general problems of the 2001 Jeep Wrangler

Frame rotted by trail arms and center by skid plate why did Chrysler never recall these faulty frames?.

Spontaneous vehicle fire while parked for two weeks.

The frame rotted out where the suspension connect to the frame.

Frame rotting from inside out. This is a severe safety concern. This is a problem related to certain years of Wranglers. The severity of the problem should result in a recall as has been with other manufacturers with same problem to resolve this very unsafe condition.

Frame is rusting from the inside out. There are spots in the frame where parts are now missing, creating holes and weakening the frame as a whole. There are no adequate drain holes in the frame, from the factory, to allow water to drain from the frame. This has happened over time.

My 2001 Jeep is in real good shape visibly and no rust anywhere I can tell on the body or outside of the frame. However, when pulling the crossmember off that holds the transmission/transfer case to the frame, I noticed a massive amount of rust in the frame. It looks as if the frame came out of a 1920 model car or worse under there. I may attempt to have that section fixed, but I have noticed the boxed frame on the Jeep has no where for water to go once inside of it. My only option would be to make drainage holes for water and try to spray cosmoline or something inside the frame and just "hope" the rest of the frame is not rotting from the inside out. I would not even complain but a vehicle that is barely 15 years old already rusted out this bad on the frame must have been designed poorly or made with garbage steel and coated poorly. I am surprised people in the salty areas of the us have not had their crossmember simply fall off while driving. If you need a picture of the rust it is in my phone and can not access it from this pc.

This 2001 Jeep Wrangler tj failed NY state safety inspection due to frame rust. Purchased new on 06/01/2001 from a Jeep dealership in lindenhurst, NY and only has 116,097 miles on a 4. 0 engine. This tubular frame rust is premature due to lack of "weep holes" that allows water to exit the frame, thereby promoting rust from the inside, out and is costly to repair (see attachment). Note. . . Toyota has had similar "rusty frame" issues, but Toyota has done the "right thing". . Read more...

The Wrangler frame is extremely prone to rust and is very easily rotted out over the years. I believe this is due to a design flaw on chryslers part. There are no drainage points at the lowest parts of the frame which holds in water and road salt and accelerates rust.

Skid plate that holds transmition fell from rusted frame. If I was going on freeway at 55 or plus this would have been a very bad situation. . . . Looking into frame I see that this is common with Wranglers from like 1997 to 2002 and it is a factory defect. . . . You have recalled mazdas, toyotas and other 2000ish vehicles due to rusted frames. . . These should be recalled and frames replaced before more fatal things happen. . . . I am looking in getting mine replaced. . . But if I do and then it is recalled do I get Jeep to pay me back for my repairs???.

The blower motor switch ground, connected to the mode selector has melted in my Jeep. This is the second time this has happened. Back in July 2013 the connection to the mode selector melted. I replaced the hvac ac a/c & heater control with blower motor switch only to have it melt again one year later.

Hit a small rough spot in the road, noticed a rumbling right after. Stopped to check - noticed skid plate hanging down on one side . Frame had rusted through allowing skid plate and transmission to sag. Further checking revealed frame is rusted through in multiple places. In the process of getting an estimate of possible repair though the mechanic was not encouraging. . Apparently this is very common on the tj series of Wrangler. Disappointing, considering a few well placed drainage holes may have prevented it. Hopefully Jeep has taken steps to prevent this happening in the future . I had a Ford f150 for 13 years & the frame was still solid the day I parked it. I really enjoy my Jeep , but it may be time to switch. :-(.

All Jeep Wranglers from 1987-2006 have a major problem with the frames rusting out cause them to be unsafe for driving on public road unless the frame is repaired or replaced, my frame on my 2001 Jeep rusted out with only 92000 miles on it. This is caused by the frame not being preped, painted, and designed properly allowing water to sit in the frame because there are no drain holes at the lowest point of the frame.

My frame rusted out. This is a common problem on Jeep Wranglers. I was lucky enough to be in the process of changing my transmission fluid when I found the issue. The part of the frame where the transmission mount attaches to completely rusted through and nothing was holding the transmission/rear engine mount to the frame.

Key disengages and falls out of the ignition switch and can happen at any time while driving.

Frame is rusting due to lack of engineering and absence of drain holes in proper locations. Inside of frame is flaking off around control arm frame mounts front and back. Jeep is garage kept and taken care of. Water pools up and has no where to go so a hole has rust through passenger side front behind control arm mount. Lots of flaking off from inside of frame. Incredibly bad planning on manufacturer's part and now I have a potentially unsafe vehicle to drive without some major frame work to perform. Toyota trucks had a similar issue and they replaced the frame.

Frame began rotting out at roughly 100,000 miles. I discovered this while driving down the highway on my commute home from work. While accelerating I felt a sudden power loss. This went on for another roundtrip the following day. Upon returning home the following day I saw something hanging from underneath the vehicle. It was the skid plate, hanging by the passenger's side bolts, supporting the entire weight of the drivetrain. The driveshaft being at that unnatural angle is what caused the loss of power. To think that I had driven 100 miles that way was slightly unsettling. Since then I have had the frame welded, which ran $1,200. I have since had the rear rails (behind rear wheels) repaired for an additional $400. My front body mount has also rotted out, which I fixed myself for $10, but should probably be welded by a professional. Both mechanic and welder suggested that frame rot occurred due to lack of holes for water to drain out and that the sitting water and salt just ate away at everything. The car now has 215,000 miles on it. I am otherwise happy with the car, but it upsets me that I could have had a major accident due to the poor design of the frame. Seems strange that there has not been a fix for the issue, nor a response from Chrysler to address the fact that people can die as a result of the frame rotting out. Maybe that's what has to happen for a fix?!? at 200,000+ miles you would think I would go straight back to a Wrangler once this one bites it, but I will never buy a Jeep again based on this issue. I bought this as a 25 year old without kids. With a 2 and 4 year old at home, I would not trust a Jeep to transport them (too bad, as my son loves my Jeep despite never being in it). I live in the northeast, so rust/rot expected to an extent. My brother owns a Ford f-250 used for plowing. . Same year, same milage. . . No rot!.