Hands On Steering Wheel Message In EVIC
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2014 Jeep Wrangler steering problems
severe Owners of the 2014 Jeep Wrangler have filed 26 NHTSA complaints about the steering, typically surfacing around 58,000 miles at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
26
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2010 Wrangler | 66 |
| 2011 Wrangler | 58 |
| 2012 Wrangler | 204 |
| 2013 Wrangler | 166 |
| 2014 Wrangler (this page) | 26 |
| 2015 Wrangler | 28 |
| 2016 Wrangler | 27 |
| 2017 Wrangler | 19 |
| 2018 Wrangler | 1,111 |
3crashes
What stands out
Owners have filed 26 steering complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 12 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
The SKU is a Tie Rod Center Stud. The Customer commnunication requested return of unsold inventory to inpsect for possible incorrect direction threads (right hand rather than left hand). Incorrect direction threads will prevent it from being installed.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Clockspring Replacement (X68 Warranty Extension) This bulletin involves diagnosing the clockspring/Steering Angle Sensor (SAS).If the diagnostic tests indicate the clockspring/SAS requires replacement, replace the clockspring, upper and lower steering column shrouds and steering wheel back cover. Some customers may experience the illumination of the airbag warning lamp or traction control indicator lamp. Upon further investigation the technician may find one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) have been set: B1B00 - Driver Airbag Squib 1 Circuit Low. B1B01 - Driver Airbag Squib 1 Circuit High. B1B02 - Driver Airbag Squib 1 Circuit Open. B1B03 - Driver Airbag Squib 1 Circ
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2014 Wrangler shows a consistent cluster of steering defects. Most prominent is "death wobble"—violent shaking at highway speeds or even 15–20 mph that stops only when the vehicle nearly halts. Owners describe steering wheel jerking side to side, loss of control, and near-flip sensations when hitting road imperfections. Dealers have attempted fixes with $1000+ in work; one owner spent $4000 with little resolution. Others replaced factory ball joints (some failing at under 400 miles) with aftermarket Moog parts at $1600 total cost, since Jeep classifies ball joints as non-warranty wear items.
Beyond wobble, owners report steering wheel seizure during low-speed turns, loose steering shafts with bolts that fall out (at 15,500 miles), and excess steering play requiring constant correction. One steering box sheared, another column flange bolt fractured. Clock spring failures disable the horn and steering wheel controls in multiple cases; Jeep has a recall for RHD models but LHD ownership suggests broader scope.
Electrical chaos is rampant. Multiple warning lights (check engine, airbag, ABS, brake, traction control) illuminate together. One vehicle lost all electrical power at a traffic light. Steering wheel buttons, horns, windows, and door locks fail intermittently or completely. An ABS sensor failed at 35,000 miles.
Two complaints describe sudden highway acceleration and hard braking without driver input occurring within 12 hours, including one with the ABS light illuminating during the brake event.
Same Jeep Wrangler steering reports on nearby years: 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2015 · 2016
Failure modes owners describe
Death wobble
Violent shaking and instability in the front end at highway speeds or when hitting road imperfections. Vehicle becomes difficult or impossible to control; steering wheel jerks side to side. Stops only when vehicle slows to near-zero speed or brakes are applied.
When: Highway speeds (50-75 mph) or as low as 15-20 mph; triggered by road imperfections (potholes, uneven pavement, bumps)
Symptoms owners cite: Violent shaking from side to side; Steering wheel jerks side to side; Front end shaking and wobbling; Vehicle feels like it will flip or lose control; Fishtailing; Loss of steering control
Repairs/costs cited: Owners report $1000+ in dealer work; some replaced with aftermarket ball joints ($1600 for full front-end work); alignment adjustments attempted
Loose or failed steering shaft bolt
Bolt securing steering shaft comes loose or falls out, causing steering wheel to become excessively loose and spin freely with no vehicle response to turning input.
When: At 15,500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes extremely loose; Steering wheel spins excessively without turning vehicle; Vehicle fails to turn at low speed (20 mph)
Repairs/costs cited: Bolt replaced at dealer; vehicle repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Jeep stated no further action needed after repair
Steering box shear failure
Steering box shears internally, impairing steering response. Repair shop noted damage was severe enough that impact alone should not have caused this failure, suggesting pre-existing weakness.
When: Low-speed right turn (specific mileage not stated)
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle keeps turning right (drifting) without driver input; No steering response to left correction attempts; Vehicle collision with barrier
Repairs/costs cited: Steering box replacement required; significant front suspension damage also sustained
Steering wheel seizure
Steering wheel locks up suddenly without warning during normal driving, making the vehicle impossible to steer.
When: At 10,000 miles; low-speed left turn (15 mph)
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel seized without warning; Complete loss of steering control; Vehicle collision
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle towed to dealer but not diagnosed or repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer notified; no action documented
Clock spring (spiral cable) failure
Clock spring assembly behind airbag fails, disabling steering wheel controls (horn, cruise control, radio buttons, volume buttons). May also affect airbag deployment. Owners note Jeep has an existing recall for RHD models with this issue and suspect LHD models have it too.
When: Less than 5 years old; one complaint at unspecified newer mileage; affects newer-purchased vehicle within 2020
Symptoms owners cite: Horn does not work; Steering wheel control buttons do not work (except sometimes at 45 degrees off center); Cruise control buttons do not work; Radio/volume control buttons intermittently fail or stop working; All buttons quit working at once
Repairs/costs cited: Clock spring replacement required at dealer; one case also required clock spring replacement after steering column bolt failure
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Jeep has recall for RHD Wranglers with clock spring issue; LHD status uncertain per owners
Steering column flange bolt fracture
Flange bolt in steering column breaks during normal driving, causing steering wheel to disconnect from front tires. Creates immediate loss of steering control.
When: During lane change (specific mileage not stated)
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel turns freely; Steering wheel disconnected from front tires; Complete loss of steering control
Repairs/costs cited: Flange bolt replacement; clock spring replacement also required due to damage
Excess steering wheel play/loose steering gearbox
Steering wheel develops excessive free play (2 inches reported), requiring driver to constantly compensate. Diagnosed as steering gearbox wear or failure.
When: Starting around 10,000 miles; increased over several months
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel has 2 inches of play; Continuous steering correction required
Repairs/costs cited: New steering gearbox installation required
Ball joint failure
Front suspension ball joints wear out or fail prematurely, with zero resistance in some joints. Leads to poor vehicle handling and death wobble. Owners report seeing these failures at extremely low mileage (326 miles reported by shop) on factory parts. Jeep considers these wear items not covered under warranty.
When: Less than 1 year old; as low as 326 miles per shop observation; failures observed on vehicles under 40,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Poor road handling; Vehicle wanders on road; Requires constant steering wheel correction; Dangerous highway performance
Repairs/costs cited: Owners replaced factory ball joints with aftermarket Moog parts with lifetime warranty ($1600 for full front-end replacement); factory parts deemed inadequate by independent shops
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Jeep classifies ball joints as wear items not covered under warranty
Unexpected acceleration with simultaneous pulling
Vehicle suddenly accelerates to 80 mph from 70 mph while steering pulls slightly left, without driver input to accelerator. Manual transmission allowed driver to shift to neutral to arrest the condition.
When: Approximately 8:00 PM on highway at 70 mph (August 17, 2015)
Symptoms owners cite: Erroneous acceleration to 80 mph; Simultaneous vehicle pulling to the left; Engine revving high
Repairs/costs cited: Not documented; condition self-resolved after shifting to neutral
Unexplained hard braking while accelerating
Vehicle suddenly applies brakes hard (as if driver performed hard brake check) while driver's foot remains on accelerator. ABS traction control light illuminates. Occurs at highway speed without driver input.
When: Approximately 6:20 AM on highway at 70-75 mph (August 18, 2015; less than 12 hours after acceleration incident)
Symptoms owners cite: Hard braking without driver input; ABS traction control light illuminates; Occurs while accelerator is depressed; Nearly caused rear-end collision
Repairs/costs cited: Scheduled for dealer diagnosis August 19, 2015; results not documented in complaint
Multiple electrical system failures with warning lights
Multiple warning lights (check engine, airbag, ABS, brake, traction control) illuminate simultaneously and remain on. Vehicle constantly chimes. Suggests systemic electrical or sensor issue. One case also involved complete vehicle power loss at traffic lights.
When: Vehicle blacked out at traffic light (one case); lights present at time of purchase (2020 model purchased used)
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light on; Airbag warning light on; ABS warning light on; Brake warning light on; Traction control light on; Constant chiming; Complete vehicle power loss (one case); Sway bar disconnect light illuminates; Skid control light illuminates; All gauges off then on; Door locks inoperative from inside
Repairs/costs cited: One dealer had vehicle for one week and could not diagnose; another case involved vehicle dying at multiple traffic lights despite dealer attempts
ABS sensor failure
ABS sensor fails prematurely, leaving vehicle without antilock brake function. Reduces braking performance in emergency situations.
When: At 35,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Loss of antilock braking capability
Repairs/costs cited: Not documented
Intermittent electrical component failures
Horn, window controls, lighter, turn signals, and steering wheel buttons fail intermittently. Fuse and bulb replacement does not resolve.
When: Unspecified timing
Symptoms owners cite: Horn does not work; Turn signals work intermittently; Windows do not work; Lighter does not work (resolved later); Steering wheel buttons malfunction
Repairs/costs cited: Fuses and light bulbs replaced without success
Synthesized from 26 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Jeep wrangler. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number had execeeded a reasonable time for the repair. The dealer advised that they only received one part per month and the part received for the month had been used. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure at this time.
With less than 30,000 miles, this car developed a "death wobble." At unpredictable moments, the whole car will start shaking and it is nearly impossible to control the steering wheel. Until you slow down to almost a stop, the shaking continues indefinitely. I've since discovered that this a known problem with Jeeps, but Jeep refuses to contribute a penny to fixing it.
Had steering trouble with your 2014 Jeep Wrangler?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2014 Jeep Wrangler?
It's a meaningful issue. 26 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $700.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 17 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 15,500 and 84,000 miles, with the median around 58,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 15,500; a quarter make it past 84,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2014/Jeep/Wrangler.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.