Steering Problems of Jeep Wrangler - part 1

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 26v363000 (steering); however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a total loss of motive power. Warning messages stating "service shifter" and "check hydraulics" along with other unknown warning lights displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the contact felt that the recall repairs contributed to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the same local dealer; however, the failure could not be identified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via email and telephone. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

See all problems of the 2023 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

Death wobble dealer states was repaired by a bushing, lakeland Chrysler Dodge selling and servicing dealer. They can not duplicate but no one is ever available to road test. Spoke with general manager and was told to trade in not we want to fix.

See all problems of the 2018 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

I’ve had an ongoing issue with my car since earlier this year, 2026, and the code says “electric coolant heater” and I have a solid check engine light. They replaced the coolant heater a few months ago and now it’s doing the same thing again. There’s also another recall for the power steering and I’ve recently started to notice that when I start my car (which I normally will sit there for a few minutes before I drive to let everything “wake up”) there is a delay in the steering ability. My steering wheel will remain stiff unless I jerk the wheel to “wake it up” in a sense. This just started happening this week. The dealership that I got this thing at is being no help whatsoever and I’m getting tired of this!!! they don’t have a loaner car available to me so they’ve been telling me to wait to make a service appointment until they have a car available but I cannot wait on this issue any longer. Matter of fact, this is absolutely ridiculous considering how much I pay for this thing every month and how lack of help the dealership has been!!!! I need a solution for this now.

See all problems of the 2022 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

I was driving on interstate going 75 mph in the passing lane when my steering wheel locked completely up. My car started drifting to the right, but I was unable to turn the steering wheel. I almost hit the guardrail. The car is now being towed to Jeep dealership for fixing of the active recall.

See all problems of the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

Violent, uncontrollable front-end steering oscillation (commonly known as 'death wobble') occurred while driving on the highway at approximately [insert speed, e. G. , 55–65 mph] after hitting a [pothole / expansion joint / bump]. The steering wheel shook violently back and forth, causing a severe loss of steering control. The forceful vibration did not subside until slowing down significantly to a speed of [insert speed, e. G. , 20 mph] on the shoulder of the road. The vehicle is completely stock, has 44,000 miles, and the factory bumper-to-bumper warranty has expired. This rapid shaking creates a severe and sudden highway safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

A burning smell and an electrical burning smell electrical panel not always working.

See all problems of the 2020 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

Fca us sent me a written warranty extension (15 years/150,000 miles) for the instrument panel cluster on my vehicle, covering a blank evic display with no digital speedometer, fuel level, temperature, odometer, or prndl. My vehicle has this condition intermittently. As I was traveling approximately 55 mph my power steering, antilock brakes, speedometer, fuel gauge, traction control, all-wheel drive, and emergency brake warning lights came on/off. I actually lost power steering and was unable to turn the vehicle off. I reached out to Jeep and advised them of this and that I received the letter for the instrument panel cluster xz1 and I thought this was related. I read the letter to them word for word, and they had the dealership perform the recall on my clutch. I didn't know until all of the same things happened again and I checked the receipt to confirm the work performed. I reached out to Jeep the same day and that was more than a week ago. I now have a new service transmission light. My vehicle is not safe to drive and they still don't even know why I called. My case number with Jeep is 98166358.

See all problems of the 2019 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 mph northbound on the hutchinson river parkway, the steering wheel failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was uncontrollable and started drifting towards the left before crashing into the highway barrier. The message “electronic driver assist” was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the body shop. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and the contact spoke with a customer representative, and a case was opened. The contact was informed that the investigating team would reach out in 2 to 4 days. An inspector had been assigned by geico insurance company. The approximate failure mileage was 59,000.

My Jeep Wrangler sahara 4xe experienced a sudden and severe loss of motive power while making a left turn onto us route 301 at a major intersection. When the traffic light turned green, I attempted to accelerate through the intersection, but the vehicle suddenly entered what is commonly referred to as “turtle mode” and would only travel approximately 2 mph. This left the vehicle moving extremely slowly in an active major roadway and created an immediate risk of being struck by approaching traffic. I activated the hazard lights and had to make an emergency maneuver to move the vehicle to the right and out of the travel lanes. This is the fourth time this vehicle has experienced a sudden loss of power/turtle mode condition. The problem is intermittent and occurs without sufficient warning to safely remove the vehicle from traffic. Warning indicators/messages associated with the reduced-power condition appeared when the failure occurred. The vehicle was previously taken to an authorized Jeep dealership for this same recurring problem and remained there for approximately one month. The dealership was unable to determine the cause of the repeated turtle mode/loss-of-power condition and was unable to provide a repair that resolved it. The manufacturer’s customer care department was also contacted regarding the problem, but the case was subsequently closed even though the condition had not been resolved. Following the incident, Jeep roadside assistance was contacted and the vehicle was towed to another authorized Jeep dealership, where it is currently available for inspection and diagnosis. The vehicle also has open recall. The exact relationship, if any, between the recall and this repeated loss-of-motive-power condition is unknown. I am reporting this because the sudden loss of propulsion has now occurred four times and can leave the vehicle unable to accelerate or maintain normal roadway speed.

My 2018 Jeep Wrangler jl has excessive play in the steering and wanders while driving, requiring frequent steering corrections to maintain the vehicle's direction, particularly at highway speeds. I have been dealing with the steering issue for over a year. I am concerned that the excessive play and wandering could result in difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle, especially at highway speeds or during an emergency maneuver. I took the vehicle to an authorized Jeep dealership for diagnosis. The dealership confirmed that the steering gear is the problem and recommended replacement. I was quoted approximately $1,418 for the repair. Fca issued TSB 08-003-21 rev. A, which applies to 2018–2020 Jeep Wrangler jl vehicles. The symptoms identified by fca include steering wander, pulling/leading left or right, and excessive steering play. The repair procedure calls for replacement of the steering gear and addressing the electric hydraulic power steering software. The bulletin also states that failure to complete the required repair steps may result in undesirable handling characteristics. I contacted Jeep/fca requesting assistance with the repair because my vehicle has the same steering condition identified in fca's bulletin and the Jeep dealership confirmed the steering gear requires replacement. Fca declined assistance based on the age/model year of the vehicle. There were no warning lights indicating the steering gear problem. The vehicle is currently available for inspection, and the defective oem steering gear can be retained and made available for inspection after replacement if requested. I am reporting this because I believe a steering defect that causes excessive play and wandering presents a potential motor vehicle safety concern, and I am requesting that NHTSA evaluate this issue in 2018–2020 Jeep Wrangler jl vehicles.

The vehicle experiences a severe, violent, and sudden side-to-side shaking of the front suspension and steering wheel (commonly known as "death wobble"). This dangerous oscillation typically occurs at highway speeds (approx. 55–70 mph) immediately after the vehicle strikes a normal highway bump, expansion joint, or pothole. Note: as a 4xe plug-in hybrid model, the vehicle carries substantially more curb weight than a standard internal combustion engine Wrangler due to the heavy battery pack and electric drivetrain components. This increased mass significantly magnifies the physical forces and wear placed on the front suspension and steering linkage during impact. Despite having less than 30,000 original miles and no history of accidents, the vehicle exhibits rapid component failure. Front-end steering and suspension components—including the inner drag link and tie rod ends—were previously replaced and aligned on March 17, 2026. However, the exact same dangerous steering instability and component wear reoccurred by September 17, 2026, indicating a persistent, underlying design or durability defect that standard parts replacement fails to resolve. When this failure occurs, vehicle control is severely compromised, requiring the driver to abruptly decelerate in active traffic to regain control of the steering mechanism. This poses an extreme safety hazard to the occupant and surrounding motorists, creating a high risk of a collision or loss of vehicle control.

My Jeep Wrangler recently developed a noticeable steering shimmy/shaking at highway speeds. I hit a bump in the road and almost caused a loss of control. Three rivers Chrysler Jeep Dodge ram (pittsburgh, PA) documented the concern as “steering shimmy highway speeds” and diagnosed the steering damper as the problem and repaired the problem.

2019 Jeep Wrangler jlu experienced intermittent can-c communication failure. Vehicle has repeatedly experienced simultaneous loss of multiple electronic systems. On September 7th 2026, while driving, vehicle unexpectedly lost electric power steering, windshield wipers activated without command, abs/tpms/esc warning lights illuminated, and vehicle subsequently would not shift into gear after stopping at a traffic light. Hazard lights would not activate. After shutting vehicle off, vehicle would not enter acc or restart normally. Opening driver’s door unexpectedly caused vehicle to enter acc. Manipulating the can-bus wiring/star connector behind the glove box has historically temporarily restored normal operation. Vehicle has previously required repair to this wiring/connector, and the failure has recurred. This has been occurring for at least 3 years and since 60,000 miles. This presents a significant safety hazard because steering assistance, shifting/propulsion, and signaling were simultaneously affected while driving. It is a known Chrysler issue (fca star case s2108000146) and should be recalled as there is a clear and present danger with this ongoing issue.

When I was coming to a stop at a stoplight, my vehicle started to violently wobble almost having me to loose control. I was unable to slow down when pressing the brakes and almost hit vehicles in front of me. This has happened numerous times and I have had my tires rotated and alignment done just recently.

See all problems of the 2016 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

My Jeep is in limp mode and won’t go further than a mile before the power steering shuts down and the vehicle won’t move. I bought the vehicle used in March 2026 and took it to a local dealership to have the blind spot monitor system looked at and I was never made aware of any recalls. & now I will probably have to tow my vehicle out of pocket to the dealership to have it fixed.

See all problems of the 2025 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

My Jeep started wobbling on the highway.

Getting the well know Jeep "death wobble". Was advised by carvana when I bought this vehicle that it had an open recall for this exact issue (manufacturer recall number cdjr xf1) due to the steering damper having air in it. However, when I contacted a Jeep dealership to get it fixed, I was told there is no recall for the steering damper for my specific vehicle. When I look it up on NHTSA, there isn't a recall listed on here either. Whenever I hit transitions in the pavement while driving above 50mph, I get the death wobble on the front of the vehicle. I have not yet had it repaired, but I plan to do so regardless of whether a recall exists. This is clearly an affected vehicle that was wrongly excluded from the manufacturer's recall for the steering damper on vehicles manufactured prior to August 11, 2020. My vehicle was manufactured in April 2019, so it is definitely in the correct date range, and with the exact same issue of others that were recalled. The only reason I have not crashed is because I've taken evoc classes (for driving firetrucks and ambulances), and I am able to control it when it does happen. There were approximately 65k miles on the vehicle when I bought it, and there is about 72k miles now. It has been happening since I bought it in December 2025 from carvana.

At highway speed, vehicle repeatedly started shaking and vibrating violently after hitting any bump or uneven portion of the roadway. Steering became extremely difficult to control and was completely useless for a period of time. A vehicle that loses the ability to steer at highway speeds puts everyone at risk of accident/death. In looking online, this has been experienced by many people and is referred to as the "death wobble". There were no warnings that this was going to occur. Vehicle has been brought to the dealership. It appears unlikely that the dealership and/or manufacturer is going to fix this problem without payment.

When driving down the road, 55mph, I drove across some bumps in the road, and my steering, tires and the front of my Jeep started shaking violently. Couldn't hardly control it. Please help.

I left my home for work on xxx. I noticed a lack of propulsion upon stepping on the gas & air conditioning blowing warm air. At a stoplight ([xxx] and [xxx] in [xxx]), I attempted to restart the vehicle in hopes that a reset may fix any issues. What I found was that my vehicle would not restart and I could not remove it from park in a busy intersection. After 30 minutes of trying, I was able to get it to turn on and move to the burger king parking lot. A tow truck arrived and took me to the [xxx] valley chysler Dodge Jeep ram dealer. They told me it would take until Tuesday xxx to look at it. They could not offer me a loaner nor a rental vehicle. They called on xxx and said it was a battery defect and may take weeks to repair. To date, my vehicle with 27,000 miles have been in for four separate recalls, citing lack of propulsion, risk of battery fire. Zero accidents. I no longer feel safe driving the vehicle after recalls: "the 2. 0 engine may be contaminated with sand from the casting process . . . Leading to catastrophic engine failure. " "firmware software. . . May cause loss of drive power which can cause a vehicle crash. " "the high voltage battery may become damaged during normal vehicle operation . . . Advising owners to park away from structures or other vehicles" "electric hydraulic power steering pump may have electrical issue . . . May lead to a fire. " the manufacturer and dealer are offering minimal insight or restitution for my experience or safety. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving the vehicle and it had uncontrolled acceleration. The wipers went on and multiple lights went on, engine, brakes to name a few. The brake peddle did work. Picture below was after incident and not all the lights.

2024 Jeep 4xe Wrangler rubicon, 3 recalls, 1st ev battery, potential fire hazard, 2nd sand in the engine, potential fire hazard, 3rd wiring harness for steering unit, potential fire hazard, all of them can cause a fire with it being parked and not even plugged in for charging. Fca sent out the recall notices, and later said they had remedies, the problem is the remedies aren't remedies at all. I was at my dealership 2 days ago talking to my service writer, and he told me that another customer with the same vehicle passed the so called remedy for sand in the engine, a few days later his engine light came on, and now the dealership is replacing his engine, with that being said doesn't that mean that even with a passed so called remedy, it could still be a fire hazard. I have had all the recalls done at my dealership, but I don't feel that they are being honest about any of these remedies actually working, and that everytime I get in the vehicle or park it I'm afraid that it could still catch fire. I have a vehicle that has been taken off the market by the manufacturer, and has told the dealerships not to sell them, I have tried to get some reimbursement, but have had no luck, am hiring an attorney to try to get something done.

Horn honks on its own, crinkling while turning wheel, airbag light on dash, esp, bas lights on dash.

See all problems of the 2009 Jeep Wrangler 🔎.

While driving my 2019 Jeep Wrangler, the vehicle suffered a major electronic/can-network failure. Service shifter, abs and esc warnings appeared, the wipers activated on their own, controls malfunctioned, and power-steering assistance failed while the vehicle was moving, making it extremely difficult to steer. My two young children were in the vehicle. Jeep dealer diagnostics showed widespread communication faults involving steering, abs/brake, transmission and other control modules. The dealer replaced the power-steering assembly and rf hub, but the problem remains. On the first drive after repair, the abs and esc warnings repeatedly flashed on and off at highway speed. Interior lights are also flickering. I am concerned another network failure could again disable steering assistance or compromise abs/braking-related safety systems and cause loss of vehicle control or a crash.

Check engine, abs, service shifter suddenly pops up and the steering was hard to turn almost had an accident.

My Jeep has had a recall since December 2025. I initially went to burgaw, nc dealership where I leased my Jeep, with no luck. I made appointment they did not have the part. I was told they would call when it is available. I checked in every month , no part. I called the recall line in the summer 2026 and they made me an appointment at national Dodge in jacksonville, ncthe first week of August. When I arrived for my scheduled appointment I was told they could not accommodate my appointment because it takes 5 hours. Holdridge greene made another appointment for me for the following week on [xxx]. He also said he would be able to put me in a car so I wouldn't miss another entire day of work. I showed up and was told they could not help me that day because there were no cars, but they would call and reschedule as soon as possible. It is now [xxx] and no contact has been made. I would love to have my Jeep fixed as it has been affected by these recalls and issues have occurred. Any help is greatly appreciated! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My year 2024 Jeep had severe "death wobble" when driving over 60mph just over a minor bump, and it was over the horizontal metal rails on a long bridge. Dealership just replaced the steering damper, the car still loses control over small bumps when driving over 60mph. It's really scary when the bump happens at a curve on freeway. The dealership refuses to look over any other possible causes but to charge me $200 for tire balancing. My car has never taken the off road and never hit anything before. My previous 2009 Jeep never had death wobble issues with normal driving.

The steering column mechanically disconnected, causing a complete loss of steering control while traveling approximately 70 mph on a highway. I was in the right lane when steering control was lost without any warning signs, including noises, vibrations, warning lights, or increased steering resistance. I immediately activated the hazard lights, informed my passenger, checked surrounding traffic, and applied the brakes. The vehicle pulled to the left under braking, crossed into the left lane, and entered the grassy median. The vehicle continued through a steep v-shaped median and came to a stop before entering opposing traffic. A collision was narrowly avoided.

I am writing to express my concern regarding the handling of the urgent safety recall affecting my Jeep Wrangler. This recall has been classified as an urgent fire and safety risk, yet no remedy is currently available. The recall notice stated that owners would receive notification regarding the remedy by July 9. As of today, August 4, I have not received any follow-up communication, and the NHTSA website continues to list the recall as unresolved with no available repair. I find it deeply concerning that a recall deemed urgent due to the potential risk of fire has remained without a remedy for approximately two months. Owners are expected to continue operating vehicles that have been identified as posing a serious safety hazard while having no meaningful way to mitigate that risk. This places consumers in an unreasonable position, especially those who rely on their vehicles for work and daily transportation. I respectfully request that NHTSA review whether the manufacturer is complying with its obligations under federal motor vehicle safety recall requirements. Given the severity of the identified risk, I also ask that NHTSA determine whether additional oversight or enforcement is warranted to ensure affected owners receive a timely remedy. Additionally, I ask NHTSA to consider whether the manufacturer should provide interim accommodations, such as loaner vehicles or rental reimbursement, while a permanent remedy remains unavailable. I respectfully request that this matter be escalated and that I receive an explanation for the continued delay, an estimated timeline for when a remedy will be available, and guidance for owners who are left with no practical way to address this known safety hazard. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response.

Unresolved death wobble after four attempts, the vehicle has experienced the recurring death wobble, steering control issue that has been presented to the dealership 4 times for repair, despite the repair attempts the problem remains. Because the issue involves steering stability and control I no longer feel safe operating the vehicle. I am requesting this be documented as a safety issue.

The contact owned a 2024 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, black smoke was coming from the exhaust, and the husband smelled an abnormal burning odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and a fire started coming from under the hood. The contact stated that while her husband was attempting to unlatch the hood, after unlatching the front driver’s and passenger’s side hood latches and attempting to unlatch the 3rd hood latch, the fire rose and burned both hands. The local fire department arrived on the scene to extinguish the fire. The source of the fire was not yet determined. A police report was not filed. No medical attention was sought; however, the contact's husband had fallen attempting to create distance between the fire and sustained a pulled shoulder, bruises on the right elbow, and right knee, while being pre-diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. The vehicle was towed by a local independent mechanic. The contact and her husband were on vacation when the vehicle caught on fire and the luggage with personal items were burned in the fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 26v363000 (steering); however, parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

Death wobble.

The engine/dash wiring harness connector xy230a suffered severe thermal degradation, resulting in a melted pin and causing a complete loss of communication with the transmission control module (tcm, code u0101-00) and continuous dashboard warning lights (service connection error). This vehicle has a chronic history of unresolved electrical failures, having been brought to stellantis puerto rico dealerships three times for the exact same issue, most recently in June 2026. This condition is directly related to the thermal and fire hazard characteristics described under safety recall campaign 26v363 (mopar recall 21d) for 2022 Wranglers. However, the stellantis regional warranty manager formally denied recall and powertrain warranty coverage based on routine oil change loyalty metrics and second-owner status. The dealership forced an upfront payment of $2,311. 38 under a partial diagnosis to replace the harness. The vehicle was rendered inoperable and held for 30 days and actually held in service. In addition, they don't bring loaner. The manufacturer's regional warranty manager from stellantis initially confirmed that I would incur zero costs for this repair but later retracted the decision formally denying recall and powertrain warranty coverage due the reason mentioned above. Regional management flatly denies any relationship between this melted harness failure, the active safety recall or the vehicle's electrical repair history I formally demand a full reimbursement of all repairs and rental expenses, and that my powertrain warranty and safety recall rights be fully honored as originally promised.

On numerous instances now, while travelling at highway speeds a small bump or uneven surface will cause the vehicle to experience the "Jeep death wobble" and will violently shake the entire vehicle out of control unless a rapid deceleration and / or stoppage occurs. I have brought it to a dealer who indicates that they were not able to reproduce the "shimmy" (they also were unable to perform my safety recalls spite have the vehicle for several days in a row). There is a clear shake, wobble, shimmy, or whatever that is easily reproducible at highway speeds of 50 mph or greater.

The contact's father owns a 2024 Jeep Wrangler. The owner received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v363000 (steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and informed that the earliest availability to inspect the vehicle was July 24, 2026, and the vehicle would be repaired later if necessary. The contact stated that the vehicle served as the daily mode of transportation for the owner, who was handicapped and required regular medical appointments. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the issue. The owner had not experienced a failure.