2004 Jeep Wrangler

2004 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEVERAL ISSUES FOUND DURING INSPECTION AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE DAY SHE TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED SOME PLAY IN THE STEERING, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO MISS A LITTLE, AND THE CD PLAYER IN THE RADIO SEEMED TO WORK WHENEVER IT WANTED TO. THE NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL LEAKED AN OIL SPOT ON THE CONCRETE DRIVEWAY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A PRE-SALES ESTABLISHMENT AND THE INSPECTION REVEALED, THE REAR AXLES WERE LEAKING ON BOTH SIDES, THE PINION SEAL IN THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE FRONT TRACK BAR HAD PLAY, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A NEW PILOT BEARING; AS THERE WAS A NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING AND THE REAR SWAY BAR LINKS WERE LOOSE. *JB

A WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I HIT A SMALL, SHARP BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE AND WOBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY. ONLY BY SLOWING DOWN TO 45 MPH WAS I ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AFTER THIS. I HAD THE TIRES BALANCED, ROTATED AND AN ALIGNMENT DONE ON IT. THE WOBBLE HAPPENED AGAIN, SOMETIMES AT EVEN HIGHER SPEEDS AND SOMETIMES, NOT AT ALL. I TOOK IT TO AN AUTHORIZED CHRYSLER JEEP DEALER AND ACCORDING TO THEIR RECOMMENDATION, HAD A NEW STEERING STABILIZER, NEW SWAY BAR LINKS AND TIE ROD INSTALLED AND AGAIN HAD THE TIRES BALANCED AND AN ALIGNMENT DONE ON IT. THE VEHICLE STILL EXHIBITS THE SAME BEHAVIOR. I HAVE HAD IT HAPPEN THREE TIMES ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS AND LUCKY ENOUGH EACH TIME I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND ABLE TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER TO REDUCE SPEED AND GAIN CONTROL AGAIN. EACH TIME ON THE INTERSTATE MY SPEED WAS BETWEEN 60 AND 65 MPH. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I DROVE 20 MILES BACK HOME ON CITY STREETS IN ORDER TO KEEP MY SPEED BELOW 50 MPH. THE "DEATH WOBBLE" DOES NOT HAPPEN BELOW 50 MPH ALTHOUGH I CAN SOMETIMES FEEL IT STARTING TO SHAKE AS I APPROACH THAT SPEED. AS I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED CHRYSLER DEALER, REPLACED THE RECOMMENDED PARTS AND HAVE DONE THE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, I FEEL THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE BUILT INTO SOME OF THE VEHICLES LIKE MINE. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS MANY JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO AND AUTHORIZED DEALERS ALSO WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM "DEATH WOBBLE" IN CONJUNCTION WITH JEEP WRANGLERS. IN FACT, AS I WAS DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM TO ONE OF THE AUTHORIZED CHRYSLER JEEP DEALERS, HE INTERRUPTED ME BY SAYING, "AH, THE "DEATH WOBBLE". ONCE IT HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS A VERY APT DESCRIPTION OF THE BEHAVIOR.

TURNED ONTO THE COUNTY HIGHWAY AND AS I APPROACHED APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. HAD TO PULL OVER AND STOP FOR IT TO STOP. I THEN PROCEEDED TO DRIVE. ASKED MY MECHANIC IF HE COULD SEE ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS AND HE DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING. IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN AS WELL ONE TIME BEING ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR. I WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS IT IS COMPLETELY UNSAFE. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THIS "DEATH WOBBLE" HAPPENING ON JEEPS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR THE FIX IS.

I OWN A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER WHICH I PURCHASED FROM A JEEP DEALERSHIP IN 2006. JUST WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT, THE JEEP SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH OR FASTER. BRAKING DID NOT HELP. I LITERALLY HAVE TO LET THE JEEP SLOW DOWN ON ITS OWN , SO THAT IT CAN RE-ADJUST ITSELF. DRIVING OVER ANY KIND OF BUMP IN THE ROAD ALSO CAUSES THIS UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING AT THE SAME SPEEDS. I HAVE NOW OWNED THIS JEEP NOW FOR 6 YEARS , AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IN THIS TIME PERIOD, I HAVE REPLACED THE TRACK BAR TWICE. CHANGED THE SHOCKS, HAVE HAD COUNTLESS WHEEL BALANCING AND ALIGNMENTS, AND HAVE REPLACED THE STEERING STABILIZER. MORE TIMES THAN NOT, THE SHAKING IS SO BAD, I HAVE TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY. I LIVE IN THE LAKE TAHOE AREA AND EXPERIENCE THIS SHAKING EFFECT OFTEN TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON WINDING ROADS IN THIS AREA. WHILE IM SURE THE DANGER FACTOR EXISTS FOR ANYONE OWNING A VEHICLE THAT DOES THIS, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING MY JEEP SHAKE RELENTLESSLY ON THESE MOUNTAIN ROADS.

I HAVE BEEN A PROUD OWNER OF MY JEEP SINCE 2004 UNTIL TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR WHEN I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE PROBLEMS WITH A VIOLENT SHAKING WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT 55MPH AND WOULD HIT A BUMP. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC A FEW TIMES BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. THEY CHECKED MY TIRES, THE BRAKES, ETC. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND AGAIN SO MY MECHANIC THOUGHT IT POSSIBLE NEEDED TO BE ALIGNED SO I TRIED THAT. THAT DIDN'T HELP EITHER. THEN THE TIRES BECAME A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION SO I BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND STILL THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. I RECENTLY TOOK IT IN AND HAD THE GEAR BOX TIGHTENED AND THE TIRES ROTATED AND AGAIN, NO FIXING THE PROBLEM. MY JEEPS SHAKES SO VIOLENTLY AND GETS ME SO SCARED BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THE JEEPS TIRES ARE GOING TO FALL OFF THE JEEP AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET LOOKING TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAS EVER HAD THIS PROBLEM AND SURE ENOUGH, I'M NOT ALONE. I HAVE A YOUNG SON AND I USE MY JEEP AS OUR TRANSPORTATION AND MY SON IS GETTING READY TO GET HIS LICENSE AND IT'S SAD, BUT I WON'T LET HIM DRIVE OUR JEEP BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. CHRSLER NEEDS TO BECOME AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE FOR US JEEP OWNERS WHO ARE BEING AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM, I WOULD HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A JEEP. I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT TO GET REPAIRED NOR CAN I AFFORD A NEW CAR. CHRSLER NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND FIX THESE JEEPS! *TT

VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE SUSPENSION WHEN I REACH ABOUT 55 MPH, USUALLY ON THE NYS THRUWAY. IN ORDER TO STOP THE SHAKE I NEED TO SLOW DOWN TO ABOUT 40 MPH. VERY DANGEROUS AND UNNERVING, ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC. BROUGHT TO MY MECHANIC WHO STATED HE SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. REPLACED AND BALANCED TIRES. WAS FINE BUT THEN ,AS NOW , UNEXPECTEDLY GOES INTO CONVULSIONS. I FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE, WHICH IS MY SOLE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION. IS THERE A RECALL? I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY. WOULD REALLY LIKE TO RESOLVE THIS SITUATION. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS. *JB

FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, USUALLY WHEN THE JEEP IS APPROACHING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. FEELS LIKE THE JEEP IS GOING TO EXPLODE. PUTTING ON THE BRAKES, AND PRAYING, AND DOWN SHIFTING FROM 5TH TO 4TH, AND PRAYING, AND EVENTUALLY SLOWING DOWN TO BELOW 40 IS THE ONLY THING THAT ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO STOP SHAKING. THIS APPARENTLY HAS BEEN REPORTED MANY, MANY TIMES, AND IS KNOWN AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE". IS THERE A GOVERNMENTAL COVER-UP ABOUT THIS? HOW IS THIS KNOWN ISSUE ALLOWED TO GO UN-ADDRESSED?

I PURCHASED THE ABOVE VEHICLE BACK IN10/2007 USED. I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE UNTIL RECENTLY THAT AS I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD TRY TO SHUT OFF AND THE SMELL OF GASOLINE WAS COMNG INTHRU THE VENTS. IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS I HAVE SPENT CLOSE TO 600.00 DOLLARS IN TUNE UP, REPLACED COIL PACK AND THE FUEL INJECTOR AND STILL THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED. I TOOK MY CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE FUEL PUMP. THE MECHANIC ASKED ME IF THERE WAS EVER A RECALL AND I DID A SEARCH AND LONG AND BEHOLD THERE WAS A RECALL, BUT THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT I DON'T QUALIFY. PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HELP ME. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR