NHTSA Complaint #10496895 — 2009 JEEP WRANGLER

I HAVE EXPERIENCE WHAT IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE "WRANGLER DEATH WOBBLE" ON OVER THREE OCCASIONS. THESE ARE DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE THE STEERING BEGINS TO WOBBLE UNCONTROLLABLY SIDE TO SIDE. THE VIOLENCE OF THE WOBBLE INCREASES QUICKLY MAKING IT TOUGH TO HOLD ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND MAINTAIN CONTROL, ESPECIALLY IF THIS OCCURS IN MULTI-LANE ROADS. INCREASING SPEED RESULTS IN THE WOBBLE BECOMING MORE VIOLENT. THE ONLY WAY TO RECOVER IS TO BRAKE QUICKLY AND BRING YOUR VEHICLE TO A NEAR STOP (AT LEAST UNDER 5 MPH) BEFORE THE WOBBLING SUBSIDES. THE "DEATH WOBBLE" APPEARS TO BE BROUGHT ON BY THE JEEP TIRES HITTING A POT HOLE, RAILROAD CROSSING, OR OTHER ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROAD AT A SLIGHT ANGLE. USUALLY AROUND 35+ MPH. FASTER SPEEDS, SUCH AS HIGHWAY (55-75) DO NOT SEEM TO CREATE THE ISSUE BUT ACCELERATING TO ENTER A HIGHWAY DOES, AND HAS IN MY CASE AS YOU PASS BETWEEN 30-40MPH. TO RECOVER THE DRIVER AGGRESSIVELY APPLY THE BRAKES (WITHOUT WARNING TO THOSE BEHIND THEM) AS THE WOBBLE SEVERITY INCREASES QUICKLY. THIS CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE. THE WOBBLE ALSO HAS AN ADVERSE AFFECT ON THE STEERING DAMPERS WHICH SOON BEGIN LEAKING FLUIDS FROM THE VIOLENT WOBBLES. *TR