VEHICLE BURNED DOWN TO THE FRAME. WHILE DRIVING THE WHEEL COLUMN STARTED TO SMOKE.
2007
STEERING
AS I WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE ENTRANCE TO THE BALTIMORE HARBOR TUNNEL, I HIT A BUMP AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY ON MY JEEP WRANGLER. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY. I HAD NO PLACE TO STOP, A BUS WAS BEHIND ME, AND I HAD TROUBLE KEEPING MY JEEP IN ONE LANE. SINCE THERE WAS NO PLACE TO PULL OVER, I SLOWED DOWN AND WHEN I REACHED A SPEED BETWEEN 15 TO 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE SHAKING STOPPED AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON. DURING MY TRIP THAT DAY, I HAD THREE MORE EPISODES OF VIOLENT SHAKING AS I HIT BUMPS IN THE ROAD WHEN I WAS TRAVELING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MILES PER HOUR. I HAD RECENTLY READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND THIS ISSUE APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR JEEP WRANGLERS, ALTHOUGH I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM BEFORE. MY JEEP IS A 2007 4-DOOR WRANGLER WHICH ONLY HAS 10,400 MILES ON IT BECAUSE I USUALLY KEEP IT GARAGED AT A BEACH HOME IN DELAWARE AND I USE IT ONLY DURING SUMMER WEEKENDS. THE JEEP IS A STOCK MODEL WITH NO AFTER MARKET MODIFICATIONS. I HAD DRIVEN IT HOME TO MARYLAND TO HAVE A DEALER CHECKUP BEFORE I RETURNED THE JEEP TO THE BEACH. THE PROBLEM HAPPENED ON MY THIRD TRIP AFTER THE DEALER SERVICE BUT IT WAS MY FIRST TRIP DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME AND SHE AND I WERE EXTREMELY DISTURBED AND CONSIDER THIS ISSUE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. SINCE MY RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM, I FEEL STRONGLY THE NTSB SHOULD TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO HAVE CHRYSLER ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BEFORE THERE IS A FATALITY. I AM EXTREMELY THANKFUL THAT THE BUS BEHIND ME IN THE BALTIMORE HARBOR TUNNEL HAD GOOD BRAKES. *TR