2005 Jeep Wrangler

THIS IS SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED; IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 4 TIMES SINCE 11/30/2013. I WAS ACCELERATING, AND WHEN I HIT ABOUT 50MPH, MY LEFT TIRE HIT A SMALL POT HOLE. MY FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY; MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LITERALLY BOUNCING IN MY HANDS AND I COULD NOT ACTIVELY CONTROL THE JEEP. THE SHAKING WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR ON A BUSY ROADWAY. I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS JEEP HAS A SHIMMY/WOBBLE THAT OCCURS ON SOME BUMPS. SOME LEAD TO THE "DEATH WOBBLE," AND OTHERS DO NOT. THE SHAKING IS SO INTENSE THAT THE FRONT END FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COME APART. I HAVE NEW TIRES, AND THE VEHICLE WAS JUST PURCHASED USED FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER HAVING RECEIVED A FULL SERVICE. I TOOK IT INTO THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THAT CONFIRMED THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED OK, AND THE BUSHINGS WERE FINE. *TR

DEATH WOBBLE!!!! STARTED ABOUT DEC 2011 AROUND SPEEDS OF 55-60 MPH. CAR WILL SUDDENLY START TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE. WHEN VIEWING FROM BEHIND IN ANOTHER CAR IT APPEARS AS IF THE WHEELS MAY COME OFF. I HAVE REPLACED THE SHOCKS, STRUTS, STABILIZER BAR, TRACK BAR, SPRINGS, SPACERS, CALIPERS, HUBS, NEW TIRES, BALANCE AND ROTATE TIRE EVERY 5000-6000 MILES, NEW FRONT BRAKES, NEW BACK BRAKES, TWO REAR ALIGNMENTS, 3 FRONT ALIGNMENTS, AND ROTORS, I DEATH WOBBLE HAS GONE FROM BAD TO DANGEROUSLY WORSE. MY WRANGLER IS A FACTORY RIGHT HAND DRIVE JEEP THAT I USE TO DELIVER MAIL. I WAS USING AS MY PRIMARY CAR AS WELL. I MUST DRIVE 25 MILES TO WORK VIA INTERSTATE AND THEN ANOTHER 65 MILES ON MY ROUTE. THE CAR CONSISTENTLY SHAKES WHEN I HIT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH OR HIGHER. A BUMP IN THE ROAD WILL TRIGGER THE WOBBLE AS WELL. I SPOKE TO TWO DIFFERENT JEEP DEALERSHIPS TODAY AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION TO MY PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TO AT LEAST 6 DIFFERENT MECHANIC SHOPS, ONE OFF ROAD SHOP, AND TWO DIFFERENT ALIGNMENT SHOPS. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD TRY REPLACING THE GEAR BOX ($899.99) AND ALSO TRY REPLACING MY RIMS! IF THE MAKER OF MY VEHICLE HAS NO IDEA ON WHAT OR HOW TO FIX IT........THEN WHO WILL? I WOULD LIKE TO RESOLVE MY DEATH WOBBLE. I AM EXTREMELY ANNOYED! I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR TO AND FROM WORK AND WHEN IT RAINS I AM A NERVOUS WRECK JUST KNOWING I WILL HAVE TO DRIVE MY JEEP ON THE INTERSTATE. SADLY ITS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW ANY OF MY KIDS IN THIS VEHICLE. I END UP HAVING TO LEAVE MY JEEP AT WORK IN ANOTHER TOWN IF MY HUSBAND ISN'T ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO AND FROM WORK FOR ME. I AM WILLING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.......IF JEEP WOULD JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT IS!!!! IN GOOD CONSCIOUS I COULD NEVER SELL AND STICK SOMEONE ELSE WITH THIS PROBLEM/HEADACHE!! ALSO, WHEN I FILL MY JEEP UP WITH GAS, IT OVERFLOWS SPLASHING GAS EVERYWHERE! *TR

I HAVE A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED...WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY HITTING A SPEED OF ABOUT 62 MY JEEP STARTING SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY THAT I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOOSE MY FRONT END! THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COME OFF IN MY HANDS AND THAT MY TIRES WERE READY TO FALL OFF AS WELL! THIS WAS VERY VERY SCARY SINCE I HAD MY GRANDCHILD IN THE JEEP WITH ME! I PAID OVER $800 TO HAVE THE SUSPENSION ROD/TIE RODS REPLACED. THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, MY JEEP WOULD NOT START. A LITTLE PIN IN THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE AND THE THAT PART IS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY SO I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED...ABOUT ANOTHER $600. *TR

HI, APPARENTLY MY SITUATION ISN'T UNIQUE, I HAVE A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED WITH LESS THAN 70K MILES. AT ABOUT 50MPH IT STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 5 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED THIS JEEP, ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE TIRE SHOP AND THEY INSPECTED THE TIE-ROD ENDS AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. IT WAS SHAKING SO BAD I THOUGHT THAT SURELY MY FRONT END WAS COMING APART SO, I GOOGLED MY PROBLEM AND WAS LED TO A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION AND FOUND THE TERM "DEATH WOBBLE", I THOUGHT IT FELT LIKE DRIVING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, BUT DEATH WOBBLE SEEMS TO ALSO BE AN APPROPRIATE TERM AS WELL, BECAUSE THE FRONT END SEEMS TO BE SHAKING TO DEATH. I, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, WENT TO KEVIN'S OFF ROAD, KOR, WEBSITE AND READ ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CAUSES AND CURES. IN MY PARTICULAR CASE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS, IT'S AS STOCK AS THEY COME. ANYWAY, KEVIN'S RECOMMENDED SOLUTION TO MY "WOBBLE" IS TO REPLACE THE TRACK BAR, THE STEERING DAMPER, CONTROL ARMS AND BUSHINGS. THE COST FOR THIS IS AROUND $366 FOR THE PARTS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LABOR COSTS WILL BE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MAYBE SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER SHOULD ACTUALLY GO DRIVE ONE BEFORE THEY SAY "IT'S NOT OUR FAULT". THEY SHOULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION SINCE THEY CREATED THE PROBLEM. MY 1989 JEEP DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM, LEAF SPRINGS VS. INDEPENDENT COIL SPRINGS, PERHAPS,... A SMOOTHER RIDE BUT AT WHAT COST? $366 PLUS LABOR FOR ME. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP APPLY PRESSURE TO CHRYSLER TO MAKE THIS RIGHT? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND INTEREST. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INSIDE LANE AT OR ABOUT 43MPH ON A STATE HWY WHEN IT HIT A VERY SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY 2005 JEEP WRANGLER BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY CAUSING ME TO LOSE MY GRIP ON THE STEERING WHEEL BEFORE I COULD REGAIN CONTROL, NEARLY STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE OUTSIDE LANE. THE SHAKING WAS SO VIOLENT I THOUGHT MY JEEP WAS LITERALLY GOING TO FALL APART AND/OR FLIP OVER. I WORK OUT OF TOWN AND WAS FORCED TO RETURN HOME AND TAKE MY WIFE'S TRUCK. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH OR ABOVE, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO REDUCE SPEED TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO TEST DROVE AND WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THEY ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. THE STEERING ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AND THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WA 82,000. THE DEALER DID ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT HAVE A FIX FOR IT. THE CONSUMER STATED HE FOUND A MECHANIC THAT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AND ALL FOUR CONTROL ARMS, TRAC BAR AND STEERING SHOCK WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 02/07/13

WAS ON VACATION IN ALASKA WHEN WE STARTED TO GET THE JEEP DEATH WOBBLE ( SHIMMY) . WE TRIED WHEEL BALANCE AS I THOUGHT MAYBE WE LOST A WHEEL WEIGHT. STILL SHIMMYING. INSTALLED A NEW STEERING DAMPENER AND THIS HELPED A LITTLE. STILL SHAKING AT AROUND 55 TO 60 MPH. ENDED UP BUYING 4 NEW TIRES AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE HELPED BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A SLIGHT SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. NOTHING LIKE B/4 THOU WHEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO SLAM THE BRAKES ON TO GET IT TO STOP SHAKING. WAITING FOR IT TO START AGAIN. *TR

THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE THE FIRST WEEK I BOUGHT THE JEEP USED BACK IN 2007. I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES IN THE FIRST MONTH TO HAVE THEM BALANCE, ROTATE TIRES, CHECK ALIGNMENT. WAS TOLD I NEEDED NEW TIRES. NEW TIRES DOES FIX THE PROBLEM FOR A WHILE. I HAVE REPLACED BRAKES, ROTORS, TIRES, HAD ALIGNMENTS, ROTATIONS ETC. ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RECUR. I HAVE NOW FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS CALLED THE "JEEP DEATH WOBBLE" AND HAS HUNDREDS OF LIKE COMPLAINTS. MY TIRE WOBBLES TERRIBLY AT AROUND 55 MILES PER HOUR. I AM NOW TOLD THAT I SHOULD REPLACE MY UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. CHRYSLER/JEEP HAS ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON THEIR LIBERTY. THEY NEED TO DISCOVER THE PROBLEM SO THAT WE CAN FIX THIS AND RIDE SAFELY BEFORE SOMEONE DIES FROM THIS DEFECT. *TR

AFTER I HAD MY TIRES ROTATED AND WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH THE FRONT END BEGAN TO SEVERELY SHIMMY. IT OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO STOP WAS TO DECELERATE. I HAD THE DAMPENER AND TIRES REPLACED (THEY WERE WORN UNEVENLY) TODAY. I HAVE MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE LONG TERM. THERE ARE MANY ANECDOTAL REFERENCES ON GOOGLE CONCERNING THIS BEING A MAJOR PROBLEM (GOOGLE SEARCH WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE." ) ONE STORY INDICATED THAT THERE WERE A LIMITED NUMBER OF FORMAL COMPLAINTS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I ADDED A COMPLAINT AS THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR AN UNSUSPECTING DRIVER. I WILL UPDATE THE RESULT OF THE REPAIR IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT RESOLVES THE INCIDENT OR NOT. *JS