FCA Sued over Jeep “Death Wobble” Steering

[Jimmyb]

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has been sued on behalf of Jeep Wrangler owners over claims that the SUV’s front axle can develop a dangerous “death wobble” at highway speeds.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles faces a class-action lawsuit over an alleged "death wobble" involving 2015-2018 Jeep Wranglers with a solid front axle that the suit says can cause the steering wheel to shake violently at highway speeds.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Detroit's U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges Fiat Chrysler had knowledge of the issue: "Rather than address it — or disclose its possibility and/or warn drivers at the point of sale — FCA simply claims in a news article that the 'Death Wobble' is not a 'safety issue' and that it 'can happen with any vehicle that has a solid front axle (rather than an independent front suspension), such as the Wrangler.'”

FCA U.S. said it has not been served with the lawsuit and cannot comment on its allegations at this time. "We note, however, that any manufacturer vehicle equipped with a solid axle can experience steering system vibration and, if experienced, it is routinely corrected," the automaker said in a statement.

According to the suit, the so-called “death wobble” occurs because the solid front axle cannot absorb bumps and vibrations as efficiently as a vehicle with a front suspension that allows each wheel to move independently. It says the front suspension and steering components can be jarred out of equilibrium.Drivers experience an "uncontrollable side-to-side shaking of a Jeep’s front-end steering components and – by extension – its steering wheel," the suit alleges.

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Claire Reynolds, a New Jersey resident who owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4 x 4, accuses the company of offering drivers a "Band-Aid fix" in the form of replacing the steering damper if the vehicle is under warranty.

The suit claims the problem will ultimately return and can only be remedied by substantial revisions and repair to the suspension. Reynolds claims the damper was replaced three times in six months and the Jeep's front end still shook

Drivers have complained about Wrangler steering problems to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for years.

"I first experienced the 'Death Wobble' within a year or so of purchasing my new 2016 Jeep Wrangler," an unidentified Wrangler owner from Paw Paw, Michigan, wrote to NHTSA in February 2019. "Very scary (seems to happen on a rough spots in the road, traveling at 45 mph or higher). The front end was shaking so badly that I thought I had a flat tire, or that a wheel had fallen off. It has now happened at least 8 times, and I no longer drive on any interstate highway."

Safety advocates in Washington have been urging federal regulators and lawmakers in Congress to look into the steering problems with Jeep Wrangler vehicles as far back as 2012.

"The Jeep 'death wobble' is a serious safety issue that must be evaluated by NHTSA," the Center for Auto Safety wrote in a March 2012 letter to former NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "It is also representative of the problems involving lack of transparency and access to reliable repairs that are present in other safety and defect cases."

NHTSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit seeks damages for affected drivers in the form of a buyback program that requires FCA to pay drivers for defective vehicles and compensation for the loss of value to the vehicles. It also wants drivers to be provided with replacement vehicles while their repairs are pending.

The lawsuit also seeks punitive damages "for FCA’s knowing fraud that put drivers and members of the public nationwide at risk;" calls for regulators to order the company to issue a recall.

[Banshee]

FCA are right in their statement about it potentially affecting any solid front axle vehicle.

I see the problem as being that the dealership it was taken to, not fixing it properly in the first place. (Or second, or third...) Steering dampers definitely won't fix what is caused by one of any number of other underlying issues. (Loose bolts, worn components, components damaged by DW stress...)

[ozibunge]

This is a serious issue that affects Jeeps more than others and needs to be addressed by FCA before people are killed. It can be dealt with when you are the only vehicle on the road but when it occurs in traffic and you have no where to pull over or let the vehicles travelling behind know what is going on, it can be very scary and extremely dangerous.

Even when all the bits supposed to contribute to DW are in good order, it still happens..........perhaps not as often but occasionally out of the blue on a relatively smooth surface, off it goes.

This happened to me a couple of days ago travelling on a good road at about 100kph; all of sudden and without warning the vehicle went into the worst DW I have ever experienced.............no where to pull over and so scary with other vehicles behind wondering WTF was going on in front, that when I was able to stop and get off the road, I had the shakes and did not want drive any further in the vehicle.

Now seriously considering selling ASAP and buying a well engineered Japanese 4WD that doesn't suffer this issue. I know it only effects solid axels with coils but I've not heard of the 70 Series Landcruiser or Landrover 110 suffering this issue. I love my JK but enough is enough....come on FCA, take responsibility and find a proper solution before there are deaths or serious injury.

[Fishframe]

It covers 2015 to 2018.

I wonder what percentage of Jeep’s in that date range are still original with no suspension mods or lifts?

I’ve found with my (elderly?) TJ that the suspension needs to be all in good condition, geometrically correct, wheel alignment spot on, tyres in good condition and air pressures correct and consistent all round. When all that is good, I have no DW. Once something is out of kilter, DW hits me at just about spot on 80km/h and usually just after hitting a small bump or pothole to get the vibrations started.

At 80kmh it is horrific. Ozibunge- I can only imaging how scary it was for you at 100kph because the car wants to pull off the road and try to self destruct the front end suspension like a small nuclear device.

[ozibunge]

Originally Posted by Fishframe

It covers 2015 to 2018.

I wonder what percentage of Jeep’s in that date range are still original with no suspension mods or lifts?

I’ve found with my (elderly?) TJ that the suspension needs to be all in good condition, geometrically correct, wheel alignment spot on, tyres in good condition and air pressures correct and consistent all round. When all that is good, I have no DW. Once something is out of kilter, DW hits me at just about spot on 80km/h and usually just after hitting a small bump or pothole to get the vibrations started.

At 80kmh it is horrific. Ozibunge- I can only imaging how scary it was for you at 100kph because the car wants to pull off the road and try to self destruct the front end suspension like a small nuclear device.

Mine is a 2010 but any fix for latter models would probably work. Strange thing is I do not experience any steering wheel shake although the thing feels like it is shaking apart..........certainly can't be any good for the steering/suspension components and could be catastrophic is something broke.

[Banshee]

Originally Posted by Fishframe

It covers 2015 to 2018.

I wonder what percentage of Jeep’s in that date range are still original with no suspension mods or lifts?

I’ve found with my (elderly?) TJ that the suspension needs to be all in good condition, geometrically correct, wheel alignment spot on, tyres in good condition and air pressures correct and consistent all round. When all that is good, I have no DW. Once something is out of kilter, DW hits me at just about spot on 80km/h and usually just after hitting a small bump or pothole to get the vibrations started.

At 80kmh it is horrific. Ozibunge- I can only imaging how scary it was for you at 100kph because the car wants to pull off the road and try to self destruct the front end suspension like a small nuclear device.

Fishframe, that sounds exactly like what I had with my JKU when I first got it. But (in my case at least), it wasn't DW, but a steering shimmy that was so bad it almost drove me off the road. Like you it happened at 80 & after hitting a bump, especially if the bump was offset. There were particular places that I knew it would happen & I could repeatedly trigger, (or not), by setting the speed as I approached.

In my case the cause was the caster was too low from the lift the previous owner had installed. A set of adjustable LCAs (subsequently replaced by geo brackets which give the same result with a smoother ride) later and it has never occurred again.

[Fishframe]

My first DW happened very soon after I purchased my Jeep secondhand. I thought the engine was blowing up. After pulling over and looking under the engine I noticed the steering stabiliser had been torn off it’s mounts, such was the violence of the wobbles.