NHTSA Complaint #11398971 — 2021 JEEP WRANGLER

I PURCHASED THIS 2021 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2020. IT IS A TOTALLY STOCK VEHICLE WITH NO MODIFICATIONS OF ANY SORT. IT HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD AT ALL, AND ONLY ON CITY STREETS, HIGHWAYS, AND INTERSTATES, NO ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING ON A NEARBY INTERSTATE IN JANUARY OF 2021, AT ABOUT 77 MPH, A MINOR SEAM IN THE ROAD SENT MY VEHICLE INTO WHAT IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS 'DEATH WOBBLE' MODE. HAD ABOUT 4,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ON A FIVE HOUR ROAD TRIP, IT HAPPENED OVER A DOZEN TIMES ON THAT TRIP ALONE.I VIDEOED THE CAR IN VIOLENT WOBBLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND RETURNED THE CAR FOR ANOTHER DAY OF SERVICE. THE LOCAL JEEP SERVICE CENTER ORDERED A 'STEERING DAMPER' ASSEMBLY AS A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH THE 2021 WRANGLERS COME WITH THAT STEERING DAMPER AS STANDARD EQUIPMENT STARTING THIS YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PART IS ON AN EXTENDED BACK-ORDER, I AM TOLD, AND WON'T BE AVAILABLE FOR SOME TIME. IN THE MEANTIME, THEY DID A 'ROAD-FORCE' WHEEL AND TIRE BALANCE AS AN INTERIM FIX. ONE TIRE WAS AT 24 LBS, ONE WAS AT 17 LBS, AND THE OTHER TWO WERE AT 10 LBS AND 1 LBS. SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS HAD FEWER, MOMENTARY, WOBBLES OF MUCH SHORTER DURATION, AND HAS RECOVERED QUICKLY MORE IT DOES WOBBLE BRIEFLY AT SLOWER SPEEDS NOW AS WELL. WHILE DRIVING, I CAN FEEL THE SUPPRESSED WOBBLES IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND GAS PEDAL AND AM CONCERNED FOR SAFETY AND CONTINUED WEAR AND DAMAGE TO FRONT SUSPENSION AND TIRES, AND THE FREQUENCY OF HAVING TO DO COSTLY ROAD FORCE BALANCING ON THE TIRES. I LOVE THE JEEP BUT I'VE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE CAR AT THIS POINT. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO UPLOAD SOME VIDEO OF ONE OF MY CARS DEATH WOBBLES, SHOWING ITS INTENSITY, AND REFUSAL TO SUBSIDE UNTIL DECELERATED TO ABOUT 55 MPH. THE VIDEO EXCEEDS THE SPACE ALLOWED FOR THIS DOCUMENT, SO YOU'D HAVE TO CONTACT ME TO ARRANGE ANOTHER WAY TO VIEW IT IF NECESSARY.