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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.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

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

Suspension complaints

59 reports
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44,560 miles · Aug 15, 2011
SteeringSuspension

FRONT END OF MY 2007 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED HAS DANGEROUS WOBBLE BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MILES PER HOUR. TIRES ARE GOOD, TIRES HAVE BEEN BALANCED BUT THE PROBLEM REMAINS. USUALLY TRIGGERED BY A BUMP IN THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10419447

20,500 miles · Jul 29, 2011
Service Brakes, HydraulicStructureSuspension

HAVE A JEEP 2004 WRANGLER. AT 60 MPH. IT BEGINS TO WOBBLE VERY BADLY! HAVE PURCHASED NEW TIRES,BALANCING,FRONT STABILIZING BAR,NEW BRAKES & ROTORS,ALIGNMENT. STILL WOBBLES! MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM & JEEP DEALERS CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO STOP THIS! IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I HIT 60MPH! VERY SCARY!!!!!…

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HAVE A JEEP 2004 WRANGLER. AT 60 MPH. IT BEGINS TO WOBBLE VERY BADLY! HAVE PURCHASED NEW TIRES,BALANCING,FRONT STABILIZING BAR,NEW BRAKES & ROTORS,ALIGNMENT. STILL WOBBLES! MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS ARE HAVING SAME PROBLEM & JEEP DEALERS CANNOT COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO STOP THIS! IT HAPPENS EVERYTIME I HIT 60MPH! VERY SCARY!!!!! ALMOST FLIPPED ME OFF THE ROAD COMING DOWN THE MOUNTAINS! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10416303

45,000 miles · Jul 18, 2011
Suspension

2004 JEEP WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE" . OCCURS AT 45-55MPH. WHEEL BALANCE, TIRE ROTATION, STEERING STABILIZER/DAMPER-ALL REPAIRED, ADJUSTED OR REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS 75,000 MILES AND BEGAN AROUND 45,000 MILES AND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY JEEP! THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO WOBBLE AT AROUND 45PMH WHE…

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2004 JEEP WRANGLER "DEATH WOBBLE" . OCCURS AT 45-55MPH. WHEEL BALANCE, TIRE ROTATION, STEERING STABILIZER/DAMPER-ALL REPAIRED, ADJUSTED OR REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS 75,000 MILES AND BEGAN AROUND 45,000 MILES AND IS GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY JEEP! THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO WOBBLE AT AROUND 45PMH WHEN IT STRIKES A SLIGHT BUMP IN THE ROAD OR SOMETIMES WHEN NO PERCEIVED BUMP IN THE ROAD. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! *KB

NHTSA ODI #10413367

70,000 miles · Jul 5, 2011
Suspension

2004 JEEP DOES A DEATH WOBBLE AT 40-60 MPH WHEN EVER IT HITS A BUMP. SUSPENSION IS DEFECTIVE. JEEP HAS HAD TONS OF COMPALINTS ON THIS. *KB

NHTSA ODI #10410606

69,400 miles · Jun 7, 2011
SteeringSuspension

SEVERE SHAKING (COINED DEATH WOBBLE) AT 55 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED (3) TIMES. I HAVE REPLACED STEERING DAMPENER, FRONT END ALIGNMENT, (4) NEW TIRES ALL WITHIN LAST WEEK. THERE ARE COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM, YET NO RESOLUTION TO BE FOUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS A "HEAD IN SAND" MENTALITY HOPI…

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SEVERE SHAKING (COINED DEATH WOBBLE) AT 55 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED (3) TIMES. I HAVE REPLACED STEERING DAMPENER, FRONT END ALIGNMENT, (4) NEW TIRES ALL WITHIN LAST WEEK. THERE ARE COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM, YET NO RESOLUTION TO BE FOUND. THERE SEEMS TO BE WITH ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS A "HEAD IN SAND" MENTALITY HOPING THAT THIS WILL GO AWAY. I'M SHOCKED, AFTER THE EXPERIENCE OF TRYING TO GET VEH OFF OF HIGHWAY DURING THIS EVENT, THAT THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY FATALITIES.

NHTSA ODI #10406390

15,848 miles · May 9, 2011
SteeringSuspension

I PURCHASED A USED 2004 JEEP WRANGLER 5 MONTHS AGO. IT HAD ONLY 15K MILES ON IT. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IT BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 55-60, AND WHEN THERE ARE ROAD IMPERFECTIONS. I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED. NO FIX. THE SHOP KEPT THE JEEP FOR THREE DAYS LAST WEEK AND CANNOT LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.…

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I PURCHASED A USED 2004 JEEP WRANGLER 5 MONTHS AGO. IT HAD ONLY 15K MILES ON IT. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE IT BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 55-60, AND WHEN THERE ARE ROAD IMPERFECTIONS. I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED. NO FIX. THE SHOP KEPT THE JEEP FOR THREE DAYS LAST WEEK AND CANNOT LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. APPEARS THIS IS A "DEATH WOBBLE" ISSUE FROM THE STRONGLY-DOCUMENTED CASES IN JEEP WRANGLERS. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO PERMANENT FIX. THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECALLS THAT I CAN FIND. I OWE FOR THIS VEHICLE THAT I CANNOT EVEN DRIVE! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10399538

86,000 miles · Apr 10, 2011
SteeringSuspension

I HAVE A 2004 WRANGLER RUBICON - ALL STOCK, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WHAT I'VE JUST COME TO REALIZE IS THE DEATH WOBBLE FOR THE PAST 8+ MONTHS. I'VE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES, HAD ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING, JUST TODAY HAD STEERING STABILIZER REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. THE WOBBLING CONTINUED ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE SHOP. ANYTIME I HIT A B…

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I HAVE A 2004 WRANGLER RUBICON - ALL STOCK, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING WHAT I'VE JUST COME TO REALIZE IS THE DEATH WOBBLE FOR THE PAST 8+ MONTHS. I'VE REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES, HAD ALIGNMENT AND BALANCING, JUST TODAY HAD STEERING STABILIZER REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. THE WOBBLING CONTINUED ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE SHOP. ANYTIME I HIT A BUMP, THE FRONT END STARTS TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN TO A NEAR STOP BEFORE I CAN PROCEED. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY JEEP. THIS IS MY DAILY RIDE TO WORK AND IT IS NOT SAFE! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10395410

60,000 miles · Feb 17, 2011
Suspension

BOUGHT A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER OF AUGUST OF 2010. THE JEEP HAD ABOUT 50,000 MILES. ON FEBRUARY 17 I WAS COMING HOME AT ABOUT 52 MPH. WHEN I GOT TO 55 HAD A TERRIBLE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END. TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO OWN JEEPS AND THEY REFERRED TO IT AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10383180

28,000 miles · Dec 30, 2010
SteeringSuspensionTires

FRONT TIRE SHIMMY SO BAD THAT IT CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. WHEN A BUMP, POTHOLE OR RAILROAD TRACK IS DRIVEN OVER THAT FRONT TIRES WOBBLE AND SHIMMY SO BAD THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN NEW TIRES, WHEELS, ALIGNMENTS AND STEERING STABILIZERS INSTALLED BUT THAT HAS NOT STOPPED TH…

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FRONT TIRE SHIMMY SO BAD THAT IT CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. WHEN A BUMP, POTHOLE OR RAILROAD TRACK IS DRIVEN OVER THAT FRONT TIRES WOBBLE AND SHIMMY SO BAD THAT IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN NEW TIRES, WHEELS, ALIGNMENTS AND STEERING STABILIZERS INSTALLED BUT THAT HAS NOT STOPPED THE SHIMMY. THE CAR HAS 30,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10373505

46,400 miles · Dec 9, 2010
SteeringSuspension

2004 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT HAS AN EXTREME VIOLENT SHAKE CAUSING ENTIRE FRONT OF VEHICLE TO BOUNCE OFF THE GROUND AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 45 - 60 MPH. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10369820

Official recalls

1

04V048000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

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