A Jeep owner recently shared that she experienced a death wobble so intense, she started crying on the freeway.
What happened to this Jeep owner?
“I just got speed wobbles so bad that somebody pulled me over and asked if I was okay. To which then I rolled down my window and started crying because I do not know how to answer that question,” Jeep owner Sky (@frankandsky) says in a TikTok post.
She continues, “I knew they meant my car but instantly I had the reaction that I’m not okay.”
As a result of the death wobble, the Jeep driver said in the caption of the video, “I’m afraid to drive faster than 40mph now.”
The video has 138,400 views and over 6,000 likes.
What is the Jeep death wobble?
Generally, a death wobble while driving occurs when the steering wheel rapidly moves from side to side. This makes your car’s wheels unstable and can cause the vehicle to begin to shake.
The death wobble tends to happen at speeds greater than 40mph. Potholes and uneven road surfaces can trigger it, causing the driver to feel as though they’ve lost control of the car.
While Jeep users are the most likely to report a death wobble, it’s not an experience exclusive to to them. According to Jeep specialists Axleboy, the phenomenon can happen to any vehicle, especially trucks and 4x4s.
In an email to the Daily Dot, Sky says that her car had such a severe wobble that a man even flagged her down while she was driving.
“It got so bad that he thought I was going to kill him or myself based off the wheels shaking so much,” she says, adding, “I purchased the jeep 2 days before the shaking started and had to sell it back to the dealer as the issue was so bad it was deemed unfixable.”
What are viewers saying?
Viewers shared similar experiences in the comments of Sky’s post.
“The death wobble is so scary. It always happens on the interstate,” said one commenter.
“The first time I hit the death wobble I cried hahahaha,” shared another.
“Wait I used to get this in my jeep and the dealer told me I was nuts I feel so validated,” wrote someone else.
@frankandsky Anyway im afraid to drive faster than 40mph now #jeeplife #deathwobbles #jeepwave #fyp ♬ Just A Girl – No Doubt
Many commenters even said that the death wobble had influenced them to stay away from Jeep vehicles altogether.
“I wanted a jeep until I found out about the wobble. I knew I’d have a panic attack and crash. Got a 4runner instead-best choice,” stated one user.
“I don’t understand speed wobble, I only speak Honda,” said another.
“Mine was doing the wobble as well! There a recall on the part that’s causing it up to a certain mileage so def. go get the part replaced! Mine stopped after I had it replaced,” recalled a third.
As this previous comment stated, according to the Axleboy, there is hope for the Jeep death wobble. However it is not an at home fix and requires an experienced mechanic with an extensive knowledge of Jeep vehicles.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Jeep via email.
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