Jeep Settlement Acknowledges Wrangler’s Infamous “Death Wobble”

Certain Wrangler and Gladiator owners may be entitled to an extended warranty and financial reimbursement

A 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, which would be covered under Jeep's new "Death Wobble" settlement, driving at the Washington Auto Show
A 2019 Jeep Wrangler, which would be covered under a new "Death Wobble" settlement, driving at the Washington Auto Show.
Alex Edelman/Getty

While the infamous Jeep “Death Wobble” may be a bit of a misnomer, as the violent shaking that’s been reported for years by certain Wrangler and Gladiator owners has reportedly not resulted in any actual deaths, one campaign to get the automaker to rectify the problem is finally coming to an end. 

If you own or lease a 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler or 2020 Jeep Gladiator, you may be entitled to an extended warranty and financial reimbursement if you paid out of pocket to repair this “Death Wobble,” as Eric D. Lawrence reported for the Detroit Free Press. This comes as the result of a class-action lawsuit first filed in 2019, though the settlement reportedly still needs final approval through a fairness hearing set for April 19, and through it Jeep “denies any admission of liability or wrongdoing.”

“The ‘Death Wobble,’ as it has come to be called, typically happens when an affected vehicle hits a bump at highway speeds, which leads to a vibration or shaking that drivers often describe as frightening,” Lawrence explained. “The lawsuit describes it as the ‘seemingly uncontrollable side-to-side shaking of the Jeep vehicle’s front-end steering components and — by extension — its steering wheel.’” 

Complaints related to this occurrence go back more than a decade, though this specific settlement only covers the aforementioned model years. Those who own or lease vehicles from that timeframe, and who paid to repair a front suspension damper, can submit a claim for reimbursement through www.fcarecallreimbursement.com. If the settlement is finalized, the extended warranty would cover this repair and increase to eight years or 90,000 miles.

If you want to see video of the so-called Death Wobble, YouTube is absolutely flooded with self-reported incidents. Here’s one example: 

Hard to deny that. Although that video features a 2007 Jeep Wrangler, which are far outside the window of being included in this settlement. 

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