Table 1 shows one common unknown or other related problems of the 2008 Jeep Wrangler.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other problems |
Experienced the notorious "death wobble" again today. This has happened plenty of times to me, but today it was the most severe and worrisome. The vehicle shakes and rattles so much that I expect pieces to fall off. Other cars pull up to me on the highway off ramp (where it often happens on our bumpy massachusetts roads) and ask if everything is okay. I'm not sure if I would buy this Jeep again. They really need to fix this. Articles online seem to suggest that it is the stock track bar, and if so, why won't Chrysler just replace them?.
I have heard rumors about massive front-end shimmy happening on '07 and newer Jeep Wranglers, but never had any trouble. Starting last week the slightest road irregularity causes the front wheels of my Jeep to shimmy back and forth violently, with lack of directional control. Inspection could find no defects visual to the eye, but I have had to quit driving my Jeep. This vehicle and others that may be showing this same problem will lead to fatalities. . . . . . I am a professional motor vehicle repairman and have never seen this severe shimmy before.
Shifting the 4-wheel drive transfer case (tc) from 2hi to 4hi or 4low (or in reverse order) can cause the transfer case shifting cable (tcsc) (mopar part 52060462ag) to fail and become disconnected from either the tc or the shift lever in the cab (or both). The part’s plastic components are inherently too weak to withstand normal use. Safety risks which can arise upon component failure, if the vehicle owner and their family (children) are at a location and/or terrain where the vehicle is designed/marketed for travel (whether by recreation or necessity), and the location/terrain (I) subject to inclement weather (e. G. Snow, ice, flooding, extreme heat); or (ii) on an extreme incline which is unsafe to negotiate without 4wd; or (iii) any circumstance which requires 4wd to navigate to a safe location; or (iv) the tcsc fails when the tc becomes stuck in the neutral position while shifting, and is unable to escape impending harm (flash flood) . . . There is obvious risk to life/safety. The owner has a right to rely on the components and reasonable safety performance for which the product is designed/marketed. Jeep is aware of the issue, and the manual fails to cite this as a possible catastrophic event, leaving the unsuspecting owner at a loss in an emergency situation. It is not reasonable for this component to fail within a few thousand miles as reported by Jeep owners. . Read more...
Airbag is disabled intermittently most frequently after straightening the steering wheel following a turn.
2008 rhd Jeep Wrangler air bag light is on meaning airbag will not deploy if an accident occurs. Clock spring/corrosion issue causing horn not to work which is a safety hazard. Many mail carriers are having the exact same problems with these vehicles. Vehicle will not always start. This whole vehicle should be recalled as it has major electrical issues. The motor went out on mine at 52,000 miles. The warranty is only for 36,000 miles. The motor was rebuilt by a Jeep dealer and I was told it had a spun bearing. The air blower controller also does not work half of the time. These rhd Jeeps are all lemons and pose safety hazards to mail carriers who spend most of their day out on the road. The horn issue is a threat to the public as you cannot warn an unsuspecting driver or pedestrian of your precese. The airbag issue is a threat to the driver. You spend $25,000 on a vehicle, you expect better.
Driving westbound on m-59 in hartland, mi I hit a very small bump in the road and the Jeep started to shudder very violently. I had to pull over to the side of the road and stop in order for the shudder to go away. After doing much research on the internet, I have now found out that this is called the death wobble and is a highly common problem that Chrysler is aware of and has not done anything to let the public know of the issue.
I was driving on interstate 70 at approximately 65mph, I hit a bump, and my Jeep started to shake and vibrate so dramatically that I had to slow down to about 35mph before it would stop. I was so frightened that I pulled over and was afraid to continue driving. Thinking it was my tires about ready to fall off, I creeped off of the interstate and drove about 15mph back to the tire dealership where I had bought my tires. They could find nothing wrong. I then took it to the Jeep dealership and they replaced the steering dampner and updated a bracket. It did not fix the problem. I took it back to the dealership where they then replaced the drag link end. They then told me it had to be the tires. They, not one time, mentioned what I have now researched and found to be a "death wobble" problem that many Jeep owners have experienced. I don't know what to do next. The problem has not been fixed and my tires only have 15k miles on them and I am thinking this is not the problem. The wobble that I have experienced now dozens of times is not only frightening but I fear is very dangerous. I'm not sure what my recourse is at this point.
Severe vibration in front end of unmodified 2008 Jeep Wrangler x when hitting a bump on highway. Forced to slam on breaks on highway to stop violent shaking and regain control of vehicle. It started a couple months ago and happens any time I hit a big bump. It happened 3 times yesterday. I googled this and it appears this is a rather common complaint - one that seems to be particularly common in the newer style Jeeps at around 20,000-30,000 miles even when no modifications have been made. This is very dangerous and if its this common, Chrysler should be forced to address this!.
We were driving on a limited access highway when I hit a section of rough a rough road about 6 feet long. The front end, steering wheel & transmission shook violently! once I got below 45 mph it stopped. I could not steer the vehicle. This has happened 6 times now at speeds as low as 50 mph. It would happen a lot more if I did not slow down when I come across patched spots in the road or where overpasses and bridges meet the solid road bed. On smooth roads, there is no vibration that I can feel. I talked to the previous owner and he never had a problem. It has never been off road, lifted or wrecked. The garage replaced the steering gear box under warranty and I paid for the alignment check and tire balance. I rotated the tired and then put a new tire on the right front. I checked for play in all the suspension and steering and found very little. The garage said they found none. I then installed a heavy duty steering stabilizer. It did not help. The garage said there was nothing more they could do. When I asked Jeep was their a problem called death wobble, because there are a lot of postings, they did not answer. Instead, the service manager suggested I buy 4 new tires and get a road force balance. A friend sent me to another Jeep dealer to talk to his friend, who was well aware of the problem and had not been able to fix it on other Jeeps. There was no remedy or help from Chrysler Jeep. He has had it happen to him and will not ride in or drive one again. He suggested not driving interstates and below 55 mph on the highway. I am 68 year old retired car, truck, heavy equipment and industrial mechanic supervisor. The Jeep is unsafe to drive on the highway. Bf.
Cruise control stopped working. I got a new clock spring from a local 4x4 shop that ordered it through the local dealer. I had the 4x4 shop install the clock spring for me because my local Jeep dealer is not a trustworthy dealer in my opinion. Total for the repair was nearly 500 dollars.
My Jeep is experiencing what Jeep owners refer to as the death wobble. Violent, intense shaking of the front end after hitting the smallest of bumps. Must slow down immediately to gain control of vehicle.
Was driving at freeway speed on CA hwy 24 and hit minor bump due to change in road type and vehicle front end began to shimmy as if I had blown a tire. I moved to far right lane and began to pull off to the side of the road. Once my speed dropped below 40 mph shimmy stopped suddenly. I took vehicle to dealer and was told there's a service advisory about this and they would likely replace steering dampener. They did. Problem has reoccurred a year later at 28k miles, and Jeep dealer says my front end appears fine as do my tires and alignment. They escalated to Jeep corporate, who said replied that I should buy new tires, even though my tires appear fine, and that this is to be expected on a single axle vehicle. I have researched this issue, and find this is a common issue known as 'death wobble', and that is previously occurred mostly in Jeeps with a modified suspension or lift kit. Based on the amount of NHTSA complaints on file, it appears that this is now a known issue since the 2007 suspension redesign and addition of the 4dr Wrangler to the line up. Jeep completely redesigned the suspension on the Wrangler in 2011, and those of us with 2007 to 2010 model year Jeeps are left driving unsafe vehicles. This was marketed to me as a family car at the time of purchase, and Jeep did not disclose that death wobble was likely to occur in a single axle vehicle and would require replacement of front end parts that show no wear beyond the normal use. This is unacceptable, since I use this vehicle to transport my family, and Jeep seems to think this is a known enough problem to expect me to pay for repairs related to poor unsafe design by them. This needs to be recalled. . Read more...
I would explain this as a term that is used in the "Jeep community" as a "death wobble". Basically what happened is I was exiting an interstate off ramp for another interstate. I slowed to about 40-45 mph. When I started to follow the bend to the right I crossed over a "seam" in the road connecting sections of the pavement. It was at this moment that my Jeep jk began to shake violently. The shaking was located at the front of the Jeep. I applied the brakes and slowed down to about 10 mph (luckily no one was behind me) and the shaking went away. At the time of the incident it was such a violent shaking that I thought the steering wheel was going to come out of my hands and I thought the front end of my Jeep was going to "explode". If the ntsb would search the web for "death wobble" you would locate videos on youtube that show exactly what occurred to me.
While filling up the Jeep, at about 3/4 of a tank of gas the gas comes blowing back out of the filler tube. Gas splatters all over you, down the side of the Jeep and on the ground. This just started at about 35000 miles. It's hard to put gas in, always worrying if your going to sprayed with gas.
I purchased a new 2008 Jeep Wrangler on October 31, 2008 from west-herr chysler Jeep. I was driving to work on the morning of 6/16/2010, when all of a sudden my tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) light came on just moments before I was to enter highway 219. (I was passing through the town of orchard park on highway 20a. I thought it strange but knew it was very sensitive to even a slight change in pressure. ) I proceeded to enter the 219, increasing speed to 60 mph, when I suddenly realized I had lost all pressure in my right rear tire. I managed to safely exit the highway and to call my husband to change the tire. While doing so, he noticed the entire valve stem was missing. There was just a hole where it had been. He assumed that the nut that holds the tpms had worked its way loose and that it was inside the tire. He took the tire to west-herr Chrysler Jeep and they reinserted the tpms and replaced the mounting nut. About a year later, the same thing happened again - instant deflation - while I was driving on I-190 (about 50 miles/hour), only this time it was my left rear tire. Again, I managed to exit safely and to again call my husband. This time he couldn't get the tire off the hub so we called aaa. While waiting for them, a fellow Jeep owner stopped to render assistance and he pointed out that the nut hold the tpms on the left front tire was corroded and needed to be replaced also. (my husband who has a ph. D. In chemistry from indiana u. Noticed that most of the valve stem is aluminum and it is in contact with the steel wheel. He postulated that the two unlike metals acted as a cell and with the salt that is used on the roads here that led to very rapid corrosion. ) the same problem happened again Monday, 7/9/12, with my right front tire while I was going 40 mph. How can a vehicle be marketed with such an obviously dangerous design flaw?.
Water is leak through the canvas fabric on my soft top. When ice forms on the outside of the soft top of my 2008 Jeep Wrangler sahara unlimited it forces water through the fabric. Chrysler has told me they can not replicate the problem and were going to close the case. They told me they did not form ice on top of the car to test this situation. There is ice that forms on the interior fabrics and surfaces of the car as a result of water leaking through the soft top. I have documented pictures that I provided to Chrysler and there are large water stains on the interior of the soft top. Leak causes water to drip on driver and passengers as well as cargo during vehicle operation.
Have you had any investigations or experiences with fires in these new 2008 Jeep Wrangler unlimited models? these are the popular new 4-door models. There are a slew of videos and reports on the internet, but I'm having trouble identifying a common thread between them. Thanks, jay from NHTSA web site. Updated 01/30/09.
2008 Jeep Wrangler unlimited fire. Jeep caught fire while traveling westbound. The fire initially extinguished by a truck driver who stopped to provide assistance with a hand held fire extinguisher. The consumer there was a problem, because the vehicle began to lose power and it began to slow down. The origin of the fire was localized near the passenger side mid-front undercarriage of the vehicle. According to the report, it was unlikely that the cause of the fire was electrical. There was no evidence of a mechanical failure as of the date of the report, and due to the lack of fluid leakage on the highway, visible mechanical damage and the lack of reported noise and smoke from the vehicle prior to the fire. The cause of the fire could not be determined. Updated 11/03/10.
I don't know who to contact or what to do, I was the owner of a 2008 Jeep Wrangler I have owned it since 9/11/08 I ordered it brand new from factory through a dealer. Yesterday may 31, 2008 at around 630 pm or so. I was driving to a local state park when my vehicle burst into flames in the engine compartment area, while I was driving about 45mph down a gravel rode. There was a pop and the vehicle lost drive power at the same time the flames shot out from under the drivers side engine compartment. I stopped the vehicle in the middle of the dirt road jumped out and grabbed my cell phone and called 911. No one was injured from it lucky but I am concerned that the vehicle being less then a year out of the factory would do that. I live in missouri valley, IA thanks for your time, scott ortiz.
Fuel overflows when refueling. Overflow occurs even without filling the tank. Parking brake doesn't work unless you pull it up very hard and still doesn't keep it from rolling. Air conditioner doesn't cool. It has been in the service department several times for repair. Blows "smoke" from vents. A loud "knock" sound when you turn the a/c on/off or when you crank the vehicle and the a/c control is on. Soft top leaks over both doors when it rains. Service department has confirmed proper top installation. Sharp edges on the roll bars. Roll bar covers have ripped as a result of putting the top up or down. Dangerous "wobble" when you hit a small pothole, change uneven lanes, etc. Hood lifts approx. 2 inches when a large truck or trailer passes or meets the Jeep. Manual transmission "grinds or catches" when shifting into 2nd gear, worse when cold.