NHTSA Complaint #10731957 — 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE 210 FWY EAST NEAR THE HILL STREET OFF-RAMP IN PASADENA-CA THE CAR'S FRONT END STARTED TO SHAKE & BOUNCE VIOLENTLY WHILE WOBBLING TOWARDS THE RIGHT. IT FELT AS OF THE CAR WOULD FALL APART AND WE (OCCUPANTS) WERE VERY SCARED. AFTER REDUCING MY SPEED TO ABOUT 35MPH THE SHAKING/BOUNCING STOPPED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED BACK TO NORMAL. I CHECKED THE WEB TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS. TO MY SURPRISE THE INTERNET HAS NUMEROUS ENTRIES OF PEOPLE IN JEEPS EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME AND NAMING IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE". THE SITES SUGGEST DIFFERENT CURES BUT AFTER REPLACING ALL FRONT SHOCKS, STEERING HOUSING, STEERING DAMPERS AND ALL SUSPENSION BUSHINGS AND REPLACING TIRES AND HAVING ALIGNMENT CHECKED THE PROBLEM REMAINED AS I EXPERIENCED IT TWICE MORE AFTER ALL THE WORK WAS DONE. ON 04/08/'15 I TOOK THE CAR TO ALHAMBRA CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE "DEATH WOBBLE" SO I HANDED THEM AN INTERNET PRINTOUT CLEARLY EXPLAINING THE SYMPTOMS. AFTER INSPECTION THE WORKORDER LISTED THE REAR SHOCKS NEEDING IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT AND FRONT SUSPENSION TO "MAY FUTURE ATTENTION". SINCE EVERYTHING ON FRONT SUSPENSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THE REAR SHOCKS AND DOUBLE CHECKED ALL SUSPENSION FASTENERS, BALL JOINTS AND WHEELBEARINGS. STILL THE PROBLEM, THE DEATH WOBBLE", OCCURRED ONCE MORE. BASED ON THE INTERNET LISTINGS MY CASE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND SINCE DURING THE WOBBLE THE CAR IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND MOVES EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AN ACCIDENT IS SURE TO HAPPEN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. BY THE WAY I AM AN ASA MASTER TECH, CERTIFIED IN ENGINES, TRANSMISSIONS (MANUAL & AUTOMATIC), SUSPENSION, BRAKES, A/C AND BODY AND KNOW HOW TO WORK ON CARS. THIS PROBLEM BAFFLES ME. THANK YOU. *TR