2004 Jeep Wrangler

MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER HAS DEVELOPED WHAT I LATER FOUND OUT IS KNOWN TO JEEP DRIVERS AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE." AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE FRONT END BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. ONCE THE OSCILLATIONS START, THE VEHICLE BECOMES DIFFICULT TO STEER AND MUST BE BROUGHT TO A FULL STOP FOR THEM TO GO AWAY. VERY DANGEROUS ON THE FREEWAY SURROUNDED BY OTHER TRAFFIC. THIS IS AN ENTIRELY UNMODIFIED, STOCK SUSPENSION WITH LESS THAN 20K MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE POWER STEERING PUMP. I HAD THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AND THE TIRES ROTATED, BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THIS IS A MUCH MORE VIOLENT AND UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKE THAN WHAT IS CAUSED BY OUT OF BALANCE TIRES OR WARPED BRAKE ROTORS. I TOOK THE JEEP TO A SHOP SPECIALIZING IN 4X4 SUSPENSION. THEY MENTIONED THAT THE PROBLEM USUALLY OCCURS WHEN A VEHICLE IS IMPROPERLY LIFTED OR MODIFIED, BUT THEY HAD SEEN AN INCREASED INSTANCE OF LATER MODEL STOCK WRANGLERS EXPERIENCING IT. THEY REPLACED THE BUSHINGS IN THE FRONT END COMPONENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT MANY WRANGLER DRIVERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON STOCK VEHICLES. NO MECHANIC HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG, WHICH SUGGESTS A DESIGN DEFECT. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE FREEWAY, AND CAN NOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE SELL IT TO ANOTHER PERSON. *JB

THROW OUT BEARING AND NOISY TRANSMISSION I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALER WHEN I TOOK THIS 2004 JEEP WRANGLER IN FOR SERVICE, TOOK THE JEEP TO CANYONLANDS IN UTAH WHERE IT WOULDN'T GO INTO ANY GEAR AT ALL, HAD TO PULL IT HOME BEHIND A FRIENDS JEEP. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AS A RECALL ISSUE! I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE TO TAKE MY JEEP SOMEPLACE ELSE FOR SERVICE REAL RUDELY. ALSO PAID FOR A 7 YEAR 70,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY TRANSFER FROM ORIGINAL OWNER TO ME, THIS SAME DEALER ALSO SHOWED I PAID FOR NOTHING, SINCE IT WASN'T APPLICABLE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SENT TO ME BY DAIMLER CHRYSLER.*JB

2004 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT GOES INTO A VIOLENT SHAKE WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. I'VE READ ABOUT THE DEATH WOBBLE ON MORE THAN ONE WEB SITE OR BLOG. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE STEERING STABLIZER , BUT I BELIEVED THIS ONLY MASK, THE REAL PROBLEM. I SPOKE TO A LOCAL 4X4 SHOP AND THEY SAID JEEP MADE THE LOWER CONTOL ARM TOO SHORT AND THIS PUSHED THE FRONT END DOWN AND THE ANGLES WERE OFF. ALSO, SAID THE AFTERMAKET REPLACEMENTS WERE APPROX 3/4" LONGER THAN THE OEM. MY JEEP WAS STOCK, NOT LIFTED. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED THE TIRES TO CUP, BRAKES, AND STEERING STABILIZER TO WEAR OUT EARLIER THAN NORMAL. IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GOT KILLED OR INJURED. *AK

I TOOK MY 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE BACK TO THE DEALER BROWN'S JEEP IN MEDFORD NY BECAUSE IT WOULD CONTINUOUSLY STALL AND THE YELLOW DASHBOARD LIGHT WOULD STAY ON. THE PROBLEM BEGAN AT APPROX 50,000 MILES AND THE DEALER NEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS; A THROTTLE SENSOR ON A CIRCUIT BOARD. THE SUV WOULD RACE AND BUCK AND WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. IT SEEMED ODD THAT THEY NEW WHAT IT WAS RIGHT AWAY AND HAPPENED TO A RELATIVELY LATE MODEL VEHICLE. AND NOW I SAW AN ARTICLE IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATING STALLING OF JEEP SUVS. IT COST ME APPROX. $400-$500 OF THE $1150 I PAID FOR THE SERVICE VISIT ATTRIBUTABLE TO FIXING THE STALLING ISSUE. PERHAPS THE JEEPS YOU ARE INVESTIGATING ARE NOT THE ONLY YEARS INVOLVED. *TR

VEHICLE GOES INTO A VIOLENT SHAKE (SHIMMY, VIBE, WOBBLE) WHEN THERE IS ANY CHANGE IN ROADWAY CONDITION (BUMP, LIP, HOLE, UNEVEN ROADWAY). MY JEEP HAS NOT BEEN ALTERED IN ANYWAY. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED AND BALANCED. IN ADDITION MY SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND FRONT PASSENGER BELT BOTH CATCH IN THE DOOR - THEY DO NOT RETRACT. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR 5 MONTHS. *AK

2004 JEEP WRANGLER, 16,000 MILES ON IT AND THE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR EVEN A SMALL POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE DEALERS TELLING CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S "BAD DRIVING HABITS" CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP. WARPED ROTORS CAN BE FELT IN THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN APPLING THE BRAKES, BUT THERE IS NO SHAKING HAPPENING WHILE BRAKING. WHY DON'T MANUFACTURERS "DO THE RIGHT THING" AND FIX THE PROBLEMS. SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY OR EVEN EXTENDING OUT WHEN TRYING TO FASTEN THEM IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT I ENCOUNTER ON A FREQUENT BASIS.