jeremyjeep
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**** Warning: Many of us are having problems with unresolved steering problems on the 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL. I wish someone would of shared this advice before my purchase, so I thought I would share this advice with you to save you the anguish. The 2019 models may or may not have this same issue, but be sure to check first before paying for your new Jeep Wrangler. ****
Summary: After reducing the tire pressure to the door jam advice of 37PSI, some of us are still having loose steering problems with our JL. The current TSB (Technical Service Bulletin), steering recalls, front end alignment, tightening the loose ball joints, etc. are not fixing the problem. Some dealerships will deny the existence of the steering problems on the Jeep Wrangler JLs, others will confirm it. Basically there is excessive play in the steering wheel causing you to constantly make corrections just to keep the vehicle in the lane. And the steering gets worse the warmer it is outside - like in the upper 80s or higher. Of course Wranglers are going to drive more like a truck, but they shouldn't be dangerous to drive either. Many JLs do not have this steering issue, so it looks like there must of been a bad batch of parts vs a design flaw. Point is, see the advice below to see if your brand new Jeep Wrangler JL has steering problems that can't be fixed, yet.
Evidence:
A. Steering thread 1: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/loose-steering-feels-like-it-has-play-and-drifts.3691
B. Steering thread 2: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...e-problem-with-jl-wrangler-please-watch.6723/
C. Steering thread 3: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/wrangler-steering-issues-survey.12343/
D. More steering threads: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/search/11827647/?q=steering&o=date&c[title_only]=1
E: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: https://www.nhtsa.gov
F: Steering problem survey: Survey Results: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...xM0ZQzjhMVaXo8TICWUZN3xrsSpGo3g/viewanalytics (screen capture below)
G. There is a spike in Google searches on Jeep Wrangler steering related keyword phrases. Date range is 1/1/2004 to 8/27/18. Source: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01 2018-08-27&geo=US&q=Jeep Wrangler steering. According to the Google keyword tool, there were 6,345 searches for Jeep Wrangler steering related keyword phrases in the last 30 days.
H. Law firms creating dedicated web pages for Jeep Wrangler JL steering problem related lawsuits. Example (search Google for even more examples): https://www.lemberglaw.com/2018-jeep-wrangler-problems-complaints-lemon/
Advice:
My advice would be to buy a JL from the lot vs ordering it, but drive it on the highway first for at least 30 miles to verify the steering problem doesn't exist. Be sure to check the tire pressure first and that it matches the door jam recommendations. Over inflated tires can make the handling poor. If you have to order it, check for the steering problem before paying for it. When one is excited when it first arrives, it is difficult to see the problem unless you get on a highway where it gets way worse.
To check (existing inventory or one you ordered) have someone sit in the drivers seat, start the steering wheel at 12:00, then slightly turn it while you watch the steering shaft and tires. You can see the steering shaft by opening the hood and looking where there steering wheel shaft would continue down to the front of the vehicle. You don't need to crawl under it to see it. All 3 should all turn in sync with maybe a tiny bit of delay, but not 1 to 3 inches of slop between the steering wheel and the tires. Otherwise, you will have difficulty keeping it in the lane while driving, looks like your drunk driving, and as someone else said so accurately, their old John Deere lawn more drives better.
@JeepCares
Summary: After reducing the tire pressure to the door jam advice of 37PSI, some of us are still having loose steering problems with our JL. The current TSB (Technical Service Bulletin), steering recalls, front end alignment, tightening the loose ball joints, etc. are not fixing the problem. Some dealerships will deny the existence of the steering problems on the Jeep Wrangler JLs, others will confirm it. Basically there is excessive play in the steering wheel causing you to constantly make corrections just to keep the vehicle in the lane. And the steering gets worse the warmer it is outside - like in the upper 80s or higher. Of course Wranglers are going to drive more like a truck, but they shouldn't be dangerous to drive either. Many JLs do not have this steering issue, so it looks like there must of been a bad batch of parts vs a design flaw. Point is, see the advice below to see if your brand new Jeep Wrangler JL has steering problems that can't be fixed, yet.
Evidence:
A. Steering thread 1: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/loose-steering-feels-like-it-has-play-and-drifts.3691
B. Steering thread 2: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...e-problem-with-jl-wrangler-please-watch.6723/
C. Steering thread 3: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/wrangler-steering-issues-survey.12343/
D. More steering threads: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/search/11827647/?q=steering&o=date&c[title_only]=1
E: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: https://www.nhtsa.gov
F: Steering problem survey: Survey Results: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1...xM0ZQzjhMVaXo8TICWUZN3xrsSpGo3g/viewanalytics (screen capture below)
G. There is a spike in Google searches on Jeep Wrangler steering related keyword phrases. Date range is 1/1/2004 to 8/27/18. Source: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2004-01-01 2018-08-27&geo=US&q=Jeep Wrangler steering. According to the Google keyword tool, there were 6,345 searches for Jeep Wrangler steering related keyword phrases in the last 30 days.
H. Law firms creating dedicated web pages for Jeep Wrangler JL steering problem related lawsuits. Example (search Google for even more examples): https://www.lemberglaw.com/2018-jeep-wrangler-problems-complaints-lemon/
Advice:
My advice would be to buy a JL from the lot vs ordering it, but drive it on the highway first for at least 30 miles to verify the steering problem doesn't exist. Be sure to check the tire pressure first and that it matches the door jam recommendations. Over inflated tires can make the handling poor. If you have to order it, check for the steering problem before paying for it. When one is excited when it first arrives, it is difficult to see the problem unless you get on a highway where it gets way worse.
To check (existing inventory or one you ordered) have someone sit in the drivers seat, start the steering wheel at 12:00, then slightly turn it while you watch the steering shaft and tires. You can see the steering shaft by opening the hood and looking where there steering wheel shaft would continue down to the front of the vehicle. You don't need to crawl under it to see it. All 3 should all turn in sync with maybe a tiny bit of delay, but not 1 to 3 inches of slop between the steering wheel and the tires. Otherwise, you will have difficulty keeping it in the lane while driving, looks like your drunk driving, and as someone else said so accurately, their old John Deere lawn more drives better.
@JeepCares
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