Opinions regarding my warranty problem (YouTube links)

I have a couple crappy videos of two "problems" I found. The first of the steering box/sector shaft...having my girlfriend turn the steering wheel left/right you can feel a good clunk both on the box itself and up through and on the steering wheel. It is also present while driving. The video shows the sector shaft rocking left and right. My really crappy video of the driver side balljoint shows play in it with minimal force of the pry bar. The passenger side does not have this play with more force applied to it.

This clunking, wandering, and shimmy over bumps has been felt since I test drove it (it has only gotten worse) and I stupidly bought this one based on "Well, it has a warranty." It spent a month at the stealership I bought it at and they just argued its an off road vehicle and I should have bought a car if I want it to drive nice...one of multiple claims filed with Jeep Corporate...New stealership quite far from me is on its 2nd-3rd week with it. I dropped it off Thursday, real early in the morning, with my claims escalated with Corporate...tried to clearly tell my story as they have new employees and owners since my last visit...I got a call yesterday, Saturday, about 4...as they close...to come pick it up the alignment has been completed and everything checks out...it didn't need an alignment other than my steering wheel was slightly off from me messing with things and too lazy to center it.

Sector Shaft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjF90-WD33E

Balljoint
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RnddmO0Evw

Am I crazy? It definitely has clunking and wandering while driving and I can definitely feel the clunk with my hand on the steering box and no where else.

No, I wouldn't say that you're crazy. I've known of one other guy who had a similar problem with his steering gear and it turned out to be a bad tooth inside of it. Fortunately, the dealership down in Carlsbad is pretty off road friendly and they helped him out. As far as your ball joints go, yeah, that's quite a bit of movement. Have you asked them to check it with a dial indicator? It looks out of tolerance to me.

wayoflife said:

No, I wouldn't say that you're crazy. I've known of one other guy who had a similar problem with his steering gear and it turned out to be a bad tooth inside of it. Fortunately, the dealership down in Carlsbad is pretty off road friendly and they helped him out. As far as your ball joints go, yeah, that's quite a bit of movement. Have you asked them to check it with a dial indicator? It looks out of tolerance to me.

Click to expand...

After sternly talking to the service writer he was able to get his technician on the phone with me. "There is play but it is not outside my guidelines so I can not make repairs." The balljoint I believe he said has to be out 3mm (.118"), I struggled doing it alone with my tools but measured around .25" (6.35mm). Lets say I am wrong and it was closer to .125" (3.175mm) thats still out of his guidelines. He agreed the driver side had considerable more play than the passenger side which has none. When I questioned about the clunking in the steering box he seemed to be put on the spot, I told him my method of testing and he stuttered to reiterate his guidelines speech. I don't think he looked in to it.

I just got off the phone with my case manager from corporate and her hands are tied until the dealership reports to the corporate technician and he reports to her. She also stands behind the dealer's tech guidelines speech. I argued non of the new Wranglers have the clunking, only mine and I measured it out of his "guidelines." I also stated I would keep escalating this until I feel I get my moneys worth, she replied with she is here to fight for me as well. We will see, I have a 30+mpg 200 to job search with thanks to Jeep Corporate during all this. Oh, she said there was notes that I have large aftermarket off road tires...I had to argue they are factory Wrangler tires from the Rubicon model as well as I have been fighting this since I signed for my Jeep...she was clueless...ugh.

Fellow Jeepers...Don't by a new one unless its perfect when you sign for it.

Eddie, Thank you for your reply! For me, the waiting continues.

How old is it? How many total days in the shop for the same issue?

IBeHeWhoIsJoshua said:

After sternly talking to the service writer he was able to get his technician on the phone with me. "There is play but it is not outside my guidelines so I can not make repairs." The balljoint I believe he said has to be out 3mm (.118"), I struggled doing it alone with my tools but measured around .25" (6.35mm). Lets say I am wrong and it was closer to .125" (3.175mm) thats still out of his guidelines. He agreed the driver side had considerable more play than the passenger side which has none. When I questioned about the clunking in the steering box he seemed to be put on the spot, I told him my method of testing and he stuttered to reiterate his guidelines speech. I don't think he looked in to it.

I just got off the phone with my case manager from corporate and her hands are tied until the dealership reports to the corporate technician and he reports to her. She also stands behind the dealer's tech guidelines speech. I argued non of the new Wranglers have the clunking, only mine and I measured it out of his "guidelines." I also stated I would keep escalating this until I feel I get my moneys worth, she replied with she is here to fight for me as well. We will see, I have a 30+mpg 200 to job search with thanks to Jeep Corporate during all this. Oh, she said there was notes that I have large aftermarket off road tires...I had to argue they are factory Wrangler tires from the Rubicon model as well as I have been fighting this since I signed for my Jeep...she was clueless...ugh.

Fellow Jeepers...Don't by a new one unless its perfect when you sign for it.

Eddie, Thank you for your reply! For me, the waiting continues.

Click to expand...

I would pull the wheel spacers before you take it back. I was told by jeep that they could void warranty on drive train for spacers on stock rims as well as running larger then stock tires. I think it sucks but I contacted jeep customer service because I wanted to know if simply going to 33" tires would have a warranty impact and they told me yes it could. They said spacers for sure would impact the drive train warranty. Everybody throws around the MM act but that is worthless to the average consumer.

jeffd said:

I think it sucks but I contacted jeep customer service because I wanted to know if simply going to 33" tires would have a warranty impact and they told me yes it could.

Click to expand...

I had mine in for a 5 year lifetime power train warranty inspection about a month ago. I'm lifted on 35's and passed the inspection.

SDG said:

How old is it? How many total days in the shop for the same issue?

Click to expand...

I bought her in March last year, took it back after a week or so. It spent a month at the first dealership, then a week and a half or two weeks at the second. I dropped it off at the second dealership (under new ownership now) last Thursday.

jeffd said:

I would pull the wheel spacers before you take it back. I was told by jeep that they could void warranty on drive train for spacers on stock rims as well as running larger then stock tires. I think it sucks but I contacted jeep customer service because I wanted to know if simply going to 33" tires would have a warranty impact and they told me yes it could. They said spacers for sure would impact the drive train warranty. Everybody throws around the MM act but that is worthless to the average consumer.

Click to expand...

I talked to corporate before making an appointment to drop it off about my modifications and since I filed claims before I made the changes worst they would do is ask me to return it to stock. Luckily I kept the stock suspension stuff so far. I also went over my modifications with the service writer and I brought up removing the wheel spacers and he agreed it would be better in this case. Interestingly enough, she handles better with the wheel spacers installed :thumb: I appreciate the suggestion though and as I said I removed them before dropping it off and they have had it since last Thursday.

904Jeep said:

I had mine in for a 5 year lifetime power train warranty inspection about a month ago. I'm lifted on 35's and passed the inspection.

Click to expand...

Someone had noted my case file that I had larger tires...fortunately/unfortunately they are just Rubicon tires. The service writer made comments that made me feel like this stealership/instance, larger tires would be used against me. Mental note made haha

904Jeep said:

I had mine in for a 5 year lifetime power train warranty inspection about a month ago. I'm lifted on 35's and passed the inspection.

Click to expand...

yea but you were not getting or asking for drive train work lol. They just made a note so they could deny your claim . I hope that is not the case but I emailed Chrysler customer care and had about a ten email exchange with them about little old 285/75-17 tires on stock rims and each and every time they said yes drive train warranty to include the engine and the transmission "could" be voided with 285/75-17's they kept going back to "your wrangler was designed and tested with stock size tires and anything bigger may have an impact on your warranty" I told them my wife was serious about getting a 2 door but only if she could safely run 285/75-17 without the chance of voiding the warranty and they said sorry they could give any assurance that the warranty would not be voided with the addition of larger tires. I think it sucks to have to worry about something like that but I have about as much faith in Chrysler reliability as I do in Obama.

jeffd said:

I think it sucks to have to worry about something like that but I have about as much faith in Chrysler reliability as I do in Obama.

Click to expand...

That is where I am headed as well...I am close to just trading it in for another without the problems. If the dealer says there is no problem they should have no problem taking it in?? Haha Then just forget about warranty work all together. I am more than competent to do the work myself but in my case it should be new as I bought it new, I just stupidly relied on the warranty sales pitch because I am impulsive and loved the color. ugh.

Just got off the phone with my case manager and she sent a message to the corporate technician whatever they call them pertaining to me running factory tires. He replied that he is waiting for the dealership to get back to him and that suspension on a Sport Wrangler, although trail rated, is not set up to handle the tires from a Rubicon...With my other problems in life all I could do is laugh, the stress is getting ridiculous. Anyways, my case manager will be calling me tomorrow with any, if any, more information.

Honestly I don't know why they even bother putting a warranty on wranglers! They make up any possible excuses they can to not fix or pay to replace something, at least if they gave no warranty they wouldn't have to make lame excuses and we wouldn't have to feel like we got ass raped. You would know up front there is no warranty and they would be happy knowing you know and that they aren't liable. I know there are some wranglers that are way modified and their owners push them to their limits BUT usually they are not going to the dealership for claims anyways and the ones that are well that's just common sense they aren't gonna fix it but small lifts and bigger tires and the basic setup most people run should have no effect on your warranty unless its more than obvious thats what caused the problem to which both parties could agree its the owners responsibilities!! It's just ridiculous how every little thing instantly voids your warranty yet you can buy a hemi converted AEV lifted jeep with every bell and whistle with full factory warranty and you simply have factory rubicon tires and instantly they don't wanna pay????

IBeHeWhoIsJoshua said:

Just got off the phone with my case manager and she sent a message to the corporate technician whatever they call them pertaining to me running factory tires. He replied that he is waiting for the dealership to get back to him and that suspension on a Sport Wrangler, although trail rated, is not set up to handle the tires from a Rubicon...With my other problems in life all I could do is laugh, the stress is getting ridiculous. Anyways, my case manager will be calling me tomorrow with any, if any, more information.

Click to expand...

that is insane. I wonder if you put sport tires on a rubicon if they would tell you the rubicon is not set up to handle tires from a sport.

Sorry about your issues man, but your not the only one haha

Myself and two buddys all have same thing its more commong then you think!

First 2007 JKU sahara dark green - clunking in steering wheel
Second 2009 JKU Sahara silver - Clunk in steering wheel
Third 2012 JKU Sahara white - Clunk in steering wheel play in u joints

First one buddy hasnt adressed it just lives with hit and drives it he has a 1" spacer lift on 32-33" tires so not real noticable
Second, steering box clunks you can hear it for sure, he replaced the shaft from steering wheel to steering box, made the clunk better and tighter steering but the box its self is pouched, and it was bone stock when diagnosed with 90,000km on it.

Last one is mine, Started getting the clunk after lifted with 35's, my dealer is 4x4 friendly took it in they diagnosed there is excesive play in the sector shaft on the steering box creating the clunk. They replaced with a new steering box even though i was over the warrenty km range by 3500km!! and they were even nice enough to install a synergy sector shaft brace with trac bar brace kit while in there.

Now this helped with handling and fixed the clunk a small amount, but i feel the rest of the clunk is coming from the shaft going from steering wheel to steering box as you can hold on to it and feel/hear it when moving wheel back and forth, for a few hundred bucks i can replace it myself but in reality it will just go right back to where it in in a year or two.. worn out clunking around....

as for ball joints i wheel mine and stock are made of plastic, they were shot at 25,000km replacing them helps with bumps and handling for sure.

Goodluck with the dealers man i was ready to drive my jeep through the front of many of them until i found one that is 4x4 friendly they hold offroad show and shines and bbq events and the techs wheel them selves so they know what is up with them. rest of them just plug in computer and swap out parts when told i dont respect that and i prefer an old school mechanic with a brain that can diagnose on his own by understanding not rely on a code to say something is up. took myself 7 months with many case officers to replace my known all too well engine ticking heads every tech told me its normal dont worry about it its your injectors there louder now a days but as soon as the missfire code comes on of shit hes broken lets give you new heads... its a joke

good luck