10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
63,462 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.

2008 Jeep Wrangler steering problems

steering problem

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2008 Jeep Wrangler Owner Comments (Page 6 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #55

Oct 012012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 48,000 miles

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

Vehicle began violently shaking on the interstate. It now shakes at any speeds greater than 40 mph and any bumps in the road or turns also set it off. The vehicle was unable to be turned or moved off the road during the shaking and the shaking only stops once the vehicle slows down to under 10 mph.

- Hendersonville, TN, USA

problem #54

Dec 032012

Wrangler

  • 40,000 miles
The horn no longer works and per the dealer, it is the clockspring. This cost about $500 to replace. The same make and model of the previous year had a recall but they have not recalled the 08 which apparently has the same problem.

- Oro Valley, AZ, USA

problem #53

Jan 012012

Wrangler

  • 29,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph or less and going over a bump the vehicle would shake violently in the front end. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that there was no test for the failure and they would just have to replace the stabilizer. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000. The current mileage was approximately 30,000.

- Destink, FL, USA

problem #52

Oct 182012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 71,375 miles

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

On the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes on every other minute with a chime, an indication that there is something malfunctioning or interfering with the vehicle's airbags.this has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring is the culprit for potential airbag failure in the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment when simply driving around. Daimler Chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying.

- Cordova, TN, USA

problem #51

Oct 012010

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • miles
I am the original owner of a 2008 Jeep Wrangler that has had 5 separate "death wobble" events in the last 5 years. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty Jeep wants me to pay for repairs that they have to this point proven they do not have a proper understanding of and solution for the Jeep death wobble. Please help. My family and I are afraid to drive in this truck in this condition.

- West Hempstead, NY, USA

problem #50

Oct 092012

Wrangler

  • 35,000 miles
During a routine maintenance service, the dealer noticed a large amount of "play" in the steering wheel of our 2008 Jeep Wrangler sahara 2-door. It measured greater than the allowable movement. After reading about the effects of "death wobble" it was decided that this could be the early signs of this problem. With the numerous documented cases of this issue, we asked the dealer to contact Chrysler to cover the $600+ repair/upgrade that was suggested(including an upgraded steering damper, upgraded tie rod, and wheel alignment). The vehicle is completely stock, well maintained, has 35,000 miles, and has never been off-road. The dealer agreed that there was a problem with the factory parts and it shouldn't be our responsibility to cover the cost of the upgrade. They dropped the price down to $100 and it is now being repaired. The vehicle should be ready tomorrow, so we will find out if these new parts will prevent the "death wobble" issue.

- Norwalk, CT, USA

problem #49

Oct 032012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 27,434 miles

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

Driving down paved road and front end started to shake violently. Had to pull over and stop for it to stop. Had same problem in March 2011 and took to dealer for repair which only lasted about 4000 mile and 19 months.

- Concho, AZ, USA

problem #48

Sep 012012

Wrangler

  • 59,795 miles
While driving at highway speeds, when a pothole or bump is hit by the vehicle, the tires begin to wobble out of control. This causes the steering to fail and violently shake the steering wheel. While coming off or on highway ramps the wobble causes the vehicle to veer off the road.

- Virginia Beach , VA, USA

problem #47

Sep 172012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 125,000 miles
Air bag light came on during driving. Took it to the dealer where they told me the clock spring needed to be replaced for $525. After researching the issue I discovered that Jeep has recalled the right hand drive clock springs for 2007-2012 but not on the left hand drive Jeep. They are the same part and a recall should be issued across the fleet. This is a safety issue as it can cause the air bag to deploy on its own, or not deploy in an accident.

- Providence , RI, USA

problem #46

Sep 152012

Wrangler

  • 32,169 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving 50 mph the front end would shimmer and shake violently. The failure also occurred whenever he drove over a bump in the road or it was uneven. The vehicle was taken to the dealer about three years ago for the same failure and the steering damper was replaced. The failure recurred; however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. There were no warning lights when the failure occurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 32,169.

- Salt Lake City , UT, USA

problem #45

Jun 302012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 27,000 miles

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

Hit bumps in the road and the front end starting shaking very badly. Had to come to a stop for the shaking to stop. The famous Jeep death wobble. At the dealership they acted like they never heard of the problem before. After seeing these complaints I realize its a common problem and Jeep should of fixed it. It cost me $400 to fix it. Also since I purchased this vehicle I complained to the dealership that the transmission shifts funny. They keep telling me there is no fix for this and it is a common problem with this transmission.

- Southampton, PA, USA

problem #44

Aug 192012

Wrangler

  • 38,975 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the steering wheel seized and the contact started losing control of the vehicle. The vehicle was shut off and restarted after several minutes, in which the power steering assist was reset. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where they stated to the contact that they had to replace the steering damper. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls under the issue. The failure mileage was 38,975 and the current mileage was 38,998.

- Fort Mitchell , KY, USA

problem #43

Aug 042012

Wrangler

  • 52,300 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler ltd. The contact was driving 50 mph when the front end began shaking violently and the vehicle became uncontrollable. The vehicle had to come to a complete stop before the shaking stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that there could have been various reasons for the cause of the failure. The vehicle was neither inspected or repaired however the contact secured an appointment for further inspection of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 52,300.

- Eagle, CO, USA

problem #42

Jul 292012

Wrangler

  • 70,000 miles
While driving about 60 mph and then begin to slow down on a major highway (slight bumps in the road). The steering wheel begins to wobble back and forth violently and the whole vehicle shakes like crazy. Must slow down immediately (almost to a stop) and then the shaking ceases. I've heard it called the "death wobble" and I understand why. This has happened numerous times over the last 4 years and the Jeep dealership has "fixed" the problem numerous times. My wife and children are afraid to ride in the vehicle, and I cannot, in good conscience, sell the vehicle to anyone. The condition seems very dangerous to me.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #41

Jul 012010

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 18,000 miles
Having problem with "death wobble". while traveling at a high rate of speed, over 40mph. A violent shaking has occurred a multiple number of times. Feels as though the entire front end of vehicle is ready to fly off. Control of vehicle is compromised. Especially at such a high rate of speed, which usually occurs on the freeway with other vehicles around. Dealership says that the steering stabilizer needs to be replaced. Research on the internet says that this just masks the problem. Personally looking at the steering components of the vehicle. I cannot see how a worn out steering stabilizer can cause so much chaos.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #40

Jul 202012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
Death wobble, terrible steering shimmer. Driving on highway at 55 mph. Hit one bump on the road and all of a sudden the vehicle started shaking violently. I needed to slam on the breaks to keep the vehicle from maybe flipping over. It has happened before, but not this violent. To fix this I installed a dual steering stabilizer set up made by skyjacker.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #39

Jul 132012

Wrangler

  • 38,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the wheel began to shake after driving over a road bump or when making a turn in either direction. The vehicle would become hard to control when the failure occurred. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the dealer was notified of the issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case for the contact (case number: 22425937). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 38,000 and the current mileage was 39,000.

- Middletown, RI, USA

problem #38

Jul 052012

Wrangler 6-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
On the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) dashboard, the airbag warning light flashes on with a chime. This has been a recurring issue and concern for many 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) owners, including myself, and has been shown time and time again to be caused by a faulty clockspring within the vehicle's steering wheel. This faulty clockspring could cause airbag failure in the 2008 Jeep Wrangler (lhd) during an accident or premature deployment without warning. Daimler Chrysler has refused to address the safety concern of their faulty clockspring that can cause failure of the vehicle's airbags from properly deploying.

- Cave Creek, AZ, USA

problem #37

Feb 062012

Wrangler

  • 27,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Wrangler X. the contact was driving 50 mph when the wheels started to shake and the vehicle failed to steer properly. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic. The mechanic confirmed the steering stabilizer needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 28,600.

- Sound Beach, NY, USA

problem #36

Apr 262012

Wrangler

  • 19,146 miles
The car experienced the so-called "Jeep death wobble." At about 65 mph on the freeway, the front end of the car began to shake so violently and uncontrollably that I had no choice but to slow to a stop in the emergency lane. After attempting to drive at highway speed again several minutes later, the wobble occurred a second time, forcing me to pull over once more. Had I let go of the steering wheel during the incident, the car would surely have swerved and possibly spun out.

- Corona, CA, USA

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