general problems of the 1998 Jeep Wrangler

Four problems related to steering have been reported for the 1998 Jeep Wrangler. The most recently reported issues are listed below.

1 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/26/2012

Death wobble, front end shakes violently at higher freeway speeds. Very fearful to drive on other than streets. Has happened several times the last 2 years. Purchased Jeep used 5 years ago but only started to have wobble last 2 years since im retired and don't drive long distances very often and not don't want to drive anywhere that requires me to use freeways.

2 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/13/2012

Jeep death wobble. Scary!.

3 Steering problem

Failure Date: 03/29/2003

I have had numerous problems with my Jeep Wrangler 1998. This is a partial list I sent to Chrysler: I bought my Jeep with just 3600 miles on it from a dealer in 1999. From day one I started experiencing problems. Many of them I returned to the service department. Some they were able to fix, others, after many return trips, they were 'unable to duplicate the problem'. 1. Gauges would stop working while driving - I brought the vehicle in 5 times before they were able to duplicate and finally fix the problem. 2. This was also true of the blinkers that not always worked - or worked all at the same time. 3. My hazards still do not work every time. 4. The air conditioner goes out when driving,very uncomfortable when it is hot and raining. 5. The sound bar has never worked properly - first it would only come in some times - now never. 6. Headers are cracked - bad. They have been welded several times. When I went to have them welded it was found they were welded before my purchase - at 3600 mil! they are still cracked, welding does not hold. I can not get anyone to replace them because even exhaust specialists say it is too cumbersome. The dealer charges way more than I have considering the number of repairs and the price of gas - at 12 mpg. 7. Drivers seat belt locks tightly with any amount of pressure on the brakes - it has now gotten to the point it locks just while driving. 8. Windows - the zippers broke almost immediately - I paid alot to have these replaced. The back window now has a cut in it and is very difficult to see through. 9. The top has never quite fit right; it has always leaked and been extremely noisy - more so than anyone else's that I know. It has also come apart at the seams. The dealership has not been of any help. They wanted to charge outrageous amounts just for diagnostics, even when I had the best warranty. I've also had problems with the door molding coming out immediately, grinding in the steering wheel, grinding while trying to put it in reverse and more.

4 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/21/1999

While driving on rt 84 in new york state steering went out causeing the Jeep to be thrown across three lanes of the interstate. The Jeep then rolled over down the medium strip. Driver was ejected from Jeep the other three passengers remianed in Jeep sustianing bruises. Airgags never deployed while Jeep was rolling over.




Safety Ratings of Wrangler Cars
Fuel Economy of Wrangler Vehicles
Wrangler Service Bulletins
Wrangler Safety Recalls
Wrangler Defect Investigations