Joined
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3 Posts
Hey guys. I’ve really enjoyed reading this forum in recent weeks while I’ve considered joining the brotherhood and buying my first Wrangler. I’ve wanted one for a while now.
I have to say, though, that the so-called “death wobble” has me more than a bit concerned. I’d read about the issue here and there but didn’t really dive into the extended thread (tacked to the top of this board) until last night. By then, I’d already agreed in principle to close the deal on a beautiful early-2000s Sahara with low mileage. It’s mostly stock, though with larger tires, and the low mileage really makes it especially appealing to me.
My plan was to pick it up today and I’d spent the past couple of days looking forward to it. But the reading last night about the death wobble was a huge buzz kill, and I called the seller today and told him I needed some more time to research and process this. I spent a good couple of hours on these boards taking in the horror stories of people who seemed to be driving perfectly good Wranglers and then, all of a sudden, you-know-what happens. Not only does the actual event seem frightening, but scarier to me is the prospect of spending of lot of money to fix the issue.
My question is this: How common is the dreaded death wobble? That’s the one question, after reading everything, that’s still unclear to me. Is this something that afflicts 10 percent of TJ Wranglers? More? Less? Is there any way to know? Is there a certain year that’s most prone to this issue? I’m guessing not since the front alignment/suspension system doesn’t change from year-to-year. I know some folks on here have said it affects Wranglers that have been modified/lifted, etc., but it seems like stock ones have had the same issues, though perhaps less frequently. From reading up on this a bit, it seems like there’s no way to predict which ones might come down with the wobbles – seems equally to affect older-model TJs, and even some Wranglers built in the past five or six years. Is that a fair assessment: That there’s no way to really know it’s coming until it happens?
It’s unbelievable to me that this issue wouldn’t have been addressed and fixed by Chrysler, given all that’s out there about this. I mean, if you Google “Jeep Wrangler death wobble,” more than 40,000 links pop up. That can’t be good for the brand. Even so, until last night, I’m not sure I appreciated the extent of the problem and what some people have been going through with this.
I know from reading some threads here that some folks minimize the issue. But it’s a huge concern to me, and was the only thing keeping me from completing the deal today. I’d be less concerned, perhaps, if I were buying a Wrangler as a secondary/weekend vehicle, but it’d be my daily driver. The prospect of getting off road here and there is appealing, but I’d also need it to be a reliable day-in, day-out mode of transportation, too.
Sorry for another thread on this, but I’d appreciate some feedback. Some brief background on the Wrangler I’d had my heart on: It’s an early-2000s, Sahara, with less than 70K miles. The seller (a dealer) says he knows of no wobble issues with it. Clean carfax, though it shows four owners (now I’m paranoid thinking they ditched it because of the DW). I love the style of the Wrangler, the versatility and the idea of owning one.
So am I crazy to be really concerned about this?
I have to say, though, that the so-called “death wobble” has me more than a bit concerned. I’d read about the issue here and there but didn’t really dive into the extended thread (tacked to the top of this board) until last night. By then, I’d already agreed in principle to close the deal on a beautiful early-2000s Sahara with low mileage. It’s mostly stock, though with larger tires, and the low mileage really makes it especially appealing to me.
My plan was to pick it up today and I’d spent the past couple of days looking forward to it. But the reading last night about the death wobble was a huge buzz kill, and I called the seller today and told him I needed some more time to research and process this. I spent a good couple of hours on these boards taking in the horror stories of people who seemed to be driving perfectly good Wranglers and then, all of a sudden, you-know-what happens. Not only does the actual event seem frightening, but scarier to me is the prospect of spending of lot of money to fix the issue.
My question is this: How common is the dreaded death wobble? That’s the one question, after reading everything, that’s still unclear to me. Is this something that afflicts 10 percent of TJ Wranglers? More? Less? Is there any way to know? Is there a certain year that’s most prone to this issue? I’m guessing not since the front alignment/suspension system doesn’t change from year-to-year. I know some folks on here have said it affects Wranglers that have been modified/lifted, etc., but it seems like stock ones have had the same issues, though perhaps less frequently. From reading up on this a bit, it seems like there’s no way to predict which ones might come down with the wobbles – seems equally to affect older-model TJs, and even some Wranglers built in the past five or six years. Is that a fair assessment: That there’s no way to really know it’s coming until it happens?
It’s unbelievable to me that this issue wouldn’t have been addressed and fixed by Chrysler, given all that’s out there about this. I mean, if you Google “Jeep Wrangler death wobble,” more than 40,000 links pop up. That can’t be good for the brand. Even so, until last night, I’m not sure I appreciated the extent of the problem and what some people have been going through with this.
I know from reading some threads here that some folks minimize the issue. But it’s a huge concern to me, and was the only thing keeping me from completing the deal today. I’d be less concerned, perhaps, if I were buying a Wrangler as a secondary/weekend vehicle, but it’d be my daily driver. The prospect of getting off road here and there is appealing, but I’d also need it to be a reliable day-in, day-out mode of transportation, too.
Sorry for another thread on this, but I’d appreciate some feedback. Some brief background on the Wrangler I’d had my heart on: It’s an early-2000s, Sahara, with less than 70K miles. The seller (a dealer) says he knows of no wobble issues with it. Clean carfax, though it shows four owners (now I’m paranoid thinking they ditched it because of the DW). I love the style of the Wrangler, the versatility and the idea of owning one.
So am I crazy to be really concerned about this?
op:
