NHTSA Complaint #10371368 — 2007 JEEP WRANGLER

DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, AND THE FRONT END BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I STARTED PULLING OVER AND WHEN I GOT DOWN TO 35 MPH, THE SHAKING STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITHOUT INCIDENCE, AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY. THIS WAS A STOCK JEEP BOUGHT NEW WITHOUT ANY AFTER-MARKET ALTERATIONS WITH ONLY 52K MILES. I TOOK IT INTO MIDAS, AND THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW STEERING STABILIZER. THEY REPLACED IT, AND IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC, AND THEY REPLACED TRACKBAR, BUT IT DIDN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT BACK TO MIDAS, AND THEY PUT ANOTHER NEW STABILIZER, STILL HAD THE PROBLEM WITH EVER-INCREASING FREQUENCY. I PUT NEW TIRES ON THE CAR, AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT 20K MILES. AT 73K, THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. THIS TIME I TOOK IT THE JEEP DEALER. THEY KNEW WHAT THE "DEATH WOBBLE" WAS, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK EVERYTHING. THEY REPORTED BACK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE COMPONENTS, AND SUGGESTED I GET THE TIRES BALANCED AGAIN. I GOT THE TIRES BALANCED AND TOOK IT BACK A WEEK LATER TO THE DEALER AS THE PROBLEM WAS HAPPENING WITH MORE FREQUENCY, AND NOW WAS OCCURRING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 45-55 MPH. I SUGGESTED A PARTICULAR PATCH OF HIGHWAY FOR A TEST DRIVE. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID, "THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG." THEY THEN WORKED WITH CHRYSLER TO IDENTIFY AND "SOLVE" THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE TIRE RODS AND JOINTS. THREE DAYS LATER I EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM AGAIN, AND THEN AGAIN, AND AGAIN. I HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $1400 TO "FIX" THIS PROBLEM, AND IT CONTINUES TO PERSIST. DO AN ONLINE SEARCH OF "DEATH WOBBLE" AND YOU'LL FIND ENTRY AFTER ENTRY AND EVEN VIDEOS. I'M REALLY WORRIED THAT ONE OF THESE TIMES WHEN I AND FORCED TO QUICKLY SLOW DOWN AND HEAD TO THE SHOULDER, I'M GOING TO END UP REAR ENDED BY A TRACTOR TRAILER.