Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Jeep Wrangler owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Purchased new 2009 Jeep rubicon and picked it up at the dealership on wed. 3/3/09 with 6 miles on the odometer. Drove less than 2 miles to private property and drove up dirt hill (nothing that a Jeep couldn't handle) & it got stuck. Left rear wheel wasn't turning even though in 4w low. The wheel should have been able to move the entire vehicle since it was in 4-wheel drive. The driver got out to check the wheel and the fire was under the back of the vehicle & a loose hose was leaking some liquid. The driver tried to put out fire and was unable to. The fuel tank cracked (unkown if due to fire or if it caused the fire) and Jeep continued to burn since tank was full. The vehicle is a complete loss. Driver sustained second degree burns to right hand and his legs. No other injuries. The car fire started a small grass fire that was quickly contained. …
Someone will be killed by this failure !!! 3rd time....valve stem blow out.. Valve stem corrodes and fails..3rd time..allowing tire to deflate instantaneously..destroyed new tires/wheel and Jeep fender. Wife and daughter this time at 65 MPH... 2 independent Chrysler Jeep dealerships service manger say "very common problem. Nothing they can do to stop from happening again". Both service managers say they" will not warranty the issue, it is the owners problem." .. Someone will be killed by this failure !!! Called Chrysler directly and started case # with them... Said same thing." will not warranty issue..nothing can be done at this time to fix..just bring it to a dealer and hope it doesn't happen again.." someone will be killed by this failure !!!
The Jeep has less than 40.000 is and is not used off road. About 55mph the front end gets a out of control wobble. You have to slow way down for it to stop. It has done a few times before. The last time it was 4/29/20.the track bar was replaced with OEM part and still does it. It seems to be a problem with a lot of Wrangler jeeps. I don't know if it is a design flaw. Doing some research it seems to be a problem with jeeps. This Jeep it completely stock with the same tires it came with new.
My Jeep has the death wobble. I have had it in the shop twice to get it fixed and spent over $3,000 so far to fix the problem and it has not be resolved! New parts and new tires have not helped. Someone is going to get hurt or killed. It happens all the time.
I have a 2009 Jeep Wrangler unlimited x, purchased new. A few years after purchase I began experiencing 'death wobble.' a mechanic's diagnostic stated my track bar was bent and my bushings were worn and needed replacing as a result of all the violent side to side shaking. This was repaired at great expense out of pocket. This repair seemed effective for some time before the speed wobble started up again this past year. During one episode, the harsh shaking caused my left side blinkers and brake light to fail. No one should reasonably be expected to operate a vehicle when it has the potential to suddenly, unexpectedly, uncontrollably, violently, harshly, and dangerously start shaking, especially while in operation at highway speeds. I avoid driving on the highway anymore because I can't keep up with the flow of traffic before jarring shaking will start. …
I was driving the Jeep down the highway through construction zone and it vibrated violently after I drove over a bump. I had to slow down very quickly during rush hour and was almost hit in the rear by another care so the wobble would go away. I took it to have it fixed and was told this is common. I looked it up online and was amazed. For a newer vehicle I was floored that it was not covered by Jeep. I have an extended warranty too. I took it to Jeep and they told me I had to pay to fix it, so what was I going to do drive and unsafe car (and it is unsafe, another car almost hit me). I paid to have it fixed. They replaced a damper and guess what there is still a wobble. This is the most ridiculous issue and yet Jeep will not stand behind a poor design that they clearly know is a problem. …
I was driving home at 60-65mph from baltimore with my cousin, fianc and aunt when I hit a minor pothole. The entire steering wheel/front section starts to violently shake and I was unable to stop it until I stepped on the brakes and slowed the car down to almost 25 MPH on the highway and almost drove off to the side of the road. This happened 4 other times following that incident in a matter of 2 weeks? Time. Finally I called the dealership where I purchased the car. They told me it was the steering dampener and that I would have to replace it. They also told me that I had to pay for the part, even though I had purchased an extended warranty from them. I was told that this was very common on jeeps and although there have not been any reported deaths, I am positive this will one day lead to an accident and /or death. …
While crossing 2 lanes of on coming traffic in the middle of the day the ABS, ESP and traction control lights came on and would not let me push the gas along with the right front brake "locking up". Because of the traction control coming on when I accelerate from a stop, even slowly, the engine responds as if I was slipping and losing traction, sputtering power and then all of a sudden it just stops. Now this has happened a few times within the last couple of days which is very scary considering there is absolutely no warning and can happen at any speed while driving. I have read some other forums on this issue and it seems to be pretty common with the make, model and year of this vehicle. This should not be taken lightly and should be fixed by Chrysler as it is a manufacturing defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH the tire pressure light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact noticed the rear passenger side tire was deflated. The contact replaced the tire with the spare tire. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnose that the valve stem had fractured causing the tire to loose air pressure. The mechanic replaced the valve stem. The valve stem on the spare tire was also replaced with a rubber valve stem. The contact noticed the valve stem on the front and rear driver side and the front passenger side tires were also cracking. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
After driving a short distance and parking, I returned to find one tire flat. I changed the tire and returned home. The following morning I checked the damaged tire and found the valve stem missing. I drove to a service center and had the tire removed. The stem (with speed sensor attached) was loose inside the tire. We checked the remaining three wheels and found all wheels had badly corroded stem nuts, and that one of the nuts was cracked into three pieces. Removing all stem nuts damaged the sensors and all had to be replaced. The "new" parts are all of the same materials as the original items, thus I will have to replace the sensors, stems, and stem nuts every 2-3 years unless a fix is initiated.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Wrangler years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2009 Jeep Wrangler?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2009 Jeep Wrangler, 4% of the model year's 626 complaints. The component named most often is valve (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Jeep Wrangler wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2009 Jeep Wrangler, though it has 7 recalls 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 2009 Jeep Wrangler wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to wheels & tires 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.