2020 JEEP WRANGLER Steering Problems
230 NHTSA complaints on file
Steering Issues in the 2020 JEEP WRANGLER
230 steering complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2020 JEEP WRANGLER. Of these, 6 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, and 1 resulted in injury.
230
Complaints
6
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Steering Complaints
My jeep steering wheel and entire vehicle shake violently at high speeds and after a bump.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and was difficult to maneuver. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering damper, inner tie rods, adjuster sleeve, outer tie rods, and the drag link assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer, Vallejo Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (4325 Sonoma Blvd, Vallejo, CA 94589), where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering damper, inner tie rods, adjuster sleeve, outer tie rods, and the drag link assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage...
Steering wheel electrical failure. Melted wiring inside steering wheel. Potential airbag and steering safety failure. Serious safety defect. Fire risk! While getting ready to leave a retail parking lot with heated steering wheel on, we became overwhelmed with fumes. Noticed the steering wheel was hot. Immediately shut off the car and opened the doors. When the fumes subsided, started the car and made sure the heated steering wheel was off. It no longer worked at all, when car was re-started. This could have been life threatening had we been traveling on the highway and not in a parking lot. Took vehicle to our dealer- Central Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge for repair. Dealer service advisor unable to diagnose exact cause due to extent of damage. Also commented shock that we didn’t experience a fire that could have caused the airbag to explode as well. Service advisor stated steering wheel heating element short and steering...
Death wobble really bad
I purchased this 2020 Jeep Wrangler from SunToyota car dealership in Holiday, FL on [XXX]. There have been several ongoing concerning safety issues with this vehicle and the car dealership over the past year since I purchased it. My vehicle has had immediate malfunctions and service visits upon purchase. On 12/31/24, the car went to the shop for broken visor (as is) as listed on service invoice- during this same visit I explained that turn signals lights were not functioning properly- was told that it was too much labor and they are aftermarket lights that the dealership cannot fix- dealership did not attempt to rectify the issue at this time. Broken visor/turn signal lights did not function properly upon purchase of the vehicle. In February, the car had what is known as the “death wobble” on major highways [XXX] and [XXX] in Florida, which was an extremely dangerous experience for...
Suddenly at 82,000 miles, my 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sport S 4 door began shaking uncontrollably while I was driving. It was a terrifying experience. I took it to the mechanic and he replaced the steering damper. The uncontrollable shaking continued. The mechanic replaced the steering damper again. The shaking continues. I have had a wheel alignment and tires balanced. I am scared to drive the vehicle. I don't know what else to do, except trade it in?
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced the "Death Wobble". The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle violently shuddered and vibrated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving on uneven pavement on two separate occasions. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Problem seems to be within the steering component.While driving it wanders back and forth pretty bad. Yes it would available for inspection if requested. It has not been confirmed by a dealer but i have reed many complaints about the same problem.I think it is dangerous the way it wanders.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking violently. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the shaking was extremely violent, and the vehicle was uncontrollable. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway. The contact stated that a tractor-trailer driver who was nearby slowed down to assist the contact with getting the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was driven to the residence. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred three times within an hour of the contact driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the vehicle was still at the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made...
The steering is very loose in this model, ive read that its caused by an aluminum steering gear and replacements are steel, this is a huge safety concern and a hefty repair a vehicle that had less than 40k miles
One day, my check engine light came on but when I went to Auto Zone no issues came back. The light came on again a week later so I went back to Auto Zone (I attached the photo of the diagnostic they gave me). I went back to the Jeep Dealership and they said the next available would about a week later but I would be fine in the meantime. I unfortunately was not fine. I attached screenshots from the video of all the issues that popped up during the incident a few days later. My steering wheel locked up while I was driving. My car came to a complete sudden stop like it automatically went into park while I was driving. Then, the windshield wipers started going by themselves. My gas meter went down to E then back up and down. The car not go into park and it...
I was pulling into work when my dash lit up with all warning lights, I was unable to shut my vehicle off. I had to disconnect the battery to do so. After a couple hours of being disconnected, it operated normal. Few hours later, went to leave a store and it lit up again, this time my steering was nonfunctional. The common issue was the can buss connector. For several years this has been an issue, apparently a TSB was placed but I am unable to find it. This should be a national recall. This part controls literally every electrical component of this vehicle. It's I intermittent and unknown to when it will malfunction. This creates a huge hazard to driving as when it does malfunction, you're unable to steer, your vehicle can shut off, it's not safe at all. Then come to find that the part isn't even covered...
Wiring to the steering column melted causing concerns with air bag.Dealer wants us to purchase a new steering wheel
When 4h on transfer case is on,the front tire wobble when turning even in a slow driving speed. Also suspension is very horrible when the vehicle is running on an uneven pavement driver and passenger were like being shaken inside left to right vise versa .
Death Wobble on this vehicle. It shakes uncontrollably at higher speeds after hitting a bump in the road.
steering seems off like u having to turn wheel a good distance before the wheels actually turn , not safe whatsoever ! i did have something done to steering a while back but don’t remember what it was
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65-70 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was related to the track bar. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the death wobble failure was intermittent but had progressed over time. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
I have a 2020 Jeep Wrangler with 42,000 miles on it and the steering damper malfunctioned twice causing my vehicle to shake while on the interstate going about 70 mph. Very unsafe when you are in the middle of traffic going the same mph and have to slow down for the shaking / wobble to stop. I am scared that it will do it again. I’m paying a nice payment each month for my Jeep and I shouldn’t have to worry about a manufactures part malfunctioning on me while driving. I took it to the Jeep dealer and had it repaired right away. I feel like the repair costs should be reimbursed since this is a “known issue” for this model. There were no warning signs for this incident either. Very unsafe and should be taken care of from the manufacturer. Please issue a recall on this VIN to help...
Wandering steering at highway speeds, unable to maintain safe control of the vehicle
- (1) failed/black instrument cluster/panel. unable to see mileage, fuel level, engine temperature, tire pressure, etc. - I can hear multiple warning lights going off, but I'm unable to see any. - the vehicle has been brought in for servicing at my nearest jeep dealership - the vehicle is currently being inspected at my nearest jeep dealership - there were no warning messages or lamps prior to failure. the issue first appeared on 1/25/2025. the panel has not turned on since.
- when driving on the highway, vehicle and steering wheel will shake uncontrollably if going over any bumps or grooves. vehicle is available for inspection and is currently being inspected by nearest dealership. - car would begin shaking and steering wheel would begin shaking and locking up. - problem is currently being assessed by nearest jeep dealership. - no warning signs or messages appeared prior to vehicle and steering wheel trembling. problem first appeared 1/2/2024.
About 70-75 mph the entire vehicle shakes briefly, and steering wheel will wobble, the steering wheel will wobble uncontrollable on bumps at HWY speed. There doesn't appear to be any worn or damaged parts.
Steering wheel gets very hot and the steering wheel and steering column start to smoke. Burning smell is toxic. This is a safety issue that needs to be repaired by Jeep.
While driving on a freeway, going over 40mph if I hit a bump or do not grip to my steering wheel very very tight the steering wheel gets wobbly, and starts shaking violently for a long period of time until I slow back down to under 30mph. Luckily traffic wasn’t too bad and I was able to safely do so. But it’s dangerous to slow down that much on the freeway, especially not having complete control over the steering wheel. Has happened multiple times, not just this once.
When driving at freeway speeds, bumps in the road cause the "death wobble". This has occured on multiple occasions. The wobble remains until the jeep comes to a complete stop.
During highway speeds when terrain changes during a slight turn or just terrain changes in road jeep starts to shake and vibrate violently lasting a minute untill slowing down finally stops it
Just purchased a 2020 Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited 4 door. At low speeds, the vehicle wanders a little on the road. At highway speeds, in traffic, the vehicle swerves towards passing vehicles. In heavy traffic, it becomes a white-knuckle experience trying not to hit or be hit by other vehicles. The steering is just so loose that it feels unsafe. Noticed online that many other Jeep owners complain of loose steering as well. Jeep has published a Service Bulletin # 08-074-20 to address the known issue but has not issued a formal recall.
I recently purchased a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon from a private party. The vehicle has not been used much for highway driving, only town. During driving at several different speeds, I have experienced difficulty in controlling steering to include but not limited to instances of jerking and the vehicle drifting from side to side. When these episode have transpired the vehicle failed to drive in a straight line. Additionally, while driving at highway speeds and pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle has drifted severely to the left. As the vehicle is under warranty, I set up an appointment at South Point Jeep in Tulsa, Ok and notified the repair person of the issue. I was advised that my vehicle had no open recalls and that they did not take into consideration any TSB's. The vehicle has not yet been repaired.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel was difficult to control, causing the vehicle to drift from side to side. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to drive in a straight line. Additionally, while driving at highway speeds and pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was drifting to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear box was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under a Manufacturer Extended Coverage to address the failure. The failure mileage was 25.
Our vehicle developed a steering problem and a friend told me that there was an issue with Jeeps that had an aluminum steering box and he gave me a copy of a TSB that described the exact problem I was having. I took the Jeep to the Jeep dealer that we have used to do all of our service work. The told me the problem was caused by the aluminum steering box as the TSB stated. The service manager at the dealership refused to warranty the work because it was past the warranty. He told me he has changed out several, but for him to do the work Jeep would have to authorize the work and gave me the number to call. I call Jeep Cares and received a case number. I received an email from Sugeeth, the case manager. He then called and let me know he would contact...
I have a 2020 Jeep Wrangler JL that I purchased in October of 2023. Since the day I bought it I noted that it wanders down the road and requires constant steering correction, left/right right/left left/left right/right and so on. It has excessive freeplay at top dead center of the steering. Mfg issued a TSB acknowledging the defective steering boxes that Jeep installed in our wranglers from 2018-2020. However, for those of us that bought used, they will not replace these dangerous steering gear boxes and I have had multiple close calls where even a moments inattention can result in the vehicle ending up in an adjacent lane or onto the shoulder of the road. This is not safe and the steering gear box TSB must be made a recall by NHTSA before someone ends up dead because of this safety issue.
Right after leaving work, the following message appear shifter error. Dash light up marking all type of errors whipers, gasoline, motor, etc. And the most scary part was NO power steering at all. Then ONE second latter it totally shut down. Thanks GAD! there where no cars behind me or next to me and I was able to pull over and tuns on my emergency lights.But I was about to go into the freeway only 2 blocks away from it. Just imagine! that happening at 65 or 70 miles in rush hour. I consider that my life was in danger with this issue, Not only mine everyone driving around me. What if it happens again? I am truly afraid to drive my jeep in a freeway or even travel.
While traveling on the interstate 3 months ago, my 2020 Jeep Wrangler began to vibrate violently after driving over a seam in the road while traveling around 70mph. After slowing down and pulling over, I assessed the exterior of the car and tires for any obvious defects and continued on without identifying any structural problems. Within the next 20 miles the violent reverberations occurred again. We pulled over, concerned that something catastrophic could occur and brought the Jeep to a local mechanic. The mechanic suggested that the wheels should be balanced which we complied with, although we had just recently had a tire rotation and balance prior to this trip, but thought perhaps the violent shaking caused the tires to misalign. That same day, we searched online to see if others had experienced a similar phenomenon and learned about the "death wobble". We called Jeep that day and they would...
Driving on Interstate at 60 miles an hour, the vehicle shook back and forth so violently that I nearly lost control. I though something had broken in the suspension, and it was all all I could do to remain in my lane and get to the nearest off ramp. It subsided when I got off the freeway, where I physical inspected the wheels but couldn't find any visible issues with the suspension. It hasn't happened since (but now I stay off the freeway). I've taken the vehicle to the local Jeep dealer and was told that the issue is a known manufacture defect, which they referred to as an insane shake, and was told that I need to purchase a sway bar to correct the defect. No warning lighting appeared before or after.
At or about 68mph always while on interstate highways if I drive over certain bumps in the road my vehicle gets a dangerous shaking of the steering wheel that is very violent shaking. This shaking does not stop until I bring my vehicle to a complete stop.
Power steering failed and lost engine power. Very dangerous and potentially life threatening event. Unit would not start again for at least 15 minutes. This is the second time this has happened since the dealership was supposed to have fixed by changing out the battery. I reiterate THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS EVENTS AND COULD CAUSE A FATAL TRAFFIC ACCIDENT.
STEERING WANDERS AS IF SOMETHING IS LOOSE IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. IT FEELS LIKE IT WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO A WOBBLE IF I HIT A BUMP OR RUT IN THE ROAD. I HAD IT LOOKED AT AND MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING WRONG. HE RE-BALANCED THE FRONT TIRES BUT IT STILL WANTS TO WANDER AS IF THERE IS TOO MUCH PLAY IN THE STEERING....
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at 53 MPH, the vehicle was uncontrollably shaking for about a minute. The contact stated that after the shaking ceased, the contact was able to drive to the destination. The contact also stated that the failure had occurred three times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed steering damper and the steering damper needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 32,533.
While driving around 44 mph the vehicle started with a death wobble, steering wheel started shaking very hard at the point I almost lost control of the vehicle and crossed the other lane. It’s very scary and dangerous that if another driver is close,we could have an accident.
In September of this year, I would get a random code thrown by the computer, usually telling me that the sway bar disconnected required service, but sometimes it was also the 4wd system. These codes would reset themselves within a few minutes, but I still took it to a dealership for a checkup. The dealership told me that since it currently was not throwing any codes there wasn't really anything they could do. The problem continued to worsen over the next few months. The codes thrown become more varied. I took the vehicle to the dealership two more times and again, no solution was found. Sometimes in the morning when I would go to start the vehicle, it would start, but would not allow the shifter to move, saying that service was required. I took it to the dealerhip again, and no solution could be found. Then the worse started...
I was on [XXX] when my jeep started shaking violently I pulled over in a rest area. Checked my tires and lug nuts everything seemed fine. Got back on [XXX] and about 5 miles later it happened again. On Friday [XXX] going to holly hill I hit a rough spot and my jeep wrangler shook violently again!! I caller a dodge dealer service department explained what happened and the young man called it a (DEATH WOBBLE) VERY SCARY!!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When vehicle goes over bump on roadway at elevated speed - vehicle steering vibrates uncontrollably.
Driving on the highway, I traveled over a concrete expansion joint which caused my vehicle to shake violently from side to side with the steering wheel moving approximately six inches in either direction. The shake/vibration stopped after speed was reduced to under 40mph. This happened multiple times travelling the same day on the freeway. The dealership recommended replacing the steering damper with a more robust part which I did -- it wasn't covered under warranty because the original steering damper wasn't compromised but I was told with this more robust one I would probably never experience it again. This was the scariest event I've encountered in a vehicle. Reproduction of the event was not consistently repeatable. This event happed on October 30, 2023 on I-695 in Maryland.
My Jeep dealership has confirmed that a Steering Damper replacement is necessary to keep the vehicle from experiencing what is called the "Death Wobble". After going over a few bumps the entire front end shakes as if there is a flat tire. Slowing down and pulling over remedies the problem. A driver who witnessed this pulled me over to say he thought I was going to lose my driver's wheel and suggested I keep under 35 MPH. The jeep has 20,800 miles on it. The dealership reported that each dealer can only order a small number of these parts per month as there is such a backlog. It's estimated they could order mine in March of 2024! In the meantime, they don't suggest I drive the vehicle. This is OUTRAGEOUS!
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering violently, the wheels were wobbling, and the steering wheel was vibrating significantly, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The contact was able to regain control of the steering wheel and pull to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that she continued driving, and the vehicle operated as intended. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred 24 hours later. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering damper needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 49,300.
My steering is very loose on my 2020 Jeep Sahara. This is a continuous issue-it has been this way since I bought it.
bolts holding steering box stretching and coming loose.
While traveling at highway speeds the vehicle will shake violently after driving over pavement imperfections. Most frequently this is the seem between the road and a bridge. Car is stock. The occurrence of this wobble has become more frequent as of recent.
Randomly the check engine light will appear and the dash will display multiple messages about service needed for traction control, stability control, auto start stop disabled, service cruise control etc. Then while driving you will lose power steering and this almost caused my daughter to wreck while trying to finish a turn. Additionally when the messages appear the vehicle will not have the ability to shift so you can not reverse and once it shut off in the middle of the highway blocking traffic and almost caused multiple accidents. The dealership has replaced the battery sensor and said it was fixed. I was told to replace the primary and secondary battery to ensure it was not a battery problem and I did, however the issue still remains. Looked online for others with this issue and there are many with the exact problem. The Jeep will report the transmission temperature and...
I have had to replace 2 steering dampers in my 2020 Jeep Wrangler that has only 24,000 miles. Whenever the vehicle reaches speeds over 50 mph the steering becomes very loose, needing to constantly steer left and right. If there is any change to the road surface such as a bridge, uneven pavement or bump in road, vehicle loses control in steering making the need for you to come to a stop to regain control.
Other 2020 JEEP WRANGLER Problem Areas
Electrical System
140 complaints
Unknown Or Other
55 complaints
Suspension
49 complaints
Engine
46 complaints
Power Train
44 complaints
Visibilitywiper
31 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
27 complaints
Structurebody
14 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
12 complaints
Wheels
12 complaints
Service Brakes
11 complaints
Exterior Lighting
9 complaints
Fuel System Gasoline
7 complaints
Air Bags
6 complaints
Seats
6 complaints
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
4 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
4 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
3 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings
3 complaints
Back Over Prevention
2 complaints
Back Over Prevention Warnings
2 complaints
Structureinterior Panelssun Visor
2 complaints
Tires
2 complaints
Back Over Prevention Camera System
1 complaint
Electrical System12v24v48v Battery
1 complaint
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
1 complaint
Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryhoses Linespiping And Fittings
1 complaint
Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection
1 complaint
Lane Departure Warning
1 complaint
Seat Belts
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulic
1 complaint
Traction Control System
1 complaint