New JT Gladiator Steering Issue TSB 08-074-20 (for "Improved Steering Feel")

[one2doo]

Got the fix drives like it supposed to. Before and after pictures. Left the fox stabilizer and sector brace on and they reinstated the brace and never mentioned anything.

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[Chance_P]

You need a new dealer.

I couldn't agree more. Maybe someone here can recommend a dealer on the west slope in CO because that's where I'll be living in 3 weeks.

 

[Gator Pit]

Status update on my experience at my dealership here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I originally called on August 12th and at that time I was told that they could order the parts today, August 26th and they would be in the next day or so. I call today and they tell me that they can order the steering box today but they can‘t order the bolts now until the 29th and they probably wouldn’t be in until Sept 2nd. I didn’t argue with her and I just said okay and went ahead and scheduled an appointment for the following week Sept 8th, figured that would give plenty of time for the parts to come in.... the wait continues, sounds like it is going to be worth the wait.

 

[Shackleton]

>>"check to see if the new steering gear applies to my VIN" <<
HAHA - there's nothing and no way to check. It's not restricted to certain dates or VIN.
They are BS'ing you.

I was told the same thing the day I bought although I wasn’t sure during my test drive if I have the issue. Having driven it now for a few days I think I might but I knew there was a fix before I bought thanks to this thread so I was comfortable going forward

 

[Bbannongmu]

Good luck - honest. Big move, you need things right. Hope it works out.
Some dealers, I just don't get it.

Hope you can get it fixed. Have you tried reaching out to JeepCares to open a case? Sounds like that could help. They monitor this forum and you can PM them. Good luck.

 

[Shootist]

Well, I am glad to see several of you getting the repair done and it making a difference for you.

 

[DaveL]

My apologies if you felt I was being a smart ass toward you. That is not/was not the intention.

I am not confused in the difference between a TSB and a recall. I don’t recall mentioning a TSB being done outside of warranty and the word recall never appeared in my post.

My post is more about some people defending a dealer that refuses service which is needed and required by law to be repaired if within the warranty period. There are people out there being denied this service because of a tech simply saying something like “It’s a Jeep thing.” I have seen too often fellow Jeep enthusiasts basically saying that it is the dealers right to refuse service when it isn’t in this particular case. The TSB clearly reads If a customer describes this condition, perform the following repair. It doesn’t say, have your tech confirm this with a road test. In fact the only validation portion on this TSB is if the customer states they experience the issue. Now, if the TSB contained a diagnostic procedure then I would say the dealership then has the right to do that process and based on the result either decide to complete or deny performing the repair.

My long drawn out point being follow the bulletin as it was written. They are not open to individual interpretation.

I should add of course that I do agree that those without the issue should not be entitled to having it done. But interpretations can vary and knowing the difference in a well behaved Gladiator and one with the issue should become easier as the techs experience it themselves.

Handed the dealer a TSB with notes and highlights on it. Long story short, they said no.

Went home and watched the video from the dash cam. Found out and called FCA Jeep Canadian Customer Care. Enough said. Another dealer has ordered the parts. I appreciate that Jeep is finally doing something. Wish they were motivated long time ago.

It's good to see JeepCares here in this post. That is very positive.
Dave

 

[DaveL]

Got the fix drives like it supposed to. Before and after pictures. Left the fox stabilizer and sector brace on and they reinstated the brace and never mentioned anything.

Great post.
Jeep Wrangler is a cult vehicle. Part of it's charm, and reason for many sales is that Owners can modify the Jeep.
I'm glad they left your parts in place.
Looking back, when this is all done, we'll know it was just an Obstacle and we overcame it.

 

[Shootist]

Handed the dealer a TSB with notes and highlights on it. Long story short, they said no.

Went home and watched the video from the dash cam. Found out and called FCA Jeep Canadian Customer Care. Enough said. Another dealer has ordered the parts. I appreciate that Jeep is finally doing something. Wish they were motivated long time ago.

It's good to see JeepCares here in this post. That is very positive.
Dave

It provides me with a great degree of confidence that JeepCares is standing behind the owners. That in itself should tell you the intention behind the TSB is to fix it if the customer states it is a problem. Thanks @JeepCares

 

[TrainMan]

I seriously don't understand how they can order the new steering gear, yet can't get the bolts. Shouldn't the bolts and everything be included as a kit? Crazy.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I seriously don't understand how they can order the new steering gear, yet can't get the bolts. Shouldn't the bolts and everything be included as a kit? Crazy.

My take is that these would be in the supply chain as a normal replacement part and not include bolts because they'd be replacing a like unit. This issue is a different animal and thus, no bolts with the steering gear.
If you went to the parts counter and asked for a steering gear, it wouldn't come with bolts.
I bet this caught them off guard thus no kit ready. But then my other TSBs also show dealers needing to order parts individually, so......

 

[Chance_P]

Handed the dealer a TSB with notes and highlights on it. Long story short, they said no.

Went home and watched the video from the dash cam. Found out and called FCA Jeep Canadian Customer Care. Enough said. Another dealer has ordered the parts. I appreciate that Jeep is finally doing something. Wish they were motivated long time ago.

It's good to see JeepCares here in this post. That is very positive.
Dave

This post made me reach out to JeepCares as well. Too much BS with my dealer.

 

[DaveL]

This post made me reach out to JeepCares as well. Too much BS with my dealer.

Good
They referred me to FCA Jeep Canada Customer Cares who really helped me

 

[W8lifts]

My take is that these would be in the supply chain as a normal replacement part and not include bolts because they'd be replacing a like unit. This issue is a different animal and thus, no bolts with the steering gear.
If you went to the parts counter and asked for a steering gear, it wouldn't come with bolts.
I bet this caught them off guard thus no kit ready. But then my other TSBs also show dealers needing to order parts individually, so......

I am in this boat right now, my gladiator is waiting on hardware....they apparently pulled the gear box out and didn’t realize they didn’t have the bolts....So now I am having to wait, they think they can get the bolts tomorrow, so I hope that’s true because my loaner car sucks...

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm concerned now. I've said probably 50 times (LOL, and I bet that's understated) that mine has been fine. It's not loose steering for sure - but I'm starting to think back and see some things sort of fit together. And maybe I'm too used to older vehicles?
Anyway, trip to Indiana earlier this year - I recall being fatigued driving there. Tired, my arms ached, but I thought that's just getting old. Could be. But I think back to the time I drove from Iowa to Reading, PA - and stopped only 2 hours short of getting there at 10pm and I drove continuously non-stop except for gas (and to empty the Diet Coke I consumed on the way)
So there's how many hours from like 5am to inside PA at after 10pm, and I was still fine, not really that tired.
So on the way back from Indiana, my wife said she'd drive part of the trip - she hops in, the first time she had really driven the truck, especially on highways (Indiana pretty flat)
After a few minutes on the highway - her exact quote was "I hope there's no cops behind us, they'll think I'm drunk weaving back and forth so much".
I didn't think a lot of it at the time.
Then recently we were driving to town and she commented "why don't you drive straight, you keep going to the center line".
I figured she was just being her... she can't stand it when she's not the one driving in most cases.
Then I took it up to another town and the wind was just right - hitting the left front corner of the truck and it felt like for no stronger than the wind was, it wasn't that simple to "just drive". It felt like work.
And then last weekend we drove up to Spirit Lake - a nearly 4 hour trip and again, I was fatigued, got tired out. Wow, that never happens when driving my other cars now that I think of it. Am I really exerting that much mental and physical energy? IF so - why, what is it?
She said she'd drive back.......... so she gets in and after a couple of miles (and it was a hot day) said - man, this thing sure wanders all over, doesn't it.
I kept quiet - as she was contradicting what I had always figured. I didn't want to imply it was just her.
But maybe it's not. That's at least twice she has made a comment about wandering, and she commented on me not keeping it straight, as if I wasn't paying attention or something.
Loose - no, I drove like the wind on the 10th to stay ahead of a massive storm, I was going like a bat outtahell to get home. But then I was going really fast, passing vehicles, wind was extremely strong, and I had both hands FIRMLY on the wheel.
I never considered this JT to be unsafe. Especially after that wild drive.

So now I have to ask myself - was I impacted, EITHER WAY, by what I was reading and seeing? Was I hopeful that the truck was perfect and didn't allow myself to see flaws?
OR, am I now being swayed by all of those who have problems with their steering - sort of like a leading question can impact how someone responds.
So I'm going to try to clear my head, ignore everything I've seen, read, heard, and try to approach is as if it's a test drive of a new vehicle and see.
I hope it's not like some "suggestion" just be reading things here.
I guess there's one sure way to find out - see what another person says.
If there's a problem that's going to shoot all to hell everything I've ever posted about the steering on THIS truck.
If there's not, then it's just me - and worse, just my wife! Wow, I don't want to have to explain "no, it's just you, the truck is fine".

HAHAHA - that's sort of like a story out of true confessions or something, eh?

Can a person be influenced by reading something that says "these have problems" - into thinking they may also have a problem?
Can a person be so convinced that their new vehicle is just fine - that they ignore certain things?
Inquiring minds want to know.

My wife is a GOOD DRIVER, no accidents in the whole time I've known her, well, other than not waiting for the garage door to be CLEAR up and trying to back her GC into the garage several years ago.
No tickets in years, she's a good driver in bad weather for sure - probably better than I am. Her Grand Cherokee has tight, responsive steering, so is it that? ( I do not like the steering on her GC)
Naw, she's driven my other stuff and never once mentioned the steering or handling and I KNOW the 2004 WJ isn't tight with 126,000 miles on it. She's driven my trucks in the past and those weren't exactly sports cars.

Ah, it's all a dream, I guess. A bug in the matrix, that's it.

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