2004 Jeep Wrangler Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Wrangler most often describe a violent front-end shake at highway speed, usually triggered by a bump or uneven pavement, which they report recurring even after tires, alignment and steering damper work. Steering and suspension complaints dominate this model year, with transmission and seat belt concerns also appearing repeatedly in the sample. Many reports come from relatively low-mileage, stock vehicles rather than modified ones.

1. 1
   Steering

   Front-end shake ("death wobble") at highway speed

   • 70 complaints (36%)
   • median 46,400 mi at 7.2 yrs old (63 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2018

   Complaints describe the front end shaking or wobbling severely, usually after hitting a bump, pothole or expansion joint, most often between roughly 40 and 60 mph. Owners report having to brake hard or slow below 40 mph to stop it, and say new tires, balancing, alignment, steering stabilizers and sway bar links often did not resolve it. Several note the vehicle was stock with no lift or oversized tires, and that dealers either could not find the cause or declined repairs once out of warranty. Reported from a few thousand miles to over 100,000 miles, most commonly between roughly 25,000 and 75,000 miles and at highway speeds.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at 50 to 60 mph over a rough patch or expansion joint and watch for any shake. Ask whether the steering damper, track bar bushings, ball joints and tire balance have been addressed, and whether the steering shimmy service bulletin was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought a 2004 Jeep Wrangler about 6 months ago and 3 of the months that I have owned this vehicle its has a shake in the front end known as the death wobble (google death wobble)my Jeep has 63,000 miles on it and no warranty, bought it used. When I drive this Jeep 40-55 miles a hour and if I hit a bump the whole front end of the Jeep shakes out of control, very dangerous. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10278617, filed 2009-07, 60,000 miles

   “Severe shaking (coined death wobble) at 55 MPH. This has happened (3) times. I have replaced steering dampener, front end alignment, (4) new tires all within last week. There are countless complaints for this same problem, yet no resolution to be found. There seems to be with all of the complaints a head in sand mentality hoping that this will go away. I'm shocked, after the experience of trying to get veh off of highway during this event, that there have not been any fatalities.”

   NHTSA complaint #10406390, filed 2011-06, 69,400 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission and transfer case problems

   • 20 complaints (10%)
   • median 25,250 mi at 4.0 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2017

   Owners describe manual transmissions that clunk, grind or resist the 1st-to-2nd and 2nd-to-3rd shifts, and automatics that would not come out of park or would not go into park because of a broken part inside the shifter. Others report transfer case and driveshaft leaks, stripped gears, rough downshifts and a rear driveshaft replacement. Dealers are described as calling the shift quality normal in some cases and replacing the shifter assembly or transmission in others. Reported from delivery mileage up to about 140,000 miles, with many accounts between roughly 25,000 and 75,000 miles.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the vehicle from cold and shift through every gear, checking for grinding or a refusal to engage, and cycle the shifter in and out of park on an automatic. Look for fluid seepage at the transfer case and differentials.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “New 2004 Jeep Wrangler se. The manual transmission clunks clinks & sometimes grinds when upshifting from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd gear. I was nearly rearended last week. I was going up a hill from a stop. When I shifted from 2nd to 3rd gear the syncros started grinding. Not wanting to abuse my Jeep, I backed off to neutral and was nearly rearended by the car behind me. I have been told by the dealer and the factory rep. That there is nothing wrong with the transmission. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10061894, filed 2004-03, 100 miles

   “I could not shift the automatic transmission from in gear to park. The shifter would get stuck in reverse, resulting in me inadvertently moving backwards - a very dangerous condition. I also could not shift down from park into gear. I had to remove the panel and manually move the anchor from the in-gear position to park. I notified my dealer of the problem and they performed the following: found shifter assemble internally damaged. Removed and replaced shifter assemble and checked operation. The cost of the repair + labor was $483.27. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10206850, filed 2007-10, 32,500 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake pedal and braking concerns

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints include a missing clip where the brake pedal connects to the booster rod, described as letting the pedal separate from the linkage, and a case where depressing the brake also caught the accelerator because of pedal placement. Others describe the brakes sticking and the vehicle hard to move, and a loss of braking together with steering in a low-speed incident. Reported from a few thousand to about 60,000 miles, including low-speed and stop-and-go situations.

   What to check: With the engine off, press the brake pedal and check for play or a loose connection at the pedal-to-booster linkage, and confirm the pedal returns freely. On a test drive, check that braking is firm and that the pedal does not interfere with the accelerator.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Got in vehicle. Put right foot on brake, put car in drive, took my foot off brake and then immediately reapplied it as car pulled in front of me. Wrangler began creeping forward and I applied more pedal pressure only to find the vehicle accelerating harder. Hit car in front of me. Thought I had my right foot on brake when in fact, most of my right foot was on the accelerator. Why are these pedals so close? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10067837, filed 2004-04, 2,000 miles

   “On two occasions, I have rear-ended someone due to what I believe is a faulty design in the position of the brake pedal in relationship to the accelerator pedal in my 2004 Jeep Wrangler unlimited. In instances where I had to stop suddenly therefore applying extreme pressure to the brake pedal, the brake pedal descended below the accelerator and the right side of my foot came in contact with the accelerator causing the accelerator to be depressed at the same time. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10150744, filed 2006-02, 28,500 miles
4. 4
   Seat belts

   Seat belt retractors catching in the door

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints say the front seat belt retractors do not pull the belt back in, so the belt gets caught in the door latch, frays and develops holes. Owners report repeated dealer visits, with one belt replaced under warranty and later visits declined, and one owner describes a latch that would not stay fastened. Reported on vehicles with as little as a few hundred to a few thousand miles, on both driver and passenger sides.

   What to check: Pull each belt fully out and let it retract, checking for fraying, holes or a slow return, and confirm the latch clicks and holds firmly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #11292490, filed 2020-01, 170,000 miles

   “Failure of seat belt retractors . Seat belt catches on door latch causing damage to seat belt. Dealer replaced drivers side. Problem appeared again on both seats. Returned to dealer and was told they could not help. The web of the seat belts have holes in them from being pinched in door. When will they fail?”

   NHTSA complaint #10107716, filed 2005-01, 1,000 miles
5. 5
   Body and structure

   Frame rust and top or water leaks

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the frame rusting from the inside out, in one case to the point that a front suspension attachment separated from the frame. Other complaints concern the soft top coming loose or detaching at speed, water leaks at the door and A-pillar area, and debris collecting on the skid plate above the exhaust. Dealers and the manufacturer are described as declining coverage in several of these reports. Frame rust reports appear from about 65,000 miles upward; top and leak reports include very low-mileage vehicles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the frame rails closely, including inside the channels and around the front suspension mounts, and check the soft top latches, door seals and the area above the skid plate.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11317552, filed 2020-03, 67,000 miles

   “Vehicle is a 2004 Jeep Wrangler 4x4 purchased 12/04. Debris accumulated under the skid plate, apparently ignited by exhaust system. I smelled and saw smoke and had a fire extinguisher which I used to put out the fire. Engine wiring harness damaged by the fire, repairs about $2,000. Skid plate design allows debris to come in front of skid plate but not be blown out the back or bottom. I bought the Jeep in part for its offroad capabilities, but am afraid to use it now.”

   NHTSA complaint #10140424, filed 2005-10, 890 miles

Buying note. A 2004 Wrangler deserves a careful pre-purchase inspection: drive it at highway speed over rough pavement to check for front-end shake, and look closely at the frame for rust from the inside out. Service records for steering and driveline work, plus a check of the seat belts and brake pedal linkage, will tell you more than mileage alone.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.