2000 Jeep Wrangler

The contact owns a 1994 N/A Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle failed the State Inspection because the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V041000 (PARKING BRAKE). However, the part to do the recall repair was no longer available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The mileage at the failure of the State Inspection was 262,384.

The contact owns a 1993 N/A Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle after the vehicle was refueled. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing rough idling and reduced power while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 94V106000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the dealer later informed the contact that the recall part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the recall part had been discontinued. The contact requested that the manufacturer replace the entire fuel pump assembly. A case was filed. The failure mileage was 172,000.

FRAME ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT AROUND THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THE CHASSIS IS OTHERWISE RUST FREE, BUT IT SPONTANEOUSLY ROTTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THE LOWER CONTROL ARM DISCONNECTED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, LEAVING THE REAR AXLE FREE FLOATING, UNSTABLE, AND VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE A CRASH. THE FRAME HAS HOLES IN IT THAT LET WATER IN. THERE IS NO DRAINAGE HOLE WHERE THE FRAME GOES FROM FLAT ON THE BOTTOM AND CURVES UP AROUND THE WHEEL WELLS. WATER GETS INTO THE FRAME, SITS THERE, AND ROTS IT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THERE IS NO WAY TO SEE THIS ROT FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THERE IS NO WAY TO FIX IT WITHOUT CUTTING OPEN THE FRAME AND WELDING IN REPAIRS. IF YOU GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH "JEEP TJ FRAME ROT" YOU CAN SEE OTHER CASES OF THE FRAME FAILING IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION. HERE'S A BLOG POST WITH SEVERAL INSTANCES OF IT HTTPS://SARAHSTONESADIE.BLOGSPOT.COM/2019/05/JEEP-TJ-FRAME-RECALL.HTML IF YOU GOOGLE "TJ FRAME CAP" YOU'LL SEE THERE'S AN ENTIRE SUB MARKET OF PRODUCTS SPECIFICALLY MADE TO ADDRESS THIS FAILURE. TOYOTA HAD A FRAME RECALL, WHY CAN'T JEEP? IT'S CLEARLY FAILING IN THE EXACT SAME PLACE AND CAN CAUSE SEVERE SAFETY ISSUES. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE "PRE_ROT" THAT SHOWED IT ABOUT 6 MONTHS(?) BEFORE IT COMPLETELY ROTTED THROUGH. THE OTHER PICTURE IS AFTER IT FAILED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS A SMALL RUST BUBBLE THAT STARTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT THAT FAIRLY RAPIDLY RESULTED IN COMPLETE STRUCTURAL FAILURE.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, SPEED DOESN'T MATTER BC IT HAS HAPPENED AT MULTIPLE SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER WILL DROP TO NOTHING, WHILE THE OTHER GAUGES LIKE GAS, OIL PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE AND SUCH DO NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES AND REMAIN WHERE THEY SHOULD BE! A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER DROP, THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE ODOMETER WILL READ 'NO BUS', A FEW SECONDS TO A MINUTE LATER THE GAUGES WILL RESUME AND THE ENGINE LIGHT AND 'NO BUS' DISAPPEAR! ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER WILL DROP AND OTHER GAUGES NOT BE AFFECTED LIKE PREVIOUS SCENARIO ONLY WITH THIS ONE THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, LASTS FOR A BRIEF PERIOD AND THEN GOES BACK TO NORMAL! IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY, BUT HAVE NOTICED IT HAPPENS MORE ON BUMPY ROADS! NONE OF THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AT IDLE! ALL WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, VARIOUS SPEEDS, VARIOUS TYPES OF ROADWAYS!

THE FRONT PORTION OF THE FRAME HAS RUSTED FROM THE INSIDE OUT, NEARLY SEVERING THE STEERING GEAR BOX AND FRAME, FROM THE REST OF THE FRAME. IN ADDITION THE FRAME IN THE SAME LOCATION ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS ALSO SOFT TO THE POINT THAT I COULD COMPRESS THE FRAME WITH MY BARE HAND. I DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM AFTER INVESTIGATING WHY THE JEEP WAS SUDDENLY DIFFICULT TO KEEP STRAIGHT WITHIN THE TRAVELING LANE OF WASHINGTON STREET. THANKFULLY, I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK. I WAS QUOTED $2,200 TO FIX BOTH SIDES OF THE FRAME THROUGH A METAL FRABRICATOR, BUT HE SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENTIRE FRAME, AS THERE WAS FURTHER ROT CLEAR UP TO THE SPRING BUCKETS. ULTIMATELY I'LL BE FORCED TO TAKE A $4,600 LOAN TO REPLACE THE FRAME. JEEP TJ'S ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR FRAME RUST ISSUES, BUT THE FACT THAT THE RUST WAS UNSEEN JUST WEEKS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, COMBINED WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING STABILITY, IS WORTH TAKING NOTE OF CONCERN. TWO YEARS AGO THIS JEEP HAD NO VISIBLE RUST ANYWHERE ON THE BODY OR FRAME. THE STEERING GEAR BOX WAS REPLACED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, AND AT THAT TIME THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPROMISED.

2000 JEEP WRANGLER TJ WITH VISIBLE FRAME RUST IN FRONT OF REAR WHEELS. LACK OF DRAINAGE HOLES ALLOWS WATER TO ENTER THROUGH FACTORY DRILLED FRAME HOLES LOCATED IN FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WELLS AND ACCUMULATE IN THE LOWER PARTS OF THE FRAME. BY THE TIME RUST IS VISIBLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME, THE INSIDE HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPROMISED TO A GREATER DEGREE AS THE RUST PROGRESSES FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. THERE ARE READILY AVAILABLE KITS TO REPAIR THESE JEEP FRAMES FROM SEVERAL PRIVATE COMPANIES WHICH ILLUSTRATES THE SEVERITY AND PREVALENCE OF THIS PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THE PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AND INEXPENSIVE, THE COST OF INSTALLATION AS WITH MOST MAJOR VEHICLE REPAIR, IS DANGEROUS AND REQUIRES WELDING WITH SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT AND SKILLS. A REPAIR COMPLETED BY AN UNQUALIFIED PERSON MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE UNSAFE FOR USE ON PUBLIC ROADS. THIS VEHICLE HAS 175000 MILES DRIVEN ENTIRELY (EXCEPT ONE TRIP TO ATLANTA) IN TENNESSEE. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN ALMOST ENTIRELY ON PAVED PUBLIC ROADS. *TR

MY JEEP HAS 149,000 MILES. I AM ONLY THE SECOND OWNER. ON APRIL 20, 2019 I DROVE MY JEEP WRANGLER TJ SPORT APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. I PARKED IT AND WENT BACK 5 MINUTES LATER. WHEN I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE THREE RUST HOLES IN THE BRAKE LINES WHICH WERE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID. HE ALSO INFOMRED ME THAT THE FRAME WAS SO RUSTED THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS. I TOOK IT TO A AUTO FRAME SHOP AND WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $6,100.00 TO HAVE THE FRAME REPAIRED. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT THEIR IS A COTTAGE INDUSTRY WHICH HAS SPRUNG UP DUE TO THE MULTIPLE JEEPS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY NOTE IN THEIR ADVERTISING THAT THE CHRYSTLER/JEEP WRANGLER T.J. FRAMES WERE MANUFACTURED WITHOUT DRAIN HOLES. THE FRAMES DO HAVE HOLES ON THEIR SIDES JUST BEHIND AND TIRES. WATER FROM THE TIRES GETS SPLASHED UP INTO THE FRAMES. IF YOU LIVE IN THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES THAT MEANS HIGHLY COROSIVE SALT WATER IS BEING SPLASHED UP INTO THE FRAMES ON THESE JEEPS AND RUSTING THE FRAMES FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I HAVE READ ABOUT MULTIPLE JEEP WRANGLER TJ'S SUFFERING FRAME FAILURES DUE TO THE RUST. I AM SHOCKED THAT CHRYSTLER/JEEP HAS NOT RECALLED THE WRANGLER TJ'S TO INSPECT, REPAIR OR REPLACE THE FRAMES ON THEM. I CANNOT BELIEVE CHRYSTLER/JEEP IS UNAWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TOYATA HAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRUCK FRAMES AND THEY HAVE RECALLED VEHICLES. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE NHTSA HAS NOT STEPPED UP AND FORCED CHRYSTLER/JEEP TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. THE OLDER VEHILES ARE NOT SAFE. IT IS YOUR ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE CONSUMERS!

I BOUGHT MY JEEP IN OCTOBER 2000 AND HAD IT UNDERCOATED AT THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT EVER LEFT THE LOT. I HAD TAKEN IT BACK IN MULTIPLE TIMES TO HAVE IT RECOATED AND WHILE THE THE BODY EXPERIENCED SOME RUST DUE TO STONE CHIPS AND AGE THE FRAME STILL LOOKED GOOD UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN I WENT TO HAVE SOME WORK DONE ON THE JEEP. WHEN LIFTING UP THE JEEP TO WORK ON IT, WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME HAD SOME STRANGE MARKS THAT SEEMED TO BE SHOWING ON THE FRAME. WHEN WE SCRATCHED OFF SOME OF THE UNDERCOATING WE FOUND THAT THE FRAME WAS CRUMBLING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. AFTER LOOKING CLOSER AT THE FRAME WE DISCOVERED THAT DAIMLER CHRYSLER HAD LEFT OPEN HOLES IN THE FRAME INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR WHEEL WELLS ON THE SIDE OF THE FRAME NEAR THE TOP OF THE ARC OF THE CURVE IN THE FRAME. THIS MAY HAVE BEEN AN OK DESIGN BUT THEY DID NOT LEAVE ANY DRAIN HOLES IN THE FRAME AT ALL. THIS HAS LEAD TO THE ENTIRE FRAME BEING COMPROMISED WITH NO WAY TO KNOW THAT IT WAS HAPPENING AND NO WAY TO TRY TO PREVENT IT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS A FAILURE OF THE FRAME WHILE DRIVING WILL LEAD TO LOSS OF CONTROL AS WELL AS THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH.