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

[ShadowsPapa]

That's bullshit! My initial appointment was scheduled for this last Monday morning. I skipped it due to a work meeting. I called Monday afternoon to reschedule and mentioned the TSB specifically and asked if they had the parts in stock. I was hoping to avoid multiple visits. The service advisor/manager was like '...well this would be an expensive repair and I don't have the parts in stock so it needs to be seen by a technician first". I questioned him a bit and said "...it states that if the customer states steering wander, to make the repair". Long story short, I took it in yesterday afternoon and waited at the dealer for about 90 minutes. Sure enough, he comes right in and says "...we checked everything, it's the steering issue you described". He also listed about the ~10 things they checked and mentioned they all checked out. I'd demand they provide you a loaner if they can't get their shi$ together.

As well, would I want them to do the repair if diagnoses takes days?!?!?

They did mine in two steps - I took it in with no appointment, they worked me in if I could wait for it, I waited an hour. They came back and said it was a problem and ordered parts. I know they drove it because the miles were up and the MPG was way down and the vehicle temp was still warm in 190 range.
I accepted the fact that they are SWAMPED, low on staff (covid-19 issues) and things are running slow. Parts are horrible to get - not just these parts but all parts. I know - I deal with suppliers for what I do and it's taking a whole lot longer than normal. I've been waiting 2 months for a gasket - the company is SWAMPED and operating on half-staff and reduced hours.
Anyway, they were good enough to work me in with no appointment. My wife's GC - took two weeks to get an appointment for it!
They said bring it back the next day - then after an hour or so called me back and said the bolts were not shipped.
I told them to just keep it as I had 2 other vehicles to drive (my wife's Grand Cherokee was down for the count with battery and other issues so it was dead in the garage)

The dealers here are out of loaner cars and rentals. Rentals at all are hard to get here. Again, covid stuff apparently. So the dealers have nothing to loan out in all cases.

I guess it's one reason I always keep one of my other vehicles operable in case - and this was a good time for that as in the end we had BOTH of our primary vehicles in the shop at the same time - I was relying on my 04 WJ. (and I have a neighbor who if I had really needed a truck, would have said "take mine")

Sponsored

 

[Jhall1981]

That's bullshit! My initial appointment was scheduled for this last Monday morning. I skipped it due to a work meeting. I called Monday afternoon to reschedule and mentioned the TSB specifically and asked if they had the parts in stock. I was hoping to avoid multiple visits. The service advisor/manager was like '...well this would be an expensive repair and I don't have the parts in stock so it needs to be seen by a technician first". I questioned him a bit and said "...it states that if the customer states steering wander, to make the repair". Long story short, I took it in yesterday afternoon and waited at the dealer for about 90 minutes. Sure enough, he comes right in and says "...we checked everything, it's the steering issue you described". He also listed about the ~10 things they checked and mentioned they all checked out. I'd demand they provide you a loaner if they can't get their shi$ together.

As well, would I want them to do the repair if diagnoses takes days?!?!?

I plan to call and tell them my situation. I’ve had it almost 2 weeks and only 700 miles I haven’t even tagged it yet so it’s making me aggravated that they say it will take that long to diagnose. I get the part situation and it takes time to get everything involved for the repair. I don’t get taking days to drive it down the road and inspect everything just to say yep it needs the tsb!!!

 

[danielspivey]

I just talked to my dealer.... they said they have done one so far, said it was a complete nightmare to do (whatever that means). They said the customer was really happy w the results tho.

bad news... he went to check on the order... bolts are in but the steering box is on national back order with over 400 in the queue......

Jeep cares can you help? I called 2-3 weeks ago...

 

[RedRaptorJT]

I saw this on Facebook today

@JeepCares: Does anyone know if this is an updated version of the TSB to address customized vehicles? The original TSB I printed off for my dealership did not have this verbiage. Its certainly promising as this guidance describes my situation (Mopar 2" Lift installed & aligned by dealership).

I called both the dealership and FCA Canada Care rep. Service Advisor advised that the case is still with the district service manager while Care Rep hasn't called me back (left voicemail).

I have no issues being approved and waiting for the parts to come in.

 

[Bradt530]

Taking mine 3 week old truck in tomorrow. Wish me luck.
It may be a long day. and I may be on the phone next week calling and emailing .

I know it pulls at Highway speeds no matter what the diagnostic tool tells them. Reminds me of a ford truck I drove that had well over 150,000 miles on it.

 

[Dennfann]

Don't over-think it. It's been talked about since early last year from what I've seen/heard. For sure a year ago. The problem is that it was hard to specifically define at times - even here in the forum not everyone "agreed" as to what exactly their truck was doing or not doing.
Some had wander, some had pull, some had 2" of movement in the steering wheel before the truck responded, some less, some had a combination of the above. So if owners are describing multiple things, at first it's a moving target.
I kept hearing people here argue as to the cause, some insisting NOTHING WRONG, MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE, IT'S A JEEP THING!!
And they hollered it loudly - making some believe it - those who had the problems but mildly, believed after all the push-back maybe it was just them.
Others such as myself knew as a mechanic trained and experienced in steering and suspension knew the "it's a Jeep thing" was BS. Still not thinking mine had any issues, I knew for certain other people did after a lot of reading, taking it all in and some private conversations about it.
Then comes the "it's your tires, simply let the air out and it will be fine" (well, almost - the PSI suggested was just plain not good for tire life and even safety on the road)

Dealers said "it's a Jeep thing". Users said "it's a Jeep thing", it's a tire pressure thing, and on it went, with almost shouting matches some insisting there was no problem.
I worked with some folks through private messaging and was more and more convinced as time went on there was an issue for sure, it wasn't a Jeep thing, and it wasn't a tire pressure thing (but sometimes using lower than good pressures MASKED the symptoms)

As things like this go, especially when the steering gear isn't made by Jeep themselves but purchased, chasing it down took time. They had to prove a problem - and the problem was hard to define as one specific issue, it was a range of issues and a range of severity. Then Jeep has to quantify it enough to go to suppliers and tell them "we have a problem - it needs to be fixed".
So you have Jeep engineers, supplier engineers, and more working on this - and it takes time, months in this case. (I don't know - is this a Saginaw steering gear????? OR, has FCA actually started making their own??)

Mine was wandering - I guess it did now that I think about it honestly and having had my wife drive it 2 or 3 times on trips. But it wasn't severe and I was ready to accept that it was just the beast - but inside somehow knew better. The steering wheel wasn't loose like some - you moved it, the truck responded, and yet thinking back it was like something was giving or flexing as it wasn't a SOLID response like my wife's Grand Cherokee.

MAYBE have your son visit a dealer and let them decide - maybe, like me, he's convinced his choice was perfect, he made no mistakes and the truck he chose is perfect. That was part of my thing, I believe. Not wanting to admit maybe the fun great new truck I chose was - GASP - not perfect? I don't know - but I can now eat my ice cream treat and drive at the same time.......
It was honestly not as easy as some to keep perfectly centered between the lines - my wife was right.

And as you see some here say, they didn't have the problems as bad, but still see a difference now that it's fixed, some say they have no issues.
TSBs aren't saying YOU WILL HAVE TROUBLES!!!! - they are saying if you do, this is the fix.
I'm saying to SOME folks - maybe you are convinced you don't have any problems with it and your truck IS perfect and you can't bring yourself to admit maybe it's not?

This is exactly right. The suppliers always dispute their parts are causing issues so Jeep/Chrysler must prove it’s a problem by gathering many customer complaints. Then the engineers will drag their feet on the corrective action. It all takes time and unfortunately, lots of patience.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

@JeepCares: Does anyone know if this is an updated version of the TSB to address customized vehicles? The original TSB I printed off for my dealership did not have this verbiage. Its certainly promising as this guidance describes my situation (Mopar 2" Lift installed & aligned by dealership).

I called both the dealership and FCA Canada Care rep. Service Advisor advised that the case is still with the district service manager while Care Rep hasn't called me back (left voicemail).

I have no issues being approved and waiting for the parts to come in.

Here's a good one - that TSB, the original as posted on page 1 of this thread - not on the NHTSA site. There are other steering TSBs not at all related, but this one - tsb-08-074-20 - is not there.
I thought it was at one time.

 

[basicGlad]

I've done much more driving now post TSB and I can say it is night and day difference. Steering feels correct, safe and competent now.

My son has a 2020 Sport S with the aluminium steering gear and yet does not have any of the steering issues noted by anyone else.
What gives?

If you lift your hood and look down through the engine bay, so you are looking at the top side of your steering box there is a nut to loosen, then allen wrench adjustment. I'm just guessing that some don't come adjusted correctly or that the ones that drive okay off the lot become loose internally after some time. That gear inside people already said had play

 

[MR GRANITE]

Shout out to my local dealer. Been a loyal customer for years. Called service manager and gave him TSB# and asked if he would look into it. Called me back 1 hour later and said would order the parts and call me when they came in. Helps to do repeat business with local dealer and have a relationship.

 

[FLGladiator]

I got the call and scheduled to drop it off tomorrow morning to pick up in the afternoon. Looking forward to it. They said they would either provide a rental or an Uber. I see the shananigans are still going on with denials.

Got it back this afternoon, what a difference. Night and day, no wandering, steering snaps back to center when turning, drove 70 on the highway home with no constant lane adjustments. Greenway was excellent from start to finish, including a rental for the evening.

 

[CG32]

Wow....just talked to the dealership. I went in on the 4th of September and they told me that it was no problem, the TSB applies and they had ordered the parts. They said to give them two weeks to arrive and they would get me in the following week, which would be in the next week or so. I went ahead and called to check and make sure everything was still on track, and they told me that they can't even order the part until the 29th of September! And since they are now on back order there is no real timetable when this will actually come in. This is disappointing given that my appointment was on the 4th of September and they told me they had ordered the part already. The guy was really trying to be helpful so I can’t be mad at him, it’s just disappointing that I was told one thing as I left, and something else two weeks later.

 

[Rayzzz]

Driving home after having the new steering box installed was amazing. I said WOW a hundred times because it was so much better and I fill like I can drive it without my life being in danger

 

[Wilsonb80]

They called today.. said the repair is needed and it will take 5 days to get parts and install. I can pick up my loaner tomorrow.

Got mine back tonight steering is highly improved.. dealer was great everything seems right..

 

[Membrain]

I have driven my son's Gladiator - there is nothing wrong (yet) with how it steers, it was a complete night/day difference to how mine drove bvefore the TSB.

Again, I am curious as to why it is not a 100% effect... bad batch maybe?

 

[TrainMan]

Alot of bad batches. Mine is a late 2020 mid July build. Drove like a boat.

Sponsored