2005 Jeep Wrangler Steering Problems

As I was driving home from work on Feb. 14, 2023, in Rocky Hill, NJ. the vehicle developed a sudden loss of steering control. I had it towed to Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM of Princeton, NJ. The service manager informed me that the area of the frame to which the steering gear box is bolted had completely rotted, and the steering box had separated. The car was not driveable and could not be repaired. The vehicle will be available for inspection until April 15, 2023.

Keep wobble almost caused head on collision afraid to drive vehicle over 55 mph

AT 45-50 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY. IT HAS THE "DEATH WOBBLE".

THIS IS AN UPDATE TO NHTSA COMPLAINT 10919986 - DEATH WOBBLE, I HAVE REPLACED THE STOCK STEERING DAMPER AND ADDED AN ADDITIONAL STEERING DAMPER FOR THE DRIVER SIDE STEERING ROD. THIS HAS RESOLVED THE REPORTED DEATH WOBBLE WHEN DRIVING OVER 50 MPH. ROD DEFLECTION HAS BEEN PREVENTED BY ADDING THE DRIVER SIDE DAMPER. PLEASE MAKE THIS AVAILABLE AS A SOLUTION. I SEE MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPENT WELL OVER $1,000 FOR NEW SUSPENSION PARTS ETC. THIS IS A $60 STEERING DAMPER SHOCK FIX!! PLEASE PASS ALONG. I SHOCKED THIS IS NOT OBVIOUS AT THE DEALER, THE DRIVER STEERING ROD IS LONG AND WILL HAVE DEFLECTION AT HIGH SPEED/BUMPS, LIKE A TUNING FORK. *TR

STEERING STABILIZER GOES OUT ON AVERAGE ABOUT 20,000 TO 30,000 MILES WITH NORMAL STREET OR HIGHWAY DRIVING. STEERING WHEEL STARTS SHAKING BACK AND FORTH AND WHEELS SHAKE VIOLENTLY . I SEE JEEP IS NOW RECALLING SOME 2018-2019 JEEPS AND WOULD LIKE MINE FIXED TOO .

JEEP DEATH WOBBLE - MINE TOO, OVER 50 MPH, RANDOM WOBBLE OTHER TIMES DRIVES SMOOTH, BUMPS DO INITIATE IT NOT ALWAYS THOUGH, READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON NHTSA, STABILIZER IS KEY TO RESOLVING THE ISSUE AND STEERING DAMPER. I BELIEVE THIS DESIGN PROMOTES ACCELERATED WEAR OF THESE PARTS WHICH IS WHY THERE ARE REPORTS OF IT COMING BACK AFTER A YEAR OR SO. I'M SURPRISED THERE IS NO DEALER FIX FOR THIS, ADMITTING THE NEED FOR HEAVIER STEERING COMPONENTS. I'LL BE GETTING AFTER MARKET HEAVY DUTY JUST TO DRIVE ON THE STREET. THE FUEL ISSUE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED, HAD TO GO THROUGH 300 PLUS ENTRIES HERE TO FIND ANSWERS TO THE OPDA PROBLEM. MINE HAS NOT STARTED WITH THE FUEL ISSUE BUT AT LEAST I WILL KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN IT DOES OCCUR.

'DEATH WOBBLE" THE JEEP SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY BETWEEN 50 AND 55 MPH MAKING SPEED AND STEERING VERY HARD TO CONTROL. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT CAUSES IT. BEEN TO MANY JEEP MECHANICS.

WHILE IN MOTION ON A COUNTRY ROAD, COMMING OUT OF SOME TURNS THE FRONT END/STEARING SUDDENLY BEGAN SHAKING HARD RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNABLE TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO SWERVE UNTIL HITTING AN ENBANKMENT AND ROLLING MULTIPLE TIMES.

JEEP HAS SEVERE DEATH WOBBLE WHEN TRAVELING @60 MPH. FRONT WHEELS WILL START TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY AT THIS SPEED AND SEEMS TO START WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR IMPERFECTION IN ROAD SURFACE. REQUIRED ACTION IS TO APPLY BRAKES UNTIL SHAKING STOPS WHICH COULD INVOLVE A DECREASE IN SPEED OF 15 MPH OR MORE CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED AT THREE SHOPS WITH NO WORN COMPONENTS FOUND. HAD AN ALIGNMENT PERFORMED TIRES BALANCED TRACK BAR MOUNT REPLACED CONTROL ARM MOUNT REINFORCED REPLACED STEERING STABILIZER REPLACED TIE ROD END REPLACED SWAY BAR LINKS AND STILL PROBLEM IS NO BETTER. JEEP ONLY HAS 49,000 MILES SO NOTHING IS REALLY WORN TOO BAD. THIS PROBLEM STARTED ROUGHLY 10,000 MILES AGO AND I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT OTHER THAN REPLACING EVERY STEERING AND SUSPENSION COMPONENT AT A COST OF PROBABLY A COST OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE COIL SPRUNG JEEPS WITH A TRACK BAR WHICH SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. JUST WANT TO ADD THE VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO THE FACT YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE WOBBLE WILL START AND IF YOU ARE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU HAVE TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO REGAIN CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE IT COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. CHRYSLER/JEEP NEEDS TO REMEDY THIS ENGINEERING FLAW NOT EXPECT CONSUMERS TO FOOT THE BILL.

THE DEATH WOBBLE AT APPROX 60-65 MPH/ REPAIRED STEERING STABILIZER/FRONT AXEL JOINT/ RIGHT OUTER PITMAN ADJUSTMENT SLEEVE/ LEFT HAND STEERING ARM TO CONNECTING TIE ROD/ LEFT INNER TO LH ADJUSTMENT SLEEVE/ ALIGNMENT, REPAIRS COST $675, HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND STILL SHIMMIES. *TR

VIOLENT FRONT END VIBRATION / WOBBLING KNOWN AS "DEATH WOBBLE". *TR

WHEN REACHING SPEEDS OF 55 MILES PER HOUR THE JEEP SHAKES TO A POINT OF ALMOST LOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE JEEP REACHES A SPEED OF 65 - 70 MPH THEN SETTLES DOWN. *TR

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-65 MPH, THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE UP AND DOWN UNCONTROLLABLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER FOR THE FAILURE TO CEASE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SPECULATED THAT THE STEERING STABILIZER, BALL JOINTS, BRAKES, OR CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

THIS IS SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED; IT HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 4 TIMES SINCE 11/30/2013. I WAS ACCELERATING, AND WHEN I HIT ABOUT 50MPH, MY LEFT TIRE HIT A SMALL POT HOLE. MY FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY; MY STEERING WHEEL WAS LITERALLY BOUNCING IN MY HANDS AND I COULD NOT ACTIVELY CONTROL THE JEEP. THE SHAKING WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR ON A BUSY ROADWAY. I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS JEEP HAS A SHIMMY/WOBBLE THAT OCCURS ON SOME BUMPS. SOME LEAD TO THE "DEATH WOBBLE," AND OTHERS DO NOT. THE SHAKING IS SO INTENSE THAT THE FRONT END FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COME APART. I HAVE NEW TIRES, AND THE VEHICLE WAS JUST PURCHASED USED FROM THE DEALERSHIP, AFTER HAVING RECEIVED A FULL SERVICE. I TOOK IT INTO THE JEEP DEALERSHIP THAT CONFIRMED THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED OK, AND THE BUSHINGS WERE FINE. *TR

HI, APPARENTLY MY SITUATION ISN'T UNIQUE, I HAVE A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED WITH LESS THAN 70K MILES. AT ABOUT 50MPH IT STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 5 TIMES SINCE I'VE OWNED THIS JEEP, ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE TIRE SHOP AND THEY INSPECTED THE TIE-ROD ENDS AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. IT WAS SHAKING SO BAD I THOUGHT THAT SURELY MY FRONT END WAS COMING APART SO, I GOOGLED MY PROBLEM AND WAS LED TO A PLETHORA OF INFORMATION AND FOUND THE TERM "DEATH WOBBLE", I THOUGHT IT FELT LIKE DRIVING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS, BUT DEATH WOBBLE SEEMS TO ALSO BE AN APPROPRIATE TERM AS WELL, BECAUSE THE FRONT END SEEMS TO BE SHAKING TO DEATH. I, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, WENT TO KEVIN'S OFF ROAD, KOR, WEBSITE AND READ ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CAUSES AND CURES. IN MY PARTICULAR CASE THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS, IT'S AS STOCK AS THEY COME. ANYWAY, KEVIN'S RECOMMENDED SOLUTION TO MY "WOBBLE" IS TO REPLACE THE TRACK BAR, THE STEERING DAMPER, CONTROL ARMS AND BUSHINGS. THE COST FOR THIS IS AROUND $366 FOR THE PARTS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE LABOR COSTS WILL BE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MAYBE SOMEONE AT CHRYSLER SHOULD ACTUALLY GO DRIVE ONE BEFORE THEY SAY "IT'S NOT OUR FAULT". THEY SHOULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION SINCE THEY CREATED THE PROBLEM. MY 1989 JEEP DOESN'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM, LEAF SPRINGS VS. INDEPENDENT COIL SPRINGS, PERHAPS,... A SMOOTHER RIDE BUT AT WHAT COST? $366 PLUS LABOR FOR ME. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP APPLY PRESSURE TO CHRYSLER TO MAKE THIS RIGHT? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND INTEREST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OVER A ROAD BUMP, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTIONS AND THEY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A REPAIR AVAILABLE TO RECTIFY THE "DEATH WOBBLE" HE HAD EXPERIENCED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000. UPDATED 09/18/13*LJ

WHENEVER JEEP REACHES SPEEDS OF 50 MPH AND HITS A BUMP FRONT WHEELS AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY. YOU MUST SLOW AT ONCE TO GET IT TO STOP. AFTER ASKING OTHER JEEP OWNERS I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. WENT TO THE JEEP DEALER AND WAS ONLY GIVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN AND NO ANSWERS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD AT ABOUT 47 MPH WHEN I MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. IT SERIOUSLY FELT AS IF MY WRANGLER WAS GOING TO SHAKE THE STEERING WHEEL AND TIRES RIGHT OFF. THE ONLY WAY I ABLE TO STOP THE SHAKING WAS TO PULL OVER AND SLOW DOWN, THEN AS SOON AS I HIT 47 MPH THIS HAPPENED ALL OVER AGAIN. DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS AND THEY CALL IT A "DEATH WOBBLE," AND THIS HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH JEEP WRANGLERS FOR SOME TIME NOW. BUT FOR SOME REASON CHRYSLER DOESN'T WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SEVERITY AND DANGEROUS NATURE OF THIS MALFUNCTION. THIS KIND OF DEFECT COULD KILL SOMEONE! *TR

I HAVE A 2005 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED....IT WOULD NOT START ONE MORNING AND I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. A TINY PIN IN THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE. THIS 1/2" PIN IS NOT SOLD SEPARATELY AND I HAD TO HAVE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AT A COST OVER $600! *TR

WAS ON VACATION IN ALASKA WHEN WE STARTED TO GET THE JEEP DEATH WOBBLE ( SHIMMY) . WE TRIED WHEEL BALANCE AS I THOUGHT MAYBE WE LOST A WHEEL WEIGHT. STILL SHIMMYING. INSTALLED A NEW STEERING DAMPENER AND THIS HELPED A LITTLE. STILL SHAKING AT AROUND 55 TO 60 MPH. ENDED UP BUYING 4 NEW TIRES AND THAT SEEMS TO HAVE HELPED BUT THERE IS ALWAYS A SLIGHT SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. NOTHING LIKE B/4 THOU WHEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO SLAM THE BRAKES ON TO GET IT TO STOP SHAKING. WAITING FOR IT TO START AGAIN. *TR