Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 out on both sides, the frame should be the last thing to fail on any vehicle, this Jeep has only 65,000 miles on it and has never been off roaded or abused. For a vehicle that is known to last 200K miles plus to have frame failure at 65K miles is not only negligent on chryslers behalf but it also poses a real safety hazard to the general public, imagine how many people are driving these jeeps down the road at 70-80 miles per hour with a frame that could fail at anytime. …
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 contact to crash into the carports pole allowing the vehicle to come to a complete stop. No emergency brake was applied. No injuries, no police report filed, no medical attention, no damage's to the vehicle, the dealer was not contacted, and no diagnostic test was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
My 16 year old daughter was driving the vehicle on normal dry pavement when the casting that anchors the tie rod to the front left wheel snapped off. The vehicle violently pulled to the right causing it to go off the paved road surface and crashing into a tree. The vehicle has the original factory suspension and to my knowledge has never been modified.
Traveling on the highway at approximately 60 MPH when without any warning the front wheels began to wobble uncontrollably. I could not get the vehicle under control until I slowed down to around 20 miles an hour. Once the vehicle was under control I was able to cautiously accelerate back to speed and did not experience any further trouble. The initial problem started in heavy traffic and I was afraid of being rear ended because of my quick deceleration to bring the vehicle under control. This is the second time that I have experienced this problem both times at about 60 MPH and straight and level roadways. Both times the extreme wobbling was sudden and unexpected.
The driver's side lower control arm mount on our 2004 Jeep Wrangler broke off from the frame while driving. While accelerating on a city street, there was a loud bang noise from underneath the vehicle, and the Jeep became extremely difficult to control and started wandering all over the road. Upon pulling over and looking underneath the vehicle we found that there were extreme amounts of rust and corrosion inside the frame that was visible from the outside. This rust caused the entire lower control arm mount to break off from the frame. Another rot hole was found further up the frame near the transmission skidplate/cross-member assembly as well.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Wrangler. While driving 60 MPH over bumps in the road, the vehicle bounced all over the road, the front end shook violently, and the steering wheel became difficult to control. The contact stated that the brake pedal had to be applied to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the front steering damper needed to be replaced. The repairs were performed, but the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer a couple more times and repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 48,000.
When the Wrangler reaches approximately 55 MPH, it begins to violently (and terrifyingly) shake uncontrollably. It makes it difficult to maintain any control of the vehicle, and we have had several near misses, barely avoiding accidents. We have reported this for *years* to our auto repair and tire companies, had several things done in a desperate attempt to remedy it, including 2 sets of tires, with no success. With reports of the "death wobble" now becoming widely known, we instantly knew that we were not alone, and that this is a widespread issue that Jeep needs to address. This is a huge safety issue.
Dt*: the contact stated the pitman arm fell off from the steering gear box while driving 20 MPH on normal road conditions, causing the vehicle to sideswipe another vehicle. No injuries were sustained, and a police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for evaluation. Also, the front end shook when driving 50 MPH for two months prior to the failure. The manufacturer were contacted but the cause of the problem could not be determined.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 50 MPH a car cut in front of the vehicle, the driver turned the wheel slightly and lost control of the vehicle, then struck a guard rail. The driver sustained minor injuries and there was a police report filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop, where it was determined the steering gear sheered and fractured. The steering gear needs to be replaced.
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 side to side like it's going to turn over. It's very hard to control the vehicle. I have children to haul around.
Steering complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2004 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Jeep Wrangler, 35% of the model year's 192 complaints. The component named most often is gear box (other than rack and pinion) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Jeep Wrangler steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2004 Jeep Wrangler, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Jeep Wrangler steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 19% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.