2004 Jeep Wrangler Steering Problems
Owners have filed 67 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the 2004 Jeep Wrangler, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 48,856 miles. The words owners use most often: “death wobble” (45% of reports).
- 67steering complaints
- 48,856median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 58%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Death wobble: mentioned in 30 of 67 complaints (45%)
- Front end: mentioned in 22 of 67 complaints (33%)
- Hitting bump: mentioned in 8 of 67 complaints (12%)
- Steering stabilizer: mentioned in 7 of 67 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 67 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Jeep Wrangler steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Wrangler | 2 | 18% | — |
| 2025 Wrangler | 3 | 4% | — |
| 2024 Wrangler | 71 | 10% | 8,000 |
| 2023 Wrangler | 56 | 15% | 13,255 |
| 2022 Wrangler | 83 | 21% | 18,500 |
| 2021 Wrangler | 254 | 27% | 18,050 |
| 2020 Wrangler | 239 | 39% | 300 |
| 2019 Wrangler | 447 | 60% | 2,175 |
| 2018 Wrangler | 1,117 | 61% | 5,000 |
| 2017 Wrangler | 19 | 6% | 20,500 |
| 2016 Wrangler | 28 | 6% | 30,000 |
| 2015 Wrangler | 29 | 6% | 15,000 |
| 2014 Wrangler | 26 | 4% | 38,000 |
| 2013 Wrangler | 167 | 26% | 23,300 |
| 2012 Wrangler | 204 | 24% | 32,000 |
| 2011 Wrangler | 58 | 12% | 44,500 |
| 2010 Wrangler | 66 | 10% | 50,100 |
| 2009 Wrangler | 65 | 17% | 45,940 |
| 2008 Wrangler | 156 | 18% | 50,000 |
| 2007 Wrangler | 138 | 25% | 51,572 |
| 2006 Wrangler | 86 | 12% | 25,000 |
| 2005 Wrangler | 58 | 9% | 39,000 |
| 2004 Wrangler | 67 | 35% | 48,856 |
| 2003 Wrangler | 14 | 14% | 47,685 |
| 2002 Wrangler | 10 | 9% | 47,500 |
| 2001 Wrangler | 10 | 6% | 55,000 |
| 2000 Wrangler | 11 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 1999 Wrangler | 3 | 1% | — |
| 1998 Wrangler | 16 | 6% | 104,251 |
| 1997 Wrangler | 31 | 8% | 72,798 |
| 1996 Wrangler | 1 | 50% | 6,845 |
| 1995 Wrangler | 6 | 3% | 110,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists steering for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Hit a regular bump in the road, at 35 miles per hour on a strait stretch of road and the attachment point for the front suspension pulled away from the frame and i lost control of the jeep, upon further inspection i discovered that the entire center section of the frame is rusted from the inside…
I have a right hand drive 2004 jeep wrangler. The right seat belt latch is always sticking causing my seat belt to come loose. The steering wheel starts shaking violently when reaching speeds above 50 mph,if you hit a bump, or if it's windy or an 18 wheeler passes you on highway, the jeep will rock…
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 jeep wrangler. The contact stated that while exiting her driveway carport going 10 mph, without warning the vehicle accelerated and the contact could not control the steering wheel which seized. The contact attempted to depress the brakes which failed causing, the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2004 Jeep Wranglers have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 67 owner complaints about steering for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler (35% of the 192 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Jeep Wrangler steering?
No recall currently lists steering for this vehicle.
At what mileage do steering problems start?
The median reported mileage is 48,856 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about steering problems on the 2004 Jeep Wrangler?
The most frequent phrase is “death wobble”, in 30 of 67 complaints, followed by “front end” (22).
Other 2004 Jeep Wrangler problems
- Suspension problems (59)
See all 2004 Jeep Wrangler problems or steering problems across all Wrangler years.