2006 Jeep Wrangler

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN SHAKING AND VIBRATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND INSPECTED WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING DAMPER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR $50.00. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. A LOCAL MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AND LATER STATED THAT THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE ROTATED AND BALANCED FOR $20.00. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

1. NORMAL ROAD DRIVING, 3000 MILES AFTER PURCHASING A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED JEEP WRANGLER (19700 MILES TOTAL ON VEHICLE), LEAD TO THE VEHICLE BECOMING DANGEROUSLY OUT OF CONTROL AT AROUND 50MPH. THE STEERING VIBRATIONS WERE SO SEVERE, THAT THE JEEP COULD HARDLY BE STEERED. 2. THIS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 5 TIMES IN A 7 DAY SPAN, WITH THE LAST INCIDENT BEING THE MOST SEVERE. 3. I PERSONALLY RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND FOUND IT TO BE CALLED THE 'DEATH WOBBLE', AND APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A FLAWED DESIGN ON JEEP AND OTHER CHRYSLER VEHICLES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR, AND WAS BILLED IN EXCESS OF $1,000. A NEW STEERING STABILIZER AND FRONT BUSHING KIT WAS INSTALLED. THIS APPEARS TO HAVE RESOLVED THE ISSUE. *TR

ENTERING THE INTERSTATE AND DRIVING UP TO APPROXIMATELY 60-65MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY TO THE POINT WHERE I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN DRASTICALLY TO STOP THE VIBRATION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE ON THE13TH OF MARCH AT EWALD JEEP IN FRANKLIN WHEN THEY TOLD ME TO REPLACE THE FRONT TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE 2/32. I TOLD THEM THE TIRES HAVE ONLY 15,000 MILES ON THEM THEN THEY TOLD ME TO SEE THE PLACE (POMPS IN RACINE) THAT SOLD ME THE TIRES. POMPS SAID I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. THEN, ON THE 8TH OF APRIL DRIVING AT 40MPH ON A BUMPY ROAD, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY AGAIN WITH WHAT FELT LIKE THE FRONT WHEELS WERE LOOSE. TO STOP THIS VIBRATION, I NEEDED TO SLOW TO 10 TO 20 MPH. I CALLED FOR SERVICE ONCE AGAIN TO EWALD ON THE10TH OF APRIL. THEY REPLACED THE STEERING DAMPER ($126.28 AND $98 FOR LABOR). THEY ALSO PERFORMED A 2 WHEEL FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THEN ON SATURDAY THE 18TH OF APRIL, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AS SOON AS I GOT HOME, I CALLED EWALD AND TOLD THEM THE SHAKES ARE BACK. WENT IN ON MONDAY THE 20TH AND HAD A SERVICE TECH DRIVE IT. HE SAID NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY OCCURRED WHILE HE DROVE IT. MINOR SHAKES IN THE STEERING WHEEL BUT 'THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE BEAST', HE SAID. THEY PROCEEDED TO LOOK INTO IT MORE AND 20 MINUTES LATER, THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE REPLACING THE STEERING DAMPER THEY REPLACED ONLY 10 DAYS EARLIER. I OWNED A 1997 JEEP WRANGLER AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS THEN. AFTER TALKING WITH OTHER JEEP OWNERS, I BELIEVE IT TO BE A BAD DESIGN AND HOPE CHRYSLERJEEP CAN CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, BUMP OR LIGHT APPLICATION OF BRAKES DURING SLIGHT TURN CAUSES STEERING WHEEL TO SHUDDER VIOLENTLY. STEERING WILL NOT STOP SHAKING UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED, WHICH ON THE LAST OCCASION, RESULTED IN NEAR MISS ON FREEWAY DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY USED ON CITY STREETS ONLY AND ISSUE WAS OBSERVED ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, BUT FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY INCREASES DRAMATICALLY AT FREEWAY SPEEDS. ALTHOUGH VEHICLE ONLY HAS 17,699 MILES, IT IS 2 MONTHS OUT OF 36MO WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP AND CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSED TO ASSIST WITHOUT CUSTOMER PAY DIAGNOSTIC OR CUSTOMER PAY REPAIR. THE CONDITION IS INTERMITTENT AND THE LAST TIME IT OCCURRED WITH MY WIFE DRIVING, SHE HAD TO VEER OFF THE ROAD ACROSS SEVERAL LANES OF FREEWAY TRAFFIC, ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SHE SUFFERED A SLIGHT SPRAIN OF HER WRIST. *TR

IN REFERENCE TO ALL LATE MODEL JEEP WRANGLERS. WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE". AT A SPEED OF 35 TO 55 MPH, A VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END WILL OCCUR THAT MAGNIFIES IN INTENSITY UNTIL THE DRIVER MUST STOP THE VEHICLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. VERY DANGEROUS. JEEP SAYS THAT IT THINKS A STEERING DAMPER CHANGE COULD STOP THIS FROM OCCURRING,BUT HAS NEVER ISSUED A RECALL OR DESIGN CHANGE. PROBLEM SPANS SEVERAL YEARS OF THE WRANGLER MODEL. I HAVE HEARD OF MID 90'S ALL THE WAY TO MY 06' HAVING THE "DEATH WOBBLE". IN MY OPINION JEEP HAS NEGLECTED TO FIX A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT IM SURE HAS CAUSED MORE THAN A FEW ACCIDENTS. I HAVE HAD TO STOP COMPLETELY GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE TO REGAIN CONTROL . THAT CANT BE SAFE. I WOULD THINK THAT A FIX SHOULDN'T BE THAT HARD FOR THE ENGINEERS AT DAIMLER/CHRYSLER TO COME UP WITH . AFTER ALL THE JEEP IS AN AMAZING VEHICLE. THEREFORE I AM REQUESTING THAT THE NHTSA COMMENCE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEATH WOBBLE" AND JEEPS RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS . IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY WORN OR DAMAGED FRONT END PARTS DUE TO THE WOBBLE AND THE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND HARD WORK . I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SPEAKING WITH A NHTSA REP AT THEIR CONVENIENCE. IF YOU NEED TO OBSERVE THE DEATH WOBBLE OR NEED MORE INFO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME VIA EMAIL OR PHONE. OR YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE IT . YOU WOULD BE AMAZED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND JEEP ACTS AS IF IT DOESN'T EXIST. ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW. THANKS AGAIN FOR DOING YOUR JOBS AND MAKING THESE COMPANIES BE RESPONSIBLE. *TR

I'M 2ND OWNER OF AN '06 JEEP WRANGLER. MILES AT PURCHASE: 26521. STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AT 27,000 I EXPERIENCED "DEATH WOBBLE" AT 55MPH. TOOK IT IN TO FERMAN OF PLANT CITY DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE DAMPER. WITHIN LESS THEN 1000 MILES IT HAPPENED AGAIN. TOOK IT TO XTREME JEEPS AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. I THEN TOOK IT BACK TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP, CITRUS CHRYSLER OF DADE CITY, FL AT ABOUT 28,000 MILES. THEY HAVE HAD IT SINCE 12/08/08. THEY SAY THE TIE RODS AND TRACBAR NEED REPLACEMENT BUT THEY CAN'T GET THE PARTS UNTIL AFTER 12/24/08. I RESEARCH THIS DEATH WOBBLE AND FOUND OUT THAT IT HAPPENS TO MANY, MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS. YOU JUST NEED TO DO A GOOGLE SEARCH TO SEE HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS. CHRYSLER DO NOT OWN UP TO THE FACT THAT THIS UNSAFE PROBLEM EXISTS. THERE IS NO REPORTS OF THIS WHEN I PAID FOR A CARFAX REPORT. THIS IS A VERY, VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED IN TO. I AM EXPECTED TO BAIL THESE GUYS OUT WITH MY HARD EARNED TAX MONEY WHILE THEY HIDE THE FACT THAT THEY'RE PRODUCING THESE UNSAFE VEHICLES. I AM NOW PAYING FOR A VEHICLE I CAN NOT DRIVE. THE DEALERSHIP HAS IT IN THEIR LOT WAITING FOR PARTS. THIS IS VERY UPSETTING AND YOU NEED TO LOOK IN TO THIS MATTER. HOW DARE THEM NOT RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REDESIGN STEERING TO MAKE THEM SAFE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE AGAIN. CORP GREED WITH UNSAFE PRODUCTS IS SO UN-AMERICAN!!!! *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT ON SEPT 25, 2008. WITHIN ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE I EXPERIENCED SEVERE WOBBLE (AKA "DEATH WOBBLE") WHILE TRAVELING AROUND 55MPH TWICE. IT HAPPENED WHEN I RAN OVER ROUGH AREAS IN THE ROAD THAT HAD BEEN PATCHED UP POT HOLES. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I HAD TO ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE IT WOULD STOP DO THIS. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING. AFTER THE FIRST TIME I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND THAT MANY, MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. IT IS REFERRED TO AS THE "JEEP DEATH WOBBLE". I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE JEEP IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM THEY ACTED AS IF THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. THEY REPLACED THE DAMPER ON THE STEERING BUT I KNOW FROM MY RESEARCH THAT THIS IS JUST A SHORT TIME \"FIX\" AND THAT ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER HAS RECEIVED MANY LETTERS FROM CONSUMERS SUCH AS MYSELF, THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THEIR DESIGN IF DANGEROUS THEREFORE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM. I THEN CONTACTED X-TREME JEEPS IN TAMPA FLORIDA AND THE OWNER INFORMED ME THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM IS TO ELIMINATE THE DAMPER ALL TOGETHER AND INSTALL THE RUGGED RIDGE STEERING KIT WHICH ACTUALLY BRINGS THE MECHANISM BACK TO THE OLDER WAY THE JEEPS WERE MADE BACK WHEN AMC BUILT THEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE JOB, COSTING APPROX. $330. I CAN NOT AFFORD THIS PLUS THE MONTHLY CAR PAYMENT BUT THEN AGAIN, I CAN\'T AFFORD TO WRECK MY VEHICLE DO TO POOR DESIGN. I LIVE 17 MILES FROM MY JOB AND CAN\'T AFFORD TO GO WITHOUT MY TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE CHRYSLER DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBLE. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY JEEP FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY REPLACED THE DAMPER I HAD TO COME UP WITH $83.63 FOR THE ROTATION/BALANCE OF THE TIRES. NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE BUT MY NERVES ARE SHOT OVER THIS. *TR

2006 JEEP WRANGLER - EXTREME FRONT END SHUTTER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, USUALLY IN THE AREA OF 55MPH. THE SHUTTER IS SO BAD THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE. THE DEALER CLAIMS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THE PART IS OUT OF STOCK. THEY (JEEP) CALLS IT A SHIMMER, I* SAY IT IS A SHUTTER AND A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2006 JEEP CHEROKEE IN OCTOBER 2006 AND SINE THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END STEERING. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. THE NEXT TIME WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, A FEW DAY LATER, THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED BALANCING. THE THIRD TIME WE TOOK IT IN THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. WE HAVE NOW DONE BALANCING AND ALIGNMENTS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE STABILIZER ARM THREE TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT THE JEEP AND NEED TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. THE STEERING GETS SO BAD IT ALMOST PULLS THE WHEEL OUT OF YOUR HAND AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALERSHIP STILL SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. *TR