What is the Jeep Death Wobble?

Death wobble happens in Jeeps, 4x4s, and trucks when rapidly rotating steering wheel components cause your steering wheel to move rapidly from side to side. This causes your vehicle to feel like it's about to fall apart and you want to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life.

What causes the Jeep death Wobble?

Death wobble can result from any one or a combination of suspension and steering component issues ranging from unbalanced tires, loose components, improper alignment of steering components, worn shocks or steering damper, and/or anything bent or broken related to suspension and steering.

What year Jeeps have the death wobble?

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) found only two accidents caused by death wobble between 2005-2010 despite close to 400 reports. Keep your cool, and neither you nor your Jeep should die from the death wobble.

How do you stop the death wobble in a Jeep?

Maintain Proper Tire Pressure: Common triggers for the death wobble include over-inflated, under-inflated, or mismatched tire pressures. To prevent the death wobble from occurring, you should make sure to check your tire pressure regularly and deflate or inflate your tires as necessary.

Which Jeep models have death wobble?

Forbes has seen the death wobble mostly on the Wrangler, but mechanics say they have seen it on other Jeep vehicles as well, including Grand Cherokee and Cherokee models. They all have one piece of metal in common -- it's called a track bar.

How to Survive and Fix Jeep Wrangler Death Wobble | What Is Death Wobble?

Do all Jeeps get death wobble?

One of the common death wobble myths is it can't happen to stock Jeeps, only ones that have been lifted. Any solid front axle vehicle runs the risk of experiencing death wobble. However, it is true that if you have done any suspension upgrades (Ex: Lift kits) you are more likely to experience death wobble.

Do newer Jeeps have the death wobble?

Death wobble does not present on a new Jeep.

Will Jeep fix death wobble for free?

The fix is free for owners.

Jeep will replace the steering damper – a stabilizer – with a new piece designed to mitigate better any vibrations that come through the front suspension.

Can I drive with death wobble?

If you feel your vehicle shaking violently and think it may be going into a death wobble, don't take your hands off the steering wheel. Grip lightly, pull over, and slow down to stop the death wobble or pull over and stop the car completely and safely.

Is Jeep death Wobble covered by warranty?

5. When owners and lessees of the Jeep Vehicles return to their dealership to complain about the Death Wobble, Jeep offers to replace the steering damper if the vehicle is under warranty.

Is the death wobble fixable?

A car death wobble is a major issue that a few vehicle owners go through. Since death wobbles are fixable, it is important to detect them at the right time before they turn out bad.

Do Jeep Wrangler shakes at 60 mph?

Vibrations on Jeep Wranglers are a common occurrence and can really leave you pulling your hair out from frustration if you can't find the cause.

Why is it called death wobble?

The inappropriately named death wobble -- as far as we know, no one's ever died from it -- is basically a violent and rapid oscillation in a truck's steering components that ultimately makes your steering wheel whip from side to side.

Why does my Jeep shake at 55 mph?

Common Causes of This Condition. In some cases, the shaking is related to the height of your Jeep and can depend on whether your vehicle is at stock height or if it's been lifted. In general, stock height Jeeps encounter the Death Wobble more often, but this condition can occur in both stock height and lifted Jeeps.

Does Jeep Wrangler have death wobble?

There's a common misconception that death wobble only occurs on lifted or modified Jeep Wranglers. However, this simply isn't the case. Wrangler death wobble can occur on stock vehicles because of the nature of its suspension setup.

Why does my Jeep shake when I hit a bump?

it could be tie rod end, worn ball joints, worn wheel bearings, a worn or loose front track bar, a worn drag link or tie rod, or a combination of them. You should be able to drive your Jeep without a steering stabilizer and not have death wobble.

How common is the death wobble?

It's a known issue with Jeep vehicles, and although rare, it's called the “Death Wobble.” According to the NHTSA, there are only 600 reports in the last 20 years. The actual instance is described as violent, frightening, uncontrollable shaking of the entire vehicle.

Is owning a Jeep Wrangler worth it?

The Jeep Wrangler is also really well known for its reliability and low cost of maintenance. Because these are vehicles that were built to take a beating and keep on rolling, overall, there's a general consensus that the high sale prices associated with them are well worth it in the long run.

What year Jeep Wrangler Unlimited should I avoid?

It needs to be emphasized that the 2007-2008 and 2012-2014 model year Wranglers should be avoided at all costs. This is due to their hefty repair costs, poorly designed interior, and underpowered engine.

Why does my Jeep shake at 40 mph?

That steering wheel shake is absolutely definitely caused by a tire problem, as in a bad tire or an improperly balanced tire. Even if the tire was just balanced. Not many tire shops spend enough time to get tires balanced as well as the TJ requires.

What are the most common problems with Jeep Wranglers?

One of the most common complaints about the 2019 and 2020 Wranglers is insufficient power and torque, loose driving wheels, and they're too expensive for what you get. There are also reports of a faulty fuel tank that could cause the vehicle to stall.

Is the Jeep death Wobble a recall?

The severe shaking from each death wobble just makes those connections weaker and leads to more wobble incidents. Jeep owners will receive a letter in the mail offering them a new steering damper, but for now the issue is being treated like a Service Bulletin and not an official recall.

Do Jeep Wranglers last long?

The Jeep Wrangler boasts extreme longevity

A Wrangler can typically reach 280,000 miles before significant problems begin to surface. But well-maintained models exceed 20 years and over 400,000 miles. The Wrangler is built for the outdoors and designed to tackle tough terrain, contributing to its longevity.

Are Jeeps reliable?

Explaining Jeep's Reliability Score

RepairPal gives Jeep a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5.0, which ranks it 15th out of 32 for all car brands. This rating is based on an average across 345 unique models. The average annual repair cost for a Jeep is $634, which means it has above average ownership costs.

Why does my Jeep shake when I accelerate?

CV joints are located at the end of each axle. There is both an outer and inner joint. When the inner CV joint is damaged or begins to fail, you will notice your car vibrating under hard acceleration. As it gets worse, the minor vibrations turn to violent shaking when under load.