2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DR 4X4 Complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 IN A 2009 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED (STOCK) APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES INTO A TRIP THE VEHICLE HIT A DEFECT IN THE ROADWAY AT 65MPH AND WE EXPERIENCED SEVERE DEATH WOBBLE, IE THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY THAT IT WAS NOT STEERABLE. WHEN SLOWED TO 30MPH THE CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL AND WE STOPPED TO CHECK THE FRONT COMPONENTS NOTHING WAS BROKEN OR APPEARED TO BE ASKEW. AS WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP WE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME CONDITION/PROBLEM 5 MORE TIMES AT SPEEDS OF ANYWHERE FROM 55-70 MPH AND THIS DID NOT HAPPEN EVERYTIME WE HIT A BUMP/POTHOLE ONLY ON SOME. AFTER THIS CONDITION HAPPENED FOR THE 3RD TIME I JACKED UP THE FRONT END AND CHECKED THELUGS AGAIN NOTHING VISUAL SHOWED WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING. WE HAD TO CANCEL OUR TRIP AT THAT TIME DUE TO THIS SAFETY CONCERN. THE 4TH AND 5TH TIMES WERE ON WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE RETURN HOME HOWEVER WE EVENTUALLY HAD TO PARK THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT COULD BE LOOKED AT AGAIN. ( MY BEST GUESS IS THAT THE DEALER WILL AGAIN SAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM) THIS VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY SERVICED BY A DEALER AND AFTER THEY WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD THIS PROBLEM WHEN GOING OVER RAILROAD TRACKS AT 40 MPH.THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM AND TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO DEFECTS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. IN ADDITION 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS TRIP WE ALSO HAD THE TIRES AND WHEELS ROTATED AND BALANCED TO SEE IF THIS WOULD FIX THIS CONDITION WHICH I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ( HOWEVER OWNING A JEEP VEHICLES FOR 24 YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED DEATH WOBBLE BEFORE BUT NOT LIKE THIS) BUT MY WIFE HAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP WRANGLER 4-DOOR 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A REVERSED WIRING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V118000 (AIR BAGS: FRONTAL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 38,000. UPDATED 8/29/11 *CN UPDATED 09/21/11

2009 JEEP WRANGLER X-UNLIMITED (COMPLETELY STOCK) WITH 20K MILES. THIS IS A NOTORIOUS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN LABELED THE "DEATH WOBBLE" BY MANY OTHER JEEP OWNERS AFTER A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH, AS WELL AS HORRIFIC YOUTUBE VIDEOS. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A POT HOLE OR BRIDGE JOINT INITIATES A HORRIFIC WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END. COUNTLESS INCIDENTS OVER THE LAST 3K MILES WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL BEGINS JERKING LEFT AND RIGHT AND TIRES BEGIN HOPPING ON THE ROAD. THE WOBBLE FORCES YOU TO HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY SLOW DOWN AS LOW AS 30 MPH OR EVEN ALMOST STOP TO ELIMINATE THE WOBBLE. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE WOBBLE, IT IS EXTREMELY LIKELY TO HAPPEN SOMEDAY. SLOWING OR STOPPING SUDDENLY ON A THREE LANE HIGHWAY WHEN OTHER MOTORISTS ARE NOT ANTICIPATING ANY NEED TO STOP OR SLOW WILL RESULT IN A REAR END COLLISION. IF UNABLE TO SAFELY SLOW DOWN, CONTINUING DRIVING WITH THE WOBBLE WILL LIKELY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THIS TOPIC CONCLUDED THAT THERE IS NO KNOWN FIX. MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT BY CHANGING VARIOUS FRONT END COMPONENTS BUT THE WOBBLE RETURNS. A JEEP ENGINEER STATED "IT IS NOT A JEEP ISSUE IT IS MORE OF AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE FUNDAMENTAL ARCHITECTURE OF A SOLID FRONT AXLE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS". A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, ONSET AT 17K MILES ON OUR JEEP AND AS LOW AS 6K MILES ON OTHER JEEPS, IS A JEEP PROBLEM. BASED ON ACCOUNTS OF MANY OTHER OWNERS, DEALING WITH A JEEP DEALERSHIP IS A VERY LONG PROCESS OF MANY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS, WITH NO END RESULT AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT I FEEL NEEDS THE ATTENTION OF A HIGHER ENTITY BEFORE THE NUMBER OF PROPERTY DAMAGE OR WORSE, PERSONAL INJURY ACCIDENTS CLIMB AS A RESULT OF THIS 'NON-JEEP' PROBLEM. *TR

500 MILES AFTER PURCHASING NEW THE FRONT END WENT INTO UNCONTROLLABLE VIBRATION AFTER HITTING MINOR SEAM IN PAVEMENT. HAD TO SLAM ON BRAKES AND COME TO COMPLETE STOP TO KILL VIBRATION. *TR

I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN EXPERIENCING THE "DEATH WOBBLE" THAT A LOT OF JEEPS HAVE EXPERIENCED. I HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET REPAIRED BUT THIS IS THE 2ND 4DR JEEP WRANGLER THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS IN. THE FIRST JEEP WAS MY FATHERS 2007 AND HIS ENDED UP BEING REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE STEERING STABILIZER. MY JEEP RECENTLY HAS BEEN DOING THIS WHENEVER I AM ON THE HIGHWAY GOING OVER 60 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNS BACK AND FOURTH VIOLENTLY AND THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE JEEP SHAKES SO HARD I FEEL LIKE I CAN HARDLY CONTROL IT. I HAVE TO REDUCE MY SPEED TO ABOUT 35 MPH FOR IT TO FINALLY RECOVER, WHICH IS NOT AN EASY TASK ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. MY WIFE HAS BECOME FRIGHTFUL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND I AM NOT THAT COMFORTABLE MYSELF SINCE IT IS CERTAINLY LACK OF CONTROL OF A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT AT SUCH A HIGH SPEED. THIS IS DEFIANTLY A SAFETY CONCERN AND IT WILL BE AWFUL WHEN SOMEONE'S LIFE WILL BE THE COST TO HAVE THIS BROUGHT TO ATTENTION. *TR

AIRBAG ICON CAME ON, WITH CHIME. TOOK TO DEALER, CODES INDICATED A SHORT IN THE WIRING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. DEALER REPLACED CLOCK SPRING. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 JEEP WRANGLER THAT SPEWS GAS EVERYTIME I FILL UP, THIS SEEMS TO BE A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE 2007-2010 JEEPS. IT ALSO HAVE A BAD CLOCKSPRING FROM HITTING A BUMP, ANOTHER THING THAT GOES BAD OFTEN IN THE 2007-2010 JEEPS. *TR

WITHIN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I CANNOT FILL UP MY GAS TANK WITHOUT GAS SPILLING OUT BEFORE THE TANK CUTS OFF. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL GAS STATIONS EVERY TIME I FILL UP. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE TUBING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO THEY DID IT. BUT, I STILL HAD THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THE CHARCOAL CARTRIDGE IS CLOGGED AND HAS BLOCKED THE VENT INTO THE GAS TANK. THIS WILL NOW NEED REPLACING. BECAUSE I AM JUST OUTSIDE MY WARRANTY, CHRYSLER HAS AGREED TO COVER MOST OF THE COST. EACH TIME I HAVE TO PAY A DEDUCTIBLE BECAUSE THE DEALER KEEPS DECIDING IT IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE AND IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN JEEPS. WHY HASN'T CHRYSLER CORRECTED THIS PROBLEM? I READ THERE WAS A RECALL OF THE PROBLEM IN '07-'08 JEEPS, BUT ONLY THOSE YEARS. IF THE PROBLEM WAS ACKNOWLEDGED, WHY IS IT STILL HAPPENING IN '09 JEEPS? *TR

2009 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED X 4 DOOR 4X4 STOCK: EXPERIENCED "DEATH WOBBLE" WHILE TRAVELING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 40-65 MPH FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY ESPECIALLY WHEN HITTING SMALL OR LARGE BUMPS OR POT HOLES. HAS HAPPENED FOR THE PAST 10,000 MILES AND THE CAR HAS JUST UNDER 30K NOW. SHAKING WAS SO VIOLENT THAT VEHICLE HAD TO BE BROUGHT TO A COMPLETED STOP EVEN IN THE LANE OF TRAVEL ON THE HIGHWAY. VERY DANGEROUS AS A CAR SLAMMED ON ITS BRAKES BEHIND ME ON THE LEFT LANE OF THE NJ GARDEN STATE PARKWAY NEARLY SETTING OFF A CHAIN REACTION ACCIDENT. STEERING DAMPER REPLACED BY DEALER CLAIMING THAT SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER PICKING THE VEHICLE UP IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NEXT TIME THE DEALER REPLACED RUINED BALL BEARINGS DUE TO THE DEATH WOBBLE AND REALIGNED & WHEELS BALANCED AND ROTATED. A FEW DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. PLEASE DON'T WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE IS HURT OR DIES TO INTERVENE. CLEARLY THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR THESE JEEPS, JUST GOOGLE AND YOU WILL SEE MANY COMPLAINTS NOT FORMALLY LODGED HERE! MANUFACTURE NEEDS TO COME OUT WITH A VIABLE RESOLUTION AS THE DEALERS SEEM STUMPED. *TR

ON 03/31/2011 I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WHEN MY JEEP WRANGLER HIT A BUMP CAUSING DEATH WOBBLE. THE WOBBLE WAS SO VIOLENT THAT I HAD TO COME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP IN TRAFFIC TO GET IT TO STOP. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT ONCE BEFORE FOR THIS EVENT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A BALANCE ISSUE WITH THE TIRES. I CAN FEEL AND HEAR A SLIGHT CLUNK FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE STEERING AREA, MOST LIKELY THE TRAC BAR BUSHINGS ARE FAILING. THE VEHICLE IS STOCK NO MODIFICATIONS EXCEPT A STEERING STABILIZER REPLACEMENT TO HEAVY DUTY. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE NOW. JEEP SAYS IT IS RELATED TO THE ALIGNMENT OR BALANCING BUT DEFINITELY NOT RELATED TO BUSHING OR STABILIZER ISSUES. I DISAGREE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW THE TRAC BAR NEEDS TO BE BEEFED UP. *TR