FCA faces lawsuit over Jeep Wrangler 'death wobble' complaints

The company has denied that the solid-axle phenomenon is a safety issue.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is reportedly facing a class-action lawsuit over alleged "death wobble" complaints associated with the 2015-2018 Jeep Wrangler.

The well-documented phenomenon centers around steering oscillations that can occur with a coil-sprung solid front axle under certain circumstances, such as hitting a pothole or under hard braking. Complaints suggest the oscillations may worsen at highway speeds.

Previous debate surrounding the so-called death wobble have focused on aftermarket modifications, such as larger front tires or lifted suspension, that may make the problem worse. Plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit apparently claim the phenomenon is a a safety issue that the automaker has failed to address.

"Rather than address it -- or disclose its possibility and/or warn drivers at the point of sale -- FCA simply claims in a news article that 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 filing argues, according to excerpts posted by The Detroit News.

The lead plaintiff in the case claims that FCA service technicians replaced the steering damper three times in six months. The remedy has been labeled a "Band-Aid fix" that failed to resolve the oscillations.

FCA told The Detroit News that it had not been served with the lawsuit and cannot comment on the allegations, though the company repeated its long-held stance that "any manufacturer vehicle equipped with a solid axle can experience steering system vibration and, if experienced, it is routinely corrected."

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs are pushing for a buyback program and compensation for lost value of the vehicles, along with punitive damages for FCA's alleged "knowing fraud that puts drivers and members of the public nationwide at risk."

Safety advocates in 2012 petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch an investigation into the complaints, however the agency rejected the request.