10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 9 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 7,022 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Steering is loose and vehicle is difficult to drive straight. Vehicle wanders around the road and causes vehicle to sway into other lanes.
- Amarillo, TX, USA
After installation of the Jeep manufactured and warrantied 2 inch mopar lift kit at the Jeep dealership, the vehicle's steering wheel and front end will violently shake after hitting a bump at speeds of 50 miles per hour and above. This was most commonly seen when driving over bridges at speeds of around 50 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer when they claimed they could not duplicate the results. I then had to risk my own safety to demonstrate to a technician that the problem was indeed happening. This oscillation of the steering and suspension components is extremely dangerous and requires me to come to a complete stop before the vehicle will stop shaking. I also have little to no control over the vehicle when this happens until the vehicle has been slowed down substantially. The problem is ongoing and has yet to be solved.
- Prescott, AZ, USA
While driving at normal highway speeds (60mph and above) each overpass, seam or pothole in the road causes my 2018 Wrangler to shake and vibrate uncontrollably. At times this "death wobble" is so violent that the only way to make it stop is to pull over and come to a complete stop. Imagine trying to keep control of your Jeep while it's shaking uncontrollably and you have to cross 3 lanes of traffic to pull over. This was my experience on 5.4.19. This was not the first time. This is also after the dealership and manufacturer have "repaired" the issue on 3 previous occasions.
- Chester, NJ, USA
While driving about 65 miles per hour I ran over a bridge expansion joint on a bridge approximately ten or more times during my trip. On three occasions when I ran over the expansion joint the front of the vehicle began to shake violently up through the steering wheel causing me to leave my lane of travel. I feel if a car was next to me at the time I could have crashed. Applying brakes and slowing ended the problem each time.
- Essex, VT, USA
Steering is loose and vehicle is difficult to drive straight. Vehicle wanders around the road and causes vehicle to sway into other lanes.
- Lakewood, OH, USA
Jeep will start death wobble when driving over 60 mph if vehicle drives over uneven road, bumps, dip in roads. Entire front end shakes violently and will not stop until speed is decreased below 45 mph.
- Red Hook, NY, USA
Front wheels shake violently when hitting small bump in highways at cruising speeds, stock road tires and wheels, dealer changed steering stabilizer, helped but still does it,
- Goshen, IN, USA
Wandering and loose. Steering does not track on center but needs to be continuously corrected. Immediately after purchase was taken to dealer to check alignment and was told this was normal. At speed it is very uncomfortable to drive as it will wander and has a dead spot when steering wheel is left at the center position.
- Muskego, WI, USA
The vehicle wanders on the road and requires too much corrective steering. The dealer told me up to 2 1/2' of steering wheel play is acceptable, but I feel it's unsafe. Especially in windy conditions in the mountains, and above 50 mph, the steering is very unresponsive and the vehicle sometimes wanders several feet from the travel lane while I try to correct the angle. This is the 32nd Jeep I have owned, and our family still has three others, including a 35 year old CJ-8. all of them steer much better than my completely stock 2018 rubicon. My Jeep is 14 months old and has 10,000 miles on it. It has been to the dealer a few times and they tell me the steering is normal for this model, at the same time admitting that the jl steering is worse than prior years. I have been told there is nothing that can be done to make this vehicle safer.
- Waretown, NJ, USA
Vehicle steering wheel shakes from the slightest crack or imperfections in the road also wanders back and forth making it difficult to keep in lane
- Adams, MA, USA
Several times when driving at approx. 65-70 miles per hour on the freeway, I experienced the "death wobble" a violent shaking of the front end of the Jeep including the wheels, front end, steering wheel and dashboard etc. The only way to stop it is to slow to about 50 mph or less. This occurs when going across a separation on a freeway or over a bump in the roadway. This first occurred with about 3025 miles on the new Jeep. It always happens on the highway as there must be speed over 65-70 for it to occur. It was very dangerous and frightening to have to decelerate in the fast lane of traffic on the worst and most dangerous freeway in America, the 91 through corona and riverside, ca. Very very dangerous and I am fortunate I did not cause an accident. I have a short video showing one episode when I was already considerably slowed.
- Riverside, CA, USA
Steering has locked up numerous times when attempting to turn left. Happens in cool/cold temperatures.
- Colorado Springs, CO, USA
The vehicle steering is sometimes uncontrollable. The vehicle merges rights and even pulls right when you try to steer to the left. This happens at speeds over 40 mph
- Marina, CA, USA
Vehicle shakes uncontrollably when hitting a bump at speeds of approximately 50mph or higher. It feels as if you've popped a tire. Shaking will not stop until you slow down significantly. This issue is often called the 'death wobble.' No modifications to the vehicle, less than 7 months old at the time of the first incident. Consistently happens at least once every other week.
- Albany, NY, USA
This vehicle wanders in the lane left to right when driving at highway speeds. When passing tractor-trailers it moves from side-to-side causing a difficult and perhaps dangerous situation. Fca's slow response, testing and upgrading, along with their dealer's use of the standard phrase: "operating as designed" is annoying and dangerous, and I just heard it from a dealership service advisor today in georgetown, tx! let's assume that hazardous driving conditions of a vehicle should have been noticed by the potential buyer in the test drive, as anticipated by the phrase, "operating as designed", the very least a car manufacturer could do is to warn the potential owners of a possible problem, since many new auto test drives do not involve vehicles traveling 70-80mph. Steering issues should not be taken lightly by any auto manufacturer!
- Round Rock, TX, USA
I purchased my 2018 Jeep Wrangler unlimited jl in June of 2018. Within the first month of having the vehicle the problems began. I initially had windshield seals that were missing so the Jeep would fill up with water from behind the dashboard. The dealership said they "fixed the problem" and then my windshield cracked because they didn't install properly, now it is leaking again behind the steering wheel. This will be my 3rd visit to the dealership for this problem. Then the "death wobble" began around 8/9,000 miles, almost causing multiple accidents. My vehicle has been in two dealerships since October 2018 trying to fix all of the issues occurring. The Jeep is being sent to the dealership for the 5th time on April 10, 2019 for ongoing steering issues. The damper (recall) in the vehicle was replaced 4 times without success and the steering continues to worsen. Keep in mind, the damper recall fix was only available at my dealership in January of 2019. I now have 18,000 miles on the vehicle, loose and wobbling steering, can't maintain a lane while driving, vibration and wobbling while breaking, the emergency break is no longer engaging (manual transmission), and just put in a complaint with Jeep a few weeks ago after little success with the dealership. Jeep is telling me that my unsafe, unstable vehicle has too many miles on it to buyback. I have had the vehicle for less than 10 months and have never had this many issues with any of my other vehicles in my life. The vehicle will be going back to the original dealership I purchased it from for the 5th time for steering issues and 3rd time for the windshield seals, along with many other issues. I no longer feel safe in my own vehicle in which I am paying a high price for every month.
- Cresco, PA, USA
When hitting a bump - I.e. bridge expansion joint - at highway speeds the vehicle's front wheels went into a severe wobble when required an immediate deceleration to alleviate. Numerous instances. Quite scary in heavy traffic, even for an experienced driver and a former general manager of a five-star Chrysler dealership!! extensive research found a number of people having this problem, yet no recall or "fix" from fca has evidently been found. In previous responses from corporate they indicate that it is not a safety issue and I must vehemently disagree. The common term used is "death wobble"!! do we need to wait until an inexperienced driver or innocent fellow traveler becomes a victim?. my Jeep is in the shop now awaiting some sort of disposition.
- Aberdeen, NC, USA
Violent vibration (death wobble) at highway speeds experienced to stock Jeep Wrangler sahara unlimited. Occurred within first 3000 miles of ownership (November 2018). Returned to Jeep dealer for fix but problem seems to have returned.
- Rye, NY, USA
Vehicle has the tendency to wander during highway driving. You would have to constantly provide input to the steering which causes fatigue. It drives and feel like you're in a windstorm.
- Decatur, GA, USA
- Richmond, TX, USA