2006 JEEP WRANGLER Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2006 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT ON SEPT 25, 2008. WITHIN ONE WEEK OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE I EXPERIENCED SEVERE WOBBLE (AKA "DEATH WOBBLE") WHILE TRAVELING AROUND 55MPH TWICE. IT HAPPENED WHEN I RAN OVER ROUGH AREAS IN THE ROAD THAT HAD BEEN PATCHED UP POT HOLES. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I HAD TO ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE IT WOULD STOP DO THIS. I FELT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING. AFTER THE FIRST TIME I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AND THAT MANY, MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. IT IS REFERRED TO AS THE "JEEP DEATH WOBBLE". I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP BECAUSE THE JEEP IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM THEY ACTED AS IF THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING. THEY REPLACED THE DAMPER ON THE STEERING BUT I KNOW FROM MY RESEARCH THAT THIS IS JUST A SHORT TIME \"FIX\" AND THAT ALTHOUGH CHRYSLER HAS RECEIVED MANY LETTERS FROM CONSUMERS SUCH AS MYSELF, THEY REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THEIR DESIGN IF DANGEROUS THEREFORE, THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL TO PERMANENTLY FIX THE PROBLEM. I THEN CONTACTED X-TREME JEEPS IN TAMPA FLORIDA AND THE OWNER INFORMED ME THAT THE ONLY WAY TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM IS TO ELIMINATE THE DAMPER ALL TOGETHER AND INSTALL THE RUGGED RIDGE STEERING KIT WHICH ACTUALLY BRINGS THE MECHANISM BACK TO THE OLDER WAY THE JEEPS WERE MADE BACK WHEN AMC BUILT THEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE JOB, COSTING APPROX. $330. I CAN NOT AFFORD THIS PLUS THE MONTHLY CAR PAYMENT BUT THEN AGAIN, I CAN\'T AFFORD TO WRECK MY VEHICLE DO TO POOR DESIGN. I LIVE 17 MILES FROM MY JOB AND CAN\'T AFFORD TO GO WITHOUT MY TRANSPORTATION. THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE CHRYSLER DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBLE. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY JEEP FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY REPLACED THE DAMPER I HAD TO COME UP WITH $83.63 FOR THE ROTATION/BALANCE OF THE TIRES. NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE BUT MY NERVES ARE SHOT OVER THIS. *TR

OUR WRANGLER RUBICON WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM A DODGE/CHRYSLER/JEEP DEALERSHIP IN BULLHEAD CITY DURING MODEL YEAR, 2006. SINCE THAT TIME, THE JEEP HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE WINDSHIELD RUBBER SEAL THAT CONTINUES TO SEPARATE FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND THE WINDOW FRAME. FIRST IT SHRANK IN THE LOWER LEFT CORNER. THIS CAUSED WIND NOISE AND EXCESSIVE DRAFTS. THEY PUSHED IT BACK INTO PLACE. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE ENTIRE GASKET SEPARATED AND FELL ONTO THE DASH! GOOD VISTA GLASS CAME TO OUR HOME CHECKED THE SEAL AND TOLD US IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE WHOLE RUBBER GASKET WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS. NOW THIS WEEK, WHILE THE JEEP JUST SAT IN OUR DRIVEWAY, WE DISCOVERED THE ENTIRE RUBBER SEAL AGAIN HANGING FROM THE WINDOW FRAME ABOVE THE DASHBOARD. THIS MAKES DRIVING THE JEEP TO GET IT REPAIRED DANGEROUS. AS I TYPE THIS, GOOD VISTA GLASS AGAIN IS PLACING A NEW GASKET INTO PLACE. I AM NOT COMPLETELY SURE ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE WINDSHIELD WHEN THIS CONTINUES TO HAPPEN BUT AT THE VERY LEAST, THERE IS A DANGER OF THIS GASKET FALLING INTO MY VIEW AND/OR LAP WHILE DRIVING. MY VEHICLE HISTORY IS IMPORTANT TOO. I, LIKE A LOT OF 4 X 4 OWNERS, DO NOT EVEN TAKE THE JEEP OFF ROAD. I "BABY" THE VEHICLE AND KEEP IN IMMACULATE CONDITION. ALSO, ALL OF THE FOLKS I HAVE DEALT WITH AT SWANTY'S JEEP AND GOOD VISTA GLASS HAVE BEEN POLITE AND HELPFUL. NOW, I WAS TOLD BY THE GOOD VISTA GLASS TECHNICIAN YESTERDAY, 10/01/06 THAT THIS WINDSHIELD GASKET SEPARATION IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH JEEPS. MAYBE A RECALL SHOULD BE IN ORDER? ALL DOCUMENTATION HAS BEEN RETAINED. THANK YOU, JOHN L JENKINS FORT MOHAVE, AZ *TR

2006 JEEP WRANGLER - EXTREME FRONT END SHUTTER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, USUALLY IN THE AREA OF 55MPH. THE SHUTTER IS SO BAD THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK ALONE. THE DEALER CLAIMS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THE PART IS OUT OF STOCK. THEY (JEEP) CALLS IT A SHIMMER, I* SAY IT IS A SHUTTER AND A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2006 JEEP CHEROKEE IN OCTOBER 2006 AND SINE THE DAY WE BOUGHT IT WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FRONT END STEERING. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING. THE NEXT TIME WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, A FEW DAY LATER, THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED BALANCING. THE THIRD TIME WE TOOK IT IN THEY TOLD US IT NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. WE HAVE NOW DONE BALANCING AND ALIGNMENTS APPROXIMATELY EVERY 2-3 MONTHS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE STABILIZER ARM THREE TIMES SINCE WE BOUGHT THE JEEP AND NEED TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. THE STEERING GETS SO BAD IT ALMOST PULLS THE WHEEL OUT OF YOUR HAND AT 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALERSHIP STILL SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. *TR

'06 JEEP WRANGLER LOOSES POWER, BUCKS, SHAKES AS OF 20,000MI. GAS GAGE SOMETIMES DOES NOT READ CORRECTLY, AC GOES WARM AT NEUTRAL, SMELLED BURNING, COULD NOT SHIFT PAST 1ST . HAS HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER. STALLS AND SHAKES INTERMITTINGLY DURING MOVING AND STOPPED POSITIONS. HAS A ROUGH IDLE, WHICH AT TIMES IS MORE SEVERE THAN OTHERS, BUT HAS NEVER DIED - JUST SHOOK SEVERELY A FEW TIMES. IT INTERMITTINGLY ACTS AS IF IT IS GOING TO LOOSE ALL POWER. THIS CAN OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE DAY, 1 TIME DURING THE DAY OR NOT AT ALL FOR 1 OR SEVERAL DAYS IN A ROW. THERE IS NO SET PATTERN. IT OCCURS DURING COLD AND HOT WEATHER, WITH ELECTRICAL DEVICES ON OR OFF, IN NEUTRAL OR DRIVE, IF THE ENGINE HAS WARMED UP OR IS STILL COLD. HAVE TAKEN IT TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. DEALER TELLS ME SOMETHING IS WRONG BUT THEY ARE UNSURE OF WHAT. THEY HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO REPLACE OR FIX PARTS WITH NO SUCCESS. CHRYSLER'S STAR MECHANICS ARE NOW WORKING ON IT. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE. DIES AT ALL SPEEDS, TIMES AND ROAD CONDITIONS. *TR

I PURCHASED A PRE OWNED JEEP WRANGLER IN 1/08 AND HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL JUNE OF THIS YEAR I EXPERIENCE A VIOLENT SHAKING ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK ONE DAY AND THOUGHT I HAD BLOWN A TIRE OR HIT GRAVEL ON THE ROAD I CHECKED MY TIRES AND THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE ROAD I WAS BAFFLED IT HAPPENED AGAIN 2 WEEKS LATER AND I TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST JEEP DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD IT NEEDED A NEW STEERING DAMPER BUT THEY WERE ON SHORT SUPPLY (I KNOW WHY NOW) I THEN CALLED THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM AND WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN FOR A REPLACEMENT PART TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORTER THEY HAVE REPLACED MY STEERING DAMPER 3 TIMES AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS VIOLENT SHAKING 5 TIMES THEY HAVE RELEASED MY CAR BACK TO ME ASSURING ME IT WAS FIXED. THEY NOW WANT TO PUT A HEAVY DUTY DAMPER ON MY JEEP STATING THIS WILL FIX IT I HAVE CONTACTED A LEMON LAW ATTORNEY AND SHE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM FOR ME SHE FOUND SEVERAL REPORTS FROM CONSUMERS AND TOLD ME THAT THE JEEP TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN SPECIFICALLY STATES HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ON THE 2006 MODELS IT DESCRIBES IT AS A "SHIMMY" AND THEY ARE TO REPLACE THE STEERING DAMPER ON THE 2007 THEY DESCRIBE IT AS A "RUMBLE" AND GIVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FIX FOR THIS OTHER THAN THE STEERING DAMPER I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP TODAY AND TOLD THEM THEY NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT REPLACEMENT IS FOR THE 2007 BECAUSE IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT THE DAMPER I AM AT MY WITS END WITH THE VEHICLE I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT FOR ONE OF THESE TIMES I MAY ROLL IT AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY TO MYSELF CHRYSLER WILL NOT GIVE ME A LOANER UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED I HOPE THIS HELPS IN YOUR INVESTIGATION FOR THERE IS SOMETHING DANGEROUSLY WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE THANKS MARTI MULHOLLAND *TR

I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE FIRST LANE. AS I WAS GOING DOWN, I FELT MY VEHICLE PULLING TO THE SIDE VERY SLIGHTLY, AND AT FIRST I PUT THE FEELING OFF AS ME OVERREACTING OVER SOMETHING OR IT WAS JUST THE ROAD BEING A LITTLE ROUGH. I WAS GOING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AROUND 75MPH, AND EVENTUALLY MY REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE RUPTURED EFFECTIVELY DESTROYING ALL OF THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. I MANAGED TO STAY IN CONTROL AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER THE INCIDENT AND UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE FAILED TIRE AT HOME, I FOUND THAT THE RUBBER PART WHERE THE VALVE STEM MEETS THE WHEEL OF THE TIRE WAS MOSTLY CRACKED ALMOST TO THE POINT OF DETACHMENT. I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE TIRE FAILURE, WHERE I LOST AIR PRESSURE CAUSING THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE TO GIVE AWAY AT HIGHWAY SPEED. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN PICTURES OF THE TIRE AND THE VALVE STEM DAMAGE IF NEEDED. *TR

MY JEEP WRANGLER WOULD NOT START AT TIMES AND DID IT 4 TIMES ALL TOGETHER. I BOUGHT IT TO FAMILY JEEP IN CHADDS FORD PA AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT BECAUSE CHRYSLER LIMITS WHAT THEY CAN DO. I ALSO HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING DAMPENER BREAKING AND THEY TOLD ME I WOULD BE TOLD WHEN THE PART WOULD ARRIVE. THAT WAS 9 DAY'S AGO AND TODAY I WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER DIDN'T HAVE THE PART IN STOCK AND ONE GUY HAS BEEN WAITING SINCE JUNE 5TH FOR THE SAME PART SO I SHOULDN'T EVEN COMPLAIN YET. I HAVE JUST PURCHASED THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR OVER$ 2,400.00 AND I FEEL LIKE A FOOL. THIS SAME PART IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE QUADRATEC.COM WEBSITE AND IN THEIR CATALOGS FOR ANYWHERE FROM $40.00 TO $123.00 BUT THEY WON'T EVEN GET IT OR INSTALL IT BECAUSE IT IS NOT A MOPAR PART. MY JEEP SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 45 OR MORE AND ALSO SHAKES VERY BAD WHEN BRAKING. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND I BELIEVE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

I PURCHASED MY JEEP IN APRIL OF 2006. THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING EVERY TIME I WOULD PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE OR TRAVEL BETWEEN 55 & 60 MPH. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER WITH 19,000 MILES ON IT, 03/14/07, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED - THEY SMOOTHED THEM DOWN, CHARGED ME $229.00 AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE WAY THAT I DROVE. THAT REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY! *TR

CRACKED VALVE STEM CAUSED TIRE TO RAPIDLY DEFLATE ON EXPRESSWAY. AFTERMARKET TIRES AND WHEELS WERE PURCHASED IN MAY OF 2007 FROM DISCOUNT TIRE. *TR