Defect Alert – Death Wobble in Jeep Wranglers
Updated November of 2020
While we have repeatedly discussed the water leak problem that is occurring in thousands of Jeep Wrangler vehicles, we have also seen several Wrangler cases with a less-discussed problem, something called a “death wobble.” We have succeeded in cases regarding this issue and we thought it was important to bring the matter to Wrangler drivers’ attention.
The “death wobble” occurs when the axle begins oscillating at a very fast pace, causing the car to shake in an uncontrollable manner. It feels as if the driver has little to no control over the vehicle when this is happening.
While the problem is easy to diagnose, there is no simple way to fix it. Service managers may investigate your alignment, steering components, ball joints and tires, but they still may not be able to find a fix.
If you experience this problem, it is important that you bring your Wrangler to an authorized Jeep dealership as soon as possible. Offer to take the adviser on a test drive so they can duplicate the situation. Remember under State Lemon Laws, you could be entitled to remedy if the vehicle is in the shop an extended period of time to address the “death wobble.” For example the TX Lemon Law provides for cost-free representation under the law as do many other states.
In certain states, such as New Jersey and Ohio, the Lemon Law only allows the manufacturer one attempt to fix the problem, so if you have to return the Wrangler a second time, make sure that you contact us to find our your rights and what you are entitled to.
This is not an issue which should be taken lightly. If you have experienced this issue, please share your story with us. We will be glad to help in any way possible.
December 18th, 2011 at 1:07 am
I purchased this 2007 jeep wrangler on Nov. 28 this year and I didn’t even make it home and it did this *death wobble*. I took it back to the dealer and they said they would fix it. They kept it 2 days and said it was fixed. I drove it to work 2 days later and it did the same thing. I took it back again and they kept it 3 days and then the sales manager called me and said that he was not going to fix it nor was he going to spend any more money on it and for me to come and get it that he wanted it off his lot. He used more colorful language but I will leave that out. Now this jeep has been just sitting in my drive because I can’t drive it like that. I don’t know what to do. I am making payments on this vehicle and I can’t even drive it. Can someone please help me?
December 19th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
I want you to please contact a lawyer in your state ASAP: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html for a link.
December 26th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
I have a 2007 Sahara Unlimited 4×4 Jeep Wrangler. When my Jeep shook the 1st time I had no idea what was wrong. The entire thing started shaking & I pulled over on the side of the road & it stopped. It’s done it about 10 times, since I’ve purchased the Jeep. We are taking it to the dealership tomorrow.
January 5th, 2012 at 11:15 pm
I have had a 2009 Jeep Wrangler since March 2010. It did the “Death Wobble” for the first time last week. I was on the highway and I was lucky to keep it in my own lane, needless to say I was terrified when it happened. Since the Jeep is not under warranty, I have not taken it to a Jeep dealer, but had my local mechanic check it out. He had done some research and checked the Jeep out, and tightened some screws that apparently are not the right size for the vehicle. And it didn’t help. I e-mailed Jeep about it, and of course they just said to bring it into a dealership. That will be my next step. I am scared to drive it on bumpy roads or over 50 mph. Jeep seriously needs to do something about this!
February 20th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I bought a new 2008 Jeep Wrangler X (2door) and have loved it. Last month I started experiencing the “death wobble” while driving to work. Now I am afraid to drive it anywhere. I live in the NYC area so bumps are more than common, making every road a very dangerous trip for my jeep. I am looking for a dealer who has had experience solving this problem since there are many websites about it and dealers in other parts of the country that claim to be very experienced with solving this issue; and there are even more websites with drivers saying the dealers charged $500 and still didn’t fix the problem. The northeast seems to be void of any experienced dealers.
March 5th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
Hi:
I have had my car for 7 years and now is the third time I’ve had to take the car in for the death wobble in the past two years. Chrysler says I have to pay to have a diagnosis done and the dealership wants me to pay to have them take apart the axle. I can’t afford that. Warranty department says they won’t cover it. I would love some advice.
Also anyone know why there hasn’t been a class action lawsuit filed against Chrysler for the death wobble? Everyone I have spoken to from customer care to warranty to service departments are well aware of it. If you’re interested in organizing or getting a class action lawsuit going, email me at UndiscoveredEarth@gmail.com
March 5th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
I have a 2007 Jeep Wrangler. It’s got the “Death Wobble”. Been to the shop twice now.
I want to be included in any action taken Jeep.
Please contact me.
March 6th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Once you are in a third time, call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW.
March 24th, 2012 at 12:21 am
Ive own my 09 jeep wrangler jk (2 door) for three years. I just recently developed this death wobble. Being a college student I cannot afford dealer prices. From the research I’ve done, this does seem more as a malfunction in the jeep then simply miss use. I’d love to take part in any further steps in getting this problem fixed. Ps… I read a news report saying this problem has been sent to congress and is currently being addressed with the national agency of highway safety. There is said to be a responce no later then April 2. If you would like me to post more on this situation as it progresses let me know. Email me at acham2006@hotmail.com
April 17th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
Have a 2006 wrangler. Had death wobble last April 2011 took it to the dealership. They diagnosed a steering damper leak and replaced it. Then we had a cracked motor mount replaced. Was fine until a month ago and death wobble is back. Can not drive out of the wobble, have to stop completely which is extremely dangerous!! Bringing it back to dealership tomorrow. Scary stuff!!
May 31st, 2012 at 10:54 am
Have a 2008 Wrangler 4 dr and it started doing the “death wobble” randomly about 6 months ago. I had it looked at and made sure everything was tight and there wasn’t any slack anywhere. Had the tires rotated thinking that it may have been an unbalanced tire. It still continued to randomly do it between 60-65. Once I had the tires rotated it only did it when you pressed the brakes, then it went back to doing it while driving. A friend recommended starting with the steering stabilizer and that has worked for about a month. It started again this morning on a smooth road. Not real sure where to go from here now.
July 11th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
In 2007, I have purchased a new O7 Wrangler and in 08 I was on the highway and my wrangler started to shake agressivley and had to slow down in order for it to stop. I took my wrangler into the shop and they said it was the steering stabilzer. I got that replaced and 4 years later the DW is back. I went ahead and ordered a aftermarket steering stabilzer known as the Old Man Emu Steering Stabilzer. I got it installed and the DW went away. Just as I thought it was fixed, the DW came back yesterday (07/10/12). I will be contacting the dealership tomorrow. If this is such a big “PROBLEM” , why is JEEP not looking to fix this?
August 18th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
I have a 2008 4-dr wrangler unlimited X. It has the “death wobble” every so often and when I’ve taken it in, they say there is nothing wrong. It also burns up oil. I took it to a dealership in Kenosha, WI that doesn’t have the best reputation. I figured that because the car was under warranty, it would be ok. They made me pay for several oil changes and basically ran the warranty out. I couldn’t afford to keep bringing it in after that. There’s been nothing but recalls and problems with it the whole time. I wish I new of the lemon laws a few years ago. Maybe then I wouldn’t be stuck paying for a bunch of stuff out of pocket…
August 27th, 2012 at 8:48 pm
I have a 2010 Je Wrangler Sahara and I continue to have this problem on bumpy roads over 45. I just had the 30,000 mile service and with less than 33K miles it still continues to happen. This past weekend alone on a road trip, it happened 3 times. The dealer tells me nothing’s wrong. Thoughts? I bought mine brand new in PA.
September 5th, 2012 at 11:29 am
David: Please call us at 1800 LEMON LAW or visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html.
September 27th, 2012 at 4:14 am
ya, the “death wobble” is 1. not as bad as you think it is, you just panic, 2. 99.9999999999% is from under or over inflated tires. It is pretty common when you are not checking your tires. Go out and use that little thing that has a stick in it that slides in and out, i think its called a air checker tire tool?! No seriously the DW is not as bad as you think it is. It seems like your going to explode but you won’t. There has not been any crazy deaths or anything. Im willing to bet that is always happens at about 50-60 mph. First reaction is to slow down, speed up instead. It will fix it much quicker. Slowing down will take longer and get you run over. Not saying some people may not have other damage that is similar, just the usual DW is not as bad as it seems.
October 19th, 2012 at 8:40 am
Josh, get a clue man that is not what causes it. 1st off I work at a repair facility and check my tires once a week. Not to mention the Jeep has a tire monitoring system that alerts you if a tire is low. I’m glad you don’t work on my cars. This is a very common issue, obviously you can see the above posts and there is no set in stone remedy.
November 24th, 2012 at 4:23 am
I have a cherokee and I have the death wobble its really not that bad and I have two mechanics in my family that told me its gonna do that it’s old I out over 2g’s in my 1994 jeep cherokee country to have up to par and to so far as brand new every thing even a EPA from a 96 country still does it just speed up as you drive you will be fine I drive line that all the time and its really not a big deal if there is a issue with this I work at a jeep only body / mechanics shop in new Egypt New Jersey I also have a 06 wrangler as well and have the same issue now if you can’t handle the car don’t drive it and I took my ase cert. in California so it’s not the vehicule it panicking of the driver any real jeep driver will tell you that!!!
December 12th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
I have a new stock 2011 wrangler unlimited.
It has death wobbled 3 times in a week. Tire pressure is fine.
On my way to the dealer who already is making excuses before seeing it.
I smell a class action lawsuit. Good thing in a lawyer.
January 3rd, 2013 at 9:42 pm
I have a stock 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, purchased new in ’08 in MO. It now has just over 70K miles and I have just recently started experiencing the “Death Wobble”
I guess I should consider myself lucky that I only just recently started having the issue, but it is really scary to be driving down the hwy and feel like you can not control your own vehicle.
I had my dealership take a look at the issue (not knowing that was the actual issue). The Service guy came to tell me that I had the “Death Shake.” They replaced a “shock” in my steering column and told me that it should “fix” the issue.
I am terrified to drive my own vehicle now. Advise??
January 9th, 2013 at 8:32 pm
I have a 2008 Jeep wrangler unlimited x that suffers from this so called death wobble. I have made multiple attempts to exercise this demon from my suspension. I bought the vehicle used in 2009 with about 10,000 miles on it. within days it was at dealer dealing with this horrible wobble. The dealer changed out steering stabilizer and front end alignment. The problem disappeared. So I thought. About a year later it returned. Another dealer told me my tires we worn that caused this violent wobble. I walked away discouraged. I replaced tires, steering dampener or stabilizer for the third time and jeep is in shop right now having track bar replaced. I have been forced to learn a lot about suspension of this JK in attempt to fix this dangerous and relentless issue. It has been to three different dealers and about seven other independent shops dealing with the wobble among other issues and recalls. This vehicle has been a nightmare that I should have walked away from years ago. Yet, writh every fix and financial investment I keep believing its over. Still waiting, wishing, hoping.. So incredibly frustrated with Chrysler. Wrong bolt sizes, recalls and lame service bulletin and selling out their committed customers.
January 25th, 2013 at 7:14 am
Death wobble has been occuring since I bought my 2007 wrangler new. Steering dampner was replaced 5times once under warranty and the others I had to pay. Now dealership is saying its my ball and joints. I can not afford to keep replacing things on the car for the same problem that should not occur in the first place.
Chrysler and dealership have had the worst customer service and blow me off. The “Death Wobble” is a very dangerous situation and now have video of how dangerous it is.
We need a remedy or a new and safer car!!!
January 26th, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Ive changed front shocks and steering damper and it keeps doing it and it feels like its getting worse. My jeep is a 2010 and it sucks to keep making payments on it when I can’t drive too far because I’m cascaded to get on the highway.
I love my jeep but it’s really scary to drive anywhere!!!
February 1st, 2013 at 8:59 pm
My brother in law also had the death wobble. He was told by a friend it was the tires, and bought replacement tires, Goodyear Wrangler LT 235/85 R 16. Replaced all 4 tires.
They are wider, and has not had that problem since tire replacement. His Jeep is the Wrangler 2008 Unlimited X. Of course Goodyear Tires are not inexpensive, he took a hit on mileage and only gets about 16-17 mpg. Also when is traveling at say 60, the actual speed is 65. What a bummer. The car didn’t have very good mileage to begin with, the rating on the Hwy. was for 19 mpg, which doesn’t happen now since tires were
replaced. I think Wrangler should fix this problem or pay for replacement tires.
February 12th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
I took my 2007 Jeep Wrangler to dealership a year ago after violent death wobble experience. Now it is doing it again. I have been back & forth with Chrysler. They are not doing anything. Am frustrated because have car parked in driveway. Definitely a design flaw. I am interested in joining class action lawsuit.
February 14th, 2013 at 9:12 am
While driving on a 4 lane main road yesterday my wife and her 90 year old mother when her 2007 Jeep Wrangler went into a violant death wobble. It continued until she managed to get off the road.
Now my wife is afraid to drive the vehicle and taking it to the dealer the very sharp service manager went over it with a fine tooth comb. He suggested replacing stabilizer bar aliniing front end and increasing tire pressure to 35 lbs. then he admitted Chrysler is aware of problem but has no fix. Buyer beware !!!!!
February 17th, 2013 at 5:32 pm
“Death Wobble” isn’t caused by oversized tires, and certainly not 99.9% of the time. Most death wobble cases are result from loose or worn bolts. If you have the means to find a friend and have the tools to help you work on the jeep to save money I highly suggest watching a few youtube videos on how to fix the problem. I have lost all hope in ANY jeep dealerships being able to fix anything other than an oil change for less than 1,000$$. I was quoted 10,000 extra for a 2″ lift for the new 2013 wrangler, I think they just make numbers up and suggest people actually pay ridiculous prices for something so simple and cheap. Who has 10,000 dollars to drop on a lift? I dont want to know how much leather seats are. Look into the front suspension and bolt components use a wrench to tighten any loose bolts up near your track bar etc (you wont be able to feel loose bolts with your bare hands unless they are about to fall off). Have your tires balanced and if you have an aftermarket lift make sure it was installed correctly and you have the trackbar re-locator installed. If all else fails, find someone who has knowledge in fixing off-road vehicles. I am in the process of fixing death wobble myself. Right now I deal with it, I have no other means to get to work and the closest 4×4 pro-shop is 2 hours away, and it is WAY too cold out to be in the street crawlin under that thing. Good luck.
March 4th, 2013 at 1:01 pm
The Death Wobble is driving me insane! I have a 2007 Sahara 4 door and it is getting worse. I’ve called my dealership and they won’t return my phone calls. (I wouldn’t either) I’m going to take it to a different place this week so they can attempt to fix the problem. It is a terrible shame that Jeep isn’t doing something about this problem. Let me know if anyone figures anything out.
March 15th, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Ihave own my 2007 Jeep Wrangler from brand new. I have 118,000 miles on it. these past couple of weeks have been some of the scariest times ever. while traveling 40-65 mph I have experienced the death wobble. Thought I was going to crash.
I took my car to a certified mechanic. He carefully looked it over and proceeded to replace the parts sugested by jeep death wobble warning. I had to bring it back to him already.
Im a travler in my job and I pull a small Travel trailer with my Jeep. I have to be on the road next week again. Lord help me. I geuss its going to come to a law suit with a
death before Jeep does anything.
April 2nd, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Took my 07 Wrangler in 3 times recently. It would Wobble at 50mph. Took a few new parts and a new set of tires to make it go away. I will admit you can drove through it..sounds crazy but it did work. Guess we’ll see what happens.
April 13th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
I have a 2007 wrangler x 4dr and had the death wobble last month. Took it to the shop and replaced the stabilizer and alignment. Just happened again twice this week when driving 50-60mph. I have to stop the car right away which is really dangerous.
May 2nd, 2013 at 8:14 pm
I purchased my used 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited on February 13 , 2013. I just experienced the “death wobble” on the way to work today. Very scary. I couldn’t recover from the wobble and had to pull over and stop the vehicle. I am SO disappointed. Did not know that this problem existed or I wouldn’t have purchased the vehicle. I was just at the dealership where I purchased it yesterday to find out it needed a new water pump and thermostat. I am afraid to drive it home from work tonight!!
May 8th, 2013 at 7:42 am
I have 2008 jeep wrangler . Mine stated the dealth walbble about 2 months after I bought my jeep. Took it to the dealership to have it looked at and they are charging me about $1100.00. I called them and said I’m not paying that but he said the front end is not covered under my warranty . He dropped the price $225.00 for me. I told him to go ahead and fix it. We shall see how it is.
May 8th, 2013 at 5:28 pm
I have 2010 jeep wrangler. Been in shop 4 times. It has done this with service manager. I am now waiting on their service rep. I only have 24m miles and never driven off road
May 15th, 2013 at 10:53 am
@Debbie: Time to look into your lemon law rights.
May 16th, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Have a 2003 Wrangler and LOVE it. Just started doing this last week. Brought it to a dealer I’ve never been to before. They had it 3 days. Charged me $1800 and, on my way home, it did it again. It’s back in there now. I brought them info from the internet on this “death wobble” but they don’t seem to care and are completely clueless. The service manager is going to drive it home tonight to see if he can duplicate the situation. I hope he doesn’t kill himself. I told him to stay in the slow lane and be prepared to pull off the road when it happens.
May 16th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
SAME PROBLEM. IT’S GOOD TO SEE THAT ALOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM BECAUSE I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK IT WAS SOMETHING I DID. MY “DEATH WOBBLE” HAS GOTTEN SO BAD, I CAN NO LONGER DRIVE IN THE FREEWAYS. JUST RIDING ON FEEDERS AND TRYING TO STAY AWAY FROM BUMPS AND CURVES….ANYTHING THAT WILL ACTIVATE THE “WOBBLE”
May 28th, 2013 at 3:56 pm
I have had numerous issues with my 2007 Wrangler Unlimited. First they installed my clutch incorrectly and it popped out within the first week. Then the doors leaked every time it rained and I had to get that fixed! I’ve had many other things “go” on my Jeep but the Death Wobble has been the worst! I had it “serviced” 5x for the death wobble – took them a year to figure it out! Now I only have 72,000 miles on it and they said I have really bad knocking and need to replace the engine that will cost me $4800!!!!!!
June 5th, 2013 at 1:23 pm
I just turned my 2007 Jeep into the dealer – had DW at 65MPH.. no control of the vehicle, violent shaking – there appear to be a series of issues associated with this engineering, from the ball joints, to the bushings, to the stabilizer shocks to the steering damper – my first visit will be $1,000 in repairs – with a good chance of having to go back. It’s not safe to drive, and contrary to a prior comment about the tires – this is not a tire issue – it’s clearly pervasive and clearly an engineering problem.
June 28th, 2013 at 6:06 am
I’m not sure about the older model jeeps but the newer model ones have the wrong size bolts for the control arms and the track bars. There is a rather long thread on many forum about the potential need to swap out the factory bolts on our suspension system regardless if you are stock or modified. From what I read, it seems Chrysler used a 14mm bolt for a 9/16 hole on the track bars and control arms. There are a lot of people swapping out their bolts to the 9/16 size and are claiming that it has tightened everything up and removed any play in the track bars (which is the major cause of death wobble). If you don’t replace the bolts the rubber bushing will eventually waller out if the bolts become loose allowing movement on the suspension part. A new steering stabilizer only mask the problem for a short time. The people at Chrysler know this they just put their heads in the sand. Chrysler service department is a joke.. Keeping vehicles for several days for a known issue and not fixing it only to have a pissed of customer bring it back. They must hire burger flippers for mechanics.
June 30th, 2013 at 5:08 pm
My 06 Wrangler recently started the Death Wobble on the LA freeways at around 55-60mph. I replaced the shocks, the rear track bar, the front track bar, and have had the wheels aligned and balanced a few times. I am still experiencing the wobble, though not as frequently. Any ideas? And please count me in for a lawsuit should one arise. Robert411@me.com
July 9th, 2013 at 12:32 pm
My 05 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited started the (Death Wobble) less than a month after I bought it new @ Ontario Jeep in southern California and got nothing but the runaround from the dealership, I am ready for a Class Action Lawsuit, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER JEEP.
August 12th, 2013 at 4:41 pm
I have a2006 wrangler x , with 58000 miles now. Have had this death wobble prob. . Got damper and track bar replaced helped little while but it’s back after few months how about this class action or lemon law
August 12th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Good afternoon, I have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler that gets the death wobble at highway speeds after hitting a bump. I bought the vehicle in California in 2010. I have brought this vehicle in already and they replayed my stablizer alignment bar. The problem has recently popped back up after nearly one year. Please help.
August 23rd, 2013 at 5:27 pm
I have a 2004 wrangler unlimited . has 70,000 miles and now I has this death wobble . My Jeep is no longer safe to drive.
is this problem a recall or we on our own
September 11th, 2013 at 2:28 pm
I bought a new 2007 wrangler x and at 30,000 had it first wobble. The dealership replaced the steering stabilizer and not when when it happened again. I’m on my 4th one an the dealership & jeep day ” poor owner maintenance. I’m not at 110,000 miles and done with the bs from them and the jeep. Gonna look into a new vehicle that’s not jeep, Chrysler or dodge. Been to the dealership & 2 other mechanics, I’m done !!!
September 23rd, 2013 at 7:10 pm
I’ve had my Jeep 4×4 Wrangler since 2008 and last week I was coming back from holidays with my family and barely made it home. The car did 4 death wobbles in only 80 miles, driving below 50 mph. Now i don’t know what to do, im taking it to the dealer but I don’t think i’d get any answer.
September 24th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
I’ve done my homework and talking with mechanics and the dealership. I think I’ve got mine fixed, I’ve been driving for 2 weeks and no problems. My issue was the rims, that part of what caused it as well as the stewing stablizer was out. If you. Have a Big O tire place, go to them, they took care of my jeep. There are a lot of details as well. Not sure how to get anyone the info that needs it. Maybe me email won’t get wiped out. Skellington67 at iCloud dot com. I may be able to help that’s that are frustrated like I was.
September 25th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
I finally mentioned this issue about my 2008 Jeep Wrangler to my personal mechanic. He told me it was the death wobble that is inherent in all Jeep Wranglers. When I go over a bump on the way to work over 60 mph, I will have this extremely scary wobbling occur. I can go over the bump going 50-55 and no wobble will occur. What should I do? My mechanic is not a Jeep mechanic. I guess my recourse is to take it to the Jeep dealer which means I will be out of a working car for who knows how long. That is a problem as I work fulltime. That’s the main reason I have not gotten this issue looked at. A little scary that there is a name to it…
October 14th, 2013 at 9:39 pm
I have been battling this problem for years now. Track bar bushings, u joints, steering stabilizer, shocks, upper and lower control arms. Not sure what to replace next but it is getting very expensive. Maybe the tie rod ends and ball joints.
October 19th, 2013 at 1:42 am
I took my car in 2 years a go to have the “death wobble” checked out. The jeep dealership said they checked everything out and everything was fine. In the past couple of years it’s gotten violently worse and been happening a lot more. It is so scary especially with a 2 year old in the car. This week I lost control of the car due to the violent shaking. I’ll be bringing in the car tomorrow and we’ll not back down on this issue. I’m not going to wait until someone gets hurt. This is absolutely ridiculous that Jeep is not owning up and taking responsibility.
October 20th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
What the hell is happening to my Jeep. I never knew this problem existed! Jeep 2008 4 door. I’m canadian and the Death Wobble happens here. I just bought my used jeep and two weeks later I was driving my son to basketball and all of a sudden this violent shaking started to happen. It was so scary. I am now affaid to drive it. It is unsafe! There needs to be a law put in place. Someone is going to get seriously hurt. I’m sure someone has already. What will it take to fix this problem. How dare Chrysler allow these Jeeps on the road. The public needs to be informed. It’s not right to spend this much money on an unsafe vehicle. I am now stuck with a Jeep I afraid to drive. I am really scared to drive it. Funny how we all have to pay for there mistakes!!!
October 21st, 2013 at 3:00 pm
I purchased my jeep in 2010 – I did not experience the “wobble” until October or so of 2012, however, it has become increasingly expensive and everyone keeps pointing the finger at everyone else…..so two sets of very expensive tires, SEVERAL…..SEVERAL…..SEVERAL….alignments, tire balance, service visits all with the same outcome later…..I again am told…this time by Jeeps Service center that it’s my tires…..I can’t win. I love my Wranger, but Jeep should be held liable for fixing instead of us hunting and pecking deeper into our pockets to find the fix. You buy Jeeps to off road, etc., you would think the system would work…….
November 20th, 2013 at 10:25 am
HI, I too own a 2008 Jeep wrangler with death Wobble I am fed up we need to pursue this leaglly!!!! Crsler isinstal;omg defective parts and ruining the Jeep reputation and jeopardizing peoples’ lives!
December 12th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Bought my Jeep with 18 miles on it. New from a Dealer in Texas. Two years later I move up to Michigan and started the problem with the Death Wobble. I have had it into the same dealership to get it fixed around 5 times. Each time something different and never the part that they had put in or “fixed” it with the last time. Been in contact with Jeep Customer service several times. Each time they have someone new and each time they say they don’t know, but take it in to get a diagnosis. Each time I have to pay. Yep! I think I’m done with JEEP. Happy to join anything legal against them for this problem. Although can you sue for ignorance and incompetence?
December 21st, 2013 at 1:56 am
2008 Wrangler Unlimited has a death wobble. This is my 3rd jeep with the same problem. If this isn’t a recall, nothing is !!!
December 21st, 2013 at 11:13 pm
I have an 08 jeep wrangler 4 door. Bought it brand new, first few years it ran beautiful, around the 4th yr it started to shake when driving at 55 mph not slower than that or faster than 62mph. Took it in, the claimed to fix it. Then a year or so later I found out that shake was nothing compared to the violent shake”death wobble” I experience when driving on the highway and hitting a bump. There is nothing you can do but pull over and come to a complete stop. I’ve take. It back now two times and now need to take it in for another try at fixing it. This time they are putting in a new steering stabilizer. Wish me luck.
December 22nd, 2013 at 11:35 pm
# 40 Chris is absolutely right..I’ve done a lot of research and reading, this problem is driving not only me but all of us insane.. the main problem is with the bolt sizes like Chris clearly mentioned and the longer we all wait to deal with this issue the more it bores itself out and will only get worse and worse.. I have a 08 4dr jk and everything everyone is saying is exactly how it is…. in combination with all new front end parts and the new bigger size bolts the issue is not only fixed but even better then designed from factory!!!!
January 18th, 2014 at 10:28 pm
I’ve experienced this with my Jeep and have read enough online. Jeep, this is DISGRACEFUL. I demand a recall. I am a student and give guitar lessons, and have experienced the DW on my way to give lessons and had to cancel. It is UNSAFE.
Community who has experienced the Wobble, I would like to notified of a class action lawsuit and am prepared to help by speaking of my experience with the dangerous and recognized problem that is the fault of the Jeep brand.
Rich – wellesleyguitar@aol.com
January 26th, 2014 at 3:22 pm
I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It just started this death wabble. Dealer said it was the damper shock. I changed it, and it still does it. This is very irritating.
February 23rd, 2014 at 11:57 am
We purchased a new 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited. The kids drove it back and forth to school, never off road. This past December, one of them described the jeep shaking violently when driving. We had just had the tires rotated and thought maybe one of them wasn’t put back on properly and took it back to the Walmart. The guys checked the tires, but also noted to us that the sway bar was extremely loose and that we should have it looked at. We took it to the dealer, told him about the issue and that we were going to drive the car cross country to leave with our son in California, so please give it the once over. He replaced the steering stabilizer (about $300). A week later we began the drive from FL to CA. We just got into Texas when the car again shook violently on the highway. We found a jeep dealer (who also had two other jeeps in the shop for the same problem) and $1200 later we had new lower and upper ball joints. Driving on the California and going up the 101, same issue. The sway bar is loose again and we have it back at another jeep dealer. They are currently looking at it. I have little confidence in this guess and replace approach. It is killing my wallet. We called jeep customer care and their suggestion was to go back to the shop in Texas.
February 26th, 2014 at 3:28 pm
By the looks of this website, it looks like there really is no fix and that it is a design flaw. I also have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler and the death wobble happens to me all the time, however I have learned not to go over a bump going more then 55 mph and that minimizes it from happening. My daughter and I share my car and she has learned how to manage it as well. Jeep Wrangler really needs to do the right thing on this and declare these cars lemons. Unfortunately, it is going to take someone dying before they will do anything about it. I am not sure spending money on all different parts is the solution, because ultimately it does not fix the problem.
February 26th, 2014 at 10:19 pm
I too have been plagued with the DW. It started out about two months ago when the ESP, ABS, and traction control lights came on while my wife was driving our 2009 Wrangler X w/ 50,000 miles. My wife pulled over and I came and met her. I found that by pressing the traction control override button , I was able to drive the vehicle – otherwise the system was disabling power to the front right wheel. After that, as long as the traction control button is pressed immediately after starting the vehicle, everything was fine. Then I rotated the tires and the next day made a 400 mile trip. Three times during that trip the DW occurred. Is it a coincidence that it happened for the first time after I rotated the tires? I have not yet started trying to tighten things down and look for loose bolts, but based on everything I have read, I do not think it is going to make a difference.
March 6th, 2014 at 11:41 am
My 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is in the shop AGAIN for the death wobble. Have had it there three times for the same problem. This time the fix is going to cost me $1000. If there’s going to be a class action law suit, count me in!
March 7th, 2014 at 4:43 pm
I had a 2009 jeep wrangler and shortly after I got it used it began the death wobble. It freaked me out. I took it to the dealership and they tightened some things and said it was fixed. It helped for a little while and it started doing it again. I took it a second time to the dealership and they said nothing could be found wrong but get new tires. So I did and it fixed the wobble for a few months then it came back again. The 3rd time I took it to the dealership they said it would really cost me because they would have to take apart each thing and try it one thing at a time. Of course the 3rd time I was there my warranty was up and they refused to cover any of it. I got tired of the jeep and it was dangerous so I let it get repossessed. Bye bye lemon
March 7th, 2014 at 5:48 pm
My 2007 4 door rubicon started the death wobble last year and it only happens once in awhile but it is getting annoying and is dangerous I have looked it up on how to fix it but have no idea where to start. I am noticing a lot of people have this problem and think jeep should recall it to fix it I’m in if there is a lawsuit
March 25th, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X with 42,000 miles. Been babied except for one off-road weekend last Fall. The death wobble just started about a few weeks ago when applying brakes over 55 mph. Mostly front-end wobble. Took it to my mechanic last week and he replaced rotors. Just a few days later, the wobble returned, but much worse, and with no braking. Whole car shook. Took it back to mechanic. He installed a new steering damper, a bigger one than the original part. Hopeful problem will be fixed, but will definitely think twice about buying another Jeep.
April 1st, 2014 at 12:10 am
My totally stock 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has only 23k miles on it but I have already experienced the death wobble 3 times. I am hopeful that Jeep will take responsibility to come up with a suspension fix at their cost (especially for later model stock vehicles). Please keep me posted if you do seek legal recourse on behalf of Wrangler owners.
April 2nd, 2014 at 2:53 pm
@Doug: Have you looked into State and Federal Laws to determine if you are entitled to recourse? For a free case review, visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html
April 7th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Hi all. I have experienced wobble randomly here and there on my 2013 wrangler from day one to now. I now have 10000 miles and experiencing wobble repeatedly. Car is almost non- drivable – any thoughts/help would be greatly appreciated. Thx.
April 9th, 2014 at 7:31 pm
I purchased 2008 wrangler brand new, no problems at all until recently. There are no modifications of any kind, it is not off road driven and I’ve had several wobbles. I have to come to a stop then start going again have had it in to a GM dealership and they were not able to find anything wrong. Chrysler of course denies any problem. Very unsafe to drive, or to sale with this condition…Chrysler needs to man up!
April 10th, 2014 at 8:13 am
I purchased my 2007 jeep in in 2011 from a dealer. They said it had 28,000 original miles on it. In the fall of 2013 I experienced this wobble for the first time, so I had my tires which were purchased in 2012 balanced. I have had shocks on both sides replaced and the front shock because no one could tell me what it was. When we bought the jeep, we were not told of this issue. Now, I’m told it will cost me about $300 to fix and I’m still making payments……
April 11th, 2014 at 10:38 am
@Joe: You need to put your repair invoices together and discuss this matter with a lemon law lawyer. To find one in your state, visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
April 12th, 2014 at 3:53 pm
I just purchased a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X and I am experiencing DW as well. I purchased the vehicle from a small family owned car lot, not a Jeep Dealer. Who should I take the Jeep to for repair?
April 13th, 2014 at 9:16 am
I experienced the horrifying death wobble again for the fifth time a few days ago. I’m tired of taking the car in to be “repaired” to no avail. I decided to take this problem and file a complaint to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). I wrote the following complaint to them:
“I purchased a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited new. I have not modified my car in any way, nor have ever taken it “four-wheeling.” In June 2011 I experienced my first “death wobble,” an extremely violent, shaking of the front wheels. Since then, it has since happened five times, resulting in repairs (that STILL haven’t solved the problem) totaling $1644.24 (not including tax). I most recently experienced the death wobble about four days ago on the highway (4/9/2014). I had it in to the shop to be “fixed” in early March with “repairs” costing over $950. I’m hesitant to take it in again because no one knows how to fix this problem and I don’t have the money to keep making repairs for an unknown problem. I am not blaming the repair shop that the wobbling hasn’t been fixed; I am blaming Chrysler/Jeep because they don’t seem to recognize this as being a safety hazard. I’ve researched this problem extensively and I am definitely not the only one experiencing this problem. I am not exaggerating when I say that when the “death wobble” happens, I feel like I am going to die. The only time it happens is when I’m going 45 mph or more, so it has happened primarily on the highway. The only way to re-gain control is to slow down quickly and pull over (which could result in a major pile-up on the highway). All I want is to have Chrysler/Jeep recognize that this is a serious safety issue and provide a remedy/recall and monetary compensation for this problem.”
If you would like to file a complaint to them, the website address is:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
April 14th, 2014 at 6:54 pm
I have a 2006 wrangler x. The first time it got the death wobble was just before my warranty ran out. The dealer fixed it and everything was great again…for about a year. Then the dealer closed down. Everything has been fixed or replaced multiple times. We fixed it again in December and it is now shaking worse than ever. I am terrified to drive on the highway and my daughter is on a team that travels for competitions. It’s embarrassing and frustrating. If I could afford a new car I would probably junk this one,which is sad because I love it. Why hasn’t Jeep figured out how to fix it? And if there’s a law suit I would love to know
April 27th, 2014 at 9:52 am
I have a 2012 jeep jk 2d sahara wrangler. Stock suspension and wheels. Drove fine for the first year and a half. I’ve experienced the DW 3 times now in the last 6 months. It’s progressively getting worse. Usually hits around 50-65mph. Almost wrecked because of it this morning on the way to work. If there’s any class action taken I’m certainly interested. I’ll be trying to get the issue resolved this week at a mechanic.
April 30th, 2014 at 11:18 pm
I bought my 2005 jeep used with 40,000 miles and now have 80,000. DW has happened all along to some degree all along. When really bad, I have changed tires, gotten alignments, and tomorrow likely a fourth track bar. Clearly vibrations are loosening fittings, lots of them! I was behind police officer DWing badly, and thought myself lucky he didn’t see me desperately pull over to the shoulder on the Hollywood Fwy., but in hindsight maybe a traffic ticket sighting DW and court defense sighting all the reports might get Chslr. to fix things!
May 1st, 2014 at 1:54 am
Years ago I bought a beautiful, shiny, new red 1997 Wrangler Sport on a whim; my first Jeep. I paid too much for it and the salesmen were pretty obnoxious about it, but I believe the worst problem I ever experienced with it was a screwy turn signal. As it got older, maintenance got more expensive, as one would expect with any vehicle. It eventually needed a new cat converter, manifold, and at 125K the original clutch literally crumbled from age. I sold it literally hours within hours of placing the ad and didn’t realize how much I’d grown attached to it. I had considered it a really good investment, and of course the minute I was able I purchased a spanking new 2006 Rubicon in 2007. (I didn’t like the new body style.)
What a piece of junk. I don’t think it quite qualified for lemon laws but came close. The cat converter had to be replaced almost immediately and the dealership said it was poor gasoline; thus, Chrysler blamed me (we each paid half if I remember correctly – what BS); the seat belt and e-brake both broke and Chrysler didn’t want to cover it after the 3 years JUST expired (note I say years, not 36K miles) even though these were *safety* issues; it experienced electrical issues causing multiple battery drainages (it was a mystery for awhile but the stereo amp somehow had something to do with it); you have to do a bit of manipulating if the driver’s seat gets stuck in the far back position; the rear view mirror fell off the windshield into my hand last week; front differential fluid leaked on two separate occasions (the dealership really struck gold with that one!) and $1200 later the A/C is still broken. Late last year, like everyone mentions here, I experienced the lovely “Death Wobble”, which was extremely sudden and frightening (and, no doubt, only temporarily) ‘solved’ with expensive new tires. The odometer just hit only 46K miles. Ridiculous. I cannot wait to get the chance to unload this lousy bucket of bolts. It is all such a shame, as once upon a time we had a lot of fun tricking it out with high-end lights, fenders, bumpers, killer sound system, etc. It lives in the garage and looks immaculate inside and out – a plus as the resale value is surprisingly high. But every time it gets complimented, which is often, I thank them…then I tell them it’s like being in a relationship with a hot boyfriend that treats you like crap. Never again will I purchase a Jeep product, and when anyone expresses an interest in buying one I strongly suggest they avoid doing so at all costs.
May 1st, 2014 at 2:25 am
PS I do have a suggestion for those still experiencing this. If new tires don’t remedy the problem for you like it did for me (fingers crossed – I try not to be too much of a pessimist), take it to a reputable off-roading shop. After I had the tires put on, I immediately took it to my local specialists, who gave it a thorough checkup. I am lucky; they said they see many cases in bad shape yet mine appears sturdy and everything remains tight. I continue to go to the specialists for alignments as well. Better safe than sorry.
(Still, when folks talk about how they are looking into buying a new one and are excited from a recent test drive, I discourage them from buying it. From my experience, they obviously are just not mechanically sound.)
May 2nd, 2014 at 3:59 pm
@Alex: Even if you don’t have a lemon law claim, you may have a warranty claim. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to learn about your rights.
June 28th, 2014 at 7:21 pm
I have the death wobble problem to. But mine is financed. If I’m right the warranty from the original manufacturer won’t work. It was used when I got it and after I bought it it drive fine then I hit a slight bump in the road then it just shook like crazy. But I would have to take it to the dealer that I bought it from. How does that work
July 4th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Thank-you Sheila (4/13/14) for the complaint URL https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/. If anything is to be done with getting this engineering defect addressed anyone with it needs to file a complaint first. My “death wobble” experiences just started this year after nearly 5 years of perfect behavior. I have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X, 4×4 4 door, 39000 miles. The FAA would ground a plane that showed this kind of vibration during use. The NHTSA should adopt the same vigilence.
July 6th, 2014 at 9:29 pm
First of all. Anyone who says it is not a big deal must work for Chrysler. I had my car fixed two times already and the death wobble just happened again. I have under 23k miles on my 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and take exceptional care of my vehicle. The last time this happened I was on a major roadway and was almost killed. I was 50 miles away from home. It happened 3 times on my drive. I slowed down to 40 miles per hour and put my blinkers on. Then it happened for the 4th time leaving my jeep completely uncontrollable and was almost rear ended by a tractor trailer. So a death is not far off. Is that what has to happen before Chrysler deals with this? Do people have to die?
July 9th, 2014 at 5:06 pm
I have owned 6 Jeeps through the years. I now have 2 a 2001 Wrangler and a 2007 Compass. The Wrangler started this death wobble several years ago. It would come and go. It starts at just over 50 mph and will stop when speed is reduced to about 40 mph. I have taken it to 2 different dealers, a tire shop and a mechanic. Have replaced the brake rotors, the tires, shocks, and the torsion bar clips. The last dealer said he drove the vehicle and felt it but did not know what the problem was and gave no help other than he said he would give me the name of a frame person. I am running out of options.
July 11th, 2014 at 3:09 am
I bought a used 2007 Jeep Wrangler X Unlimited from a Subaru Dealership in October 2013. The vehicle only had 54,000 miles on it and no listed accidents or damage. The car is stock. I first experienced the death wobble about a month after I bought it. It got worse, and I had the stabilizer bar replaced. The death wobble continued. Took it back to the same mechanic, who balanced and aligned the tires. Problem persisted, and I took it to a different mechanic (front end specialist) who said nothing was wrong with the car. Death wobble continued. Took it to another mechanic who also could find nothing wrong with the car. Had a three month warranty from the dealership; called them to have them look at it, but they were gonna charge me $100 just to look at it, and I didn’t want to have to pay them to tell me there was nothing wrong. Problem has not gone away, and I am making hefty payments on a vehicle that doesn’t work properly, and no one can tell my why nor fix it.
July 21st, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I HAVE A 2008 WRANGLER UNLIMITED SAME THING REPLACED TIRES STABILIZER BAR 3 X I WANT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALL OR LEGAL ACTIONS.
July 28th, 2014 at 8:33 am
I have brought my jeep in more than three times for the jeep shaking and they told me it might be the sway bar. Paid for things to be replaced and still have the same issue. It is very dangerous.
It happens now when I go above 50mph.
Have a 2007 jeep Sahara.
Called Chrysler they never heard about the death wobble.
Not sure what to do as it is too dangerous to drive with a toddler.
July 31st, 2014 at 11:38 am
Susan, I had to bring my jeep in three times. First the local dealer in Florida tightened the sway bar and replaced the steering stabilizer. A week later a different dealer (in East Texas) replaced upper and lower ball joints. A week after that, a third dealer (in California) replaced the steering stabilizer (again). The 3rd dealer said that the standard equipment stabilizer in the jeep is not robust enough and you need a heavy duty version. It’s now been an additional 6000 miles and things have been fine, so maybe that is the fix. But Chrysler clearly knows about the death wobble as I reported the incidents to them (interestingly 3 jeeps were in the shop in Texas for the same problem when we were there). You, and everyone on this site needs to post their complaints to the National Highway Transportation Safety Admin at:
https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/index.xhtml
Otherwise, little can be done. When I posted, there were only about 70 reports relating to the death wobble. Clearly, based on this site alone, there are many, many more. Everyone post, please and maybe we can get something done.
August 5th, 2014 at 5:56 pm
I am glad (I guess) that this problem isn’t unique to me. I have experienced the DW 4 times, with the latest being the most violent.
I own a Sahara (07) that has about 41k miles. The first instance occurred about 2 months into ownership (about 2 1/2 years ago) at 17k miles. I pulled over, the vibration stopped, and I continued on my way.
I had a second occurrence about 10k miles later. Same routine.
A month or two later, I was informed that I had worn ball joints. The dealer wanted a ridiculous amount for installation, so I decided to delay it as long as possible (probably stupid). I spent a year away from my Jeep on a work assignment, moved across the country, and just recently started using the jeep heavily again.
I have had the DW happen twice in the last 3 months and scheduled an appointment with the dealer. I decided to research first – and found some great information on forums – particularly this one:
https://www.wranglerforum.com/f202/diagnosing-death-wobble-and-fixing-non-dw-shimmies-and-wobbles-78034.html
apparently – there was a service bulletin issued by Chrysler that can be read here: https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/steering-system-maintenance-service-bulletin-19-002-12-steering-shimmy-1402104/
I am going to take my Jeep to another dealership, and instruct them to reference the service maintenance service bulletin. I will have them replace any worn bolts – and also ask that they consider replacing the trackbar bolt with a 9/16” instead of the stock 14mm bolt which seems to be too loose for the bushing.
I am going to ask that everything that was damaged be replaced at once.
August 10th, 2014 at 9:19 pm
I bought my 2005 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited new and have just experienced the “death wobble” July 2014. I hit 65 MPH and the shaking and vibrating was to the point of the vehicle becoming uncontrollable. Have to say it scared the heck out of me.
So far, I’ve replaced the tie rod ends and that has helped some, but has not fixed it completely.
Can anyone tell me if a dealership is still obligated to attempt to fix this problem based on the age of my Jeep? I live in PA and the Jeep was purchased in VA. I am the original owner and it’s in excellent condition, other than this “death wobble.”
September 6th, 2014 at 7:21 pm
I had the same problem and I noticed that when I come to a stop that I could feel a little pulsation in the brake pedal so I replaced the right rotor and it helped a bit so I decided to replace the steering damper and helped even more so I am going to replace the other rotor because I am still getting a pulse on the left side. has anybody checked or replaced their rotors?
September 17th, 2014 at 12:10 pm
Death wobble in the new Jk wranglers is from a few issues. The first is a loose trac bar that should be tightened to 120ftlbs. The second is Jeep used the incorrect bolts in the front end and they need to be changed. The bolts installed from the factory are threaded and don’t have shoulders so the threads wear and cause play. Go to Northridge4x4 and get the kit. The third thing it could be is from bad ball joints, so have them checked. The fourth thing it could be is from after market rims that do not have the spacing on the rims for the keepers that are installed buy the factory so you will have to take them off. https://www.wranglerforum.com/ can assist further.
October 7th, 2014 at 2:02 am
I just purchased a 2010 wrangler sport with 54000 miles on my way home I got my
first experience of dw, it frightened me. I took it to a tire shop and had all four wheels balanced. The tech
drove it with no problem, so being satisfied it was fixed
drove it home with no problem. Today when leaving
work it happened again. I guess ill inform the dealershop that I bought it from, and cross my fingers.
October 10th, 2014 at 6:08 pm
Upon my last reply I have been doing a little surfing on the subject and I came across a youtube video that said the track bar bushings are gone and so are the balljoints so I check these things and yes they were no good. Chrysler uses a cheap balljoint with plastic inserts so they wear out very fast and the trackbar is so flimsy, well, no need to explain. I have worked for chrysler for thirty one years and I am so disappointed you would not believe. Now it is going to cost me X amount of dollars to change my worn out tires after 65,000 km, yes 65,000 km that’s, what, 40,000 miles? Oh yes and how about the alignment that I have to get done on it also. SHEEEESH!!! And I thought these Jeeps were indestructible, ya right. If I find the youtube webpage I will post it.
October 19th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Well every one having this problem there is great news!!! What causes this problem is improperly balanced tires. The first time most people experience it is after a tire rotation. I’ve been curing his problem for years for people who have spent $1500.00+ on repairs and still have the problem. What happens is that the Jeeps are very susceptible to wheel balance. If the technician does not properly center the wheel on the balancing machine which will cause an improperly balanced wheel. Go to a tire store and ask if the will remove your tire from the vehicle and check the balance for you. Agree to pay for a wheel balance in advance. If the wheels are found to be out of balance your home free. TJ’s are very prone to this problem. You will need to find someone very good at wheel balancing. Good luck.
October 20th, 2014 at 1:36 pm
While on our vacation Aug 23rd and while driving through some of the worst road in North America, We hit a few bad areas in West Virginia and suffered (for the first time) Death Wobble or a extremely bad shimmy on our 08 Jeep Wrangler at 65K miles. Over the course of a few weeks, we’ve again suffered with a couple of shimmies or wobbles. Typically is is associated with lifted & bigger tires Jeeps. But we are an all stock jeep running stock tires.
We’ve taken the jeep to three different repair & tire shops to have these items inspected:
Checking the tires for balance
Checking the alignment
Checking the Ball Joints, Tie Rod, Track Bar & Drag Link
First, 3 out of 5 tires were not balanced correctly
Second, All of the shops said that they could not find anything wrong with our jeep.
Third, I’ve just recently learned that Jeep made an error by installing 14mm bolts in 9/16th holes.. Due the 14mm bolt size, there is slight play within the control arms and tie rod. Our Bolts will be replaced by a local shop on Thursday Oct 23rd and we will go from there on what else needs to be replaced thereafter. One of our best sources of info comes from “planman” on Youtube..
Lastly, My wife asks: If we all are having this same issue and complaining about it online.. Why hasn’t Jeep Themselves been notified of these occurrences?. Therefore we are writing a formal letter and this will be sent to jeep soon thereafter. We urge anyone suffering with this issue, To send jeep a letter also voicing your concern.
October 21st, 2014 at 8:51 pm
2011 4dr Jeep Wrangler with 67,000 miles. Purchased new. Death Wobble at 50mph over bumpy section of road 3 times in last week. It feels like an ABS shake to me, though I didn’t hit the brakes, could the problem be in the ABS computer control? Some history, at 60,000 miles the handling felt sloppy so I took it to dealer who said it needed ball joints, Cv joints, complete front stabilizer bar assemblies and tie rods for $3500. Got another opinion at a 4×4 specialty shop and they said none of those parts needed replacing but agreed the ride was sloppy, put 4 new shocks, 4 new tires and a new steering stabilizer shock in. The ride was much tighter but now at 67,000 miles I’ve got the death wobble. Like I said, it feels like an ABS shake, but at 50 mph and no touching of brakes, triggered by rough patch on road.
Does anyone think it might be in the computer controlled ABS sensor/system?
Thanks.
October 24th, 2014 at 1:07 pm
@RedBird: Sending a letter does not accomplish much. Speak to a lemon law lawyer. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm to discuss your rights.
October 25th, 2014 at 3:27 pm
My 2010 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited started the DW around 2012. Replaced the tires and shocks. Has gotten progressively worse ever since. Yesterday it happened 4 times driving 60 miles. In the shop again and I do not have confidence that it will be repaired. Very disappointed that this has happened and there is no real fix.
October 27th, 2014 at 7:45 pm
You know I had a 90 wrangler and 70 CJ-7 never has that problem. I had to put my 90 wrangler in a ditch to keep from rolling it, brakes went out. It seems like from what you are all saying that 06 to 11 jeeps do this. I am going to keep my older Jeeps since this seems to be a major problem with newer ones. Just bought a 94 wrangler. So glad I didn’t buy the 06 I looked at before I bought the 94. You guys need to contact lawyer. Good luck to all of you and stay safe.
October 29th, 2014 at 3:22 pm
Took 2011 4dr Wrangler w/ 67,000 miles in yesterday for death wobble, it needs 4 ball joints now, and a realignment, also may need the complete tie rod assembly if the current one is not seized, which would leave them unable to align it. They will try to loosen my tie rod, then put some anti-seize on it so it can be realigned in the future. This is a 4×4 specialist, not a Jeep Dealer, who wouldn’t utter the words “Death Wobble”.
November 10th, 2014 at 5:26 am
@# 99 LemonLaw True, But we sent the letter anyway.. I wanted to update my post from October 20th, 2014 at 1:36 pm, We’ve had the 14mm bolts replaced with the 9/16th bolts and had the steering stablizer also replaced. For several weeks we’ve not suffered any shimmy/wobble. Mind you we’ve just replaced the front bolts and not the rear. Not sure this matters.. But our gas/fuel milage has actually gotten better since the bolt replacement.. Was it the fact that the jeep was all over the road which and not maintaining a constant that we are now seeing better fuel savings?.. One may never know. But it was confirmed that both the left and right ball joints are worn out.. But again.. with the new bolts and steering stabilizer.. we can breath a bit easier till we can have the ball joints replaced. Alot has to do with the amount of weight in the rear of the jeep as well.. and on our travels.. the weight displacement was a bit off thus contributing to the shimmy.
November 19th, 2014 at 12:53 am
I purchased a 2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited new in April of 2009. It is all stock with 60,000 miles. I recently had a shimmy that then turned into an episode of Death Wobble at about 55 mph. I have done a lot of reading on this and have found Planman’s videos on You Tube to be very helpful. I found my drag link to be loose on the passenger’s side and have also found a small amount of play in my steering gear. The ball joints allow at least a small amount of clicking when testing them by applying pressure to the bottom of the wheel in question when the wheel is jacked about 2″ off of the floor. I also found my steering damper to be leaking oil and not functioning. I have no faith in dealerships as they always tend to charge a lot of money and do little to address my concerns to my satisfaction. I may as well fix the ball joints and get the proper bolts for the track bar and control arms while I’m at it. We’ll see if I can make this go away. With all these problems on a relatively new vehicle with low miles, I think this is worthy of a class action suit since everyone here is complaining about the same thing that shouldn’t be happening in the first place. Count me in!
November 19th, 2014 at 7:02 am
2007 Jeep wrangler x the DW started about 2 years ago. have installed 3 different steering stabalizers, alligments, new tires. running out of ideas
December 3rd, 2014 at 10:22 am
I am also a owner of a 2007 Jeep wrangler. I wanted a jeep for ever. Baught it 2 years ago new. No problems until 5 months ago. Yes Death wobble scary as hell. The other day I almost was killed on the interstate when the DW came on in front of a tractor trailer. Now after reading all these post. I am realy discouraged. First appointment at the garage tommarow. They say $600.00. Not looking forward to dealing with this problem. Exspecialy with a high loan payment already. This is just wrong. A Recall is in order. From a very dissaponted Jeep owner!!
January 11th, 2015 at 9:29 pm
I own a 2009 Jeep Rubicon and experienced the death wobble last October for the first time. What a freaking scary ride! I purchased my Jeep used in 2012. I am a single female and this is my 3rd Jeep and wanted something heavy duty for the mountain road and inclimate weather. I travel daily and have never experienced anything like this in any vehicle until now. After an oil change and tire rotation this demon revealed itself! After the dealership “checked everything” the steering stabilizer was replaced and “everything tightened” and for a couple of months this seemed to rectify the problem. Same thing again 2 months later! This is my only means of transportation and I don’t have the money to keep replacing things that don’t fix what seems to be a manufacturer issue. Help! I love my jeep and can’t afford to keep “ruling out” what is causing this. I may be eating my words when I said I love my jeep so much I’ll drive it til the wheels fall off. I actually think they may! Help!
.
January 11th, 2015 at 9:40 pm
On additional research I realize another issue I was dealing with this jeep was fuel spit back. Something else Chrysler knows about and doesnt want to accept responsibility for?
January 12th, 2015 at 9:25 am
I am and Owner of a 2008 Jeep Wrangler X. My Wife Drives it to work everyday. She has been have this Problem for about a Month now. Doesn’t Happen all the time But about Twice a week now, She just called and it Happen again this morning on her way to work!!! Like always when I drive it, it never Happens!! Yes she said it goes out of control she has to come to a complete stop before it stops SHAKING!!!!
January 26th, 2015 at 11:43 pm
We have a 2011 jeep wrangler. First noticed the DW a year ago but thought that it was just a rough road. This jeep is driven mostly on the pavement only (yes I know that’s not cool) but it’s my wife’s ride. This weekend we took a trip about an hour away and the DW happened once. Luck we were on a road that is not busy. The next day we went about 2 hours away and experienced the DW 4 times at about 60mph. Each time we traveled across a rough spot on the road, not bad just a bump. Had to break and move to the side of the road. I’m afraid that my wife will freak out if it happens while she is driving. Has anyone had any luck with Jeep fixing the issue. I have an extended warranty.
January 28th, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Me Again!!! #109 Well it is now doing it with me !!! I’am Driving the jeep now and it’s gotten Really Bad. Happens about twice a day on My way to work!!! Took it to Shop the other day, and like most everyone else they can not find anything wrong with it !!! This is Really Crazy!!
Yes something needs to be done with this Problem!!
January 30th, 2015 at 7:43 pm
I have a 2008 wrangler. I experienced the death wobble last su.mer. I balanced my
tires and that helped for a few months but its back. I went to 3 different mechanics today and each one gave a different answer. I’m so confused as what to do.
February 7th, 2015 at 7:04 pm
I have a 2006 TJ Wrangler (4-cylinder SE) and have had the DW for 6+ years. I’ve balanced tires, aligned suspensions, changed tires, replaced damper, kept correct tire pressure. I’ve been to dealers and local shops with no real fix yet. As many noted here, it happens between 45-55 mph.
– I write in hopes someone shares a fix or news if Jeep has service bulletins, etc.
February 8th, 2015 at 8:54 am
I have a 2008 Wrangler X and now this is the second time I’m having to take this in for “Death Wobble” is there any recourse with all this yet?
Pretty scary to think you pay tens of thousands of dollars and you get the death wobble and can’t have ure wife drive the vehicle !
February 8th, 2015 at 8:56 am
Any recalls for this yet?
Felt like I was gonna die last night !
February 21st, 2015 at 11:23 pm
WELLL I TOO JUST SPENT 2,000. ON REPAIR . STILL DW . ANY ONE IN LOS ANGELES AREA KNOW FIX? 1998 HEMI AND 2006 HEMI LOVE MY PONIES BUT CAN’T DRIVE AND NEED TO GO TO WORK ON 405 FRWY…:(
March 2nd, 2015 at 5:15 pm
I have had them try to fix my death wobble 5x – they don’t know how to fix it and I don’t know what to do anymore. Unfortunately, I’ve had my car for almost 8 years and have just dealt with it.
BTW – I also had to pay for a brand new engine on my 2007 Jeep Wrangler because the manufacturer installed the pistons upside down in the engine so the oil wasn’t pumping correctly. I think I have a lemon but don’t know my rights on a car that’s 8 years old.
oh….and I should mention they installed my clutch incorrectly too and they had to fix that 2 days after I got the car.
Oh….and one more thing….the sealant on the doors wore off within a year so they had to fix that too……
March 6th, 2015 at 3:29 pm
I have a 2007 4 door jeep wrangler and I’ve brought it in 5x for Death Wobble, 1x for a faulty engine (cost me $3000), 1 time for a clutch that was installed incorrectly (2 days after I got the car), 1 time for the sealant around the door frame fell off or melted so had to have that replaced among other issues. I don’t know my rights since I purchased this car 8 years ago.
Thank you
March 9th, 2015 at 1:59 pm
@Rebecca: If your car was purchased eight years ago, it’s highly likely the statute of limitations has expired on filing a lemon law claim.
March 16th, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Recently purchased a 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X on March 14, 2015. On March 16, 2015, I was driving with my son on the freeway. i changed lanes and as soon as my front right tire struck uneven ground the entire vehicle started to shake….scared the crap out of my son and I. I had to pull over to the side of the road cutting people off because it was so violent. I drove the rest of the evening using side streets. Later that night, I decided to be brave, thinking it was a one time incident, and drove again on the freeway. My left front tire struck uneven ground on the freeway causing the vehicle to shake violently again.
What can I do??????
March 17th, 2015 at 8:41 pm
2011 4door Rubicon, Bought new about 20K miles in the back brakes pads wore and needed replacement. The fronts were like brand new?? I paid for new disc and back pads $$$$. The dealer said my front lower ball joints were starting to go thats why my tires had a funny wear to them. I brought it back about 2 months later and they replaced the upper and lower ball joints.They gave me the parts under warranty because I argued about the back brake issue. Since then I’ve put new Mud Terrains $1200 worth and about 20K miles later the funny wear is back and the start of the Wobble. I’m going to take it back to the Dealer and see what they will do for me. I had know Idea that this “Death Wobble”, existed.
March 26th, 2015 at 12:24 pm
we just traded in our 2008 jeep wrangler sahara becaus it was diagnosed with the death wobble. after all the research online i didnt believe it was a safe vehicle anymore. now im in a 72 month car loan again thanks chrysler not owning up to issue at hand. i would have been fine for many more years in my 2008 jeep wrangler if it wouldnt have posed a threat to me and my family while driving in it.
March 28th, 2015 at 12:37 am
Lucky me, I have owned my 2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X new since May, 2009 and just recently experienced my first death wobble. It scared the heck out of my wife, son, and me. 95,000 miles on jeep so consider myself lucky compared to others. Now has occurred three times in about 3 weeks. Took it in and had front brakes pads replaced and rotor turned. Did not work. If I can not fix relatively quick and cheaply, I will trade this baby in for a new Xterra. Previously drove an Xterra 180,000 miles (before got Jeep) with no major problems.
April 4th, 2015 at 7:39 am
2008 Wrangler Sahara, my girlfriend drives it most of the time, and told me it started shaking violently on her twice now… Hadn’t thought much about it, until I drove it yesterday. On highway doing about 55mph, went over railroad tracks an experienced my first
Death Wobble, I could barely keep it on the highway, wobbled for a half a mile until I could finally stop the vehicle. I thought a front tire was ready to fall off, got out and looked at tires/lug nuts … They seemed fine. Was afraid to get back on highway so drove bumpy farm roads to my destination (no problems). Drove the highway home with no problems, but now don’t feel safe driving it at all. It’s going to get looked at this week by the dealership I bought it from. Sounds like it will cost me lots of money, and probably won’t fix it.
April 5th, 2015 at 8:41 pm
2008 JK
Have had the death wobble happen to me about 10-12 times. Several times traveling above 60MPH on the interstate. This is very scary as Interstate I-40 through knoxville is busy and you can easily get run over during one of these death wobble episodes. When it happens all you can do is wait on it to pass. I feel like It is more dangerous to apply gas or apply brake so I just ease my foot off the pedal and try my hardest to keep my hands on the steering wheels.
This happened to me this Friday and my husband just happens to be behind me on the interstate, my son who was in the vehicle with him asked “Is mommie going to die?”
My husband said it looked CRAZY! The whole vehicle was shaking.
I was lucky enough to make it through that episode.
We have replaced everything as well. This death wobble HAPPENED BEFORE WE LIFTED AND STILL HAPPENED AFTER.
We have replaced steering stabilizers, shocks, checked tires, I keep them balanced, we’ve teplaced the track bar, etc. I could go on and on…
My first vehicle was a jeep.
Never in my life have I been so disappointed, or ever experienced anything like this..
April 7th, 2015 at 11:07 pm
Hello to all you jeep owners. I work for Chrysler, with that being said 9 times out of 10 the steering damping shock is the issue of the wobble. And the other 1% either it is the tie rod ends in the center link steering components and or the steering gear.
May 5th, 2015 at 9:39 am
I have a 2009 jeep Wrangler with same problem, please let me know what happens with congress or class action lawsuit.
May 7th, 2015 at 11:38 pm
2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. Started the DW around 48,000. I have taken it to 1 shop who replaced the trac bar and tie rod and said it was fixed. It was not. When I called and told them the DW is still there- they said I need new tires. A second shop is now telling me that it is the drag link and that my wheel could fall off. I have another appointment tomorrow. Count me in for any class action or lawsuit.
May 14th, 2015 at 11:37 am
there is a strut (essentially) in the front steering linkage (steering damper) when tose go you get the death wobble. usually you replace that damper and it should stop the shimmy. ALso lifting it almost makes it ‘0’ Caster so it gets the wobble alot easier.
May 30th, 2015 at 12:05 pm
Just had my 2004 Wrangler “death wobble” fixed. For me, replacing the trac bar fixed the issue.
June 26th, 2015 at 12:20 pm
I have a 2007 Jeep Wrangler…this death wobble started 6 months ago! Death wobble my ass! I was waiting for the big crash with my children in my jeep! IT JUST FEELS LIKE DEATH AND START PRAYING! I have changed tires, alignment, balanced, changed rotors, brakes and today they are replacing steering stabilizer, next are motor mounts. I CALLED JEEP SO MANY TIMES (CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP CERRITOS) AND THEY ACT LIKE THEY NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING! Its going to take someone being killed in one of these wobbles FOR JEEP TO RECALL THIS CRAP!!! I love my jeep…but I don’t love it to death! JEEP RECALL IS A MUST!!!!!!
June 26th, 2015 at 9:37 pm
07 jeep wrangler had the death wobble on and off since 2008. Looking into class action attorneys. Will post if I get any interest
July 1st, 2015 at 3:56 am
Sadly and I wish I had done more research I just bought my first jeep, 2003 Wrangler TJ, new motor and transmission, new ball joints 4 inch lift 35/12.50/15 BFG M/T’s, fresh coat of paint, new brake system, new top and found the death wobble at 52 mph on my first road trip. Will start with the stabilizer bar and go from there. Good luck everyone.
July 21st, 2015 at 8:40 am
Have a 2003 Wrangler and the dreaded wobble. Installed new MOOG track bar myself for $57.00 – wobble gone and steering great but steering wheel not centered. Taking to good alignment shop to get it all back centered. Worn steering joints/track usually main cause of the wobble.
August 10th, 2015 at 11:34 pm
2008 Wrangler Unlimited 4 dr, 2WD. All pavement, no off road, 70K miles. Death wobble at 50K, from 40-50 MPH. changed shocks, tires and damper, solved for a year, then its back. Cannot use it to commute, too unstable. Jeep Technical Bulletin solves NOTHING. It is a real problem.
August 12th, 2015 at 1:24 pm
I purchase a used 2007 Jeep Wrangler X in Feb, 2011. My first experience of the Death Wobble was October 2011 and I was driving @ 65 mph. I had a mechanic look at it and he mention the stablizer bar, bearings, etc. Same as others. Once I had that fixed which cost me $1,500.00 I had the Death Wobble expereince again in March of 2015 driving @ 55 mph. Had bearings fixed again it cost me $400.00. This is so disheartening. Its August 2015 and I don’t even have a 100,000 miles on my vehicle and it is totally unsafe to drive. It is really disturbing that Chrysler knows about the complaints but they continue to sell & make these trucks. I almost wish the makers and owners of Chrysler drive one of these death traps and have a horrible accident that will paralyze them for life. The greed of money stops large auto dealers from recalling the vehicles and fixing them. They need to stop selling a death trap machine. I’m so sick of this.
August 15th, 2015 at 9:38 am
I have a 2005 wrangler and have expierenced the death wobble on and off for years. Mechanics cant help, I’m afraid to drive the car. Looking for help
September 8th, 2015 at 8:50 pm
I bought a used 2008 Jeep Wrangler 4 door 3 weeks ago 2 days into owning it did the death wobble I had it towed back to the dealership they replaced the steering dampner and said it was fixed but it was not I told them it was still doing it and took it back and they said they cannot duplicate the wobble and said that they have lost to much time and money and that they will no longer work on it I would love to file a lawsuit against this dealership
September 17th, 2015 at 9:44 am
2009 wrangler 4 Dr owner. Wow, what a p.o.s.! Changed tires & 2 steering stabilizer still has death wobble. Wife don’t even want to drive it anymore. Electronic throttle control light comes on a few times a week. Had gas pedal changed was good for a few weeks, now comes back on . When this happens the vehicle goes into “limp” mode and won’t go over 15 mph. (Not fun on the expressway.) Had to replace rear brakes 3 times. Right rear rotor twice. All this in 65,000 miles. My 2000 minivan, with 130,000, is more reliable. Shame on jeep/Chrysler for selling junk. I think the CEO, with his 38 million dollar pay, should by this junk back.
October 2nd, 2015 at 11:41 am
How in the world can this be an issue for so long without everyone publicly knowing about it! We bought our used 2008 Jeep Wrangler in July and have already had this happen numerous times. This is such negligence on the part of the dealers/manufacturers. Please someone come up with a class action suit we can all participate on. I had no idea about this problem until I experienced it for the first time and after a trip to the dealer where they pretty much ignored my concern and told me they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Rotated tires…. Ha! Of course it still happens!
October 7th, 2015 at 11:32 am
We have had the jeep since 2010 but it didn’t wobble until last year. It has low mileage so that is probably why it took so long to happen. (41,000 miles now). We rotated the tires and it didn’t happen again until last night on I-95 . SCARY!!!
October 19th, 2015 at 6:06 pm
Please help I am scared to even drive anymore……I have a good friend that is a certified mechanic and I’ve been to him 4 times changed parts everytime…… But he has been unable to fix the dw . its so bad that I pulled over 7 times in a 15 mile period to stop the wobble.
Any help please crimpat45@gmail.com
October 19th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I’ve had my 2005 wrangler for six years with absolutely no problem at all . Drove it to Florida and back to northern Illinois pulling a trailer twice. Put a 3 inch lift on it last year to accomidate a snow plow in the winter. I took it into a shop for an alignment and the death wobble started at that time. It’s been in for re-alignment and caster adjustment 4 times!! And no matter what ,the wobble will NOT GO AWAY!! This sucks,I love this jeep but am ready to ignite that thing!! Any help is greatly appreciated!
October 26th, 2015 at 2:22 pm
Have had the death wobble on my 2008 Sahara for several years now. Have had the wobble occur sometimes 3 or 4 times in a day. It scares the people behind me more than myself now, when I have to stomp on the brake. It also occurs if I step on the brake at around 60 MPH. Have replaced the steering stabilizer, control arm bolts, track bar bolts, and tie rod ends…..did not fix it. I have urethane energy suspension bushings ordered for the control arms, and track bar. I’m stubborn, but I’m getting tired of it. Ready for a recall or class action suite. I’m starting to believe it’s in the power steering system.
November 10th, 2015 at 12:07 am
I own a Jeep Sahara 2012. I purchased it new and have taken it for every scheduled service. This past weekend while traveling at 65 MPH, I experienced the violent death wobble while on the interstate. I had no idea what was going on. The Jeep shook so violently, I could not gain control of the steering to move off the highway fast enough. With vehicles swerving around me, as I took my foot off the gas and attempted to get to the side of the interstate, I have no idea how I was not killed.
Of course, the Jeep dealer acted as if they had never heard of this problem. They have had our Jeep for three days and claim to have fixed the problem. After reading the above 144 statements, I am sure I cannot not trust Jeep, and will purchase another vehicle. I will not trust my life to a bunch of shameless liars.
November 16th, 2015 at 12:23 am
My 2011 Wrangler does the same at low speeds.
Not yet at high speeds.
November 30th, 2015 at 8:50 pm
I purchased a new 2015 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/a 4 inch lift on 11/28/15. I test drove the Jeep on the freeway twice and did not have any problems. 30 mins after purchasing my jeep it went into what I now know is the death wobble after going over railroad tracks. I thought the front wheels were falling off the jeep. I have been faced with the death wobble on the road by my house when I hit any bump around 45 miles per hour. I called the dealership this morning and they made an appointment for me to bring the Jeep in on 12/1/15 for Service Manager to look at it. After ready the previous posts I am in fear that I will always have this problem. What are my rights on this problem from being stuck with a long term problem?
December 7th, 2015 at 2:56 pm
@Lori: First and foremost, make sure you get a detailed repair invoice when you pick up your car from service. Once you are back in three or more times, you may have rights under State and federal laws. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state.
December 20th, 2015 at 10:13 pm
I have a 09 Jeep Wrangler 4dr. I just experience the Death Wobble for the first time today. Scared the hell out of me. I had my kids in the car. The Wobble happen at about 60mph as I hit a bump on the road the jeep started Wobbling violently. The jeep did it once on my start of my trip and about 4 times on my way home. I owned this jeep for 6 years it never did this before, I bought this jeep new. This jeep has had tires, stocks, wheel alignment, rotors all replaced. Will investigate. It just scare to drive now.
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:35 pm
I have a 2003 Wrangler Sahara and have owned it for over 8 years. For the last 4 years I have been battling the Death Wobble and have gone through 3 sets of tires. If Chrysler would make public the Technical Service Bulletins in regards to what to look for would be a great help. The fact there is no Recall is unbelievable. Mine starts at 58mph and feels like the the whole thing is going to come apart. I’m sure this Wobble is damaging other parts to the Jeep. My Jeep is stock with no mods!
January 23rd, 2016 at 10:07 pm
Dear Jeep, I want to love your product. Help me help you. I have a 2009 jeep unlimited that is supposed to be an off road capable vehicle, but ironically, I can’t drive it on the highway. I have done the same as every one else which is dumped money into the vehicle. The mileage is low. This thing is not dependable. I want to carry the jeep flag. Fix this.
January 24th, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Ok people listen up dodge ball joints fail after 35000 miles I had the death wobble in my 2007 jeep wrangler unlimited x all stock no lift kits bone stock if their is any kind of play in your ball joints replace with moog ball joints dodge pays 8 cents for each ball joint
January 27th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
I bought my 2013 Jeep Wrangler fresh off the lot. 2015 I experienced the death wobble twice while driving. I grab my phone and recorded the second time as it was so horrifying I thought I was recording my death. I was going a great speed on the freeway and cars around me made sure to keep their distance.
I brought it straight to the dealer once I pulled over to breath. They saw the recording and told me I had a severe death wobble. They fixed what was under warranty. Told it was good now.
8 months later it happened again. I took it right back they said I needed to get a wheel alignment. Not under warranty of course.
5 months later it happened again after routine maintenance and tire rotation. Brought it right back. They rotated the tires back and told me they weren’t refunding me for the tire rotation b/c they just did this one for free…..Ummmmm I paid for the initial tire rotation for you to put the tires back to initial position.
Feeling very frustrated….I love my Jeep!
What can I do?
February 10th, 2016 at 2:52 pm
I HAVE A 2008 JEEP WRANGLER .I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE DEATH WOBBLE IN MY JEEP.IT SEEMS LIKE IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. FEELING VERY AGGRAVATED. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT JEEP DEALERS CAN DO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM?
March 4th, 2016 at 1:36 pm
My 2007 jeep wrangle jk did the death wobble when I was driving in the freeway and passed an uneven road. I have it fixed not from a jeep dealership but from a car shop specializes in Jeeps. After $500 and many returns, the wobble went away. But I am not really sure if it was really fixed. As soon as it was fixed, I got rid of the Jeep right as I lost confidence driving it. I had a modified suspension system to accommodate the 3.5 lift. Do you think the modifications triggered the death wobble?
March 4th, 2016 at 4:02 pm
I have a 2008 Wrangler Sahara. The death wobble started about a year ago and is getting worse. I’ve had to stop on a major highway twice in heavy traffic. Something needs to be done about this now!!!!
March 8th, 2016 at 7:01 pm
2005 Jeep Wrangler X, purchased new. Taking this b*tch of a car back to the dealership to replace the steering damper and stabilizer bar for the fourth time…ugh. I’ve replaced the shocks, the tires, multiple alignments…it’s a design flaw plain and simple. So each time I take my car in, it’s just an expensive band aid…never a fix.
March 23rd, 2016 at 10:35 pm
I just purchased a used 2009 jeep wrangler X has 82,000 miles on it only had it for 3 weeks now didn’t even make the first payment. got off of work the other morning got up to 60mph and it started to shake like crazy felt like I just got a flat tire pulled over and looked tires were fine drove off and once I hit 60mph again the shaking came back so I stayed at 50mph until the next town 35mph in the town was just fine then left the town limits got up to 60mph again and it was fine then on my to work the next day happen again it comes and goes looks like everywhere I look in the internet everyone is having the same issues and seems like nobody can get the issue fixed I worked hard to get this jeep and now it looks like I only could do city driving in it but I live in the country so speed limits are 55mph to 70mph that wont work for me 🙁 🙁 🙁
May 5th, 2016 at 9:35 pm
Why has Jeep not recalled this? I have a 2006 with the same problem. I can’t take it on a trip as mine does it even with hitting pot holes. I can’t go over 50 or it starts doing this. We need some real help to fight Jeep to recall the Jeeps doing this and either fix it or replace it. How do we do this?
May 9th, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Death wobble is a fairly well known issue with any solid axle vehicle, like a Jeep or heavier trucks. A few quick google searches will get any of you far more information than posting here. But, death wobble basically happens MOST of the time from worn out front end components, alignment, tires off balance, etc. It can and usually is several things happening at once. In my experience and light reading, a steering stabilizer is used to mask, not fix, the issue. Also, any fixes involving the sway bar/ anti sway bar (Same thing, two names) are not what needs to be done. The anti sway bar is not something that can contribute to this. Seriously people, do some googling and read about this in a few jeep forums. Its not a easy fix or recall issue for most people, because it is generally caused by worn parts.
July 5th, 2016 at 6:10 am
My husband an I own 3 Jeep Wranglers all right hand drive We have a 2005, 2010,and 2015 .My 2010 just started the death wobble.All you have to do is hit a bump in the road (Ohio has tons of them), and the Jeep shakes VIOLENTLY. I am having tha front trak bar put on today using the 9/16 bolts of course and we’ll see what happens.I have Kelly tires on her now Balanced etc. etc. etc.Have replaced front stabilizer bar .My husband is afraid to drive it.I’m not letting it get to me . It just occored to me to see if the jeep still shakes like this if I was to put it in 4 wheel drive.Last year I had to replace the tranny in her cause she wouldn’t shift into 2nd gear going down the road.I had a fight with the dealership over this ,Chrysler did help me with the cost .The dealership was a bit unhappy with me because I told them if the problem wasn’t resolved I would DRIVE the JEEP through their front windows.But when you say things like that very loudly in a dealership with a lot of people around they want to be more helpful.Well wish me luck…..
July 5th, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Well me again.Had my right hand drive front trac bar replaced today 7-5-2016 .I’m so happy it cured my death wobble in my 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited.The holes in the bar were reamed out so I had a lot of play.Plus my power steering was leaking right on top of it so that may have been another culprit to the rubber grommits being loose and worn.Now I have to fix the leak.It is so nice driving over a bump in the road and my steering wheel not shaking .Well hope this helps someone else for their wobble.The front of the Jeep is tight and nice handeling.The 9/16 bolts would go through the frame but not the new trac bar, so mechanic had to use the 14mm bolts.
July 10th, 2016 at 5:52 pm
2004 tj I bought new , had no problems whatsoever until about 100k started having front end wobble (now known as death wobble). took to les schwab tires and they replaced trac bar. jeep ran fine for 750 miles the DW came back. return to schwab and they said trac bar was defective and replaced under warranty. they suggested a new stabilizer and alignment. drove appx 30 miles and DW is worse than before. WTF!!
August 29th, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Just dropped about $1,000 and cannot believe so many people are having these issues with such a dangerous design flaw! I drive highway with the Jeep all the time as my commuter. Now I do not want my wife to drive it due to this.
Is there a lawsuit yet?
September 16th, 2016 at 8:39 am
I bought 2010 Jeep Wrangler Sport on July 28th 2012. I have had the death wobble happen every year several times each year. Took it to dealer and replaced steering stabilizer, did not fix problem . I have replace steering stabilizer a total of three times and I have had the whole front end check for worn parts nothing wrong. But problem still is still there. Do not know what else to do.
September 26th, 2016 at 10:59 pm
I own a 2002 Wrangler Sport, Last month I had the issue of my car shaking uncontrollably on the highway. Once I finally got off the highway the car had an electrical smoke smell to it, and also was smoking. It was a pretty hot day and I chalked it up to my car just overheating. Had it towed to the mechanics, and they couldn’t find a single thing wrong with it. Today I’m on that same highway, going the same speed (60mph) and it happeneds again. That’s when I looked up online what
Could possibly be causing this dangerous issue! I’m convienced now I’ve too been a victim of this “death wooble”. My question now is, has Jeep done anything to rectify this issue? This is so dangerous! I would like more information on a class action suit, is there even is one. If not, there definitely needs to be!
October 10th, 2016 at 7:10 pm
I have had a ’98 TJ since new. Now at about 150,000 miles. Death wobble started after about 5 years and 50,000 miles and scared me like everybody else. Seemed to disappear for a few years after new tires, and comes back on it’s own every few years, typically when the tires are showing some wear. Obviously tire wear is one factor, but not the only one. Regardless, I learned to live with it safely and sanely. Enough experience and I can feel when it’s starting- typically after one tire hits a pothole at 55+ mph. After the first tiny little characteristic shake, I know what is happening and just briefly release the accelerator and when the speed drops by just a couple mph, the wobble disappears and I can resume normal driving. Timing is critical, and applying brakes makes it worse, but just slacking the speed for a couple seconds completely works for me. I know it’s not a cure-all, and the technique is not something you can tell somebody else how to do, they have to know exactly what it feels like to do it right, but it works for me, and Chrysler certainly isn’t going to fix it.
October 27th, 2016 at 7:26 pm
I have a 2005 Jeep Wrangler with a severe death wobble problem at highway speeds. Hitting a bump or imperfection in the road will trigger it and the only way to make it subside is by applying brakes hard which is very dangerous in heavy traffic.Jeep only has 49,000 miles but the problem started even sooner maybe around 45,000 miles. I have replaced track bar bushings track bar mounting bracket tie rod end control arm mounting bracket steering stabilizer sway bar links twice had an alignment done tires balanced and had it inspected at three shops and nothing wrong can be found with it. I no longer can confidently drive this vehicle on the highway as it is not only dangerous but the continued wobbling can further damage other steering and suspension components including the new parts you have already installed trying to fix the problem potentially resulting in increased cost to solve the problem. Do not know what to to next other than spend thousands of dollars replacing every steering and suspension component in hopes that it may(or may not) solve the problem. So I hope that enough people come forward and share their experiences with the Jeep death wobble maybe Chrysler/Jeep will offer a solution. Thanks for viewing, Mike.
November 19th, 2016 at 3:33 pm
My wifes 13 completly stock 4 door wrangler began the death wobble at 33k all highway miles. Took it to dealer replaced steering damper new tires and alignment and it stopped. Now i rotate tires every 4k miles retorque bolts and it still continues death wobble. Im going to replace track arm bushings and bolts to see if that fixes issue. Everything from control arms to ball joints and tierods are all tight with no play. Dealet cant find anything wrong but it still continues.
November 21st, 2016 at 9:18 pm
I have a wrangler for 10 years, I can’t remember exactly the year but was an early 90’s model. I loved it and drove it for 10 years and when I sold it for 1000.00 it had 280,000 miles on it and only 4 gears..lol it was missing 5th gear on a manual. NEVER experienced the “wobble”. I got a car after that but missed my jeep. I decided to buy a 2007 wrangler X Unlimited about 4 years ago and it didn’t happen right away, but the first time I did I had no clue what it was. I had never even heard of it, and when I told a friend, he said, Oh yea the death wobble! What?? Anyway, since then about two years now, it’s horrible. It’s very unsafe and as a matter of fact it is at the garage as I type this comment. The first time got a new stabilizer.. didn’t work, my mechanic who worked for Jeep for 15 years couldn’t seem to find anything wrong with it, but I kept calling and telling him it was coontinuoulsy happening. Last week, driving on the highway in the slow lane my stabilizer broke off the bracket and through my tires side ways. Very dangerous situation to be in. I thought I was going to die because either I was going to flip or possible roll. I got super lucky especially because I was on a one lane bridge ramp when it happened and I was heading toward the wall. Finally when I stopped, I creeped off the road and had to get towed home. So, its there again and I am not even sure if I want to keep it at this point because I don’t feel safe. It’s very sad because I am a jeep lover, but I feel like what they say is true.. they don’t them like they used to! I back this up because having one prior for 10 years and not ever knowing the term “death wobble” tells me they aren’t make like they were. I went from 16 tires to 17, which isn’t a huge difference, but am being told it could be the tires..I’m not buying into a tire problem. Especially all the reading and research I’ve done on this. I do know that the model I bought was the first year of the 4 door model and is the gunny pig, so anything that wasn’t liked got changed the next year. So, while jeep parts are normally good buys and easy to get because living in AZ weather, Jeep parts are always available because of the constant upgrades that owners enjoy. But not mine! Two winters ago, my back window cracked because it’s a soft top, and as stupid as it sounds, I cannot find a replacement that fits the zip. I’ve tried and I’ve gone places. The only way is to get an entire new top, but with the Wobble expense..who can afford another top? Luckily it’s not very cold here and if it is, only a month because I have no back window, but my heat works great. I will end by also stating that I actually hate the top and again it’s not the same. It’s on that stupid track and tucks down in the back, when before it was completely removable. I’ve had problems since day 1 when with the top. Pretty sure it was defective to begin with because when I asked the dealer about it, he told me that the best thing is to go home and YouTube it. He never showed me or took it off. This part I can live with because I kept saying when I paid it off, I’ve invest on upgrades which would include a new top. The death wobble is super dangerous, and sadly it seems like more deaths need to occur before anything is done about it. I got lucky last week and I can only hope it doesn’t fatally happen to any of you! Thanks for listening and good luck~
December 5th, 2016 at 4:27 pm
I would certainly look into your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm in your state.
December 31st, 2016 at 6:15 pm
I bought a 2007 Jeep, Sahara, unlimited and had the same issue. Allighment shop Mechanic looked it over and said everything looks good. The only slightly worn part was the ball joints so they Replaced It. The shake did not go away. Next I took it to the tire shop where they replaced the tires. The shake was gone for about 5 month. I took it back they looked at all the tires and rebalanced them. The shake did not go away. What to do next? This definitely is unsafe and don’t know what to do next.
January 24th, 2017 at 9:20 pm
I bought a 2008 jeep, wrangler x 2dr in late Nov 2016 the first week of Dec I got the dreaded Death Wobble. I have taken my vehicle to the Dealership of purchase 2 times with in the first 6 week of purchase and then the Dealership of purchase sent it to the local Jeep Dealership which it has been there 3 time in a 2 month period in an attempt to fix it. They have replaced my steering dampener, sway bar link, track bar, bushing, balanced my tires, and replaced any in the front suspension in an attempt to fix the problem which has not to this point. The service Manager called me today to say there was nothing else they could to fix this. So now I’m making payments on a vehicle I can’t even drive it. Can someone please help me?
January 28th, 2017 at 11:06 am
I bought my 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon brand new in 2008 and have experienced the “death wobble” in a few occasions, each time resulting in an allignment and balance but just recently it has gotten worse and now occurs almost anytime the speed goes over 55. Just last week had yet another allignment and balance done but to no avail. My 19 year old was driving when it happened last on the highway almost causing a major accident. Taking it to the dealership this week but very concerned. What should I do?
January 30th, 2017 at 12:57 pm
I bought a 2008, 4 door Wrangler Sahara from a dealership with an after market lift. The dealership sold me an extended warranty(power train, tires etc. I’ve taken the jeep in for death wobble twice in a month. Decided to get another jeep dealership’s opinion. Guess what.? warranty was void when I drove off the lot. Warranty clearly states void if it has after market parts. Upon further investigation I found out that a new track bar, steering stabilizer and brakes were installed the week before I bought it. They sold me a jeep that they new had the death wobble. I’ve also found out that the dealer used after market brakes during this repair. This will be the 3rd time in 14 months that the death wobble has occurred . My 16 year old is in this jeep. We’ve put 9,000 miles on it in 14 months. There is no lemon law in Georgia. Any other recourse? They’ve made me so upside down I can’t even trade it. They did agree to refund the powertrain portion of the warranty now that the radiator is cracked which I think is due to the wobble.
February 26th, 2017 at 3:07 pm
Driving on the highway on February 16th 2017 doing about 60 MPH when suddenly and without warning the front wheels began to wobble violently almost resulting in multiple collisions when I decelerated abruptly attempting to regain control. This is the second time this has occurred and both times doing around 60 MPH on a straight and level highway. Just found out that others are experiencing the same problem.
February 26th, 2017 at 3:08 pm
I have a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with about 68,000 miles on it.
March 28th, 2017 at 12:51 am
We spent years trying to fix this. Looked up videos did everything only to exp it again and again. There is no resolve.. No cure.. It is a cancer you just keep hoping you can beat bit it keeps coming back. Always lurking in the back of your mind..will it be back today as I drive down the freeway again.. Will I make this overpass without falling off of it.. It is real and it is dangerous. We got rud of our jeep wrangler and its too bad bciz we really love the jeep lol..the power..but nothing is worth your life! We had no idea this was a problem; and to think our daughter drove it in LA traffic to college and work. We were lucky we found out before she had a major accident. We exchanges cars..and I almost fell off th fwy overpass twice. Oh so scary. Why dont Jeep fix this?!
May 1st, 2017 at 9:00 am
I financed a 2008 Jeep wrangler used from a major car place (conacelli)about 1 yr and10 months ago and I’ve been back to the dealer 3 x now and still owe 17.000 for a jeep that shakes uncontrollably.will you please help me.I’m a woman and I feel as thought I was taking advantage of.
May 31st, 2017 at 7:00 pm
We purchased a 2010 Jeep Wrangler (used car) just last week. Everything looked great and my husband really liked it. While he was driving home from work on the freeway, it started shaking so violently that you could not control the steering. He was almost in an accident because of it. We used to drive race cars so we both definitely know how to handle a car, but there was NO controlling this shake. Fortunately we were able to return it back to the dealership. Why is this happening to so many people and Jeep does not have a recall? In doing research it seems there is not a consistent fix for this wobble. Slowing down and attempting to soft brake did nothing to stop it. The steering wheel was shaking so bad, my husband sprained his wrist. This jeep had 61,000 miles on it. We are so disappointed because we really wanted a jeep. That idea is out the window now. While driving back to the dealer the jeep started the wobble again about 50 mph. How can you possibly drive a car that is fine one moment and a total danger the next; not us. Is someone going to have to be critically impaired or worse before Jeep seriously addresses this problem? It seems to be a common occurrence.
July 5th, 2017 at 3:33 pm
Is there any sort of class action lawsuit? Has Jeep done anything to address this issue? I just had my 2010 Sahara “Death Wobble” fixed for the second time. The first time was by the dealership, so this is beyond obnoxious and expensive. I’d love a point in the right direction.
August 20th, 2017 at 8:18 pm
I own a 06 Jeep wrangler which is at my buddies house for the second time now to fix death wobble. First time it went away for a while now what ever I do doesn’t seem to go away.
November 26th, 2017 at 7:50 am
Bought my 2015 jk brand new 2 years ago and it is completely stock. DW started at only 4000 miles. I was going to have the oil changed soon anyway so I just had them look at it then. Their “multi point inspection” including an alignment check concluded nothing was wrong. The problem persisted. At 10k miles I brought it back for the dw. At the time I had a second car so didn’t mind that they had it a week and a half. They said they couldn’t replicate the problem but everything looked fine and they paid close attention to the steering stabilizer and the alignment and both were fine. I lived with it for a while until traveling for thanksgiving when it started happening more and more until I had to have it towed…to a dealership 2.5 hours away from home. They say that before they even bring it in the shop I have to pay for an alignment. I refused and the manager got angry because I couldn’t pick up my vehicle that day. He even threatened to leave my keys in it and I can just pick it up when I get around to it. Now jeep says it’s because I went such a long time without an alignment. Since when do jeeps need an alignment before every 5k miles? My jeep is not safe to drive, alignments and tire issues are clearly not the cause and I’m not picking up my vehicle until I can feel safe driving it the 2.5 hours back home. Currently fighting to get a loaner, waiting to get a call from my “case manage” on monday
November 29th, 2017 at 10:23 pm
I have a 2008 Sahara Limited purchased with 5000 miles on her in 2008. I had my first “Death Wobble” experience 3 years ago, replaced the steering stabilizer which fixed the issue until two weeks ago! Now the Death Wobble is back with a vengeance!! I thought it was under inflated tires, but no such luck. I will attempt to change the trac bar and put a heavy duty stabilizer on. If this does not fix the problem………………
Jeep should do a recall for this issue before someone panics and drive off an overpass!!!
If there is a class action suit, I want in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 2nd, 2018 at 3:57 pm
Well it’s back. 2008 Sahara, bought brand new, completely stock. I had my steering damper replaced since I was told it was the problem after several horrible wobble incidents. It was gone until it snowed and we had freezing temps for a few weeks. It started shaking so bad I couldn’t get it over 40mph on the New Jersey Turnpike which anyone who’s driven on it knows that will not fly. I was almost killed trying to pull over. I’m so sick of this happening. Is there any updates on a lawsuit?
March 15th, 2018 at 11:07 pm
I just experienced the ‘death wobble’ today while driving around 65-70 on a VERY busy interstate. I barely got out of the heavy truck traffic and onto a safe shoulder. I had passengers in the car and they were as horrified as I was. This is DANGEROUS and must be taken seriously by Jeep. I was afraid to drive home tonight. We stayed off the interstate and kept the speed to 50-55. I won’t take it on the interstate again until this is solved. There needs to be a recall or a class action lawsuit.
April 7th, 2018 at 7:12 am
Bought a 2008 Sahara in 2015 with 90k miles. Jeep has been getting the death wobbles since I’ve had it. And it’s only getting worse. Now it has about 123k miles. It’s factory – no big tires or lift. I won’t go above 50mph or take it on highways. I’ve had it to my local mechanic who tightened everything in the front and inspected it. Seemed fine until a trip down the blue route when I got the wobbles 5 times before having to drive with my flashers in the right lane at 35-40mph on a 70mph road. Jeep needs to take responsibility for this problem, ASAP. The Death Wobbles are NO joke!
April 12th, 2018 at 9:28 am
So I will try my best to keep short so it’s a quick and easy read. Obviously if I’m commenting it’s because same issues.
I’ve owned my 2008 4dr Jeep Wrangler for about 7 years and purchased with 50,000 miles on it from OH. I’ve since lived in OR, CA, have 153,000 miles on it, and now live in FL and it’s been ‘DW’ (Death Wobbling) on and off ofter normal services such as new tires, rotation, etc but I have not brought it in for the specific ‘Lemon Law’ reason. I will be doing that now because after dealing with it for so long I’m ready to drive it through the damn dealership window.
********** IMPORTANT OWNER/DRIVER WORKAROUND TIP*************
—- I HAVE REALIZED THAT FOR MY VEHICLE THE BAD “ZONE” IS BETWEEN 53-66 mph. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING THROUGH THE ZONE AND NOT GOING A CONSTANT SPEED YOU CAN PULL THROUGH AND GET TO FREEWAY SPEEDS AND IN EFFECT JUMP OVER ‘DW’. But you have to be really either speeding up or braking rather aggressively for this to work. Now, I am in no way a mechanic or have any experience with fixing anything with a motor, this works for my vehicle and thought I’d share my experience learned working tip.
Thank you and we are all not crazy this is a real thing…!!!
April 12th, 2018 at 12:26 pm
2002 jeep wrangler how do u fix jeep death wobble going 60 started shacking real bad
May 24th, 2018 at 3:02 pm
I hate to say it but the DW is not just in the newer jeeps. I have a 97 jeep and have been having this DW problem for years. No fix to this date.
June 9th, 2018 at 2:20 pm
I have this problamatic death wobble on my 1998 wragler and 2000 wrangler and decided not to buy any more. What I want to know is : “What is Jeep telling it’s dissatified owners about their concerns?”
June 16th, 2018 at 1:47 pm
My 2004 Wrangler developed the “death wobble” last year. So far we’ve replaced U-joints, wheel bearings, steering dampener and front-end shocks. While the dampener and shocks do help make the ride smoother, they were only replaced yesterday and today she did the wobble on uneven pavement at 60 mph or higher. It no longer feels like the front passenger tire is about to fly off; the vibrations are now “deeper” inside and running harder up into the steering column. She’s only got 118k miles on her so putting some money into her is still cheaper than buying new but getting it figured and fixed for good out is SO frustrating. (FWIW my ’91 Wrangler never had this problem.)
August 27th, 2018 at 8:40 pm
I had a new 04 Wrangler and enjoyed it until about the second or third year and the death wobbles started. For those who say it is not a big deal, you have not experienced a real death wobble or you are on Chrysler’s legal team. I have had all kinds of vehicles through the years including some in my younger days that maybe should have not been on the road, and I never experienced anything like the death wobble in this Wrangler. The Wrangler was all stock, low miles (around 25k), and well maintained, so sorry it is not just for those with aftermarket parts or maintenance issues. I took it to the dealer, and they said the front end was fine, but replaced a tire they said was bad…death wobble continued (obviously wasted money on a tire). The dealer insisted they had never heard of this problem…right. The last time it happened I was going around a bend on the freeway and made the mistake of hitting a bump..no problem in any other car, but it set off a death wobble in the Wrangler I still remember to this day. The wobble was so bad it felt like the front end was actually loosing contact with the pavement as it hopped and it was all I could do to keep in my lane.
I had heard that this had been fixed in more recent production years, but in reading the various strings on this it seems that it is still an issue. Incredible that Chrysler has not been sued. The vehicle is safe only to about 35 mph. Traded mine in many years ago and won’t be buying again. If you still own…be careful and good luck!
October 29th, 2018 at 5:02 am
I have a 2007 Wrangler that I purchased in 2008. The wobble finally started in 2015. I replaced all of the tie rods, steering damper, track arms, track bar, shocks and it was great for 3 years. It only has 70,000 miles on it and now the Wobble has started back again.
This time I replaced all of the tie rods, track bar and steering damper. My first ride on the freeway at 60 mph the car went crazy. Determined to fine the problem, I started doing additional research on YouTube. I recall one guy stated that you should take on the weight off the front end and and try a move the tires to check for play in the ball joints. After trying this I noted that there was no play and everything was super tight. However, I was determined to proceed further as I knew that there had to definitely be a problem or bad part.
I decided to tear down the entire front end anyway as I am not ready to get rid of my Jeep as it still has very low miles. I found that both lower ball joints were completely worn out. This time, I replaced both the upper and lower ball joints, the sway bar bushings and the upper and lower track arms.
I finally feel the the issue is resolved.
I’ve taken the car out driving up and down the freeway hitting dips and pot holes and no wobble.
Unfortunately don’t really like working on cars, but I simply refused to be ripped off by the Jeep dealership as I feel they are not trustworthy and could not resolve the problem. Just read the previous post!
Additionally, I did not used any Mopar parts. I which all of front end parts to “Moog” Problem Solver parts which I feel are better quality combined with the fact that all of the ball joints and tie rod ends have grease fittings which Mopar do not have!
Good luck!
November 5th, 2018 at 5:47 pm
We bought an ’04 Wrangler about 6 or 7 years ago after our other one was totaled in an accident. Love the Jeep! Lift kit, over-sized tires, 5-speed, fun to drive. The DW started about 2 years after we bought it. Driving down the freeway and it started to shake uncontrollably. Had to pull into the emergency lane and stop. Got off the freeway, got out, climbed under it. Couldn’t figure out what it was. The tires had Kevlar sidewalls and were really heavy. Bought new tires and it seemed okay for a while. Then in happened again when I was on another freeway in the city. Good thing nobody was in the lane next to me as I dove to the emergency lane. My other half was driving it yesterday and experienced the DW for the first time. Going to take it into the Jeep dealership in a couple of days. Taking Ron’s advice (previous comment) and looking into “Moog” Problem Solver parts.
November 20th, 2018 at 5:08 am
After spending hundreds of dollars repairing my 2007 Wrangler last month, I took a 145 mile trip and guess what? DW is back again!
I noted that the entire front end is much tighter, but when on the freeway driving at 55-65 mph, and hitting an extremely rough or bad area the wobble is back. I then must slow down to 35-40 mph for it to stop.
At this point, I am at a lost as to my next step. I am going to re-examine and inspect the entire front end again. My next consideration is a super heavy duty track bar and heavier front shocks.
A very interesting article was just published on 11/19/2018 in “USA TODAY” regarding this issue. A must read. (article taken down by USA Today – Admin)
We are certainly not alone and Jeep does not think that this is a safety hazard. Well, they are not the ones whose lives are in danger!!!!
November 29th, 2018 at 4:06 pm
I purchased a 2012 wrangler unlimited sport back in January of this year. Prior to purchasing the wrangler, I had the mechanic at a local shop verify there’s nothing wrong with the lift or the steering. So before I made the purchase at Bommarito I let them know the only way I walk out with that Jeep tonight is if anything that goes wrong with it like the “Death wobble” that I will bring it back and they will take care of it and they agreed. Come March of 2018 just a little under 2 months I experienced the DW and took it back to the dealership I purchased it from. They had it there for a few days and said it just needed a steering stabilizer and it was covered under the 6 month warranty they gave me. Now here we are in November and I’m still having issues. I took it to Ed Napleton Jeep the beginning of this month for this issue. After the 3rd time of taking it to them with in 2 weeks and they keep telling me that it was fine and nothing was wrong. The last time I was there they rotated my tires but never did an alignment bc they didnt have a machine for my size tires (35s). I experienced the DW like never before. Happening at lower speeds and taking a lot longer for it to slowly go away after hitting a pot hole or what not on the highway. ITS EXTREMELY SCARY. I even took a video of it to show the Service Advisor at Ed Napelton that it was clearly not fixed and needs to be looked at again. I never went back and currently in the process of contacting the Attorney General. I just want this fixed is that so hard?
So I took it to the Dealership I originally purchased it from. They had my Jeep for maybe 2 hours and called me and said that I needed 4 new tires. I went and got a 2nd opinion from a shop that specializes in Jeeps. They confirmed I needed 4 new tires and that was the cause of the DW. So I replaced all 4 tires at total of $1600. Today I am still experiencing this after I have spent a few thousand on it. I’m at a loss and looking for guidance. This is a safety issue as the last time I experienced the DW it almost caused a car accident as it made me swerve into the other lane on the highway.
January 8th, 2019 at 12:25 pm
2012 jeep wrangler 66000 miles…..I have been to the dealer and they say they can not duplicate the issue.
February 24th, 2019 at 9:52 pm
A few days ago i went to get my 2008 jeep wrangler sahara unlimited oil change and decided to get my alignment and tire rotation etc. Three day later i was driving 3 hours away and my jeep started shaking so bad and i thought i was going to wreck. it happened several times since then when i go a certain speed limit it now and im freaking out about it. I called where i got my jeep taken care of the other day and they told me that the death wobble has been happening alot lately because of snow and ice being underneath. im worried something might be wrong with my jeep. Ive had nothing but issues with it since i got it and now this. I came to work earlier and my check engine light popped up so now i got to figure out whats happening now on top of the death wobble
April 15th, 2019 at 12:48 pm
My Jeep is doing the death wobble now too. 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X, replaced the steering stabilizer, seemed to “fix” the issue for a few months (inspected and replaced stabilizer and rotated tires in January), started doing it again on my way to work today. I hit a group of potholes going about 50 MPH. The wobble stopped when I slowed down and stopped at a red light. Pretty scary. A couple even beeped at me and asked me to roll down my window. They said it looked like the wheel was going to come off. I visually inspected everything when I got to work, and it doesn’t look as if anything is loose. It’s happened to me 3 times so far, I’ve owned the Jeep for 19 months. Bought used, has 111,000 miles on it today. My hubby is a mechanic and is going to check it out for me tonight. Hoping some of the suggestions above will help! Thanks!
April 25th, 2019 at 2:15 pm
I have a 2011 JK Jeep with 19K miles on it and had the death wobble three times. Took it to the 4 Wheel parts people and they replaced a brand new steering stablizer with another one and an alignment job. Seemed to fix things but then it came back 2k miles later. I got the DW again and tried to have Chrysler look at it, but they were not willing to tackle it due to my having some suspension modifications on my jeep a small less than 2 inch lift with spring spacers, nothing that crazy. I am seeing all the YouTube videos and seeing that there are several things to check, my lower controls arm bolt should be 125 ft/lbs of torque on them and it was 80 ft/lbs. I took to a wheel alignment place and they replaced the traction bar and did a realignment again and the DW was still there. I took back home and found that wheel alignment place created more issues, they did not rotate the tires and they did not torque the traction bar to the correct 125 ft/lbs of torque. I got most of my money back except for the labor and replace the traction bar with a much stronger larger diameter adjustable bar. I also replaced the lower control arms with an adjustable one. Now my crappy JEEP is not allowing me to go over 25 mile per hour, the traction control and computer are fighting me down the road on a test drive. I will never buy another Chrysler Jeep crap car again. These are not the jeeps of yesterday, these jeeps are computer controlled nightmares to work on modify and keep happy. Turns out that my jeeps steering wheel is now out of alignment and that is why the computer was fighting me on my test drive. Now I have to make the steering wheel straight just to drive down to get the car aligned at the shop. What a joke ! This is not the vehicle for the Apocalypse or end times, it will leave you stranded when you go over a curb or big bump and the steering wheel gets out of alignment, the car will go into limp mode on the computer controlled jeep and you will get stomped by the zombies for sure.
April 25th, 2019 at 8:56 pm
@Megan: We should be able to help. Please call us at 800 536 6652 or submit your information at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html
June 2nd, 2019 at 2:34 pm
Death Wobble is a potential problem for any LADDER FRAME vehicle like the Jeep Wrangler. These frames twist. They twist a lot. The Steering, Axles, Springs, Shocks are mounted far apart from each other on this twisting FRAME. You hit a bump and the Shock twists the FRAME one way, the Axel another.
On the Wrangler, the Steering Box, in the front FRAME, can get in a vicious resonance (battle/vibration/oscillation) with the Axel (Panhard Rod) attached about eighteen inches back along the FRAME.
Sudden bumps in the road jolt Shock-Absorbers up ….abruptly twisting the FRAME and shaking everything mounted on the FRAME one way or another. The FRAME starts twisting one way then another like a dog shaking water from wet fur. This can start a resonant Death Wobble.
It’s stupid engineering to attach the CONTROL (Steering) on a wobbly connection (FRAME) far from the THING TO BE CONTROLLED (Wheels on Axel). Unfortunately this is common.
The Steering (box or rack) must be firmly mounted to the thing holding on the Wheels, in this case, the Axel.
Jeep Death Wobble is way past due for a fix. I hear some say that during the Wobble “you can still drive straight ahead”. That is not much help to those of us rounding a curve.
Jeeps are great fun vehicles. Let’s make them better.
August 13th, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Bought a 4 year old 2009 JK in 2013 with 32k miles on it. Hit a bump at high speed on the 2nd day and it wobbled like crazy. I’m sure it’s why the previous owners got rid of it. Even though they say it isn’t a safety hazard, I’m sure the violent shaking was damaging to all the rubber suspension bushings on the track bar, etc, resulting in knocking in the steering column and suspension Over the intervening years I rebuilt the front suspension and cured all that, but the problem was the steering dampener. Jeep didn’t recall the vehicle but put out a tech notice to the dealers and put a much more substantial dampener on the later models. I got that redesigned dampener and haven’t had the wobble in 5 years and 90k miles. 2 years ago, just for the hell of it, since it was cheap enough, I replaced the 2nd dampener with a 3rd new one. No more wobble…
November 11th, 2019 at 9:09 pm
I just bought a 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU in June 2019 with 14 miles on it and no modifications have been done to it. All stock. Everything was fine and it drove like a dream until I had my first tire rotation at 5000 miles. Ever since that tire rotation, if I go over a slightest bump or bridge expansion joint on the freeway going anywhere between 55 – 65 mph, it goes into the Death Wobble and I have to slow down on a busy freeway to around 40 mph for the violent shaking to stop. I’m scared to death to drive it now. Is there a correlation between this and my tire rotation?
January 7th, 2020 at 10:11 pm
I bought a 2008 JK brand new in the fall of that year. It was my 8th SWB Jeep. I’ve had everything from CJ2A, CJ5, YJ, TJ, with no death wobble problems at all, until this dreadful JK that was 100% bone stock – no mods at all. The first time it happened, was at about 45-50 after hitting a small frost heave in the pavement at about 8000 miles on the ODO. Thought I was gonna lose control, and had to come to a complete stop. Happened again on the way home 2-3 more times. Since I know my way around jeeps, I looked for loose or worn steering components, and found the steering stabilizer was worn. Strange that it would be already so, as I’d only ever replaced one once in my other jeeps. Problem went away for about 5000 miles, then resurfaced, and I replaced the stabilizer again – this time with a higher quality unit, and it has not happened since. Too many other problems plagued that Jeep – bad O2 sensors, frozen calipers, extremely short wearing rear brakes, awful traction control system, etc., so I got rid of it….but mostly because I was afraid to drive it. I lost a ton of money trading it in, but I decided I like coming home in one piece better than money.
March 12th, 2020 at 5:49 pm
Dealership sold me a 2008 Jeep Wrangler with the death wobble and it was discovered a week later. It’s very dangerous and I’m scared to drive my vehicle that I got to pay another 3 years on. I took it to the shop and was out of 2,000 dollars. I feel like it will come back any minute now. I really feel cheated and hurt at the same time.
November 9th, 2020 at 11:43 am
I bought a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport with 83k miles on it. I have had it for 3 weeks today. I was on my way home from work after a week of having it exiting off on a major hwy and my jeep started shaking violently so I pulled over on the shoulder thinking it was a blown tire. I got out looked around and nothing seemed wrong. The next day going to work it happened again on the same major hwy. I was in the middle lane with cars flying past me and just trying to get the steering under control until I lowered to 40mph then it stopped. The next day I took it to a jeep dealership and they had it for 2 days and told me my stabilizers need to be replaced. I got those replaced and installed somewhere else because they said they could not replace those since the were after market parts. Then today it happened again. I am so infuriated and upset. I called the dealership that is 4 hours away from me and then told me to call the warranty people to see if it’s covered under my warranty. I refuse to pay anymore money for something that I have only had 3 weeks. This is ridiculous. There should be more done.
February 3rd, 2021 at 10:58 pm
I have a 2008 Jeep Compass and have had it in the shop and they claim it is fixed every time I get on the highway and again it feels like my whole wheel is going to fall off. I have replaced most suspension and had four wheel alignment and it keeps getting worse and they say it’s safe to drive then I almost lose control on highway. They say bring it back and fix something else and it never ends