When it comes to vehicles of any kind, I could really care less. An auto is something to get you from HERE to THERE. It’s always nice if the windows roll up and down and the tires hold the proper amount of air, but beyond that, I just want something that works. Something that rolls down the road safely at the speed limit without causing death to me or anyone around me. I am sad to report my Barbie Jeep no longer fits that category. Her days in my garage are limited.
The mail last week held very sad news. I’m now an unwilling member of a class action suit settled against Jeep. My Jeep has a crash-causing defect. A faulty front end. This isn’t just a little tiny problem. The design can cause you to lose complete control of the Jeep. It’s happened to me three times. Each time, I could have used the Recovery System shown above. Each time I was lucky enough to bring the Jeep to a safe stop.
Now, just so you know. This class action settlement gives me an extended warranty up to 90,000 miles. But, only the original owner. And, in the case of death, the family can still sue Jeep. I kid you not. I read the settlement. Imagine my relief when I realized my kids can get rich off my roll-over death on the backroads of Nevada. How kind of them.
There are so many things a lady of the 1900’s shouldn’t need to know about. The inner workings of a 2017 Jeep are in that category. Unfortunately, when all this came to our attention when the Jeep was brand new, I was right there with VST. As we peered under the hood of different Jeep, we wondered how we weren’t killed. That one was a Jeep 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Also a victim of idiot engineering.
When it happened to that car, we were on a two lane mountain road headed to a fun time at the coast. We were towing the Jeep Cherokee behind our motorhome. Willy Nelson’s Roadhouse was on the radio. We were waiting to see who would see the ocean first when it happened. VST turned white. The tow car was swinging violent back and forth off the hitch. Not rolling, but bouncing and swaying. We had to stop in the road, as there was no turnout and very steep cliffs on either side.
If there would have been another car on the road, we would have all died. It was that violent. We were lucky it didn’t take the motorhome over the side. Once we stopped and started again, the car again worked perfectly. We sold that Jeep immediately. It was three years old. VST, in his John Deere Service Master internationally known and respected heart of hearts, believed with 100% certainty that it was IMPOSSIBLE for it to happen to a Wrangler. And yet, here I am with the same problem. I’m glad he isn’t here to experience this. He would’ve died of a stroke over this!
KJ Jones and Jason Gonderman – Authors and Photographers for MotorTrend have the following explanation.
“Death wobble. No other pair of words strikes fear into the heart of a diesel truck owner quite the way these do. It starts small: a simple shudder or vibration. But before you know it, you’re white knuckled, grasping the steering wheel tight, trying to settle the truck down before losing control.
While the causes and cures of death wobble are a highly debated topic, if your truck has it, there is no mistaking it. The first step in controlling death wobble is understanding exactly what it is. Death wobble is used to describe a series of sudden, often violent front suspension vibrations exhibited by solid front axle suspensions, and more infrequently, independent front suspensions. When death wobble occurs, you will feel a shaking in the steering wheel, which will increase or decrease with speed, and depending on severity, shaking throughout the cab. If you experience death wobble, let off the accelerator and allow the truck to slow down until the vibration stops, then immediately proceed to a safe place where the vehicle can be inspected before continuing on. Even just one death wobble incident can cause permanent—and dangerous—suspension or steering damage.”
They forgot to add one thing. A person can lose control of the vehicle, crash, and die. It’s the dying thing that really gets me. Not something I’m ready to do because of a Jeep.
The Barbie Jeep was recalled once for a fix-it part. VST was still alive and we went in for the repair right away. He was convinced the death wobble would never happen to a Jeep Wrangler. If so, this Barbie would’ve never agreed to buy another.
Soon after VST died, I’d gone on a mental health drive through the wide open spaces of Nevada to a magical place called Bridgeport. If you’ve ever been, you know. If you haven’t, you should go. The Eastern Sierra Nevada’s at their finest. On the way home, there was a bend in the road, along with a dip and a cattle guard. The trifecta of circumstances that caused the wobble. The fix to make it home is this. Slow down. Stop. Turn off the car. Turn on the car. Avoid every pot hole or imperfection in the road and drive straight to the delearship.
There, it was discovered by my professional Jeep mechanics that the “fix-it” part for the recall was installed backwards. There are just no more words on that subject. Read the past sentence over and over. Put on BACKWARDS. (From another dealership whose mechanics must be related to the engineers that designed this system.)
Oy.
Vey.
Living in the environment I do, I cannot drive a vehicle that goes into a death wobble for any reason. Becoming a member of a class action settlement was the final straw. My newish Jeep with only 45,715 miles has got to go. This week.
Car Max is ready to write the check. I just need to find a replacement and there is the hitch. What to buy?
Cars of today have so many options. Heated steering wheels. Air-conditioned seats. Cameras that watch out for traffic coming in any direction. Lane detection. Automatic cruise control. Enough already. I want a pretty car that drives well and passes the crash dummy tests.
As for the Jeep, I’m heartbroken that our time together is over. It’s the first car I ever really loved, except for the fact that it could be the death of us both. When she was running fine, she was running fine. I’ll miss the secret waves from other Jeep owners. I hope they don’t run into me when they get their own wobbles.
If you are a parent or grandparent of kids that are getting great deals on Jeep Wranglers, do your own research. If you own a 2018-2020 Jeep Wrangler or 2020 Jeep Gladiator, think long and hard about what your life is worth. Having experienced the death wobble at 50 mph, I can tell you, it was hard to control the vehicle. The worst thing is that after you pull to the side of the road and turn off the engine, when starting it up again, everything seems fine. Until the next time. Might be tomorrow. Might be next year. But, happen again it will.
Today, I’m deep in the cyber aisles of cars at Car Max. I’ve found a few possibilities. There’ll surely be a learning curve and a lot of unpleasant words. But, there’ll also be fun. Getting a new car is a big deal, even if the idea was forced on me by incompetent engineers at Jeep.
Look it up. Watch some videos. Death Wobble. You’ll understand. I don’t have a choice in this one.
Whatever you do today, spend a little time with your car. Are the tires properly inflated? Is there washer fluid in the reservoir? Is it time to change the oil? Do you know where the spare tire is located? Have you cleaned and vacuumed it lately? Spend a little love on something that keeps you safe and sound as you travel about. Have a wonderful day!
More tomorrow.