2001 Jeep Wrangler

FRAME BEGAN ROTTING OUT AT ROUGHLY 100,000 MILES. I DISCOVERED THIS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY ON MY COMMUTE HOME FROM WORK. WHILE ACCELERATING I FELT A SUDDEN POWER LOSS. THIS WENT ON FOR ANOTHER ROUNDTRIP THE FOLLOWING DAY. UPON RETURNING HOME THE FOLLOWING DAY I SAW SOMETHING HANGING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. IT WAS THE SKID PLATE, HANGING BY THE PASSENGER'S SIDE BOLTS, SUPPORTING THE ENTIRE WEIGHT OF THE DRIVETRAIN. THE DRIVESHAFT BEING AT THAT UNNATURAL ANGLE IS WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. TO THINK THAT I HAD DRIVEN 100 MILES THAT WAY WAS SLIGHTLY UNSETTLING. SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE FRAME WELDED, WHICH RAN $1,200. I HAVE SINCE HAD THE REAR RAILS (BEHIND REAR WHEELS) REPAIRED FOR AN ADDITIONAL $400. MY FRONT BODY MOUNT HAS ALSO ROTTED OUT, WHICH I FIXED MYSELF FOR $10, BUT SHOULD PROBABLY BE WELDED BY A PROFESSIONAL. BOTH MECHANIC AND WELDER SUGGESTED THAT FRAME ROT OCCURRED DUE TO LACK OF HOLES FOR WATER TO DRAIN OUT AND THAT THE SITTING WATER AND SALT JUST ATE AWAY AT EVERYTHING. THE CAR NOW HAS 215,000 MILES ON IT. I AM OTHERWISE HAPPY WITH THE CAR, BUT IT UPSETS ME THAT I COULD HAVE HAD A MAJOR ACCIDENT DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN OF THE FRAME. SEEMS STRANGE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FIX FOR THE ISSUE, NOR A RESPONSE FROM CHRYSLER TO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT PEOPLE CAN DIE AS A RESULT OF THE FRAME ROTTING OUT. MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR A FIX?!? AT 200,000+ MILES YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD GO STRAIGHT BACK TO A WRANGLER ONCE THIS ONE BITES IT, BUT I WILL NEVER BUY A JEEP AGAIN BASED ON THIS ISSUE. I BOUGHT THIS AS A 25 YEAR OLD WITHOUT KIDS. WITH A 2 AND 4 YEAR OLD AT HOME, I WOULD NOT TRUST A JEEP TO TRANSPORT THEM (TOO BAD, AS MY SON LOVES MY JEEP DESPITE NEVER BEING IN IT). I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST, SO RUST/ROT EXPECTED TO AN EXTENT. MY BROTHER OWNS A FORD F-250 USED FOR PLOWING..SAME YEAR, SAME MILAGE...NO ROT!

THIS 2001 JEEP WRANGLER TJ FAILED NY STATE SAFETY INSPECTION DUE TO FRAME RUST. PURCHASED NEW ON 06/01/2001 FROM A JEEP DEALERSHIP IN LINDENHURST, NY AND ONLY HAS 116,097 MILES ON A 4.0 ENGINE. THIS TUBULAR FRAME RUST IS PREMATURE DUE TO LACK OF "WEEP HOLES" THAT ALLOWS WATER TO EXIT THE FRAME, THEREBY PROMOTING RUST FROM THE INSIDE, OUT AND IS COSTLY TO REPAIR (SEE ATTACHMENT). NOTE... TOYOTA HAS HAD SIMILAR "RUSTY FRAME" ISSUES, BUT TOYOTA HAS DONE THE "RIGHT THING". SEE WRITE-UP AND VIDEO HERE: HTTP://AUTOWEEK.COM/ARTICLE/RECALLS/TOYOTA-FRAME-SETTLEMENT-COULD-COST-COMPANY-34-BILLION ... I LOVE MY WRANGLER, BUT IF JEEP REFUSES TO HELP WITH THIS (WIDE SPREAD) RUSTY FRAME ISSUE, I MAY VERY WELL MAKE A TOYOTA MY NEXT PURCHASE! THIS IS NOT JUST A CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUE, THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE!!!

TAKATA RECALL MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN IT LOST CONTROL ON A WET ROAD. THE CAR SLID ACROSS THE ROAD, OVER A SMALL DITCH, AND HEAD ON INTO A TREE. THE CAR BOUNCED FROM THE TREE AND SWIPED THE DRIVERS SIDE WITH ANOTHER TREE AND FINALLY BOUNCING BACK TOWARDS THE ROAD. THE ROAD WAS SLIGHTLY CURVED DOWNHILL IN A SMALL TOWN. I ATTEMPTED TO USE MY BRAKES WHILE OUT OF CONTROL BUT THEY WERE INEFFECTIVE. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE THUNDERSTORMS ON AND OFF, RAINING IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE AIRBAG IS THE SAFETY RISK. THE CAR HIT THE TREE IN THE CENTER OF THE GRILL WHICH CRACKED THE RADIATOR, TWISTED THE MOTOR MOUNTS, DAMAGED THE SUSPENSION, FOLDED THE FRAME AND SEVERAL OTHER FRACTURES. THE AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED, BOTH A BODY SHOP AND THE TOWING COMPANY SAID IT SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE CAR IS CONSIDERED TOTALED. I WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. INJURY'S TO THE DRIVER INCLUDE BROKEN RIBS, SPRAINED ANKLE, BRUISED MUSCLES, AND A CUT ON MY FOREHEAD THAT REQUIRED 5 STITCHES AMONG A FEW MORE MINOR INJURY'S. I ALSO BELIEVE THE TALL STEERING WHEEL KEPT ME FROM BEING EJECTED.

MY 2001 JEEP IS IN REAL GOOD SHAPE VISIBLY AND NO RUST ANYWHERE I CAN TELL ON THE BODY OR OUTSIDE OF THE FRAME. HOWEVER, WHEN PULLING THE CROSSMEMBER OFF THAT HOLDS THE TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER CASE TO THE FRAME, I NOTICED A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF RUST IN THE FRAME. IT LOOKS AS IF THE FRAME CAME OUT OF A 1920 MODEL CAR OR WORSE UNDER THERE. I MAY ATTEMPT TO HAVE THAT SECTION FIXED, BUT I HAVE NOTICED THE BOXED FRAME ON THE JEEP HAS NO WHERE FOR WATER TO GO ONCE INSIDE OF IT. MY ONLY OPTION WOULD BE TO MAKE DRAINAGE HOLES FOR WATER AND TRY TO SPRAY COSMOLINE OR SOMETHING INSIDE THE FRAME AND JUST "HOPE" THE REST OF THE FRAME IS NOT ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. I WOULD NOT EVEN COMPLAIN BUT A VEHICLE THAT IS BARELY 15 YEARS OLD ALREADY RUSTED OUT THIS BAD ON THE FRAME MUST HAVE BEEN DESIGNED POORLY OR MADE WITH GARBAGE STEEL AND COATED POORLY. I AM SURPRISED PEOPLE IN THE SALTY AREAS OF THE US HAVE NOT HAD THEIR CROSSMEMBER SIMPLY FALL OFF WHILE DRIVING. IF YOU NEED A PICTURE OF THE RUST IT IS IN MY PHONE AND CAN NOT ACCESS IT FROM THIS PC.

FRAME IS RUSTING DUE TO LACK OF ENGINEERING AND ABSENCE OF DRAIN HOLES IN PROPER LOCATIONS. INSIDE OF FRAME IS FLAKING OFF AROUND CONTROL ARM FRAME MOUNTS FRONT AND BACK. JEEP IS GARAGE KEPT AND TAKEN CARE OF. WATER POOLS UP AND HAS NO WHERE TO GO SO A HOLE HAS RUST THROUGH PASSENGER SIDE FRONT BEHIND CONTROL ARM MOUNT. LOTS OF FLAKING OFF FROM INSIDE OF FRAME. INCREDIBLY BAD PLANNING ON MANUFACTURER'S PART AND NOW I HAVE A POTENTIALLY UNSAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE WITHOUT SOME MAJOR FRAME WORK TO PERFORM. TOYOTA TRUCKS HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE AND THEY REPLACED THE FRAME.