2011 JEEP WRANGLER Complaints

DEAR[XXX] A VERY HIGH PROFILE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE AREA ON APRIL 30, 2011. ON THAT DATE A [XXX] DROVE OFF A CLIFF ON SIGNAL MOUNTAIN AND WENT MISSING FOR 7 MONTHS... T-3.4 SECS, THE YAW RATE SENSOR SHOWED A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE FROM -23 DEGREES/SECOND TO 0 DEGREES/SECOND IN 0.2 SECS. T-2.9 SECS, THE VEHICLE DETECTS THE SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE YAW RATE AND CAUSES THE ESP TRACTION LAMP TO START FLASHING. THE LAMP REMAINS FLASHING UP UNTIL THE IMPACT WITH A 300# BOULDER AT WHICH TIME THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RECORDING THESE DATA. T-2.5 SECS, THE DRIVER NOTICES THE FLASHING ESP TRACTION LAMP IN 0.4 SECS LIFTING HER FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR BRIEFLY FOR 0.3 SECONDS. THE ACCELERATOR POSITION IS INDICATED BY THE BLUE LINE. SHE THEN REAPPLIED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE SAME LOCATION BY T-2.2 SECS INDICATING THAT SHE REALIZED SHE WAS NOT SLIDING DESPITE THE ESP TRACTION INDICATOR. SHE HAD HER VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AT THIS TIME. T-1.8 SECS, THE ESP MODULE APPARENTLY TOLD THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PUMP TO LOCK BOTH FRONT WHEELS WHILE ALLOWING BOTH BACK WHEELS TO KEEP DRIVING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. THIS SUGGESTS THAT IN ADDITION TO HER YAW SENSOR FAILURE THERE WAS ALSO A SOFTWARE ERROR THAT TOOK PLACE. (I KNOW OF NO CIRCUMSTANCE WHEN ONE WOULD WANT BOTH FRONT WHEELS TO LOCK IN ORDER TO STABILIZE A VEHICLE IN MOTION). THE LOCKING OF BOTH FRONT WHEELS THEN CAUSED HER TO LOSE CONTROL ULTIMATELY PLUNGING HER OFF THE 300 FOOT CLIFF. T-0.5 SECS, ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER IS STILL 0.5 SEC FROM THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT THE YAW RATE SENSOR LOST COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT RECORDER CONFIRMING THAT HER YAW RATE SENSOR HAD FAILED, I.E. THESE READINGS ARE DENOTED AS SNA. [XXX] CC: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE BOUGHT TWO 2011 JEEP WRANGLERS IN JULY 2011. STARTING IN SEPT. WE NOTICED WHEN IT RAINS THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR AND SEAT WOULD GET COMPLETELY SOAKED, TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS FIXED. NOW EVERY TIME IT RAINS BOTH OF THEM LEAK ON PASSENGER SIDE. SO I WILL BE TAKING BOTH OF THEM BACK IN TO DEALERSHIP. WHEN I STARTED RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE I NOTICED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING ON SEVERAL JEEP WRANGLERS, SO WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL INVOLVED WITH THIS?? *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH, MY 2011 4-DOOR JEEP WRANGLER HIT A SMALL BUMP. THE JEEP'S FRONT-END/STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. WHEN TRYING TO REDUCE THE SPEED BY BRAKING, THE VIOLENT SHAKING ONLY BECAME WORSE. I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE WHICH I WAS DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE OUT-OF-CONTROL SHAKING. HAD THERE BEEN OTHER VEHICLES IN THE ADJACENT LANES, THERE MOST DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT, WITH POSSIBLE INJURIES, GIVEN THE RATE OF SPEED THAT I WAS TRAVELING. I HAD TO REDUCE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE SIMPLY BY NOT APPLYING THE GAS OR BRAKE, CAUSING CARS BEHIND ME TO HAVE TO BRAKE, WHICH IN TURN COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS/INJURIES. THIS UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING HAS OCCURRED IN THIS VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 5 TIMES. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT THIS IS THE INFAMOUS "DEATH WOBBLE." SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN OCCURRENCE, ESPECIALLY IN JEEPS, MY CONCERN IS WHY THIS IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AND BEING REQUIRED TO BE FIXED. *TR *JS

SHIFTING THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE TRANSFER CASE (TC) FROM 2HI TO 4HI OR 4LOW (OR IN REVERSE ORDER) CAN CAUSE THE TRANSFER CASE SHIFTING CABLE (TCSC) (MOPAR PART 52060462AG) TO FAIL AND BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM EITHER THE TC OR THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE CAB (OR BOTH). THE PART?S PLASTIC COMPONENTS ARE INHERENTLY TOO WEAK TO WITHSTAND NORMAL USE. SAFETY RISKS WHICH CAN ARISE UPON COMPONENT FAILURE, IF THE VEHICLE OWNER AND THEIR FAMILY (CHILDREN) ARE AT A LOCATION AND/OR TERRAIN WHERE THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED/MARKETED FOR TRAVEL (WHETHER BY RECREATION OR NECESSITY), AND THE LOCATION/TERRAIN IS: (I) SUBJECT TO INCLEMENT WEATHER (E.G. SNOW, ICE, FLOODING, EXTREME HEAT); OR (II) ON AN EXTREME INCLINE WHICH IS UNSAFE TO NEGOTIATE WITHOUT 4WD; OR (III) ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHICH REQUIRES 4WD TO NAVIGATE TO A SAFE LOCATION; OR (IV) THE TCSC FAILS WHEN THE TC BECOMES STUCK IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE SHIFTING, AND IS UNABLE TO ESCAPE IMPENDING HARM (FLASH FLOOD) ... THERE IS OBVIOUS RISK TO LIFE/SAFETY. THE OWNER HAS A RIGHT TO RELY ON THE COMPONENTS AND REASONABLE SAFETY PERFORMANCE FOR WHICH THE PRODUCT IS DESIGNED/MARKETED. JEEP IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND THE MANUAL FAILS TO CITE THIS AS A POSSIBLE CATASTROPHIC EVENT, LEAVING THE UNSUSPECTING OWNER AT A LOSS IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. IT IS NOT REASONABLE FOR THIS COMPONENT TO FAIL WITHIN A FEW THOUSAND MILES AS REPORTED BY JEEP OWNERS. ADVANCE ADAPTERS (WWW.ADVANCEADAPTERS.COM) MANUFACTURES A TCSC WHICH MEETS THE CRITERIA (PRODUCT# 715596) REQUIRED FOR THIS COMPONENT. THERE IS NO REASON THAT JEEP CANNOT DO THE SAME AND/OR CONTRACT WITH ADVANCE ADAPTORS TO SUPPLY THE PART TO JEEP OWNERS. WE URGE NHTSA?S INVESTIGATION OF THIS SAFETY DEFECT AND JEEP WILL REDESIGN THE DEFECTIVE PART AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR AFFECTED VEHICLES ON WHICH THE PART WAS INSTALLED AS OEM AND TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO REPLACEMENT FOR LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS A PASSENGER RIDING ALONG IN A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER THAT EXHIBITED THE INFAMOUS JEEP DEATH WOBBLE, WHICH IS A VIOLENT SHAKING AND SHUDDERING OF THE VEHICLE AND STEERING WHEEL ON A COMPLETELY STOCK VEHICLE WITH 20K MILES. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE THEN TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS THE 3RD OCCURRENCE HE HAS EXPERIENCED WITH HIS VEHICLE. I OBSERVED HOW VIOLENTLY THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND WAS VERY RELIEVED THAT WE DID NOT ROLL OVER NOR HIT ANY OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. THE JEEP DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD HIM REPEATEDLY THAT THEY CANNOT FIND OR REPLICATE THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED. I AM SHOCKED THAT SOMETHING SO COMMON AND DANGEROUS HAS GONE UNFIXED ALL THIS TIME. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC LANE, ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT TRANSFER CASE (NOT TRANSMISSION!) TO HIGH RANGE FROM LOW RANGE.THIS IS A 4-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE WITH A MANUAL X-FER CASE. (MANUFACTURER OK'S SHIFT WHILE IN MOTION) VEHICLE ENDED UP COASTING IN NEUTRAL, AND UPON LATER EXAM IT WAS FOUND THAT THE FLIMSY PLASTIC SHIFT CABLE RETAINING CLIP ON THE CABLE WHICH CONNECTS THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE CABIN TO THE SHIFT ARM ON THE X-FER CASE HAD SHATTERED. THIS IN TURN ALLOWED THE SHIFT CABLE TO FALL OFF THE LEVER, DISABLING THE VEHICLE IN AN ACTIVE TRAFFIC LANE. *JS

TRAVELING AT 30-35MPH I BRAKED AND TURNED QUICKLY TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING LOT. THE ENGINE STALLED CAUSING MY STEERING TO SEIZE. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE EXCEPT TO MASH ON THE BRAKES WHICH LOST POWER. I WAS ALMOST HIT BY CROSS TRAFFIC. I COASTED TO A STOP, HITTING A CURB AND NEARLY HITTING SEVERAL PARKED VEHICLES. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON AN ELEVATED ROAD. THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE AND CRASHED INTO A FIELD WHERE THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED A FRACTURE TO HER SPINAL CORD AND SEVERAL BRUISES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,600.

AFTER SHIFTING FROM 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO 2 WHEEL DRIVE, THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE AT ALL SPEEDS. THIS RESULTED IN A REDUCED STEERING RANGE AND, I BELIEVE, IMPAIRED THE VEHICLE IN AN AVOIDANCE SITUATION. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY NOTICED AT SLOW SPEED. THE JEEP DEALER FOUND A DISCONNECTED 4 WHEEL DRIVE ACTUATOR CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION. A NEW REPLACEMENT BUSHING WAS INSTALLED AT THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROVED BECAUSE IT DID NOT HAVE THE SAME PART NUMBER AS THE ORIGINAL. *TR

2011 JEEP WRANGLER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE CLUTCH ISSUES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC, SHE BEGAN TO SMELL TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THEN AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. THEN A YELLOW LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE POLICE AND FIRE TRUCK WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE FIRE FIGHTER LIFTED THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND A BURNING ELECTRICAL SMELL, BUT THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED AND THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. A DIAGNOSIS REVEALED THE CLUTCH OVERHEATED BY DRIVING IN FIRST GEAR AS THE CONSUMER INCHED HER WAY UP A HILL. THE DEALER STATED THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE CLUTCH SENSOR OVERHEATING AND THAT LEAD TO THE FLYWHEEL OVERHEATING. THE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WAS REPLACED. *JB