NHTSA Complaint #11331765 — 2020 JEEP GLADIATOR

WANDERING STEERING AT HIGHWAY & FREEWAY SPEEDS IS UNSETTLING AND UNSAFE. I DROVE HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP 40 MILES AND THOUGHT THE WIND MUST BE CAUSING THE TRUCK TO DART ALL OVER THE FREEWAY. I DROVE ON THE STREET THE NEXT WEEK, NOT NEARLY AS NOTICEABLE AND WITH THE CROWN ON THE SURFACE STREETS IT'S HARDER TO FEEL. THE NEXT WEEK, A 70 MILE TRIP SOUTH WAS EXHAUSTING. I THOUGHT SOMETHING MIGHT BE BROKEN. BUMPING THE RUMBLE STRIP ON THE FOG LINE AND THE BOTTS DOTS IN THE LANE LINE WAS THE NORM THE WHOLE TRIP ON THE FREEWAY. THE AMOUNT OF TAKE-UP IN THE STEERING IS AN ARC OF 10 DEGREES OR MORE WHEN PARKED AND ENGINE OFF - THAT'S STEERING BOX SLOP. AN URGENT TURN ISN'T POSSIBLE, AND TURNING WHILE BRAKING IS SKETCHY AT BEST. THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT MY TRUCK FROM FORGOT MY NAME AS SOON AS WE DROVE OFF THE LOT - FINE, I GET IT. DON'T LIE TO ME AND TELL ME THAT SCARY STEERING IS NORMAL, DRIVE A RAM 1500 AND YOU WON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. GETTING PUSHED OFF BY THE SERVICE MANAGER ON A SAFETY ISSUE IS WRONG. I TOOK OUR TRUCK TO AN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION SPECIALTY SHOP AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOT ENOUGH CASTER IN THE FACTORY GEOMETRY, WHICH THE FACTORY TRIES TO MASK WITH TOO MUCH TOE IN. THEY MEASURED EVERYTHING, SAID IT WAS IN FACTORY SPEC. THE DEAD SPOT IN THE STEERING BOX IS EXACERBATING THE POORLY ENGINEERED FRONT AXLE PROBLEM (LACK OF CASTER). I HAVE A 93 WRANGLER THAT HAS MORE PURPOSEFUL STEERING, THAT'S JUST NOT RIGHT. WHEN STEERING ENGINEERING FIXES ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE IN THE AFTER MARKET, AND FCA HAS ALREADY IMPROVED THE 2020 JL WRANGLER STEERING FROM THE FACTORY (SEE MEDIA/PRESS ARTICLES), THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. PLEASE MAKE FCA FIX THIS SAFETY ISSUE.