2006 Jeep Wrangler

2006 JEEP WRANGLER: AT ABOUT 10,000 MILES, I NOTICED THAT A SHUDDER STARTED TO DEVELOP IN MY FRONT END AND WOULD VIBRATE UP THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL AT AROUND 45 MPH. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS OCCUR AT 40 MPH USUALLY BETWEEN 40 AND 60 AFTER HITTING A BUMP. NOW, AT 22,000 MILES, I HAVE A VIOLENT SHUDDER BETWEEN 40 AND 60 MPH, THAT IT FEELS LIKE I AM ABOUT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND HIT A BUMP AT ABOUT 55 AND ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS SO BAD THAT SHE HAD TO BRAKE IN ORDER TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN THE LANE NEXT TO HER. THIS SEEMS LIKE AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAVE TAKEN THE JEEP TO THE JEEP DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THE ACTED LIKE THIS WAS NOT UNUSUAL AND CALLED IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE" (NICE NAME FOR IT) AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING DAMPER. THE VEHICLE STILL OCCASIONALLY SHAKES AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKING AND SOMETIMES IT ACTS "NORMAL" THIS VEHICLE IS 100 % STOCK FROM THE DEALER(NOT LIFTED AND ORIGINAL 215/75-15 TIRES AND HAS HAD NO MODIFICATIONS, AND HAS NOT BEEN OFF ROADING. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND THE REPLACEMENT DAMPER IS JUST TEMPORARILY MASKING THE PROBLEM( NOT VERY SUCCESSFULLY EITHER). AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET IT IS OBVIOUS THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED I GUESS THIS WONT BECOME A BIG ISSUE FOR THE CHRYSLER OR THE GOVERNMENT UNTIL THERE ARE NUMEROUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES. ITS A SHAME THAT MANUFACTURERS WAIT UNTIL THE PROBLEMS REALLY ESCALATES BEFORE THEY ARE ADDRESSED (LIKE TOYOTA). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION WOULD BOUNCE AND CAUSE ROUGH HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE, MORE SO IN COLDER TEMPERATURES. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 12 MPH. THE DEALER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR A TEST DRIVE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. HE DID STATE THAT THE THROTTLE BODY COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000. UPDATED 5/3/10 *CN THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSON. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER NOT TO USE FIRST GEAR, BUT TO START IN SECOND GEAR. UPDATED 06/28/10*JB

DEATH WOBBLE ON A 2006 JEEP. I WAS GOING 55 AND HAD IT HAPPEN TOOK IT TO A SHOP THEY SAID MY TIRES NEEDED TO BE BALANCED. A WEEK LATER IT HAPPENED AT 58 MPH AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE JEEP GOING OFF THE RAD TOOK IT IN TO THE SHOP THEY SAID IT WAS MY BRAKES. AFTER THE BRAKES IT STILL HAPPENED AT 58 MPH I HAVE NEW BRAKES , SHOCKS, BRAKE PADS, BALANCED, STEERING ROD TOTAL OF OVER 2000.00 AND 5 DAYS OF MY TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO STOP THE VIBRATION. SHE SPOKE TO TWO OTHER JEEP OWNERS AND THEY REFERRED TO THIS ISSUE AS A "DEATH SHAKE". THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT FEELS AS IF THE FRONT WHEELS ARE COMING OFF. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,000. UPDATED 07/10/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF $300.00 AND THEN AN ALIGNMENT HAD TO BE PERFORMED. UPDATED 07/10/09.*JB

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

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