Loose steering feels like it has play and drifts

[Holymoly1963]

Picked up my new JLU Sahara August 22 on a typical 97 degree Kansas day. Steering was horrible as described by many here, but I guess body reflexes made up for the vagueness after a few miles, so I learned to live with it while researching forums.

Outdoor temperatures remained hot for the following days and steering continued to play the guessing game .... felt like be married to the darn thing.

Along comes August 29 and temperature drops to 73 degrees ..... and .... low and behold ..... the steering was perfect and precise at any speed up to 85 mph, just like it should be for a $52,000 car.

Guess till a solution is found, I will have to check the weather forecast to decide which care to drive for the day.

I personally have not found a temperature correlation with my JL and steering. Mine's always bad. Enjoy your $52,000 piece of art on hot days...it is good looking.

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[jeremyjeep]

Have you taken it back yet? Send us a direct message with your VIN as we've been documenting this for every customer that's experiencing this and escalating it for further handling. Very sorry for the trouble.

Jasmine
Jeep Social Care Specialist

@JeepCares

Hi JeepCares. I went through the two JL Wrangler forums threads below and documented just some of the comments about the hot weather related steering issues. I'm sure many have reported them to you individually already, but it is also interesting to see all of the comments side by side like this to show a more powerful version of the problem. Below you will find a summary of just some of the JL owner comments. Can you forward this summary to someone within FCA to help them better understand the problem in addition to the individual case information? If your engineers aren't in a hot climate, they won't be able to reproduce these particular symptoms. Other JL owners have reported the same steering symptoms without warm weather being a factor as well. Hopefully this type of summary as additional support information, will help get a resolution to this steering problem on our 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLs.

Sources:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ering-feels-like-it-has-play-and-drifts.3691/

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...e-problem-with-jl-wrangler-please-watch.6723/

Example JL Owner Comments:

1. Not sure who lives where and what the average outside temperature is but I live in the Pacific Northwest. We've had unusually hot weather here since June of this year. The Wrangler was purchased in July and here is where it's interesting. The morning temperature is 55-60 on average. No steering issues.

2. Picked up my new JLU Sahara August 22 on a typical 97 degree Kansas day. Steering was horrible as described by many here, but I guess body reflexes made up for the vagueness after a few miles, so I learned to live with it while researching forums. Outdoor temperatures remained hot for the following days and steering continued to play the guessing game .... felt like be married to the darn thing. Along comes August 29 and temperature drops to 73 degrees ..... and .... low and behold ..... the steering was perfect and precise at any speed up to 85 mph, just like it should be for a $52,000 car. Guess till a solution is found, I will have to check the weather forecast to decide which care to drive for the day.

3. As soon as it warms up to 75F and higher outside temperature I must use two hands and pray that it stays between the lanes. Drifting and darting like I'm driving my all-wheel steering John Deer tractor. Everything feels loose and sloppy. Build date June 2018

4. I live in Florida, its been 95 during the day. Its a nice night and 75, i drove the Jeep and it steered decent. What can heat effect?

5. I drove 145 miles from the Washington coast to Tacoma this morning with 63F outside and its like driving a different vehicle.

6. Lower temperatures hardly any steering wheel play and can drive with one hand or finger at 60mph+ speeds. Higher, especially 90 degree+ weather it wanders, drifts and has slack or play in the steering wheel. Darts unexpectedly.

7. Warmer temperatures, sloppy with lots of steering play. Cooler temperature feels tighter with less steering play.

8. When it seems to be cold out....some of the dead spot seems to be gone and there is also some resistance on turning the steering wheel through the dead spot. I wouldn’t say the steering is tight compared to any car I’ve ever driven...its still more loose than any car but it is noticeably tighter when its cold out with less of a dead spot.

There are many more similar comments in the multiple steering issues thread at https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/.

 

[hdtrader]

Actually, it is pretty common. Or at least with sports cars it is. For example, this happened with the last two generations of the Corvette.

Typical reasons are people get hyped up with the idea of owning a vehicle, then learn living with the vehicle is a different story. Also, the reality of a big car payment hits for some. And a fair share are impulse buys.

By no means does this diminish the issues folks have here, but what you describe is not all that abnormal.

[/QUOTE]

@hdtrader Are you not able to find the link to a Dodge Ram forum... I can provide if you like.

You can go there and tell them about your experience with the 2018 JLU.

Do also be sure to tell them that guy's like you, with said steering issues, are in the very small minority...

Sorry Guys if I offended you with my posts! If you don't like my replies then scroll past it and look for a safe space where others can tell you what you want to hear! I'm just informing other owners and potential buyers what kind of experiences I had with the JLUR. They can make their own mind up and purchase whatever they want and I hope they don't have the problems I had with mine!

In regards to Corvettes, I have owned quite a few generations from C3's to C6's. I've driven the C7 and none had steering issues as you mentioned. This thread has over 1200 posts...so there is a problem and FCA needs to listen to its customers and correct/rethink their new JL's. Not only have I owned lots of different Corvettes...I have been driving Jeeps since the early seventies and I still own one now...so there's not much you can tell me about Jeeps. Just curious...what year were you born??

BTW...such a generous offer to help me find the RAM forum and send me the link! I'll be waiting for it...I've got lots of posting to do on that new forum. Thanks and have a Blessed Jeep Day!!

 

[Mordin Solus]

Sorry Guys if I offended you with my posts! If you don't like my replies then scroll past it and look for a safe space where others can tell you what you want to hear! I'm just informing other owners and potential buyers what kind of experiences I had with the JLUR. They can make their own mind up and purchase whatever they want and I hope they don't have the problems I had with mine!

In regards to Corvettes, I have owned quite a few generations from C3's to C6's. I've driven the C7 and none had steering issues as you mentioned. This thread has over 1200 posts...so there is a problem and FCA needs to listen to its customers and correct/rethink their new JL's. Not only have I owned lots of different Corvettes...I have been driving Jeeps since the early seventies and I still own one now...so there's not much you can tell me about Jeeps. Just curious...what year were you born??

BTW...such a generous offer to help me find the RAM forum and send me the link! I'll be waiting for it...I've got lots of posting to do on that new forum. Thanks and have a Blessed Jeep Day!!

No idea why you quoted me on this, I was answering a question raised regarding new(ish) JL's on Autotrader. And I clearly stated this does not diminish the issues others have in this thread.

Regarding the Corvette, I never said they had steering issues but rather when they first came out within months we saw them on Autotrader with few miles. It should be noted though that when the C7 came out there were more than a few reports of the engine grenading, and if I recall right it happened to one of the review sites.

Side note, my previous vehicle (2016 Miata) has a over 300 page thread on blown transmissions. Certainly an issue for some but not for all owners.

I have no doubt some folks are having steering problems and I don't blame them for trading or selling. Hell I did the exact thing with my Miata (7 trips to dealer in 3 years). Was that typical of the car? No, and plenty of people are enjoying the hell out of it. I had issues so decided in my case time to move on.

Where i do kinda roll my eyes is when people have stated all JL's have this problem. Simply not true.

 

[SamJ]

Hi Everyone,

I test drove a JLU Sport s and I was shocked by how poor the steering was even at 40-50mph. I drive a 04 Acura MDX and it drives much nicer. I thought well it must just be a Jeep thing. I jumped into a 2013 JKU Sahara with 2in lift and 33s and it drove just fine. Very nervous to buy my new jeep. Even if I do wait until 2019.

 

[Cascade_Mojito]

Drove in to work this morning, cloudy and cool at 59 degrees... and steering was no better for me than when it's been in the upper 90s.

Some people mention darting, I don't have that issue. Mine just kind of wanders and has a dead spot in the steering so you are constantly adjusting and trying not to over correct.

At this point I'm waiting for my dealership to call to schedule the TSB update.

 

[Rhinebeck01]

snip:

@hdtrader

BTW...such a generous offer to help me find the RAM forum and send me the link! I'll be waiting for it...I've got lots of posting to do on that new forum. Thanks and have a Blessed Jeep Day!!

@hdtrader

https://www.ramforum.com/

 

[jeremyjeep]

Looks like the lawyers have smelled blood in the water for the JL steering issue...

https://www.lemberglaw.com/2018-jeep-wrangler-problems-complaints-lemon/

 

[Mr Bill]

This morning the outside temp was less than 75 degrees (no steering issue) when I go home will be 90 plus and bet the steering will suck just like yesterday. Not sure what this means. I love this Jeep much better than the JK and just want it to "feel" right whil

 

[scotland007]

We are at 2000 miles now in Texas and have significant play in the Steering wheel. We took the Jeep to Autonation in Houston North today and they advised they couldn't flash the jeep with the TSB as it was for low temperature climates which we don't currently have at the moment in Texas and that we risk messing something up if we perform the TSB. I am totally disgusted that Jeep apparently is just sweeping the issue under the carpet as no-one has a clue how to fix the problem.

 

[outlanderbz]

Drove in to work this morning, cloudy and cool at 59 degrees... and steering was no better for me than when it's been in the upper 90s.

Some people mention darting, I don't have that issue. Mine just kind of wanders and has a dead spot in the steering so you are constantly adjusting and trying not to over correct.

At this point I'm waiting for my dealership to call to schedule the TSB update.

Your comment is where mine is at now. Mine was doing the darting until I took it in the the TSB and tightened the ball joints. I think the ball joints took care of the darting. I could hand loosen them before I tightened them. Not sure if the TSB helped or not. I would be curious to hear what you think after you have yours done.

When reading about the hot/cold thing I started to think that most of the time I noticed the issue it was 85+ out but can't say that for certain. Will be cooling down quick here in Chicago now that September is here so I will be paying attention.

 

[jeremyjeep]

We are at 2000 miles now in Texas and have significant play in the Steering wheel. We took the Jeep to Autonation in Houston North today and they advised they couldn't flash the jeep with the TSB as it was for low temperature climates which we don't currently have at the moment in Texas and that we risk messing something up if we perform the TSB. I am totally disgusted that Jeep apparently is just sweeping the issue under the carpet as no-one has a clue how to fix the problem.

Be sure to ask your dealer to create a Star case, call Jeep Cares at 844-533-7928 to create a case, and create a report at https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/JEEP/WRANGLER/SUV/4WD%2520Later%2520Release#complaints. This will help get the attention it needs.

 

[scotland007]

Be sure to ask your dealer to create a Star case, call Jeep Cares at 844-533-7928 to create a case, and create a report at https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/JEEP/WRANGLER/SUV/4WD%2520Later%2520Release#complaints. This will help get the attention it needs.

Thank you, we have already done the NHTSA report, we will chase up the Star Case.

 

[jeremyjeep]

Thank you, we have already done the NHTSA report, we will chase up the Star Case.

Be sure to call Jeep Cares at 844-533-7928 too. The case Jeep Cares creates is different than a Star case via your dealership. Doing both will help.

 

[fat_head]

Be sure to ask your dealer to create a Star case, call Jeep Cares at 844-533-7928 to create a case, and create a report at https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/JEEP/WRANGLER/SUV/4WD%2520Later%2520Release#complaints. This will help get the attention it needs.

What is a star case and how does it differ from the case # Jeep Cares gave me?

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