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A recent Jeep class action lawsuit claims that Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles are subject to a “death wobble” defect when moving at highway speeds.
Plaintiff Melinda Martinez states that 2018 to 2020 Jeep Wrangler and 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicles are affected by the defect.
According to the Jeep class action lawsuit, the death wobble stems from a defective solid front axle and damping system.
These components were reportedly designed or manufactured in a defective way, causing the steering wheel to “shake violently” after encountering normal highway speeds.
This “death wobble” allegedly causes the affected vehicles to uncontrollably shake from side to side. Reportedly, the defect is associated with significant risks that make the vehicles unsafe.
The plaintiff argues the affected vehicles are difficult to steer and control, “presenting a safety risk to the occupants and others on the road.”
Martinez allegedly experienced the issue in her 2018 Jeep Wrangler. When she was driving with her child on a freeway overpass, her vehicle started to shake uncontrollably. The shaking was reportedly so severe that Martinez feared she would lose control of her vehicle. The Jeep Wrangler class action claims that she was “absolutely terrified, fearing for her safety and the safety of her child.”
After experiencing the issue, Martinez says she brought her vehicle to a local dealership in January 2020, and explained her frightening experience. In response to her concerns, the dealership employee allegedly laughed and explained to her that the issue is commonly called the “death shake” but that “it happens.” Martinez says she was offered repairs but it did not resolve the issue. Allegedly, the “death wobble” continues to plague her vehicle.
Martinez claims that Jeep manufacturer Fiat Chrysler knew or should have known the vehicles were prone to the “death wobble” defect. According to the Jeep class action lawsuit, the company was aware of the defect for more than a decade. In 2019, following “thousands of steering-related complaints,” Fiat Chrysler reportedly acknowledged the defect but failed to offer effective repairs for the issue.
“Rather than address this defective condition—or disclose its possibility and/or warn drivers at the point of sale — [Fiat Chrysler] claims 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,’” the Jeep class action lawsuit claims.
“This strategically allows Defendant to continue its failed repair efforts until the warranty expires and the problem rests exclusively with the owner.”
Martinez seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased or leased a 2018 to 2020 Jeep Wrangler or 2020 Jeep Gladiator vehicle. She also seeks to represent a subclass of the same consumers from California.
Did you experience the “death wobble” on your Jeep vehicle? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
Martinez and the proposed Class are represented by Christopher D. Moon and Kevin O. Moon of Moon Law APC.
The Jeep Death Wobble Class Action Lawsuit is Martinez v. FCA US LLC, Case No. 5:20-cv-00463, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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109 thoughts onJeep Class Action Claims Dangerous ‘Death Wobble’
I have a 2021 jeep gladiator. It has a serious death wobble. It has just over 18k miles. I took it to the dealership in a which I purchased it. The service manager called to inform me that the weights on the tire had come off & they had to put a 3 pound weight on it. And were charging my $384- cause tires aren’t included in the warranty. I had my husband call. Then the story changed. It wasn’t the wheel weights, they were going to put a steering damper on it. I haven’t picked it up yet.
Honestly do not want to drive it ever again. The worst death wobble was while I was in heavy traffic, passing a semi- I thought I was gonna die. It is terrifying!
Jeep needs to do something!
The class action doesn’t cover my 2021– and it should.
I experience the jeep death wobble with my 2009 Jeep Wrangler frequently and have had it serviced for this issue several times. The issue continues after repair.
I experience the death wobble in my 2020 Gladiator first in May 2023 with just over 36 thousand miles. On June 1 Brubaker Jeep in Lancaster PA replaced the steering damper to fix it. They charged me for it. Their fix did not fix it and, on June 18, the death wobble started happening again. Now dealership says it might be worn tie rod ends and want to charge me 2000 USD to fix those. I asked them if they were aware of an extended warranty Jeep put out to fix the death wobble and they said yes and that the service bulletin came out June 25th and only covers the steering damper. I asked them what good is the warranty if it only covers the damper and their damper replacement had not fix my death wobble. They replied that they haven’t been able to duplicate the wobble in their test drives. I also asked if they would reimburse me for the damper replacement and they said no because it occurred 3 weeks before the extended warranty service bulletin was announced. Bottom line is that Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators are lemons when it comes to this issue and they won’t stand behind their product.
My 1989 wrangler got death wobble. I put up with it for years until I bought a 1997 wrangler that also got death wobble. Then I went o a Ford for a while and then bought a 2008 wrangler, it gets death wobble as low as 25 mph . can’t even make it to the end of the block some days. I still have it, have managed to put 90k miles on it in 15 years. you can guess why I don’t drive it much. But then my daughter bought a 2021 and it got death wobble a couple of months old with less than 5,000 miles on, all stock. She traded it in, it scared her to death. This Death Wobble has been around for 30 years, and this lawsuit is only for 2018 & 2022? I don’t understand.
I own a 2021 Rubicon and have the Death Wobble. Went last night to dealership and asked for Dampener or Steering Stabilizer and was told I do not need it but if I hit a bump on the freeway my steering wheel shakes violently until I slow down enough to make it stop. I have talked with other owners and they said the same thing is happening to their new Jeep as well
I have a 2008 Jeep Rubicon 2dr Manual. I have had nothing but problems with it since I signed on the dotted line. The “Death Wobble” has been my number 1 headache the entire time I have owned it. When it was under warranty, Chrysler would not acknowledge the death wobble as a problem. That left me out in the cold to try to repair it. However, if I modified the Jeep in any way, that would actually fix it for good, it would Void my warranty. Now that my Jeep has no warranty, I still cannot get Chrysler to get them to acknowledge that my 2008 Jeep death wobble is still here in 2023, and no attorney will take my case due to expired warranty. Aren’t they clever? FCA US has f’d me so bad. I am so ashamed of myself for purchaseing this Jeep. I have had the Jeep in the shop for more than 30 days, 5 times. I finally got so upset that I called Chrysler and made them make my $500 a month payments every time it was in the shop for more than 30 days. I couldnt drive the brand new vehicle that I bought due to so many problems. They agreed and made the payments. At the time I bought it, they were being marketed as the number one vehicle on the market for re-sale value. I fell for that line too. I have had so many other problems as well, like 4 front axles replaced due to oil leaks, and it still leaks. Control Module, Heater, transmission, rear drive-line, all replaced. Oil consumption is getting to be a lot more than it should be. The worst thing of all? I only have 104000 miles on it. I have had to swallow my pride and allow others to make fun of me due to the fact that I dumped every penny I had into this pile of crap. Only $6000 remained in my pocket for emergencys and all of that went into replaceing brand new front end parts to fix the death wobble, with brand newer front end parts. I have had to replace ball joints and tires due to the wear. The Jeep has been shaken so violently that the chassis is so loosey goosey and the steering wheel has way too much play. I finally took the Jeep off the road before I killed myself and other commuters that were upset seeing this happen everyday, going to and from work. And me, always pulled off to the side of the road and again, late for work. It has been parked and covered up in my back yard for going on 3 years now. I cannot sell it. When I disclose the death wobble to a potential buyer, they either run or want me to take a 95% loss on it. Of course it is garbage. $40,000 of yard art. (How much more embarrasing does this get?) I now call the Death Wobble, ‘Jeep’s new Sport Feature!’ lol Any suggestions or comments? Gladly accepted at (letter o –>) o1lilangell@gmail.com
I have a 2013 jeep that had the death wobble
Just bought a 2018 Jeep Wrangler of June 2022, death wobbled started in August 2022. Like many of you have spent thousands of dollars to correct issue that according to an email I just received from the dealership that there is NO remedy for this problem. I emailed the dealership back asking why in the world are you guys able to sell these vehicles? According to him it passed a Pre Owned certified check list – which if you ask any reputable body shop they will tell you those CPO’s are crap and all anyone does is walk around the vehicle and does a look over. You are all right the dealership will not help at all. We were so excited to purchase this vehicle and it has been hell ever since. Driving on a major highway with cars doing 65+ and then having this happen freaks you out – what is it going to take for Jeep to own up to this? I did file a complaint with NHSTA and they were going to post it on their website. Maybe if we get more people to file a complaint there Jeep will take it more seriously?
Never knew about this or was told when I purchased my Jeep . Spent a bunch of extra money to have this problem fixed.
Sign me up Please
I own a Jeep with a death wobble that just developed this week. Estimated repair cost is over a $1000. Would be interested in class action. I reside in Ohio
I have experience the wobble twice at night with my Gladiator. I had no idea there was a class action. Count me in!