California lawmakers ask Chrysler to address aftermarket-related Jeep "death wobble"

A problem largely attributable to modified vehicles has landed in Chrysler's lap. Will the automaker respond?

A pair of California Democrats are going after Chrysler over a Jeep suspension shaking symptom called "death wobble" that's often caused by aftermarket suspension lifts and oversized tires. Should Chrysler act on their request, the automaker would be entering essentially uncharted territory by alerting owners to specific issues potentially caused by aftermarket equipment.

The two house Democrats, Anna Eschoo, a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and Henry Waxman, a ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, have asked Chrysler to begin a "outreach campaign" to tell owners about "death wobble." The Democrats also want the automaker to "suggest methods to repair and prevent the problem," reports the Detroit News.

The "death wobble" issue, which is so well-documented among Jeep owners that there are numerous methods to repair it, almost exclusively results from coil-sprung solid axle suspensions that have been lifted to clear larger tires. "Death wobble" refers to a violent, higher speed (45 mph or higher) shaking from the suspension that is typically attributable to aftermarket modifications. The issue is not specific to Jeep vehicles; according to an Arizona-based off road outfitter who offers a repair kit for various Jeep vehicles, it can also affect Dodge, Ford and Toyota trucks and SUVs equipped with similar front suspensions. "Death wobble" occurs most commonly after a lifted vehicle has hit a bump or expansion joint on the road. "Death wobble" is essentially unheard of in stock, unmodified vehicles.

Until the first-generation Jeep Liberty arrived in 2001, all modern Jeeps were equipped with solid front and rear axles. Although solid axles offer robust off road ability, the automaker has phased them out almost entirely over the last decade on its SUVs. Only the decidedly off road-oriented Wrangler continues with the suspension design, which offers substantial articulation for rock crawling.

The two California Democrats requested that NTHSA perform a formal investigation of 2005 through 2010 Wranglers in April, but the government agency rejected their proposal. Just why their proposal included those specific model years is unclear since that stretch doesn't span two full model runs. The Wrangler gained a full coil-sprung solid axle suspension in 1997 and then it was redesigned with a similarly configured but all-new setup in 2007. The current Wrangler's suspension is essentially unchanged from the bodystyle's 2007 introduction.

Now, the Democrats hope that Chrysler will take on "death wobble" on its own. Eshoo and Waxman have penned a letter to Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne suggesting that the automaker should use a "customer satisfaction campaign" to alert owners.

In response to the lawmakers' initial proposal, NHTSA says it has received 402 complaints from 2005-2010 Wrangler owners, two of which led to "possible relevant crashes."

Chrysler has responded to the Democrats' request by acknowledging the existence of the problem but stating that it is "often linked to poorly installed or maintained aftermarket equipment."

The move could have major implications for Chrysler's Mopar accessory division, which offers dealer or owner-installed kits capable of lifting the current Jeep Wrangler between two and four inches above factory height.