THE VEHICLE'S FRONT END BEGAN TO VIBRATE WITH RESONANCE UNTIL THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING SO BADLY THAT IT HAD TO BE PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS PHENOMENON IS WELL DOCUMENTED BY MANY SOURCES AS "DEATH WOBBLE." THE INITIAL INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY IN GOOD CONDITION. ON THIS SAME DRIVE, THERE WERE TWO MORE INCIDENTS OF DEATH WOBBLE. AFTER THESE OCCURRENCES, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION, FRONT-END ALIGNMENT AND TIRE BALANCING. THERE WERE NO MORE INCIDENTS OF DEATH WOBBLE UNTIL NEARLY A MONTH LATER WHEN IT OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC THAT SPECIALIZES IN JEEP MAINTENANCE AND CUSTOMIZATION. THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED AS SLOP IN THE STOCK TRACK BAR. THE VEHICLE HAS STOCK SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED WITH TIRE ROTATIONS DONE AT REGULAR INTERVALS. OTHER THAN THESE INCIDENTS OF DEATH WOBBLE, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANY OTHER NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS. FOLLOWING THE TRACK BAR DIAGNOSIS, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED SEVERAL OTHER FRONT END COMPONENTS AS BEING IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT, AT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER COST, CONTRADICTORY TO THE TWO PREVIOUS INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS. *TR
2003
SEAT BELTS
RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, I SEEN SEVERAL OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINS ON THE 2003 JEEP WRANGLER SEAT BELT SYSTEM. MY JEEP SEAT BELT, AS I WAS UN-BUCKLING A FEW WEEKS BACK, CAME APART, THE SPRING AND ORANGE PUSH BUTTON CAME FLYING OUT AND I CAN NOT GET IT BACK TOGETHER. I WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND IT WILL COST ME $150 FOR A REPLACEMENT PART ALONE ON SOMETHING THAT WAS NO FAULT OF MY OWN. THE OTHER ISSUE IS THE LACK OF RETRACTION IN THE SEAT BELT CAUSING IT TO GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR SOMETIMES AND THIS CAN CAUSE SAFETY ISSUES. SINCE IT IS A LAW TO WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT AND ITS IN THE SAFE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC TO WEAR ONE, THIS POSSES A PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY.. *TR