2008 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 Complaints

MY 2008 WRANGLER RUBICON HAS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WARNING BELL RINGING. THE LIGHT AND BELL RING AFTER VEHICLE IS STARTED AND IN MOTION. IT WILL OCCASIONALLY RESET BUT THEN RETURN AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING. IT HAPPENS UNDER ALL CONDITIONS OF DRIVING. TROUBLE CODE INDICATES AIRBAG ISSUE. DEALER STATES CLOCKSPRING IS DEFECTIVE. I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT AIR BAGS WON'T DEPLOY OR MAY FALSELY DEPLOY AND POSSIBLY INJURE ME OR MY PASSENGERS.AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS IT APPEARS THAT HUNDREDS OF FELLOW JEEP OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME CLOCKSPRING FAILURE ISSUE. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A RECALL ISSUE BY THE MFG. THIS COMPLAINT IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A FORMAL COMPLAINT/CONCERN ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL BE A RECORD IN THE EVENT THAT SAID PART FAILURE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEATH OR INJURY

THIS MORNING I OPENED THE UNLOCKED FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND THE CRAZINESS BEGAN - DOORS LOCKED ON THEIR OWN, HORN STARTED BLARING, HEADLIGHTS TAILIGHTS AND HAZARDS STARTED FLASHING, FRONT AND BACK WINDSHIELD WIPERS STARTED GOING, WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID STARTED SHOOTING OUT. I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE REMOTE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS - NOTHING HAPPENED. USED THE KEY TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR - AGAINST THE SYSTEM TRYING TO RELOCK. THEN CRANKED THE ENGINE TO TRY AND GET EVERYTHING TO STOP. IT DID NOT STOP. I TURNED OFF THE JEEP THEN POPPED THE HOOD AND DISCONNECTED THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL. ALL THE CRAZINESS STOPPED. I WAITED @5 MINUTES AND THEN RECONNECTED THE BATTERY. ALL THE CRAZINESS STARTED AGAIN. SO I PULLED THE NEGATIVE AND THE POSITIVE FROM THE TERMINAL HOPING TO RESET THE SYSTEM. I HAVE NOT RECONNECTED THE SYSTEM TO TRY AGAIN. I AM WORRIED THAT EVEN IF THE CRAZINESS DOESN'T START ONCE I RECONNECT THE BATTERY, IF I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT BEGINS IT MAY CAUSE ME TO WRECK. I WILL SEND A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL. THANKS.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 JEEP WRANGLER TO WORK ONE SUNNY MORNING DOING APPROXIMATELY 80MPH ON THE HIGHWAY I DRIVE DAILY, I LOST ALL ENGINE PRESSURE AND SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND SAW OIL DRAINING FROM MY ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST AUTOMOTIVE SHOP AND UPON FUTHER INSPECTION THEY SAID THAT I BLEW A HEAD GASKET. BOTH OF THE MECHANICS SAID THAT THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN A GASKET COMPLETELY BLOW OUT OF THE MOTOR AND SAID THAT THEY FELT THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY GASKET TO BEGIN WITH WHICH CAUSE THE MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. NOW OF COURSE THERE IS NO WARRENTY COVERAGE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE 5 YRS INSPECTION WAS NOT COMPLETED, WHICH IS REQUIRED ACCORDING TO SOMEWHERE IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND IT HAS NEVER EVEN LEFT THE PAVEMENT, NO TRAILS OR WATER, 58K MILES. CHRYSLER/JEEP REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BASICALLY SAID THAT THIS MY FAULT. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHRYSLER PRODUCT AGAIN. ALMOST MAKES THIS GIRL WANT TO BUY A FORIEGN CAR.

THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND DINGING ON AND OFF EVERY 30 SECONDS OR SO. WHEN DIAGNOSED AT DEALERSHIP THEY ARE SAYING IT'S A CLOCK SPRING MALFUNCTION.

MY AIRBAG SENSOR IS CONTINUOUSLY COMING ON AND OFF. I NOTICED THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON RIGHT HAND DRIVE VEHICLES BUT I SUSPECT THERE IS SOMETHING TO THIS. AS WELL...MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS ALWAYS ON THE FRITZ. SOME DAYS THE RADIO WORKS...SOME DAYS IT DOESN'T. MY ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON AND NO ONE FINDS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE...

WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND HAS REMAINED ILLUMINATED SINCE. THE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY GOES OUT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS AT OR NEAR FULL DEFLECTION IN EITHER DIRECTION. BASED ON MY RESEARCH IT IS LIKELY A FAULTY CLOCK SPRING, WHICH HAS BEEN RECALLED IN THE 2007 MODEL BUT NOT 2008, DESPITE IT BEING AN IDENTICAL PART INSTALLED IN A NEARLY IDENTICAL VEHICLE. THIS INDICATION IS A DIRECT ISSUE OF SAFETY AS IT SHOWS THERE COULD BE A FAILURE OF THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT.

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON. SEEMS TO BE MORE FREQUENT DURING TIMES OF DAMP CONDITIONS OR HIGH HUMIDITY.

WHEN BRAKING FROM A SPEED OF 60MPH OR GREATER, THE FRONT END STEERING BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE BACK AND FORTH. IT WOULD ONLY SUBSIDE WHEN RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VIBRATION FELT LIKE AN UNSTABLE OSCILLATION THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE A SHARP TURN IF THE BRAKE WAS NOT RELEASED. THIS SYMPTOM WAS REPEATABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A JEEP DEALER FOR SERVICING. THEY ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO "STEERING DAMPER HAD PLAY AND WAS LEAKING". PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY REPLACING THE DAMPER AND ASSOCIATED HARDWARE (HEX BOLT AND LOCKING HEX NUT).

WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT TURNS ON WITH A SINGLE WARNING CHIME. AFTER 5-10 SECONDS LIGHT GOES AWAY BUT RETURNS SOON AFTERWARDS AGAIN REMAINING ON FOR 5-10 SECONDS. SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE DURING CITY DRIVING THAN HIGHWAY DRIVING. I VIEW THIS AS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE JEEP OWNER'S MANUAL STATES, "AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT IN YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL COULD MEAN YOU WONT HAVE THE AIRBAGS TO PROTECT YOU IN A COLLISION." I HAVE ALSO HEARD THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON 2008 JEEP WRANGLERS.

I TURNED MY JEEP ON THIS MORNING AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A COUPLE OF EXTRA SECONDS, SO I SAY OK. WHEN DRIVING IT STARTED GOING ON AN OFF EVERY 10 SECONDS ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAY BAD CLOCK SPRING, SO I CHECK FOR RECALLS AND THEIR IS ONE FOR THE 2007 JEEP FOR CLOCK SPRING BUT NOT FOR THE 2008 MODEL WHICH HAS PRACTICALLY THE SAME AS THE 2007. I'S AN EXPENSIVE PART AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR IT. I HAVE READ ABOUT A LOT OF 2008 MODELS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM I HAVE.