10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,739 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Jeep Wrangler steering problems

steering problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2006 Jeep Wrangler:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2006 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments (Page 4 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #23

Aug 142010

Wrangler

  • 28,040 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2006 Jeep Wrangler -- bought used with less than 30K miles on it. Wobble at about 55mph, intermittently. Mine was solved by replacing the stabilizer bar, had nothing to do with tires, although the first time it happened, I thought I had blown a tire. Gas tank filling -- same problem, the pump doesn't shut off unless you pump the gas slowly. First few times, spewed gas all over the Jeep, myself and the pavement. Now I listen as the tank fills and slow the fill as I know it's starting towards full. With the slowing, the pump does shut off but it's a good idea to have some idea how much gas the tank will take at certain fuel readings.

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #22

Jan 302010

Wrangler

  • 25,000 miles
2006 Jeep Wrangler sport brake rotors: Warped at 6K miles, turned by dealer, 8K miles, rotors replaced, 15K rotors turned by independent shop, 20K rotors replaced - and diagnostics shop found that the proportional valve was not set properly, leaving front brakes to do 75 percent of stopping, causing excessive heat/warp. This problem caused violent shaking of Jeep during slow down - I nearly lost control on many occasions - very very dangerous. Now I'm having trouble with the death wobble - steering is dangerous at 52 mph loss of control. This vehicle has 25,700 miles on it. Don't buy Jeep, don't buy dangerous.

- Columbus, IN, USA

problem #21

Jul 192010

Wrangler

  • 15,000 miles
Severe vibration in front wheels/steering at 55 mph. Ceases as speed is increased past 60 mph or decreased.. tire balance and alignment have no effect. Vehicle is totally stock and has aprox. 26,000 miles. Internet research indicates that this is a common problem. Vibration is severe enough to almost cause loss of control. This has been an ongoing problem for the last year.

- Amherst, OH, USA

problem #20

Jun 012009

Wrangler

  • 20,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I own a 2006 Jeep Wrangler, I have been experiencing a violent shake or also known as the death wobble since 2009. Lately, it has gotten far worse. I contacted the dealer at the first signs of the problem, they told me that it was the tires and that they would reimburse me. I called back several times after I got the tires, but the manager always had an excuse. So, no I did not get reimbursed. The tires fixed the problem for a short time, but now it's back and worse than ever. It starts the death wobble at around 55mph, it is so violent that it takes everything I have just to keep control. The only way that I can get it to stop is to either speed up to 60 or come to a complete stop. This is a serious problem and needs immediate attention from NHTSA before a death occurs due to this problem.

- Castlewood, VA, USA

problem #19

May 222010

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Wrangler. While traveling at speeds of 50 mph, the front end of the vehicle began to vibrate abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 36,000. Updated 07/26/10. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. Upon inspection, they stated the belts in the tires had separated, the front rotors were warped and the steering dampener failed. Updated 08/06/10 updated 11/19/10. Updated 11/24/10

- Madison, AL, USA

problem #18

Feb 012010

Wrangler

  • 22,000 miles
2006 Jeep Wrangler: At about 10,000 miles, I noticed that a shudder started to develop in my front end and would vibrate up through the steering wheel at around 45 mph. It does not always occur at 40 mph usually between 40 and 60 after hitting a bump. Now, at 22,000 miles, I have a violent shudder between 40 and 60 mph, that it feels like I am about to lose control of the vehicle. My wife was driving on a major highway and hit a bump at about 55 and almost lost control of the vehicle. It was so bad that she had to brake in order to avoid hitting the car in the lane next to her. This seems like an incredibly dangerous situation. I have taken the Jeep to the Jeep dealer service department the acted like this was not unusual and called it the "death wobble" (nice name for it) and they replaced the steering damper. The vehicle still occasionally shakes at various speeds and sometimes when braking and sometimes it acts "normal" this vehicle is 100 % stock from the dealer(not lifted and original 215/75-15 tires and has had no modifications, and has not been off roading. I believe the problem still exists and the replacement damper is just temporarily masking the problem( not very successfully either). After searching the internet it is obvious this is not an unusual occurrence and needs to be addressed I guess this wont become a big issue for the Chrysler or the government until there are numerous injuries or fatalities. Its a shame that manufacturers wait until the problems really escalates before they are addressed (like Toyota).

- Woodstock, GA, USA

problem #17

Jun 062008

Wrangler

  • 16,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2006 Jeep Wrangler traveling approx. 45 mph the front end starting shaking causing the loss of control of the vehicle. The vehicle with several passengers crashed upside down in a ten foot storm water waterway.

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #16

Apr 012010

Wrangler

  • 24,000 miles
Have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler with 24,000 miles which is experiencing front wheel shaking at about 40-45 mph and when braking. Alignment, tires, etc. Are good with no aftermarket modifications done to suspension. This appears to be a very common problem with Wrangler and is even called and known as a "death wobble." No crashes, but dealer will charge to investigate and fix. As mentioned, this appears to be a very common problem with Wrangler, therefore, isn't it a manufacturing flaw that Jeep needs to take responsibility for?

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #15

Jun 092009

Wrangler

  • 35,000 miles
When driving between the speeds of 40 mph to 50 mph the front end shakes very hard and is hard to keep in your own lane.

- Martinsville, IN, USA

problem #14

Mar 192009

Wrangler

  • 12,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Jeep Wrangler. While driving 55 mph he noticed that the front end of the vehicle began shaking and vibrating. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop and inspected where it was determined that the steering damper failed. The vehicle was repaired for $50. The following day the failure recurred while driving 55 mph. A local mechanic stated that the vehicle needed a front end alignment and later stated that the tires needed to be rotated and balanced for $20. The manufacturer has not been notified. The failure continued to occur. The failure mileage was 12,000 and the current mileage was 24,000.

- Auburn, PA, USA

problem #13

Aug 172009

Wrangler

  • 19,750 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1. normal road driving, 3000 miles after purchasing a certified pre-owned Jeep Wrangler (19700 miles total on vehicle), lead to the vehicle becoming dangerously out of control at around 50mph. The steering vibrations were so severe, that the Jeep could hardly be steered. 2. this happened approximately 5 times in a 7 day span, with the last incident being the most severe. 3. I personally researched this issue and found it to be called the 'death wobble', and appears to be due to a flawed design on Jeep and other Chrysler vehicles. I took it to the dealer for repair, and was billed in excess of $1,000. A new steering stabilizer and front bushing kit was installed. This appears to have resolved the issue.

- Cornelius, NC, USA

problem #12

Mar 102009

Wrangler

  • 39,400 miles
Entering the interstate and driving up to approximately 60-65mph, the steering wheel shook violently to the point where I needed to slow down drastically to stop the vibration. I took the vehicle in for service on the13th of March at ewald Jeep in franklin when they told me to replace the front tires because they were 2/32. I told them the tires have only 15,000 miles on them then they told me to see the place (pomps in racine) that sold me the tires. Pomps said I needed an alignment. Then, on the 8th of April driving at 40mph on a bumpy road, the steering wheel shook violently again with what felt like the front wheels were loose. To stop this vibration, I needed to slow to 10 to 20 mph. I called for service once again to ewald on the10th of April. They replaced the steering damper ($126.28 and $98 for labor). They also performed a 2 wheel front end alignment. Then on Saturday the 18th of April, it happened again. As soon as I got home, I called ewald and told them the shakes are back. Went in on Monday the 20th and had a service tech drive it. He said nothing out of the ordinary occurred while he drove it. Minor shakes in the steering wheel but 'that's the nature of the beast', he said. They proceeded to look into it more and 20 minutes later, they told me they were replacing the steering damper they replaced only 10 days earlier. I owned a 1997 Jeep Wrangler and never experienced this then. After talking with other Jeep owners, I believe it to be a bad design and hope chryslerjeep can correct this problem.

- Caledonia, WI, USA

problem #11

Mar 292009

Wrangler

  • 17,680 miles
While driving at highway speeds, bump or light application of brakes during slight turn causes steering wheel to shudder violently. Steering will not stop shaking until speed is reduced, which on the last occasion, resulted in near miss on freeway during rush hour traffic. Vehicle was previously used on city streets only and issue was observed on a couple of occasions, but frequency and severity increases dramatically at freeway speeds. Although vehicle only has 17,699 miles, it is 2 months out of 36mo warranty. Dealership and Chrysler customer service refused to assist without customer pay diagnostic or customer pay repair. The condition is intermittent and the last time it occurred with my wife driving, she had to veer off the road across several lanes of freeway traffic, almost causing an accident. She suffered a slight sprain of her wrist.

- Lakewood, CA, USA

problem #10

Mar 122009

Wrangler

  • 15,000 miles
In reference to all late model Jeep Wrangler. What is known as the "death wobble". at a speed of 35 to 55 mph, a vibration in the front end will occur that magnifies in intensity until the driver must stop the vehicle to regain control. Very dangerous. Jeep says that it thinks a steering damper change could stop this from occurring, but has never issued a recall or design change. Problem spans several years of the Wrangler model. I have heard of mid 90's all the way to my 06' having the "death wobble". in my opinion Jeep has neglected to fix a very serious problem that im sure has caused more than a few accidents. I have had to stop completely getting on the interstate to regain control. That cant be safe. I would think that a fix shouldn't be that hard for the engineers at daimler/Chrysler to come up with. After all the Jeep is an amazing vehicle. Therefore I am requesting that the NHTSA commence an investigation into the death wobble" and Jeep responsibility in this. It is my belief that they should be held responsible for any worn or damaged front end parts due to the wobble and the fix for the problem. Thanks for your time and hard work. I am looking forward to speaking with a NHTSA rep at their convenience. If you need to observe the death wobble or need more info please feel free to contact me anytime via email or phone. Or you can just google it. You would be amazed at the number of people out there that have this problem and Jeep acts as if it doesn't exist. All I can say is wow. Thanks again for doing your jobs and making these companies be responsible.

- Waynesville, NC, USA

problem #9

Dec 082008

Wrangler

  • 28,000 miles
I'm 2nd owner of an '06 Jeep Wrangler. Miles at purchase: 26521. Still under warranty. At 27,000 I experienced "death wobble" at 55mph. Took it in to ferman of plant city dealership and they replaced the damper. Within less then 1000 miles it happened again. Took it to xtreme Jeep and they could not figure out what was causing it. I then took it back to local dealership, citrus Chrysler of dade city, fl at about 28,000 miles. They have had it since 12/08/08. They say the tie rods and tracbar need replacement but they can't get the parts until after 12/24/08. I research this death wobble and found out that it happens to many, many other Jeep owners. You just need to do a google search to see how often it happens. Chrysler do not own up to the fact that this unsafe problem exists. There is no reports of this when I paid for a carfax report. This is a very, very unsafe problem that needs to be looked in to. I am expected to bail these guys out with my hard earned tax money while they hide the fact that they're producing these unsafe vehicles. I am now paying for a vehicle I can not drive. The dealership has it in their lot waiting for parts. This is very upsetting and you need to look in to this matter. How dare them not recall these vehicles and redesign steering to make them safe. I will never buy another american made vehicle again. Corp greed with unsafe products is so un-american!!!!

- Zephyrhills, FL, USA

problem #8

Sep 252008

Wrangler

  • 19,160 miles
Defective steering damper replaced 7/24/2008, 8/5/2008 and 10/1/2008. Sever front end wobble after hitting a rough patch of road or a bump with a 2006 Jeep Wrangler.

- Westerville, OH, USA

problem #7

Sep 262006

Wrangler

  • 24,669 miles
I purchased a 2006 Jeep Wrangler sport on Sept 25, 2008. Within one week of driving this vehicle I experienced severe wobble (aka "death wobble") while traveling around 55mph twice. It happened when I ran over rough areas in the road that had been patched up pot holes. The vehicle began to shake violently from side to side. I had to almost come to a complete stop before it would stop do this. I felt I had no control of the vehicle while this was happening. After the first time I searched the internet and found that this is not an isolated problem and that many, many other owners have experienced the same thing. It is referred to as the "Jeep death wobble". I contacted the local Chrysler dealership because the Jeep is still under warranty. When I explained the situation to them they acted as if they never heard of such a thing. They replaced the damper on the steering but I know from my research that this is just a short time \"fix\" and that although Chrysler has received many letters from consumers such as myself, they refuse to acknowledge the fact that their design if dangerous therefore, there has been no recall to permanently fix the problem. I then contacted X-treme Jeep in tampa Florida and the owner informed me that the only way to remedy the problem is to eliminate the damper all together and install the rugged ridge steering kit which actually brings the mechanism back to the older way the Jeep were made back when amc built them. This is an expensive job, costing approx. $330. I can not afford this plus the monthly car payment but then again, I can\'t afford to wreck my vehicle do to poor design. I live 17 miles from my job and can\'t afford to go without my transportation. This is a very unsafe vehicle Chrysler does not acknowledge responsible. When I went to pick up my Jeep from the dealership after they replaced the damper I had to come up with $83.63 for the rotation/balance of the tires. No physical damage but my nerves are shot over this.

- Zephyrhills, FL, USA

problem #6

Sep 272008

Wrangler

  • 22,464 miles
2006 Jeep Wrangler - extreme front end shutter at highway speeds, usually in the area of 55mph. The shutter is so bad the vehicle has to be stopped immediately to avoid loss of control. This has occurred 3 times in the last week alone. The dealer claims it is a known issue but the part is out of stock. They (Jeep) calls it a shimmer, I* say it is a shutter and a life safety issue.

- Social Circle, GA, USA

problem #5

Nov 082006

Wrangler

  • 236 miles
I bought a 2006 Jeep Cherokee in October 2006 and sine the day we bought it we have had problems with the front end steering. We took it to the dealer where we bought it and they told us there was nothing wrong with the steering. The next time we took it in for the same problem, a few day later, they told us it needed balancing. The third time we took it in they told us it needed an alignment. We have now done balancing and alignments approximately every 2-3 months. We have replaced the stabilizer arm three times since we bought the Jeep and need to replace it again. The steering gets so bad it almost pulls the wheel out of your hand at 45 miles per hour. The dealership still says there is nothing wrong with it.

- Florahome, FL, USA

problem #4

Jun 072008

Wrangler

  • 27,000 miles
I purchased a pre owned Jeep Wrangler in 1/08 and had no problems until June of this year I experience a violent shaking on my way home from work one day and thought I had blown a tire or hit gravel on the road I checked my tires and there was nothing on the road I was baffled it happened again 2 weeks later and I took it to the nearest Jeep dealership I was told it needed a new steering damper but they were on short supply (I know why now) I then called the dealership I purchased it from and was told to bring it in for a replacement part to make a long story shorter they have replaced my steering damper 3 times and I have experienced this violent shaking 5 times they have released my car back to me assuring me it was fixed. They now want to put a heavy duty damper on my Jeep stating this will fix it I have contacted a lemon law attorney and she researched this problem for me she found several reports from consumers and told me that the Jeep technical service bulletin specifically states how to fix this problem on the 2006 models it describes it as a "shimmy" and they are to replace the steering damper on the 2007 they describe it as a "rumble" and give a completely different fix for this other than the steering damper I called my dealership today and told them they need to find out what replacement is for the 2007 because it is obviously not the damper I am at my wits end with the vehicle I am terrified to drive it for one of these times I may roll it and cause serious injury to myself Chrysler will not give me a loaner until this problem is fixed I hope this helps in your investigation for there is something dangerously wrong with this vehicle thanks marti mulholland

- Finleyville, PA, USA

Read the next 3 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?