAME HAD CRACKED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT WHERE THE CONTROL ARM IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. AFTER LOOKING MORE CLOSELY, THE FRAME HAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH AND IS A HOLE HAS DEVELOPED FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 INCHES ALONG THE CENTER OF THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME RAIL AND UP AND THROUGH WHERE THE CONTROL ARM BRACKET IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. THERE IS ONLY ABOUT 1 INCH OF WELD STILL HOLDING ON THE OUTSIDE BRACKET. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE HOME. FROM THE LOOKS OF THE RUST, THE ENTIRE FRAME COULD BUCKLE AT ANY TIME. I AM NOT A ROCK CRAWLER AND DO NOT ABUSE MY JEEP. IT IS ALL STOCK AND HAS REALLY ONLY BEEN DOWN DIRT ROADS AND NOT TRAILS. UPON SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER WRANGLER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING A SIMILAR PROBLEM SEVERAL ACTUALLY HAD THEIR CROSSOVER SUPPORT FOR THE TRANSMISSION FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I KNOW THESE VEHICLES ARE 10 YEARS OLD BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FRAME HERE. THIS IS UNSAFE AND CERTAINLY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT OR DESIGN OVERSIGHT. AFTER ALL, IT IS A JEEP WHICH IS EXPECTED TO GET SOME USE OFF ROAD. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF I TRULY SPENT SOME TIME OFF ROAD. PLEASE TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO AT LEAST LET OWNERS KNOW THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM. I NORMALLY DON'T LOOK UNDER MY VEHICLE AND THIS COULD HAVE EASILY GONE UNNOTICED AND COMPROMISED THE ENTIRE FRAME STRUCTURE IF I HAD AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE. THE CONTACT ALSO CONFIRMED THE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 78,105.

RE: MAJOR FRAME ROT: WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE AND ALWAYS MAINTAINED IT PER THE SCHEDULE. I BOUGHT THE JEEP TO MY MECHANIC FOR SOME ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. WHEN HE REMOVED THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR WHEEL HE NOTICED SERIOUS FRAME ROT. HE TOLD ME THE JEEP IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE AND NOT WORTH PUTTING ANY MORE MONEY INTO. WHEN I GOT HOME, I SCRATCHED THE RUST WITH MY FINGERNAIL AND WAS EASILY ABLE TO POKE MY FINGER RIGHT THROUGH THE FRAME. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH REVEALED THE FRAME ROT IS A VERY COMMON DESIGN FLAW FOR THE WRANGLER TJ SERIES. APPARENTLY MOISTURE, ROAD DEBRIS, ETC. IS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE INTERIOR OF THE FRAME BUT NOTHING IN THE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR ITS EXIT. SINCE THIS CREATES A CONDITION THAT ALLOWS THE FRAME TO ROT FROM THE INSIDE-OUT, BY THE TIME IT IS DISCOVERED IT IS TYPICALLY TOO LATE. MANY COMPANIES NOW MANUFACTURE SPECIAL FRAME PIECES TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES WHO ARE MADE AWARE OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR BEFORE TOO MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE. I SINCERELY HOPE JEEP WILL TREAT THIS DEFECT THE WAY TOYOTA DID WITH THE TACOMA IN 2008-2009! *JB

FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH AT ALL POINTS WHERE SKIDPLATE ATTACHES TO FRAME!! THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH/GONE AT THE AREA WHERE SKIDPLATE BOLTS TO. AS A RESULT THE SKIDPLATE IS HANGING DOWN AND NOT PROPERLY SUPPORTING TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE.. BECAUSE OF THIS HANGING IT IS CAUSING MISALIGNMENT OF THE DRIVETRAIN.. DAMAGING COMPONENTS OF THE DRIVETRAIN. I CANNOT IMAGING IF THIS GOES UNDETECTED AND THE FRAME CRACKS AND/OR BREAKS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, AT WHAT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE FRAME. *JS

FRAME RUSTED OUT AND TRANSMISSION WAS HANGING UNDER VEHICLE. FURTHER INSPECTION AND THE FRAME IS ROTTED AT REAR SUSPENSION MOUNTS. CHECKING ON WRANGLER FORUMS AND MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME FRAME ISSUES. I'D HATE TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN ONE OF THE REAR FRAME PIECES LETS GO WHILE SOMEONE IS GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. *TT