1998 JEEP CHEROKEE Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT AREA OF THE VEHICLE AND THE SUSPENSION WAS UNSTABLE, THE CHECK ENGINE, MULTIPLE GAUGES, AND VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED RANDOMLY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE TO DETERMINE IF THEY COULD INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

MY NAME IS [XXX]....BOUGHT A 1998 JEEP CHEROKEE LIMITED APPROX. 2001 FROM A PRIVATE OWNER...FROM NORTHBORO MA.....MINT CONDITION...ONLY 11,000 MI. ....OWNER TOLD ME HE BOUGHT IT FOR HIS WIFE SO SHE COULD PLOW THEIR QUARTER MILE LONG DRIVEWAY.....HE INSTALLED A SMALL PLOW ASSEMBLY ON JEEP....WHEN ASKED WHY HE WAS SELLING HE TOLD ME IT WASN'T ENOUGH TRUCK TO GET THE JOB DONE.....DRIVEWAY HAD MULTIPLE SHARP CURVES AND A SIGNIFICANT INCLINE....I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY WIFE TO RUN LOCAL....GROC, SCHOOL, ETC.....SHE LOVED IT.....NEVER ONCE HAD IT ON THE FREEWAY.....I TOOK IT ONE DAY ON THE I-495....HIT A DIP WHERE THERE WAS A BRIDGE...GOING ABOUT 65....THIS VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO LITERALLY FALL APART AROUND ME.....VERY SCARY [XXX]....SUBSEQUENTLY HAD THE FRONT END LOOKED AT.....FOUND SOME LOOSE [XXX]....SOLID....WIFE NEVER HAD IT ON HWY....I TOOK IT AGAIN A YR LATER....SAME [XXX] THING....I THOUGHT MAYBE THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID...

AT APPROXIMATELY 55MPH VEHICLE BEGAN WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED BY OTHER JEEP OWNERS AS "DEATH WOBBLE', A VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE FRONT END THAT ONLY GOES AWAY AFTER SLOWING DOWN. I DON'T RECALL HITTING ANY HEAVY BUMPS, JUST THE USUAL ROAD CRACKS COMMON ON HIGHWAYS IN SOUTHERN OREGON. AFTER THE FIRST OCCURANCE, EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE REACHES APPROX. 55MPH THE SHAKING REOCCURS.I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS CAUSED BY POORLY DESIGNED COMPONENTS IN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE CHEROKEE (XJ) MODEL AS WELL AS OTHER JEEP MODELS USING THE SAME FRONT SUSPENSION DESIGN. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS IS VERY COMMON, AND THAT CHRYSLER SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS LONG AGO, BUT DID NOT. WHEN WILL THEY FINALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE?

THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE JEEP HIT A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD AND THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR BEGAN TO OSCILLATE AT HIGH SPEED. THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE IT STOP WAS TO SLOW DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY DURING TRAFFIC. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES PER HOUR. AFTER THE OSCILLATION STOPPED WE BEGAN TRAVELLING AGAIN AND GOT UP TO 55 MPH AGAIN. A SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD WAS HIT AND SAME SITUATION OCCURRED. THIS VEHICLE HAS A COMPLETELY STOCK SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND WE'VE ONLY OWNED IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 YEARS. *JS

I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK HEADED SOUTH ON I-69 IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA. I HAD JUST PASSED THE INDIANA STATE ROAD 14 UNDERPASS WHEN A SEMI TRUCK TIRE AND RIM (THE WHOLE THING) CAME OFF A SEMI TRUCK AND ROLLED ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC WHERE MY JEEP HIT IT. IT HIT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY JEEP. DIRECTLY IN THE FRONT BUT THE RIGHT HALF OF THE BUMPER/FRONT END. THE TIRE THEN WENT UNDER MY CAR WHERE IT FORCED ME TO SLIDE IN TO THE CEMENT MEDIAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY HITTING MY DRIVER SIDE FRONT BUMPER AT ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR OR SO. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

RECENTLY I HAVE NOTICED THAT AT SPEEDS OF AROUND 50-60 MPH MY JEEP CHEROKEE BEGINS TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED OR AFTER PASSING OVER A BUMP. WHILE RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE I HAVE DETERMINED THAT IT IS SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE BEING CHARACTERIZED AS "DEATH WOBBLE." THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND APPEARS TO BE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO FAULTY FRONT END COMPONENT DESIGN ON JEEP CHEROKEES/WRANGLERS. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF I AM NOT BRACED AND PREPARED FOR THIS, THAT THIS COULD EASILY ESCALATE INTO A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE ACCIDENT/CRASH. WHILE RESEARCHING ONLINE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON CONDITION AMONG JEEP OWNERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS MATTER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IF THE VEHICLE HIT A SMALL BUMP ON THE ROAD VEHICLE WILL SHAKE AND VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY. *AK

UNDER ANY SPEED VEHICLE WILL PULL TO RIGHT, AND DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

VEHICLE WOULD WOBBLE AND WANDER FROM THE INTENDED STEADY STRAIGHT LINE PATH AND THAT HE EXPERIENCED VIBRATION WHILE ACCELERATING AND BRAKING.