2009 Jeep Wrangler 4-Dr 4X2 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Jeep Wrangler 4-Dr 4X2, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Steering342.9%
- Suspension228.6%
- Driver assistance114.3%
- Fuel system114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY ACCESS ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 50MPH; SITUATION COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. INSPECTION REVEALED A LEAKING STEERING STABILIZER WHICH WAS PROMPTLY REPLACED. SITUATION RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS LATER AND THE STABILIZER WAS AGAIN LEAKING. ANOTHER STABILIZER WAS INSTALLED. SITUATION RECURRED AGAIN AFTER 3 WEEKS BUT THE STABILIZER WAS NOT LEAKING. THE TRACK BAR WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED. SITUATION RECURRED WITHIN 24 HOURS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND ALIGNED THE FRONTEND. SITUATION RETURNED LATER THAT DAY AND REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE SHOCK ABSORBERS. SITUATION RECURRED WITHIN 24 HOURS AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DUE TO BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SITUATION CURRENTLY UNRESOLVED. *TR
THE FAILURE OF A 2009 JEEP WRANGLER IS THAT WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR AT HIGHWAY SPEED IN THE RANGE OF 40MPH TO 65MPH AND YOU GET IN TO A ROUGH SURFACE OR HIT ANY BUMP ON THE ROAD THE CAR STARTS TO SHAKE REALLY VIOLENTLY. THIS HAS HAPPEN NOT ONLY TO MYSELF BUT TO A LOT OF JEEP OWNERS. THEY ALL SEEM TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE NEVER ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND ITS GETTING REALLY BAD AND IT COULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO END UP DYING. I MYSELF HAVE CHANGED THE PARTS TO MY OWN VEHICLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT KNOW THE SOLUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ITS NOT ONLY ME WHO THIS HAS HAPPEN THEIR IS A LOT OF SCARED PEOPLE THAT HAVE RAN INTO THIS PROBLEM BUT HAVE NO WAY OR THE KNOWLEDGE TO ADDRESS IT TO ANYONE. I JUST WANT THIS TO RESOLVE THIS BEFORE ANYONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT OR EVEN DEATH. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY ACCESS ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 50MPH; SITUATION COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. INSPECTION REVEALED A LEAKING STEERING STABILIZER WHICH WAS PROMPTLY REPLACED. SITUATION RECURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS LATER AND THE STABILIZER WAS AGAIN LEAKING. ANOTHER STABILIZER WAS INSTALLED. SITUATION RECURRED AGAIN AFTER 3 WEEKS BUT THE STABILIZER WAS NOT LEAKING. THE TRACK BAR WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND THE TIRES WERE BALANCED AND ROTATED. SITUATION RECURRED WITHIN 24 HOURS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP THAT REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS AND ALIGNED THE FRONTEND. SITUATION RETURNED LATER THAT DAY AND REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE SHOCK ABSORBERS. SITUATION RECURRED WITHIN 24 HOURS AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DUE TO BEING UNSAFE TO DRIVE. SITUATION CURRENTLY UNRESOLVED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY 2009 JEEP WRANGLER AT SPEED OF 45 MPH AND IT STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING ALSO AND IT TOOK ALOT TO KEEP THE JEEP IN CONTROL. HAD TO PULL THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT SEEM TO STOP AFTER I PULLED OVER AND I SLOWLY DROVE HOME THE REST OF THE WAY. MY CONCERN IS THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR JEEPS AND THERE ARE MANY VIDEOS ON THE INTERNET. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL AND NO REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE LESS THAN 14,000 MILES ON THIS JEEP AND IT IS ONLY A YEAR OLD. I ALSO HAD MY MOTHER AND 15 YR OLD SON WITH ME AND CAN CONFIRM THIS INCIDENT. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THIS CAR HAS WHAT YOU CALL THE DEATH WOBBLE. THE ORIGINAL PART HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, MAKING IT A TOTAL OF THREE SAME PARTS. IT IS A 2009 BUT ONLY HAS 27000 MILES ON IT. THE INCIDENT ALWAYS HAPPENED HIGHWAY DRIVING AT ABOUT 60 TO 65 MILES AN HOUR. FELT LIKE A FLAT TIRE THEN SETTLED DOWN. NOT SURE OF THE PART NAME REPLACED TWICE, BUT IT IS I BELIEVE IN THE STEERING MECHANISM. OF COURSE BOTH TIMES REPLACED NOT UNDER WARRANTY. IT IS A MAJOR CONCERN HENCE THE NAME DEATH WOBBLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHEN FILLING GAS TANK, GASOLINE "BURPS OR SPITSBACK" OUT OF THE VEHICLES GAS TANK AFTER THE FUEL HOSE HAS CLICKED OFF. APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TO 1/2 GALLON OF FUEL SPILLS ONTO THE BUMPER OF VEHICLE AND GROUND. TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING I ONLY FILL MY TANK WITH 15 GALLONS AFTER THE LOW FUEL LIGHT HAS COME ON. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .