NHTSA Complaint #10394688 — 2008 JEEP WRANGLER

WE WERE DRIVING ON A LIMITED ACCESS HIGHWAY WHEN I HIT A SECTION OF ROUGH A ROUGH ROAD ABOUT 6 FEET LONG. THE FRONT END, STEERING WHEEL & TRANSMISSION SHOOK VIOLENTLY! ONCE I GOT BELOW 45 MPH IT STOPPED. I COULD NOT STEER THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES NOW AT SPEEDS AS LOW AS 50 MPH. IT WOULD HAPPEN A LOT MORE IF I DID NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN I COME ACROSS PATCHED SPOTS IN THE ROAD OR WHERE OVERPASSES AND BRIDGES MEET THE SOLID ROAD BED. ON SMOOTH ROADS, THERE IS NO VIBRATION THAT I CAN FEEL. I TALKED TO THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND HE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. IT HAS NEVER BEEN OFF ROAD, LIFTED OR WRECKED. THE GARAGE REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR BOX UNDER WARRANTY AND I PAID FOR THE ALIGNMENT CHECK AND TIRE BALANCE. I ROTATED THE TIRED AND THEN PUT A NEW TIRE ON THE RIGHT FRONT. I CHECKED FOR PLAY IN ALL THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING AND FOUND VERY LITTLE. THE GARAGE SAID THEY FOUND NONE. I THEN INSTALLED A HEAVY DUTY STEERING STABILIZER. IT DID NOT HELP. THE GARAGE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THEY COULD DO. WHEN I ASKED JEEP WAS THEIR A PROBLEM CALLED DEATH WOBBLE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF POSTINGS, THEY DID NOT ANSWER. INSTEAD, THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED I BUY 4 NEW TIRES AND GET A ROAD FORCE BALANCE. A FRIEND SENT ME TO ANOTHER JEEP DEALER TO TALK TO HIS FRIEND, WHO WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT ON OTHER JEEPS. THERE WAS NO REMEDY OR HELP FROM CHRYSLER JEEP. HE HAS HAD IT HAPPEN TO HIM AND WILL NOT RIDE IN OR DRIVE ONE AGAIN. HE SUGGESTED NOT DRIVING INTERSTATES AND BELOW 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. I AM 68 YEAR OLD RETIRED CAR, TRUCK, HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL MECHANIC SUPERVISOR. THE JEEP IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. BF