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 1998 Jeep Wrangler submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
DEATH WOBBLE, FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY AT HIGHER FREEWAY SPEEDS. VERY FEARFUL TO DRIVE ON OTHER THAN STREETS. HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THE LAST 2 YEARS. PURCHASED JEEP USED 5 YEARS AGO BUT ONLY STARTED TO HAVE WOBBLE LAST 2 YEARS SINCE IM RETIRED AND DON'T DRIVE LONG DISTANCES VERY OFTEN AND NOT DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ANYWHERE THAT REQUIRES ME TO USE FREEWAYS. *TR
JEEP DEATH WOBBLE. SCARY! *TR
1998 JEEP WRANGLER 4.0L, EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACK AT 30,000 MILES. JEEP/CHRYSLER REFUSED TO FIX, STATING ONLY CATALYTIC CONVERTER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. CRACK OCCURRED IN A WELD JOINING THE TWO PIPE, ALMOST 3/4 OF THE WAY AROUND THE PIPE, CAUSING COSIDERABLE NOISE, AND LOSS OF POWER. GUAGES FAIL PERIODICALLY, BUT COME BACK ON THERE OWN, AFTER A FEW MINUTES. AIR CONDITIONER DRAINS ONTO FLOOR INSIDE VEHICLE ON LONG DRIVES AND CAN EVEN SHORT OUT THE RADIO. THE STEERING COLUMN ALSO SQEALS LIKE AN OLD DOOR WHEN ITS COLD OUTSIDE.*AK
I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH MY JEEP WRANGLER 1998. THIS IS A PARTIAL LIST I SENT TO CHRYSLER: I BOUGHT MY JEEP WITH JUST 3600 MILES ON IT FROM A DEALER IN 1999. FROM DAY ONE I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. MANY OF THEM I RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SOME THEY WERE ABLE TO FIX, OTHERS, AFTER MANY RETURN TRIPS, THEY WERE 'UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM'. 1. GAUGES WOULD STOP WORKING WHILE DRIVING - I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 5 TIMES BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO DUPLICATE AND FINALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. 2. THIS WAS ALSO TRUE OF THE BLINKERS THAT NOT ALWAYS WORKED - OR WORKED ALL AT THE SAME TIME. 3. MY HAZARDS STILL DO NOT WORK EVERY TIME. 4. THE AIR CONDITIONER GOES OUT WHEN DRIVING,VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN IT IS HOT AND RAINING. 5. THE SOUND BAR HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY - FIRST IT WOULD ONLY COME IN SOME TIMES - NOW NEVER. 6. HEADERS ARE CRACKED - BAD. THEY HAVE BEEN WELDED SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN I WENT TO HAVE THEM WELDED IT WAS FOUND THEY WERE WELDED BEFORE MY PURCHASE - AT 3600 MIL! THEY ARE STILL CRACKED, WELDING DOES NOT HOLD. I CAN NOT GET ANYONE TO REPLACE THEM BECAUSE EVEN EXHAUST SPECIALISTS SAY IT IS TOO CUMBERSOME. THE DEALER CHARGES WAY MORE THAN I HAVE CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF REPAIRS AND THE PRICE OF GAS - AT 12 MPG. 7. DRIVERS SEAT BELT LOCKS TIGHTLY WITH ANY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES - IT HAS NOW GOTTEN TO THE POINT IT LOCKS JUST WHILE DRIVING. 8. WINDOWS - THE ZIPPERS BROKE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY - I PAID ALOT TO HAVE THESE REPLACED. THE BACK WINDOW NOW HAS A CUT IN IT AND IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH. 9. THE TOP HAS NEVER QUITE FIT RIGHT; IT HAS ALWAYS LEAKED AND BEEN EXTREMELY NOISY - MORE SO THAN ANYONE ELSE'S THAT I KNOW. IT HAS ALSO COME APART AT THE SEAMS. THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT BEEN OF ANY HELP. THEY WANTED TO CHARGE OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNTS JUST FOR DIAGNOSTICS, EVEN WHEN I HAD THE BEST WARRANTY. I'VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR MOLDING COMING OUT IMMEDIATELY, GRINDING IN THE STEERING WHEEL, GRINDING WHILE TRYING TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND MORE. *NLM
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE, VEHICLE WILL LOSE CONTROL DUE TO A FAULTY SWAY BAR HOLDER OR THE TIE ROD. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH
AFTER APPLYING BRAKES ON RAINSLICK ROAD VEHICLE HYDROPLANED INTO THE REAREND OF A PICKUP. I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL TWICE BEFORE THE SEATBELT 'CAUGHT'.... 2 BROKEN TEETH, BRAIN TRAUMA & CONCUSSION, MANGLED SPINE/SURGERY PENDING. FIRST ACCIDENT. NO ONE WILL CLAIM LIABILITY FOR THE SEATBELT NOT WORKING AND THE AIRBAG HAS BEEN TREATED AS A NON-ISSUE. MY JEEP HAS BEEN 'REPAIRED' SANS SEATBELT.... DAIMLER-CHRYSLER INVESTIGATION PENDING. ALL I ASKED, IN THE BEGINNING, WAS FOR MY SEATBELT TO BE REPLACED... NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK.... NOW I WILL FIGHT AS MY QUALITY OF LIFE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED PERMANENTLY AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ARGUE OVER A DEFECTIVE SEATBELT BEING REPLACED... AT THE VERY LEAST! I AM SEVERELY INJURED AND QUITE FRANKLY AM ANGRY, NOW, THAT I HAVE TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS 'RIGHT'. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT ANY TIME AS MY LIFE IS NOW HOMEBASED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NUMEROUS DOCTOR VISITS.*AK
AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND KNOCKED OUT DIGITAL CONSOLE READINGS. BOTH DOORS BULKED IN HALF DUE TO COLD WEATHER, FAILING TO LATCH SHUT. STEERING BOX IS LEAKING DUE TO A CRACK. LAST ITEM WAS REPLACED THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO RECURRING FAILURE. *AK TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER WERE REPAIRED DUE TO LEAKING TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES. *SLC
BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE RE-FINISHED AFTER ONLY 8000 MILES. I QUESTION THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS CHRYSLER IS USING. STEERING WHEEL RUBBING: STEERING COLUMN WOULD MAKE A RUBBING NOISE EVERY TIME IT WAS TURNED. DID THIS EVEN ON THE INITIAL TEST DRIVE NEW OFF THE LOT. THEY SAID IT WAS A SIMPLE LUBRICATION ISSUE. 2 WEEKS LATER, THE NOISE WAS BACK. I BROUGHT IT IN A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES BEFORE THE PROBLEM WAS FINALLY RESOLVED, APPARENTLY WITH SOME NEW SUPER SLICK POLYMER AND ONLY AFTER I PERSONALLY CALLED THE FACTORY TO GET ADVICE. OTHER ISSUES: DRIVER'S SEAT CREAKS LIKE AN OLD TRACTOR. THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. I HAD THE PROBLEM WITH THE GAUGES ON MY DASH GOING OFF. THEY KNEW WHAT THAT WAS AND DIXED IT. EXHAUST MANIFOLD WENT AFTER ONLY 12,000 MILES (MORE SUBSTANDARD PARTS USED BY CHRYSLER). THIS IS WHY I HESITATE TO BUY AMERICAN.
ONGOING PROBLEM WITH STEERING COLUMN MAKING SCRAPING NOISS. VEHICLE BENN IN / OUT OF DEALER SHOP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE THEY REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. LESS THEN THREE MONTHS LATER, PROBLEM REOCCURRED. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE DEALER WOULD REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART, AND IF SO, HOW LONG WOULD THEY DO THIS UNTIL WARRANTY RAN OUT. IF SO, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? ! CAN NHTSA HELP WITH THIS MATTER BEFORE THIS OCCUR AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND GOING OVER A BUMP, THE STEERING WHEEL IS VIBRATING AND THERE IS SOME KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS THE DESIGN OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN MECHANISM DOES NOT FIT CORRECTLY CAUSING LOOSE FITTING. AK
WHILE DRIVING ON RT 84 IN NEW YORK STATE STEERING WENT OUT CAUSEING THE JEEP TO BE THROWN ACROSS THREE LANES OF THE INTERSTATE.THE JEEP THEN ROLLED OVER DOWN THE MEDIUM STRIP. DRIVER WAS EJECTED FROM JEEP THE OTHER THREE PASSENGERS REMIANED IN JEEP SUSTIANING BRUISES. AIRGAGS NEVER DEPLOYED WHILE JEEP WAS ROLLING OVER.
POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. *YC
WILL NEED TO RETURN TO DEALER FOR THE SECOND TIME REGARDING INSTRUMENTS/AIRBAG LIGHT PROBLEM, AND 3RD TIME FOR STEERING COLUMN PROBLEM
CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING COLUMN SHORTED OUT ALSO, ENGINE CONTROLLER, AND HORN FAILURE.ALSO AIR BAG AND CRUISE CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON.
VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS.
VEHICLE MAKES NOISE WHEN SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR AND FROM THIRD TO FOURTH. THE NOISE IS MOST PREVALENT WHEN FIRST SHIFTED AND DISAPPEARS AS THE SPEED INCREASES. IT SOUNDS LIKE VIBRATING TIN. ANOTHER NOISE OCCURS WHEN SLOWING DOWN, A WHIRLING SOUND LIKE A WHISTLE. THE NOISES ARE NOT RANDOM. THEY HAPPEN EVERY TIME.
WHILE DRIVING IN THIRD GEAR, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SWINGED TO THE LEFT THEN TO THE RIGHT CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOOSE CONTROL AND ROLL OVER.
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
Data on this page last refreshed .