Steering Problems 2018 Wrangler JL

[Campkid77]

Just took the Wrangler 2018 JL Sport out of the show room. Immediately noticed a dead spot in the Steering. Jeep Drifting from 0 position. Constant corrections needed. I’m a Jeep owner for over 10 years so I know how a Wrangler handles. Got it home immediately contacted dealer. Have to flatbed the Jeep back. See what I’m gonna due. Filing complaint with NHTSA. Looked on their reporting site and there are 100s of complaints. If you are having this problem you should report so that they can recall this vehicle

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[CypressWrangler]

Welcome to the forum. If you search you will see there could be a solution to this with a service bulletin.

 

[tyresmoker]

Just took the Wrangler 2018 JL Sport out of the show room. Immediately noticed a dead spot in the Steering. Jeep Drifting from 0 position. Constant corrections needed. I’m a Jeep owner for over 10 years so I know how a Wrangler handles. Got it home immediately contacted dealer. Have to flatbed the Jeep back. See what I’m gonna due. Filing complaint with NHTSA. Looked on their reporting site and there are 100s of complaints. If you are having this problem you should report so that they can recall this vehicle

And you didn't drive it before you signed the paperwork....?!?! Bet you will next time....
Subject has been beat to death on this forum. Enough already.

 

[jeremyjeep]

Just took the Wrangler 2018 JL Sport out of the show room. Immediately noticed a dead spot in the Steering. Jeep Drifting from 0 position. Constant corrections needed. I’m a Jeep owner for over 10 years so I know how a Wrangler handles. Got it home immediately contacted dealer. Have to flatbed the Jeep back. See what I’m gonna due. Filing complaint with NHTSA. Looked on their reporting site and there are 100s of complaints. If you are having this problem you should report so that they can recall this vehicle

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

 

[Schipperke]

Just took the Wrangler 2018 JL Sport out of the show room. Immediately noticed a dead spot in the Steering. Jeep Drifting from 0 position. Constant corrections needed. I’m a Jeep owner for over 10 years so I know how a Wrangler handles. Got it home immediately contacted dealer. Have to flatbed the Jeep back. See what I’m gonna due. Filing complaint with NHTSA. Looked on their reporting site and there are 100s of complaints. If you are having this problem you should report so that they can recall this vehicle

Interesting. Yes many on steering. It's good you leased the thing, you have leverage a buyer wouldn't have perhaps.

 

[bmac]

Interesting. Yes many on steering. It's good you leased the thing, you have leverage a buyer wouldn't have perhaps.

Interesting that you chose the Subaru as an example as my choice for my next vehicle is between the Ascent Limited and the Rubicon. I am tempted by the Rubicon but my practical side is pulling hard for the Subaru. Not to mention that the Rubi is about $10,000 more. It is disappointing that a revised model by Jeep has so many issues while a completely new vehicle from Subaru has relatively few. I have been keeping tabs on the Ascent forum for months and there has been a little chatter about problems but nothing compared to the issues that the JL has seen. I have experienced steering issues on two of the JL's I tested so that doesn't help either.

Quality control at Jeep appears to need a reboot.

 

[WXman]

Yes the steering issue has been beaten to death. I wish the Admins would sticky it at the top of the page and combine the 800 threads into one.

As far as comparing a Subaru to a Wrangler, that's like comparing a pocket knife to a Swiss Army knife. In other words, there isn't really any way to compare them. The Fast Lane Truck just showed another video of how a Subaru can't even negotiate minor off road trails that lesser CUVs walked up. If a Subaru can't follow a car up a trail, how on earth can it follow a Jeep? Secondly, the rampant oil consumption issues that Subaru owners report due to the boxer engine design are a huge turn-off. My wheeling buddy bought one for his wife and it literally drank all the oil between oil changes. Subaru ended up buying it back. The forums are loaded with oil consumption complaints and apparently Subaru has no answer.

 

[Schipperke]

Considering the Alpine stereos, electric windows, door locks, heated seats, remote start, adaptive cruise control etc. etc. that jeep buyers get, I doubt that Jeep is going anywhere a Subaru couldn't. The Jeep Wrangler is fashion statement for the majority of buyers now imo. Why a true off road person would want so many "electronic" options as added points of failure is beyond me. If I were to buy a true off road vehicle, I'd get the least amount of "luxury" items, as why would I need them off road? The other car listed in the example was for control purposed only. Go to the site and pull any other control you like. I went through quite a few, and FCA in comparison overall is an eye opening experience. Seems like some "Italian reliability" is slipping in the American Jeep..

 

[bmac]

Yes the steering issue has been beaten to death. I wish the Admins would sticky it at the top of the page and combine the 800 threads into one.

As far as comparing a Subaru to a Wrangler, that's like comparing a pocket knife to a Swiss Army knife. In other words, there isn't really any way to compare them. The Fast Lane Truck just showed another video of how a Subaru can't even negotiate minor off road trails that lesser CUVs walked up. If a Subaru can't follow a car up a trail, how on earth can it follow a Jeep? Secondly, the rampant oil consumption issues that Subaru owners report due to the boxer engine design are a huge turn-off. My wheeling buddy bought one for his wife and it literally drank all the oil between oil changes. Subaru ended up buying it back. The forums are loaded with oil consumption complaints and apparently Subaru has no answer.

If your buddy allowed it to "literally" drink ALL of the oil between changes than he is in idiot for ignoring the low oil light.

A quick check on the oil consumption issue shows that as many as 2% of certain models were affected and it has largely been resolved since 2015. I would be willing to bet the steering issue is affecting more than 2% of the new JL's (my experience was 2 out of 4 for 50%) and is a real safety issue.

Also, on the subject of oil consumption, many manufacturers are working hard to decrease internal engine friction with the goal of improving mileage. This includes reducing piston ring pressure which can allow more oil to pass by. Certain driving conditions can aggravate this issue.

The Ascent is not even close to being in the same league as the Wrangler but for what it is it seems to do ok.

 

[old8tora]

The Jeep Wrangler is fashion statement for the majority of buyers now imo . Why a true off road person would want so many "electronic" options as added points of failure is beyond me. If I were to buy a true off road vehicle, I'd get the least amount of "luxury" items, as why would I need them off road?

Exactly so !

 

[jeremyjeep]

Report: 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Suffers From Steering Issues

https://www.tflcar.com/2018/09/2018-jeep-wrangler-jl-steering-problem/

 

[jeremyjeep]

There is now a fix for the 2018 JL steering problem: Caster Adjustment and Steering box adjustment. Here is the video:

 

[Wanderingwheelz]

Considering the Alpine stereos, electric windows, door locks, heated seats, remote start, adaptive cruise control etc. etc. that jeep buyers get, I doubt that Jeep is going anywhere a Subaru couldn't. The Jeep Wrangler is fashion statement for the majority of buyers now imo. Why a true off road person would want so many "electronic" options as added points of failure is beyond me. If I were to buy a true off road vehicle, I'd get the least amount of "luxury" items, as why would I need them off road? The other car listed in the example was for control purposed only. Go to the site and pull any other control you like. I went through quite a few, and FCA in comparison overall is an eye opening experience. Seems like some "Italian reliability" is slipping in the American Jeep..

I tend to subscribe to this line of thinking. As a guy who is rapidly approaching 50, my memories of Wranglers have always revolved around 2 doors and crank windows. I finally decided to pull the trigger a few months ago on my first one and I never even considered anything but a more-or-less basic 2 door Sport (affordability is mistakenly used as the reason for the Sports existence, in my opinion). I have other cars that will do what the Jeep isn’t designed to do (gobble up highway miles in supreme comfort and with world class safety) so I bought the Jeep for what it’s always been since my memories beginning in about the late 70s- a hugely entertaining solid axle truck for recreational use only.

I’m very happy with my “basic” Wrangler so far. So what if I have to crank the window and the steering wheel isn’t leather wrapped? I have others cars...

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