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 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 67 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 67, in the owner's own words
EXPERIENCED DEATH WOBBLE ON FREEWAY AT 45-55 AND TO REGAIN CONTROL HAVE T0 APPLY BRAKES AND ALMOST COME TO A DEAD STOP. SIX MONTHS AFTER, THE STEERING HOUSING CRACKED FOUND TWO OUT OF THE THREE BOLTS HAD SNAPED THE BOLT CLOSEST TO THE FIREWALL HAD THE BROKEN CASTING STILL TOURQE TO THE FRAME. I LOST THE STEERING ON A TURN IN A 15 MPH ZONE
I HAD MY POWER STEERING BRACKET BREAK INTO 3 PIECES, CAUSING ME TO GO THROUGH 2 PULLEYS AND 4 SERPENTINE BELTS BEFORE FIGURING OUT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE "DEATH WOBBLE" A FEW TIMES AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 40-50 MPH. IT IS VERY DISTURBING AND SCARY AND FORCED ME OFF THE ROAD. I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY TO GET IT TO STOP.
FAMILY OWNERSHIP SINCE NEW. RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING THE "DEATH WOBBLE." JEEP TRAVELING ON A HIGH SPEED (ABOVE 60) ROAD STARTS TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY AND IS DIFFICULT/IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OR MANEUVER. JEEP FEELS LIKE IT IS GOING TO FALL APART. HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. HAVE TO STOP OR SIGNIFICANTLY SLOW DOWN BEFORE SHAKING STOPS. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
DRIVING AT NEARLY 45-50 MPH, THE ENTIRE FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY UNTIL I SLOWED TO A NEAR STOP. THE STEERING WHEEL BOUNCED BACK AND FORTH MORE AND MORE UNTIL I WAS GOING ABOUT 15-20 MPH. I WAS NOT IN THE PROCESS OF TURNING NOR HAD I JUST COMPLETED A TURN. THERE WERE NO BUMPS TO MENTION EITHER.
I EXPERIENCED A "DEATH WOBBLE" IN MY 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. IT WAS SO BAD THAT IT BROKE THE GEARS IN THE STEERING BOX AND MADE ME LOSE THE STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. HAD TO HAVE THE STEERING BOX REPLACED 3 TIMES BECAUSE OF THE WOBBLE OCCURRING MULTIPLE TIMES. HAVE REPLACED ALL RECOMMENDED PARTS AND EVERYTHING LOOKS AND FEELS TIGHT IN REGARDS TO THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION. THE PROBLEM IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN.
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 45 MPH, HIT A SMALL POT HOLE IN ROAD WITH RIGHT TIRE. FRONT END OF VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WITH FRONT END WOBBLING AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKING BADLY. IT SEEMED LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT TO FALL APART. BY SLOWING DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, IT STOPPED THE SITUATION FROM OCCURRING. IT WAS QUITE JARRING AND VERY DISTURBING. DID SOME INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THIS IS KNOWN AS THE ?JEEP DEATH WOBBLE?. QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS OCCURRENCE.
WHILE EXITING ONE FREEWAY TO ANOTHER (ON THE RAMP) AT 60+ MILES PER HOUR, THE ENTIRE FRONT END STARTING SHAKING VIOLENTLY. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING BACK AND FORTH. I HAVE SINCE FOUND OUT THIS IS KNOWN AS 'THE DEATH WOBBLE'. WE HAVE SPENT WELL OVER $5000 TRYING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE FRONT END CONTINUES TO REQUIRE WORK IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM REOCCURRING.
DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 TO 50 MPH JEEP GOES INTO A DEATH WOBBLE.. VEHICLE SHAKES SO VIOLENTLY IT ALMOST GOES COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL. *TR
VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE SEVERELY AND PULL TO THE RIGHT SLIGHTLY. *TR
AT ANY SPEED OR TERAINE, MY VEHICLE WILL VIOLENTLY SHAKE OUT OF CONTROL!!!!!! IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY, AND FOR THE PAST MONT I HAVE BEEN CHECKING ON WHAT IS CAUSING THIS AS WELL AS THE BEST PLACE TO HAVE THE REPAIRS DONE. I ALSO HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. THE LAST "SHAKING" INCINDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING OVER AN OVER PASS ABOUT 45MPH, STARTED PRAYING BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO DIE! SO, WANTING THE REPAIRS DONE PROPERLY I CALL A 1-800 JEEP CHRYSLER NUMBER TO ASK FOR A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. WHILE ON THE PHONE I HAD A FEELING TO ASK ABOUT RECALLS. I WAS INFORMED OF ONLY TWO (MINOR) ISSUES. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP, SET AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIRS DONE AND AN ESTIMATE OF THE OTHER ISSUES. I DID NOT END UP WITH BOTH RECALLS DONE (THEY DID NOT FEEL THE CONVERTER NEEDED REPLACED)!!! I DECLINED THE PRICE OF THIER ESTIMATE NOT THE REPAIRS! THE ESTIMATE GIVEN ROUGHLY TOTALS $3,929.00! WHICH AFTER CHECKING THIS WEBSITE I FIND THAT A GOOD PART IF NOT ALL OF THE REPAIRS MAY FALL UNDER RECALL!!!! THE MECHANIC I SPOKE WITH SEVERAL TIMES CALLED THIS "SHAKING ISSUE" , "THE DEATH SHAKE" (AND I QUOTE THE MECHANIC,[XXX]) . CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP IN TAHLEQUAH, OK. YATES AUTO SALES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN THEN A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE RESIDENCE AND HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. UPDATED 4/15/13 *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT "SHIMMIES" ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. HE STATED THAT THE STEERING BOX IS DEFECTIVE BECAUSE ONE OF THE ATTACHMENT LUGS ON THE BOX IS BROKEN. THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS HAVE BEEN RE TORQUE-D BY THE OWNER APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AGO AND SO FAR THE FAILURE HAD NOT RETURNED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 115,000.
PROBLEM... DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR STOPPED AT LIGHT OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN OR ON EXPRESSWAY... IT WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING, SOMETIME IT WOULD RESTART IMMEDIATELY, SOMETIMES NOT!!!... EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS DEVELOPED, WHICH I WAS LUCKY!!! 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE, 4.0 , 6 CYL.... SPENT 6 MONTHS DOING REPAIRS/ REPLACEMENT PARTS AND MANY ,MANY DOLLARS SPENT TRACKING DOWN PART AFTER PART. USING DIAGNOSTICS MACHINE TO DETERMINE FAULTY PART... PROBLEM WAS THE POWER CONTROL MODULE ( PCM OR ECU SAME PART) WAS DEFECTIVE AND EITHER WAS MISREADING CODES OR GIVING OUT BAD CODES TO PARTS (LIKE TO THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR OR THE COIL, OR THE 01 OR 02 OX SENSORS OR IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON). NOT SURE HOW IT WORKS BUT YOU GET MY DRIFT. SINCE SIGNING UP WITH CNET.COM, HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA WITH THE SAME ISSUE ON JEEP WITH DIFFERENT YEARS (1994/2000) AND MODELS. TO SEARCH... LOOK UP JEEP STALLS OR JEEP FIXED AND YOU WILL SEE OTHER TOPICS AND FORUMS AROUND THAT TOPIC AND YOU WILL ALSO SEE WHERE THE MANUFACTURE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM EITHER. ANOTHER POSSIBLE RECALL ISSUE IS THE SCREWS THAT HOLD THE PCM MIGHT BE TOO LONG AND ARE GROUNDING OUT THE UNIT AFTER PAINT WEARS OFF ON FIREWALL... IMPORTANT TO READ ALL ARTICLES AND DIFFERENT FORUMS!!! ... IS A MUST LASTLY... INSTEAD OF REPLACING PCM'S, IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE PCM RE FLASHED UNDER RECALL??? I'M STRETCHING, BUT MAYBE ELECTRICAL POWER STORMS AND RAIN IS CAUSING PARTS TO DEFECT??? LASTLY... JEEP PARTS CONSISTS OF MODULE POWER UNITS THAT WORK OR DON'T WORK BUT THE PCM READS THE CODES AND ADJUSTS THE WORKABLE OF THE MOTOR... ANOTHER ISSUE IS THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES THAT WILL SHUT DOWN THE MOTOR BESIDES THE FORE MENTIONED PARTS... IE... ASD RELAY, THE SECURITY SYSTEM, DOOR LOCKS, STEERING COLUMN, THE ELECTRONIC KEY, THE BACK WINDSHIELD WIPER... *TR
WHILE BACKING SLOWLY AND TURNING, WE EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE MOUNTING BRACKET FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP ON OUR 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED 5.2 LITER V-8. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO FLY LOOSE, THE PUMP TO BECOME INOPERATIVE AND THE PUMP TO FALL INTO THE RADIATOR FAN WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND SPRAY ANTI-FREEZE ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE BRACKET SHOWED AN OLD FRACTURE AT THE BOLT HOLE NEAREST THE FIRST NUMERAL MOLDED INTO THE PART. AT A SALVAGE YARD A NEARLY IDENTICAL BRACKET FROM A 1994 MODEL OF THE SAME VEHICLE SHOWED THAT FAILURE WAS BEGINNING ON THAT PART IN PRECISELY THE SAME LOCATION. *TR
DT CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, THEN 2 BOLTS BROKE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN, THIS CAUSED LOSS OF STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED, THE MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER BOLT LOCATED ON THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT BROKE AS WELL. TWO JEEP DEALERS SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. *JB BOTH CV BOOTS ARE BROKEN AND THE BRAKES HAD TO BE REPAIRED. *TT *NM
WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE CONSUMER LOST STEERING CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE MAIN BOLTS SHEARING OFF FROM THE STEERING GEAR BOX. *AK
I HAVE A 1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED WHICH I TOOK INTO THE SHOP FOR OPTIONAL MAINTENANCE WHILE I WAS AWAY ON VACATION. MERELY ONE DAY AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR, MY POWER STEERING MOUNTING BRACKET BROKE COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY. I LOST ALL STEERING CAPABILITY. FORTUNATELY I WAS ONLY 2 BLOCKS FROM HOME IN A 35MPH ZONE, AND HAD NOT GOTTEN ON THE FREEWAY AT THAT POINT. I MANAGED TO DRIVE IT TO A POINT IN THE ROAD THAT CURVED IN AND GOT THE VEHICLE HAPHAZARDLY TO THE CURB WHERE I CALLED AAA. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT HAD JUST DONE THE MAINTENANCE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THE STEERING BRACKET/PUMP COME FULLY AWAY FROM AN ENGINE BEFORE. NOT HAVING ANY OPTIONS, I HAD THEM REPAIR AND REPLACE WHATEVER PARTS WERE NECESSARY. BUT I'M SHOCKED THAT THIS HAPPENED, AND I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS KILLED OR INJURED INCLUDING ME. BECAUSE THIS IS (IN THE WORDS OF THE SERVICE MANAGER) AN "EXTREMELY RARE" OCCURANCE WHICH THEY HAD "NEVER SEEN BEFORE", I HAVE TO SUSPECT ONE OF TWO THINGS, 1. EITHER FAULTY EQUIPMENT ON THE PART OF JEEP, OR 2. TAMPERING BY THE MECHANIC TO CAUSE FAILURE. IF THIS OCCURED REGULARLY, THERE WOULD BE DEATH TOLLS IN THE THOUSANDS EVERY DAY FROM LOSING ALL STEERING ON ONE'S VEHICLE. THE STEERING MALFUNCTION ALSO CAUSED OTHER DAMAGE TO MY COOLING SYSTEM AND MY FAN COVER DUE TO THE SERPENTINE BELT COMING LOOSE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING THE BELT SPUN AROUND FREELY AT ABOUT 1000 RPMS ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN HE SUSPECTED THAT THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE OTHER DAMAGE, SO THE CAR WAS ALSO OVERHEATING. *AK
UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, I IMMEDIATELY HEARD A BANG FOLLOWED BY LOUD CLANGING UNDER THE HOOD. I BEGAN BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE AND NOTICED I HAD NO POWER STEERING. AT THIS POINT I ESTIMATED THAT THE BELT HAD BROKEN AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. ON EXAMINING UNDER THE HOOD THE POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEY WAS VISIBLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THE BELT WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE FAN. CLOSER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP BRACKET WAS BROKEN INTO THREE PIECES. I ALSO HAVE ONE BOLT SHEERED OFF WITH THE STUD STILL STUCK IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. I HAVE ACQUIRED A REPLACEMENT PART BUT THE NECESSARY REPLACEMENT BOLT WAS OUT OF STOCK. BEFORE REPAIRS CAN PROCEED, I WILL NEED TO DRILL THE EXISTING BOLT OUT, POSSIBLY HAVING TO REMOVE THE CYLINDER HEAD ASSY TO GAIN THE PROPER ACCESS. ALTHOUGH NO INJURIES RESULTED, THE CAR IS NOT DRIVABLE IN THIS CONDITION AND THE FAILURE HAS CAUSED MY FAMILY MAJOR INCONVENIENCE. HAD THIS HAPPENED AT A DIFFERENT TIME THE CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SEVERE. *JB
BRACKET THAT HOLDS POWER STEERING PUMP TO THE ENGINE BROKE OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. *AK *PH *JB
POWER STEERING BRACKET BROKE OFF FROM ENGINE BLOCK, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY AND DRIVE BELTS TO DISENGAGE FROM ENGINE.*AK
STEERING GEAR BOX FAILED, WHILE DRIVING A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FROM UNDER FLOORBOARD AND THEN LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE....COULD HAVE CAUSED TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY.*JB
WHILE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, I HEARD A LOUD SNAP AND THE SUDDENLY LOST THE POWER STEERING. I COULD NOT MAKE IT HOME AND HAD THE VECHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. THE AAA TOW TRUCK MAN NOTICED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELFT WAS OFF THE PULLEY. THE POWER STEERING PUMP BRACKET SNAPPED OFF THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE HEAD TO ONE OF THE BOLTS ON THE BRACKET SHEERED OFF, LEAVING THE STUD IN THE ENGINE BLOCK (PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE DRILLED OUT OR REBORED). I PLAN TO REPLACE THE PART WITH THE SAME ALUMINUM DEALER PART, BUT I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RELATED SAFETY ISSUE. I HAD MY WIFE, INFANT AND 3-YR OLD SON IN THE CAR. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR ON A SHARP TURN, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THIS IS A TYPICAL PROBLEM AND THE BRACKET CAN BREAK. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!. *AK
REPLACED TWO (2) POWER STEERING PUMPS; HAVE WRITTEN EMAILS TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER WITH UNACCEPTABLE RESPONSES; THE DIFERENTIAL BEARING FAILURES COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *AK
THE DETAIL AROUND THIS IS THAT THE BRACKET HOLDING THE POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED AND THE PUMP FELL AND KNOCKED OFF THE STEERING DRIVE BELT CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO FAIL. THE CAR WAS NOT CONTROLABLE EVEN AT THESE LOW SPEEDS. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, THIS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS WITH FATALITIES. BECAUSE ONE HALF OF THE BOLT REMAINED, IT HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT FROM THE ENGINE,BLOCK, RETHREADED AND THEN A NEW BRACKET PUT ON COSTING $290.32.
WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING BRACKET CRACKED IN HALF.*AK
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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