IllustrationHIT A BUMP BETWEEN 50-55 MPH AND THE STEERING VIOLENTLY SHAKES. COMMON TERM FOR THIS IN JEEP COMMUNITY IS "DEATH WOBBLE" YOU MUST SLOW DOWN TO STOP IT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY ONLY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH WILL ALMOST NEVER WORK. *JB
2004 Jeep Wrangler
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 265.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Wrangler years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
470–25K
4525–50K
3450–75K
1875–100K
17100–150K
3150K+
164 reports with mileage · 28 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Steering. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports7 fire reports9 injury reports
Steering complaints
67 reports2004 JEEP WRANGLER, 16,000 MILES ON IT AND THE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR EVEN A SMALL POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE DEALERS TELLING CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S "BAD DRIVING HABITS" CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP. WARPED ROTORS CAN BE FELT IN THE BRA…
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2004 JEEP WRANGLER, 16,000 MILES ON IT AND THE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR EVEN A SMALL POTHOLE IN THE ROAD. I HAVE READ REPORTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH THE DEALERS TELLING CUSTOMERS THAT IT'S "BAD DRIVING HABITS" CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP. WARPED ROTORS CAN BE FELT IN THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN APPLING THE BRAKES, BUT THERE IS NO SHAKING HAPPENING WHILE BRAKING. WHY DON'T MANUFACTURERS "DO THE RIGHT THING" AND FIX THE PROBLEMS. SEAT BELT RETRACTORS NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY OR EVEN EXTENDING OUT WHEN TRYING TO FASTEN THEM IS ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT I ENCOUNTER ON A FREQUENT BASIS.
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PITMAN ARM FELL OFF FROM THE STEERING GEAR BOX WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SIDESWIPE ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION. ALSO, THE FRONT END SHOOK WHEN DRIVING 50 M…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PITMAN ARM FELL OFF FROM THE STEERING GEAR BOX WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SIDESWIPE ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED, AND A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR EVALUATION. ALSO, THE FRONT END SHOOK WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH FOR TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED BUT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
VEHICLE WILL ENTER INTO A VIOLENT WOBBLE AND SHAKE WHEN HITTING A BUMP AT HIGHWAY SPEED. VIOLENT SHAKING DOES NOT STOP UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED TO UNDER 20 MPH. HAD WHEELS ROTATED AND BALANCED, WHEELS ALIGNED. CHECKED ALL TIE RODS, BALL JOINTS, AND LINKAGE WITH NO NOTICEABLE WEAR. DEATH WOBBLE STILL PRESENT. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH A CAR CUT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER TURNED THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THEN STRUCK A GUARD RAIL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT W…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH A CAR CUT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER TURNED THE WHEEL SLIGHTLY AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THEN STRUCK A GUARD RAIL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED AT THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE STEERING GEAR SHEERED AND FRACTURED. THE STEERING GEAR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
VEHICLE WILL ENTER INTO A VIOLENT WOBBLE AND SHAKE WHEN HITTING A BUMP AT HIGHWAY SPEED. VIOLENT SHAKING DOES NOT STOP UNTIL SPEED IS REDUCED TO UNDER 15 MPH. *JB
AFTER HITTING A BUMP, (POT HOLE, DIP, ETC) WITH THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY.
Official recalls
104V048000 · Equipment:other:labels
Feb 3, 2004
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, DUE TO A RECENT SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING ERROR, THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION WAS INADVERTENTLY OMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE CERTIFICATION LABEL.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE VEHICLE OWNER WOULD NOT BE AWARE OF THE TIRE, WHEEL, AND INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION FOR THEIR VEHICLE.
Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CORRECTED TIRE CERTIFICATION LABEL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT DAIMLERCHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.