Jeep Wrangler Complaints (2004)

192 consumer complaints on file.

#10332191May 25, 2010
STEERING, SUSPENSION
WHAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE JEEP WRANGLER MODEL LINE IS A PROBLEM KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY AS THE "DEATH WOBBLE." I PURCHASED A USED JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, AND HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM EVER SINCE. MY JEEP, ALONG WITH MANY OTHERS LIKE IT, HAS ABSOLUTELY NO AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS, YET HAS A VERY DANGEROUS SYMPTOM WHICH MAKES ME SCARED TO DRIVE IT OVER 40 MPH. THE "DEATH WOBBLE" CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS AN INCREDIBLY VIOLENT SHAKE OF THE STEERING WHEEL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AFTER GOING OVER A BUMP OR IMPERFECTION IN THE ROAD. IT WILL USUALLY START OFF SLOWLY, BUT WITHIN HALF A SECOND THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR IS SHAKING OUT OF CONTROL, AND ONLY STOPS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT TO A STOP. WITH THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING VIOLENTLY, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. ALSO, SINCE THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS PROBLEM IS TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY, THIS CREATES A VERY HAZARDOUS TRAFFIC SITUATION. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE JEEP WRANGLER, AND CHRYSLER HAS ONLY ISSUED A TEMPORARY SOLUTION TO REPLACE THE STEERING STABILIZER. I HAVE DONE THIS TWICE NOW, AND IT IS ONLY A BAND-AID TO MASK THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM, WHICH JEEP REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL OR PAY THE BILL TO FIX. I AM LITERALLY SCARED TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE ON ANY HIGHWAY, AND I AM SURE THOUSANDS OF OTHER JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS OUT THERE ARE IN THE EXACT SAME POSITION I AM IN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10325924April 15, 2010
SUSPENSION:FRONT
I HAVE A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER RUBICON. I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING DEATH WOBBLE, WHERE THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY AND WHEELS ACTUALLY WOBBLE.I HAVE REPLACED SHOCKS, STEERING STABILIZER, ROTATED AND BALANCED TIRES AND HAD THE FRONT END ALIGNED AND CHECKED BY A CAR DEALERS SERVICE DEPT. THE WOBBLE LESSENS BUT STILL PERSISTS. IT OCCURS AT 40 MPH OR ABOVE. NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO FULLY EXPLAIN A SURE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. MY JEEP HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS 57,000 MILES. JEEP/CHRYSLER ARE NO HELP IN FIXING THIS POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10317906March 8, 2010
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
GAS OVERFLOWS BEFORE FUEL NOZZEL SHUTS OFF WHEN FILLING TANK. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10314946February 28, 2010
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER UNLIMITED KEEPS OVERFLOWING WITH FUEL AT THE PUMP. WHETHER THE JEEP IS FILLED FROM EMPTY OR PARTIALLY FULL IT DOES NOT MATTER. FUEL KEEPS SPITTING OUT OF THE FILLER NECK ONCE THE JEEP IS FULL. I AM TIRED OF GETTING FUEL ALL DOWN THE SIDE OF THE JEEP, ON THE GROUND, AND ON MYSELF. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10311973February 19, 2010
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
EVERY TIME I FUEL MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER THE FUEL SPLASHES ALL OVER AROUND THE GAS CAP. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM BECAUSE OF A CHANCE OF FIRE. ALOT OF JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND ITS ONLY A MATER OF TIME BEFORE A FIRE HAPPENS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10292081November 13, 2009
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH ON A SNOW COVERED ROAD SURFACE, THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHIMMY. NEXT WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DRIVE SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR THE IDENTICAL FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,526.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10287250October 13, 2009
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
BROKEN INTERIOR JEEP UNLIMITED 2004 HANDLE. CAN OPEN FROM OUTSIDE BUT NOT INSIDE. HAVE NO CHILDREN THAT WOULD HAVE PULLED AT IT,SO NOW I HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW TO GET OUT OF THE CAR? HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10279522August 5, 2009
SUSPENSION
THE PROBLEM IS VIOLENT FRONT END VIBRATION WHEN VEHICLE IS OPERATED BETWEEN 45MPH-55MPH. THE VIBRATION IS SO INTENSE IT CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL AND FRONT END TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER 5 YEARS OF OPERATION AND ESPECIALLY AFTER TIRE CHANGES. I HAVE HAD 2 DIFFERENT SETS OF TIRES ON THIS JEEP WHICH WERE BALANCED AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. IN THE PAST I OVERCAME THIS PROBLEM BY ROTATING THE TIRES UNTIL I FOUND THE TIRE ORIENTATION THAT GAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF VIOLENT VIBRATION I HAD THOUGHT THAT I MAY HAVE HAD A HAIRLINE FRACTURE ON ONE OF THE RIMS BUT AFTER INSTALLING NEW RIMS AND THE THIRD SET OF TIRES THE PROBLEM IS BACK AND AS BAD AS EVER. OUT OF FRUSTRATION I TURNED TO THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT IF THEIR ARE ANY OTHER JEEP WRANGLER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. TO MY SURPRISE AFTER READING SEVERAL INTERNET FORUMS ON JEEP WRANGLERS MANY DO . THIS PROBLEM EVEN HAS A NAME THE JEEP COMMUNITY HAS GIVEN IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE" ! THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR IN THE 96-06 TJ BODY STYLE WHICH INCLUDES THE SAHARA,X AND SPORT EDITIONS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS POSSIBLE CAUSES AND REPAIRS THAT PEOPLE HAVE COME UP WITH BUT IT SEEMS AS NO ONE HAS PINPOINTED THE CORRECT REPAIR. THE RECOMMENDED REPAIRS SUGGEST THE TRACTION BAR AND STEERING STABILIZER ARE AT FAULT BUT PEOPLE HAVE HAD MIXED RESULTS REPLACING THESE PARTS. IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE PEOPLE AT JEEP MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT HAVE FAILED THEIR CUSTOMERS AT REMEDYING THIS HAZARDOUS PROBLEM. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10278617July 29, 2009
STEERING
I BOUGHT A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND 3 OF THE MONTHS THAT I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE ITS HAS A SHAKE IN THE FRONT END KNOWN AS THE DEATH WOBBLE (GOOGLE DEATH WOBBLE)MY JEEP HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT AND NO WARRANTY, BOUGHT IT USED. WHEN I DRIVE THIS JEEP 40-55 MILES A HOUR AND IF I HIT A BUMP THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE JEEP SHAKES OUT OF CONTROL, VERY DANGEROUS. MY JEEP WRANGLER HAS HAD NOTHING DONE TO IT (NO LIFTS OR ADDED PARTS ALL STOCK) I HAVE BROUGHT THIS JEEP TO A MECHANIC 1 MONTH AGO AND THIS FRIDAY IT WILL BE GOING BACK TO ANOTHER MECHANIC. WHEN MY JEEP FIRST DID THIS DEATH WOBBLE I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I WAS VERY SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THE SAME PROBLEM AS I DID. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? THIS JEEP SAT AT THE DEALERS LOT FOR 1 YEAR BEFORE HE SOLD IT, DID HE KNOW? MAYBE NOTHING WILL COME OUT OF THIS BUT I FEEL JEEP NEED TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT CORRECT BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT BAD. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS AND I WILL NOT LET THEM RIDE IN MY JEEP UNTIL I FIND THE CORRECT WAY TO FIX IT. MY JEEP HAS THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST 1 TIME A DAY. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10274139June 17, 2009
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
MY 2004 JEEP WRANGLER WAS IN PARK AND RUNNING AND DRIFTED DOWN A HILL AND INTO ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE CAUSING 4K WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY JEEP AND WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH TO THE OTHER VEHICLE. THERE IS A RECALL ON 2005 AND 2006 JEEP WRANGLERS FOR TRANSMISSION "PARK" PROBLEMS, I THINK THEY ARE MISSING A YEAR! *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10263767March 31, 2009
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE REPAIRS, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE MONTHS LATER. HE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO REPAIR THE AXLE AND THE PUMPKIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE AXLE FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE AXLE WILL FAIL WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSE A CRASH. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10262094March 17, 2009
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION AT 5 MPH, ENGINE STALLED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE. MECHANIC SCANNED ENGINE WITHOUT FINDING CAUSE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10253954January 6, 2009
SUSPENSION:FRONT
2004 JEEP RUBICON BALL JOINT FAILURE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10252590December 22, 2008
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
MY DAUGHTER EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE IN HER 2004 JEEP WRANGLER CAUSING HER TO COAST THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND HIT AN ONCOMING CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF HER JEEP, THERE WAS A CLIP MISSING THAT SECURED THE CONNECTION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY TO THE ACTUATOR ROD THAT GOES INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER/MASTER CYLINDER. WITHOUT THE CLIP, THE TWO PARTS SEPARATED CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. THIS CAR HAS NO HISTORY OF BRAKE REPAIR IN THAT AREA WHICH INDICATES A FAULTY CLIP OR A CLIP WAS NEVER INSTALLED FROM THE FACTORY. *TR
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10249163November 18, 2008
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
2004 JEEP WRANGLER WAS PARKED & CAUGHT FIRE. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10248514November 11, 2008
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
MULTIFUNCTION LIGHT SWITCH HAS FAILED AFTER 60,000 MILES OF VEHICLE OPERATION. SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE ARE: FOG LIGHTS ENGAGE INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SIGNALING RIGHT-HAND TURNS OR WHEN DRIVING OVER ROUGH SURFACE ROADS. AN ELECTRICAL "POPPING" NOISE CAN BE HEARD ORIGINATING FROM THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH STALK WHERE THE FOG LIGHT SWITCH RESIDES. ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED AND INSPECTED FOR ANY PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR LOOSE WIRING CONTACTS, BUT NO EXTERNAL DEFECTS COULD BE OBSERVED. VEHICLE DOES NOT EXPERIENCE ANY SORT OF ABNORMAL USE OR ABUSE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD, AS NUMEROUS OTHER OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF SWITCH FAILURE LEADING TO MELTED, BURNED WIRES AND CONNECTORS IN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS, AS WELL AS IN THE SWITCH ITSELF. THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO THAT PLAGUING MANY PT CRUISERS, WHICH USE THE SAME SWITCH ASSEMBLY AS THIS VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM WILL MOST LIKELY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OF THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH ASSEMBLY, BUT AS THE DESIGN SHOWS NO SIGNS OF UNDERGOING AN ENGINEERING REVISION SINCE INTRODUCTION, I BELIEVE THAT ANY REPLACEMENT PART WILL ULTIMATELY PRESENT THE SAME PROBLEM AFTER ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10241964September 12, 2008
POWER TRAIN
I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I STOPPED THE JEEP WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. I FOUND A PIECE OF LEVEL GROUND TO STOP ON BUT THEN SINCE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK, I COULD NOT TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I WAS VERY LUCKY THE DEALER WAS OPEN SO I COULD DRIVE IT THERE TO BE FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THE CENTER PIN/SHAFT ON SHIFT ASSEMBLY WAS BROKE. I ASK IF THAT WASN'T A SAFETY PART AND WAS TOLD NO EVEN IF IT HAD BEEN, THE JEEP WAS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT WOULD NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ANY WAY. THE LADY IN WRITE UP SAID THAT WAS THE SECOND ONE THEY HAD TO FIX. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS THING. THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN! I LIVE ON A HILL AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD GO HOME WITH IT NOT BEING ABLE TO PUT IT IN PARK, I COULD NOT EVEN GET OUT OF IT IN MY DRIVE WAY BECAUSE OF THE INCLINE. WHAT'S HAPPEN TO THE STEEL WITH WHICH THEY MAKE THE CAR PARTS TODAY? *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10226929May 7, 2008
STEERING
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR "SHIMMY" IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THE FRONT END THAT CAUSED HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND SUGGESTED AN ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS ALIGNED AND THE TIRES WERE BALANCED, BUT THIS DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,150 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10225491April 23, 2008
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM THAT RETRACTS THE SEATBELT IN THE 2004 JEEP WRANGLERS. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10224788April 17, 2008
STEERING
2004 JEEP WRANGLER EXPERIENCES SEVERE VIOLENT FRONT END SHIMMY/WOBBLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SHIMMY OCCURS WHEN HITTING BUMPS ON HIGHWAY WHEN TRAVELING STRAIGHT AT 40 TO 70 MPH. SHIMMY IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND ONLY CEASES WITH SLOWING DOWN. *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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