2008 JEEP WRANGLER 2-DR 4X4 Complaints

VIOLENT, EXTREME SHAKING IN FRONT END OF VEHICLE ("DEATH WOBBLE") AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 55-60MPH. HAS OCCURRED ABOUT 6 TIMES, BUT IS RANDOM AND INTERMITTENT, WITH NO KNOWN PRECIPITATING FACTORS. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING OVER MINOR BUMPS BUT HAS ALSO OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY ON PERFECTLY SMOOTH, STRAIGHT PAVEMENT - WITH NO TURNING, BREAKING, ACCELERATION. THE SHAKING SEEMS TO BE IN THE FRONT TIRES/AXLE AND CONTINUES FOR 3-4 SECONDS AS I AM TRYING TO REDUCE SPEED CAREFULLY AND MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IT FEELS LIKE THE FRONT TIRES ARE GOING TO FLY OFF IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS! AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE, IT DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR MONTHS, BUT RECENTLY HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I WAS TOLD BY ONE GARAGE THAT IT WAS DUE TO TIRE BALANCE (WHICH I KNEW WAS NOT THE CASE), BUT I HAD ALL FOUR TIRES BALANCED/ROTATED (AT ABOUT 42,500 MILES). GARAGE PERSONNEL STATED THIS "TOOK CARE OF MOST OF THE PROBLEM" BUT SUGGESTED I GET NEW TIRES. PROBLEM OCCURRED 2 MORE TIMES WITHIN A WEEK, BEFORE NEW TIRES. HAVE HAD ALL FOUR TIRES REPLACED. DEATH WOBBLE HAS NOT RECURRED, BUT I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TIRES/BALANCE AND THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS TERRIFYING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE HURT OR KILLED. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP NEXT WEEK. WHEN I MADE THE APPOINTMENT, THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, SO I WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH INFORMATION I GATHERED IN ABOUT 20 MINUTES OFF VARIOUS WEB SITES DETAILING THE APTLY-NAMED "DEATH WOBBLE." I AM WELL-ACQUAINTED WITH THE "COULD-NOT-DUPLICATE-THE-PROBLEM" GARAGE MANTRA, SO FORESEE A PROTRACTED AND FRUSTRATING BATTLE BEFORE THIS LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM IS FIXED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT, TURN SIGNALS, HEADLIGHTS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT ASSIST THE CONTACT WITH THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 12/12/11*LJ UPDATED 12/13/11

WHEN YOU FILL THE JEEP UP IT ALWAYS SPITS FUEL ON THE GROUND AND YOU IF YOUR STANDING TOO CLOSE. NOT A LITTLE A LOT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP WRANGLER 2-DR 4X4RHD. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING WAS REPLACED. NINE MONTHS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE DEALER WHO ORDERED THE PART AND UPON AVAILABILITY THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THERE WAS NO RELATED RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 09/28/11*LJ UPDATED 2/28/12 *CN

2008 RHD JEEP WRANGLER AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON MEANING AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. CLOCK SPRING/CORROSION ISSUE CAUSING HORN NOT TO WORK WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. MANY MAIL CARRIERS ARE HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES. VEHICLE WILL NOT ALWAYS START. THIS WHOLE VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED AS IT HAS MAJOR ELECTRICAL ISSUES. THE MOTOR WENT OUT ON MINE AT 52,000 MILES. THE WARRANTY IS ONLY FOR 36,000 MILES. THE MOTOR WAS REBUILT BY A JEEP DEALER AND I WAS TOLD IT HAD A SPUN BEARING. THE AIR BLOWER CONTROLLER ALSO DOES NOT WORK HALF OF THE TIME. THESE RHD JEEPS ARE ALL LEMONS AND POSE SAFETY HAZARDS TO MAIL CARRIERS WHO SPEND MOST OF THEIR DAY OUT ON THE ROAD. THE HORN ISSUE IS A THREAT TO THE PUBLIC AS YOU CANNOT WARN AN UNSUSPECTING DRIVER OR PEDESTRIAN OF YOUR PROCESS. THE AIRBAG ISSUE IS A THREAT TO THE DRIVER. YOU SPEND $25,000 ON A VEHICLE, YOU EXPECT BETTER. *TR

EMERGENCY/PARKING BRAKE FAILURE. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE I NOTICED THE PARKING BRAKE DID NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE IN PLACE LIKE IT SHOULD. UPON PARKING ONE EVENING, I MUST HAVE LEFT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL BUT I HAD SET THE BRAKE FULLY. IN THE MORNING, MY JEEP HAD DRIFTED FORWARD INTO MY OTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGES TO BOTH. THE DEALER CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG. TO THIS DATE, AND MILEAGE (60,000) THE BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE ON THE SLIGHTEST OF GRADE. *TR

AS I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK ONE MORNING I HIT THE KEY ALARM TO UNLOCK DOORS AND JEEP BEGAN HONKING, WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON AND BEGAN SPRAYING WINDSHIELD FLUID. I THOUGHT IT WAS ODD AND DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. ON THE WAY TO WORK IN TRAFFIC IT BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING AND THIS OCCURRED 3 TIMES IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES. AFTER GETTING TO WORK, THE JEEP WOULD HONK BY ITSELF EVERY 2-3 MINUTES. I DECIDED TO TAKE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. IT CONTINUED DOING THIS ON THE WAY THERE. AS I WAS ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM THE DEALERSHIP THE JEEP COMPLETELY TURNED OFF AND I IMMEDIATELY HAD TO PULL OUT OF TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO START BACK UP BUT THIS TIME ALL A/C HAD STOPPED WORKING. AFTER GUTTING A CALL BACK FROM DEALERSHIP, HE SAID THE PART WAS ON BACKORDER AND THERE WAS AT LEAST A 100 ORDERS WAITING TO BE SHIPPED. THIS CONCERNS ME BECAUSE IT LOOKS TO BE A WIDESPREAD THING WITH THE JEEPS. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH PREVIOUS TO THIS EMAIL THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE TIPM ON THE 2007 JEEP AND I'M WORRIED SOME OF THESE BAD ONES MAY HAVE GOTTEN INTO SOME OF THE 2008. *TR

DEATH WOBBLE - WHEN I REACH A SPEED OF OVER 45 AND HIT A ROUGH PATCH, MY FRONT TWO TIRES START WOBBLING UNCONTROLLABLY. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO SLOW DOWN ALMOST TO A STOP. I HAVE JUST 31,000 MILES ON MY JEEP (NO MODIFICATION AND STOCK TIRES). THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IF MY WIFE HAD THIS HAPPEN, I DOUBT SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TOOK IT INTO THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. THEY PUT A NEW STEERING DAMPER ON IT AND SAID THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I GO TO CHRYSLER. *KB

I HAVE A 2008 JEEP RIGHT HAND DRIVE WRANGLER THAT I USE ON MY MAIL ROUTE. I BOUGHT IN 2010, SO FAR I CONSIDER IT TO BE A LEMON, I HAVE HAD TROUBLE STARTING IT AND I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE COOLING LINES TO THE TRANSMISION FIXED AND NOW MY AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON,. *TR

CLOCKSPRING IN STEERING COLUMN IS OF POOR DESIGN, LESS THAN 50 THOUSAND MILES ON VEHICLE. AIRBAG LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY GOING ON AND OFF WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. AIRBAGS MAY OR MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT DEPENDING ON IF YOU ARE GOING STRAIGHT OR TURNING. DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE HAD SEVERAL PEOLE COME IN WITH SAME ISSUE AND THET THE CLOCKSPRING CONTROLS THE AIRBAGS BUT THEY ARE UNWILING TO COVER IT AS WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PAY THE 500 DOLLARS TO GET THE PART REPLACED AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE JUST GOING TO RISK IT? *TR