Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 32 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
THIS VEHICLE HAS WHAT IS CALLED A DEATH WOBBLE. IF YOU HIT A BUMP AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING BECOMES NOTHING MORE THAN A PRAYER. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THIS GET S WORSE. ALL THAT CAN BE DONE IS TO SLOW TO A COMPLETE STOP AS FAST AS YOU. HOT ROD GUYS SEEM TO BE AWARE OF IT BUT. WHAT IF THE REPAIR SHOPS HAVE NO SURE TO FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. I WAS GOING BETWEEN 50 AND 55 WHEN THIS OCCURED.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE 210 FWY EAST NEAR THE HILL STREET OFF-RAMP IN PASADENA-CA THE CAR'S FRONT END STARTED TO SHAKE & BOUNCE VIOLENTLY WHILE WOBBLING TOWARDS THE RIGHT. IT FELT AS OF THE CAR WOULD FALL APART AND WE (OCCUPANTS) WERE VERY SCARED. AFTER REDUCING MY SPEED TO ABOUT 35MPH THE SHAKING/BOUNCING STOPPED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED BACK TO NORMAL. I CHECKED THE WEB TO SEE IF ANY ONE ELSE HAD EXPERIENCED THESE PROBLEMS. TO MY SURPRISE THE INTERNET HAS NUMEROUS ENTRIES OF PEOPLE IN JEEPS EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME AND NAMING IT THE "DEATH WOBBLE". THE SITES SUGGEST DIFFERENT CURES BUT AFTER REPLACING ALL FRONT SHOCKS, STEERING HOUSING, STEERING DAMPERS AND ALL SUSPENSION BUSHINGS AND REPLACING TIRES AND HAVING ALIGNMENT CHECKED THE PROBLEM REMAINED AS I EXPERIENCED IT TWICE MORE AFTER ALL THE WORK WAS DONE. ON 04/08/'15 I TOOK THE CAR TO ALHAMBRA CHRYSLER/DODGE/JEEP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE "DEATH WOBBLE" SO I HANDED THEM AN INTERNET PRINTOUT CLEARLY EXPLAINING THE SYMPTOMS. AFTER INSPECTION THE WORKORDER LISTED THE REAR SHOCKS NEEDING IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT AND FRONT SUSPENSION TO "MAY FUTURE ATTENTION". SINCE EVERYTHING ON FRONT SUSPENSION HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED I WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED THE REAR SHOCKS AND DOUBLE CHECKED ALL SUSPENSION FASTENERS, BALL JOINTS AND WHEELBEARINGS. STILL THE PROBLEM, THE DEATH WOBBLE", OCCURRED ONCE MORE. BASED ON THE INTERNET LISTINGS MY CASE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND SINCE DURING THE WOBBLE THE CAR IS UNCONTROLLABLE AND MOVES EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT AN ACCIDENT IS SURE TO HAPPEN. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. BY THE WAY I AM AN ASA MASTER TECH, CERTIFIED IN ENGINES, TRANSMISSIONS (MANUAL & AUTOMATIC), SUSPENSION, BRAKES, A/C AND BODY AND KNOW HOW TO WORK ON CARS. THIS PROBLEM BAFFLES ME. THANK YOU. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 38 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
VIOLENT WOBBLE IN LEFT FRONT WHEEL AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP. *TR
MY SON WAS DRIVING THE 98 JEEP WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED, HE COULD NOT STEER THE JEEP. LUCKILY HE WAS AT THE FREEWAY EXIT, HE ROLLED INTO SOMEONE DRIVEWAY AND STOPPED. THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. HE WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE. IT ALSO DAMAGED SOME OTHER PARTS CLOSE TO IT. TOTAL COST TO REPAIR WAS $1200.00. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, SMELLED AN AWFUL SMELL, LIKE ROTTEN EGGS, PULLED OVER AND STOPPED AND THEN SMOKE STARTED FLOWING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP, THEN TOLD AXLE SHAFT DAMAGED, ALL BEARINGS DAMAGED, DIFFERENTIAL DAMAGED,RACK AND PINNION (SP) ALSO DAMAGED, COMING TO $1700 IN REPLACEMENT PARTS. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT 20 MPH HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK IN DRIVER'S HAND. WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK OUT PROBLEM.*AK
WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS STEERING WHEEL MAKES A WEIRED NOISE. THE VEHICLE JERKS FORWARD AND STEERING WHEEL BECOMES STIFF. THIS ONLY ACCRUES IN WEATHER THAT'S 80 DEGREES AND HIGHER.*AK
THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE DETENT SYSTEM SHIFTER, TOOK TO DEALER THEY REPLACED SHIFTER. CONSUMER STATES' NOW ITS HARDER TO SHIFT INTO GEAR, AND FILLS LIKE SHIFTER MAY COME OFF IN YOUR HAND. CONSUMER STATES SHIFTER IS WORSE THAN IT WAS PRIOR TO RECALL. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE WILL SWITCH FROM DRIVE TO 2ND GEAR AND IT WILL BE HARD FOR THE CONSUMER TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE ALSO THE VEHICLE WILL BE HARD TO PUT IN DRIVE. DEALER NOTIFIED TS
PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTICE 99V-340 THE VEHICLE'S ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. NLM
COST OF REPAIR TO CORRECT THE STEERING PROBLEM IS $1,209.06 FROM GEWEKE, JEEP DEALER. *AK
WHEN TURNING OFF HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONER INTERMITTENTLY ALARM WILL GO OFF/ INTERIOR LIGHTS WILL FLASH, AND HORN WILL GO OFF. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER 8-9 TIMES IN PAST 3 YEARS, COULD NOT REMEDY. RECENTLY DEALER REPLACED ALARM MODULE. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT REMEDY PROBLEM.*AK
I WAS SITTING AT RED LIGHT WHEN I WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY FORD PASSANGER VAN AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED PRIOR TO ACCIDENT THE BACK SEATS WERE DOWN BECAUSE IT WAS BEING USE IN THE UTILITY SINCE OF THE SUV TITLE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN I WAS SRUCK THE RECLINING SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AT THE SAME TIME THE BACK SEAT BEGAN RIGHTING ITSELF DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT AS I WAS HURLED BACK WITH NO SEAT BACK TO STOP ME I STRUCK MY HEAD ON THE RISING BACK SEAT TOP A RIGID BOARD COVERED IN CLOTH THIS DEFECT HAS CAUSED BRAIN DAMAGE TO ME OF VARYING SORTS THIS SEAT HAS ONLY ONE RECLING GEAR EVEN THOUGH YOUR OFFICE SUGGESTED TO THE INDUSTRY PRIOR TO1994 THROUGH A STUDY AT THE UNIV. OF VIRGINIA I AM(WAS) A 220 LB. BODY BUILDER I WAS REACHING ACCROSS TO THE OTHER SEAT AT POINT OF IMPACT THE TEETH MAY NOT EVEN HAVE HAD TO SHEER OFF THE TWISTING FORCE MAY JUST HAVE PULLED TOP TEETH OUT OF BOTTOM TEETH UNLOCKING ENTIRE MECHANISM EITHER WAY WHEN I OPENED MY EYES AFTER THE IMPACT I WAS LAYING FLAT DOWN IN THE MOST RECLINED POSITION I STARTED OUT INA NORMAL UPRIGHT POSITON PLEASE HELP JEEP ADVERTISES TO GUYS JUST LIKE ME A ROUGH TOUGH VEHICLE THAT CAN GET YOU THROUGH ANYTHING AND THEN THEY PUT A SEAT IN THAT WON'T PROTECT THE VERY MARKET THEY ADVERTISE TO THANKYOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR BEING HERE TO REPORT THIS TO. SINCERELY [XXX] HUSBAND FATHER OF THREE AND NOW BRAIN DAMAGED BECAUSE OF A DEFECTIVE SEAT IN A 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO (TOP OF THEIR LINE) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
A PART OF THE STEERING COLUMN SHEARED OFF CAUSING THE STEERING TO GO OUT COMPLETELY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL, THE CONSUMER REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. *YH
WHILE MAKING A TURN STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE. DRIVER EVENTUALLY LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE DUE TO PITMAN ARM BREAKING OFF. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK
STEERING COLUMN FAILED CAUSING NOISE DURING OPERATION. *AK
REGARDING THE BROKEN SHAFT IN POWER STEERING PUMP, AS PER DEALER (TOWN AND COUNTRY OF ROCK HILL) THEY HAD NEVER SEEN SUCH A THING. DRIVE BELT PULLY CAME APART, SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF, AND OST ALL COOLANT, CAR OVERHEATED, AND STRANDED US ON THE SIDE OF I 77. NIGHTMARE. 2) WITH REGARD TO MOTOR MOUNTS: DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS. (AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARANTY, OF COURSE.) EVERY OTHER MECHANIC SAYS: "MOTOR MOUNTS SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 100,000 MILES...WHO'S RIGHT?
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT THE STEERING BECAME TOTALLY DISCONNECTED FROM THE WHEEL, LEAVING NO CONTROL OVER STEERING.*AK
WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 5MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING COLUMN BROKE. NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TOWED TO DEALER & MECHANIC REPLACED ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. *ML
BACKED OUT OF GARAGE. TURNED STEERING WHEEL TO MOVE VEHICLE. LOUD SNAPPING NOISE. STEERING WHEEL TURNED, BUT WHEELS DID NOT. *AK
SERPENTINE BELT FAILED TWICE. *YC
MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS VEHICLE DOES NOT DRIVE STRAIGHT. STEERING WHEEL IS APPROX 15 DEGREES TO LEFT. ADVISED FRONT END IS IN FACTORY SPECS
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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