Jeep Cherokee Flat Towing 2014-2018

[ktconners]

Thanks Herman!

[elkhartjim]

4 hours ago, ktconners said:

Actually elk you bring up a subject I know nothing about. Would it be a mistake to buy a dolly or something that I would drive my 2 front tires of the Cherokee onto and tow it that way. Someone had told me that was not a good way to go...

I'm not sure about the Cherokee model but four wheel drive Wranglers can only be towed four down.

[manholt]

Linda tows a Ford Expedition 2014, 4 down, with a Remco disconnect, AF1 brake system and 10,000# Blue OX.  I tow a Jeep Wrangler 2 door, with 6,000# Roadmaster and M & G brake system, no base plate!  We have had no problems!

In 2009 I had a 09 Jeep Wrangler and had to disconnect the negative cable on battery or after 200+ miles, I had a dead battery! 

[ktconners]

Ah OK, thanks manholt. I didn’t think about that but disconnecting negative battery cable wouldn’t be that much of a big deal...

[elkhartjim]

Here you go. You can also find them for side mount batteries. Google battery disconnect switch.

[ktconners]

Elk for some reason I just saw this. Thank you very much!

[Wtw2103]

My wife and I just had our first wobble after nearly 3 years on the road (2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with Blue Ox Avail tow bar and Class A diesel pusher), and the aftermath has been a nightmare.  Stories from others on this site have been very helpful, so I wanted to share our experience.   

A month ago, we experienced the wobble going 60 mph on the highway in the HOV (far left) lane.  I felt the jerking first and then saw the Jeep wobbling in the rear-view camera.  The wobble only stopped when I came to a complete stop in traffic, and then I pulled over to the shoulder to see what happened.  The wobble was so severe that it bent one of the Jeep's tow anchors, tore off part of the corner trim, and cracked the sub frame (~$3500 in damage).  It wasn't until I did a web search about the wobble and came to this site that I discovered this is a known Jeep issue related to lack of power to the electronic power steering system. 

At this point, we've spent the past four weeks trying to work with the local dealer and Fiat Chrysler corporate, and they just told us that they will not cover any of the damage.  Jeep's investigator looked at the vehicle and determined that the damage was caused by the "aftermarket tow bar between the Jeep and the RV," which passes the buck to Blue Ox (even though damage from the tow bar wouldn't have occurred without the wobble).  I've shared the service bulletin (08-029-16 REV. A), the S13 recall notice, the Fiat Chrysler statement to Family Motor Coaching magazine, and youtube videos of the wobble with various people at Jeep/Fiat Chrysler, but they still won't take responsibility or cover any of the damage. 

Additionally, we've gotten the same message about the flat tow wiring kit that's been shared here: The product is being updated and is not yet available.  We've heard from the dealer that it could be available on "March 1st, at the earliest," but I'm not holding my breath. 

After the Jeep is repaired (we've opted to involve our insurance), my wife and I will be caravanning until we get that flat tow wiring kit or sell the Jeep.  We love the Cherokee, and, had Jeep done right by us, they would have had a lifelong customer, but right now we're considering selling it and never buying from the company again. 

[campcop]

On 2/25/2018 at 7:43 AM, ktconners said:

Actually elk you bring up a subject I know nothing about. Would it be a mistake to buy a dolly or something that I would drive my 2 front tires of the Cherokee onto and tow it that way. Someone had told me that was not a good way to go...

I would be very careful about putting a Jeep on a dolly. Don’t specifically know about the Cherokee but Wranglers Cannot be towed on a dolly , only 4 wheel down because of the transfer case.

the new 2018 JL models of the Wrangler now have electric steering , probably the same as the Cherokee, it will be interesting to see if corrections were made for the JLs or will the same problems occur.

[cwswine]

WTW

I have 2017 Grand Cherokee and had the wobble but ours was in a turn and less than 10 miles per hour and shook the entire coach and yes felt like out duals went flat.  I can't imagine going 60 miles per hour and having it happen.

[Wtw2103]

1 hour ago, CWSWINE said:

WTW

I have 2017 Grand Cherokee and had the wobble but ours was in a turn and less than 10 miles per hour and shook the entire coach and yes felt like out duals went flat.  I can't imagine going 60 miles per hour and having it happen.

Dennis - Yeah, it was quite a shock.  I thought that I had a flat at first, too, but my TPMS wasn't going off, so I looked in the rear-view camera and saw the Jeep "possessed."  Stopping in the HOV lane and then getting over multiple lanes to the shoulder is not an experience that I'd like to repeat, but it sounds like I'm not the only one who has had to come to a complete stop to get the wobble to stop. 

Someone recommended that we report the issue to the NHTSA, which we did, and you might want to do that for the Grand Cherokee, too.  I don't know what this will do on a person-by-person basis, but in aggregate it might move the needle.

[hermanmullins]

My concern is that Chrysler knows that they have a severe issue but still recommends them for towing. 

Herman

[Wtw2103]

21 hours ago, hermanmullins said:

My concern is the Chrysler knows that they have a severe issue but still recommends them for towing. 

Herman

I agree, this is a big concern.  The first Fiat Chrysler customer service agent that we spoke with told us that, although Jeep Cherokees can be towed four wheels down, the car is primarily designed to be driven not towed.  We called shenanigans on that and said that we would not have bought the vehicle if flat towing was a concern of any kind.  The message from Fiat Chrysler seems to be that they'll sell you a car with flat towing capabilities but any issues resulting from flat towing are not their problem. 

If Fiat Chrysler can't fix flat towing stability after multiple attempts (I've read that the previous wiring kit did not prevent the wobble in all cases), then the issue may fall under "lemon law" (i.e., the vehicle doesn't operate properly after multiple attempted fixes) and owners would be entitled to a refund or replacement. 

[cwswine]

Before buying our Grand Cherokee we looked at the Cherokee and in 2017  in the manual under 4 down towing it did mention that the harness to power the EPS was mandatory for towing 4 down.  So we bought the Grand Cherokee because the harness wasn't required - little did we know that less the 6 months after buying it we found we had the wobble. 

[rgalbrightinfl]

On 1/27/2018 at 5:44 PM, rkspas said:

Our 2015 Cherokee tows just fine...heading into third season!

Had the problem once in Idaho Falls in 2015, harness installed, no cost to me as one of the original complaintains, no problems since. Over 30,000 miles towing

[thejoco]

I have the  2018 Cherokee Latitude with Active Drive II and I have had the wiring kit for towing installed.  I have several questions and am hopeful that someone can help me with the answers.

1. I have the Brake Buddy Stealth system installed and it has a battery maintainer for the brake system. My question  is will the battery maintainer be enough for both the brake system and the flat towing kit for the electric steering in the Jeep? My understanding is that if you drive/tow for more than 3 hours, the battery will run down. I am hoping the battery maintainer will take care of that. I hope someone on this forum has a similar set up and can advise me. I have had conflicting answers on this one.

2. If I have the need to run the Jeep while at a rest stop can I just start the Jeep's engine or do I have to reverse the steps needed for activating the wiring kit before starting the engine? I know that I have to reverse the steps when parked overnight which is a nuisance but not difficult.

Any advice will be appreciated.

 Carol

[lwpavao]

It's a serious problem.  We had a 2014 with the same issue - end result Chrysler gave us money to walk away and then we sold it back to one of the dealers.  The harness is required and it keeps 12V.power to the steering which prevents the "death wobble" .  But it took years to get FCA to listen to so many complaints logged with NHTSA on this exact issue among so many more.  We had to hire a Lemon-Law attorney who took the case, after more than a year they settled.  We wanted to have a "buy-back" and that may have happened in the end, but it would have taken another two or three years of court time and it just wasn't worth it.  The 14's to 17's have so many problems - Transmission is one of the top issues, along with towing of course.  The vehicle was at the dealer 14 times from when we purchased it.  Anyway, have the harness installed, port a 12V. constant power connection from your MH to your car battery since the batteries will only last approximately four to six hours - unless you charge them frequently while traveling.  There are a few good systems sold online to do exactly this.  

[gnggrimes]

On 2/8/2018 at 9:44 AM, blakeloke said:

I have a fundamental problem with the way Fiat/Chrysler has handled this issue.  We have a '16 Grand Cherokee and don't have the death wobble issue so I'm not intimately familiar with the way the manufacturer has handled this.  Here's how I understand it.

• Jeep sold these vehicles to customers stating that they are flat towable and the same is stated in the owner's manual.
• Many customers who had purchased the Cherokee claimed of the Death Wobble issue.  Videos online support the claim.
• Jeep investigates the issue and agrees with the problem.
• Jeep's fix is that the customer is to purchase a wiring harness and have it installed at the owner's expense.
• Some dealers are not aware of the need to retro-fit and other dealers claim the harness is not available at this time.  John's post above supports this statement.

To me, enough is enough.  I'm not a proponent of handling issues like this through the legal system but this certainly smells like a class action to me.  Had I spent 10s of thousands of $$s on a vehicle that didn't perform as promised and it was a proven fact that many others had the same issue, I might have a case.

Sorry for the rant......my two cents.

Blake

I' am just starting this adventure or nightmare.  Dealer knows nothing.  Keep just posted

 

[gnggrimes]

On 2/6/2018 at 7:53 AM, Johnston said:

This is John Johnston, associate editor at Family Motor Coaching magazine. The following information will be of interest to owners of Jeep Cherokee vehicles (model years 2014 to 2018) who need to obtain the Mopar Flat Tow Wiring Harness. The part is designed to prevent the Cherokee from wobbling when it is flat towed behind a motorhome. It must be installed by an authorized Jeep dealer.

Three Cherokee owners in different parts of the country recently contacted me and said they have had trouble finding a Jeep dealer who can obtain the wiring harness. One owner said he was told by Jeep Customer Service that there is a nationwide back order of 275 units and that the part will not be available until late spring or early summer. Another owner said his dealer told him that the part might not be available until July.

Fiat Chrysler has been vague, at best, about this issue. On Feb. 1, my Fiat Chrysler contact told me there is “adequate supply within the pipeline.” After I pointed out the problems the owners mentioned above were having, on Feb. 5 the same Fiat Chrysler spokesman told me: “Spoke with our folks at Mopar and there does seem to be some delay within the supply chain from the supplier itself.” I asked how long of a delay customers can expect. The response: “Long term, I can’t commit to any firm timeline.”

If you are trying to obtain the Mopar Flat Tow Wiring Kit from a dealer, this information may be helpful:

Part Number: 68321424AB

Technical Service Bulletin: #08-029-16 Rev A

Interesting I just went to MOPAR and this part isn't found when you search.   Are you sure of the part #? thanks

[RandallT]

We had the harness installed at no cost to us by a Chrysler dealer on our 2016 Cherokee Trailhawk. We towed it from the east coast of Canada to the west coast of Mexico and back over every kind of road surface and had no issues at all. We ran a line from our house batteries to the Cherokee battery (fused at both ends) to ensure a charge is maintained. Cherokee tows great.

[hermanmullins]

Randell,

Welcome to the Forum.

I am glad to hear everything worked out for you. 

Herman

[gnggrimes]

On 2/8/2018 at 9:44 AM, blakeloke said:

I have a fundamental problem with the way Fiat/Chrysler has handled this issue.  We have a '16 Grand Cherokee and don't have the death wobble issue so I'm not intimately familiar with the way the manufacturer has handled this.  Here's how I understand it.

• Jeep sold these vehicles to customers stating that they are flat towable and the same is stated in the owner's manual.
• Many customers who had purchased the Cherokee claimed of the Death Wobble issue.  Videos online support the claim.
• Jeep investigates the issue and agrees with the problem.
• Jeep's fix is that the customer is to purchase a wiring harness and have it installed at the owner's expense.
• Some dealers are not aware of the need to retro-fit and other dealers claim the harness is not available at this time.  John's post above supports this statement.

To me, enough is enough.  I'm not a proponent of handling issues like this through the legal system but this certainly smells like a class action to me.  Had I spent 10s of thousands of $$s on a vehicle that didn't perform as promised and it was a proven fact that many others had the same issue, I might have a case.

Sorry for the rant......my two cents.

Blake

I am with you any any others that would join

Gary

[wolfe10]

Just a quick reminder, as with most forums, discussion of legal issues is not permitted.

Would rather keep this thread open, so, let's stay within the Forum guidelines.

Thanks.

[zara4384]

We purchase a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and just recently encountered the wobble problem. We have never received any notice from FCA or anyone regarding this problem. We took it into the dealer and they knew nothing about it. They had to research it and the told us we would have to pay for it at over $700.00. I told them no way, this is a jeep problem and jeep must pay for it. They said they would contact Jeep and see if they would pay for it. We took it in for this problem on March 17, 2018.

 

To this date May 7th we still don't have an answer and I have called the service adviser several times to get answers. Anyone have any ideas of what to do or where to go to get this taken care of.

I have posted this because I need help.

[mypopslou]

I have a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee  Limited and have not had any issues with the wobble so far but will certainly be aware of the potential. I thank you for making me aware of this. Hope it doesn't happen but if it does I will know what it is and what to do.

[sawdustman]

Just picked up a 2018 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk. Getting it ready to tow and hoping it doesn’t have the wobble problem. Have seen a few reports of people having this. Also understand manufacturer is looking at it.