2000 Jeep Wrangler Suspension Problems

Your Jeep's frame has rotted from the inside out around the lower control arms, which caused the lower control arm to disconnect while driving on the highway. This left your rear axle unstable and free-floating, creating a serious crash risk. Water enters the frame through holes and gets trapped inside where it can't be seen or drained, causing hidden rust damage that requires cutting open and welding the frame to repair.

Your brake pedal went to the floor after parking, and your mechanic found three rust holes in the brake lines leaking fluid. The mechanic also discovered severe rust damage to the frame itself, making high-speed driving unsafe. The issue appears related to water and salt spray entering the frame through side holes and rusting it from the inside out, particularly common in northeastern climates. Repairs will likely involve replacing the rusted brake lines and potentially significant frame repair or replacement work.

While driving over a bridge, your Jeep's rear end felt like it was separating from the body, making the vehicle impossible to control. A mechanic found that the frame had rusted from the inside, causing the rear control arms to separate from the frame with no solid steel remaining to repair it. This is a critical structural failure that requires frame replacement or a new vehicle.

Your Jeep's frame has rusted from the inside out, which caused both the upper and lower control arms on the passenger side rear to separate from the frame. Fortunately, this was discovered during a safety inspection before you were driving the vehicle. The frame rust has compromised the structural integrity where the suspension components attach, and repairing this will likely require frame reinforcement, welding, or replacement of affected frame sections.

The bolts that attach the cross member underneath your Jeep have rusted out of their holes. More importantly, the frame itself has rusted completely through on both sides because water has no way to drain out, causing rust damage to develop. This could eventually affect the structural integrity of your suspension and frame. Addressing this will likely require removing the rusted bolts, repairing or replacing damaged frame sections, and ensuring proper drainage holes are created to prevent future water buildup.

Your Jeep's frame is rusting in the area in front of the rear wheels because water collects inside the frame through drainage holes that were drilled at the factory. When rust becomes visible on the outside, the inside of the frame has already suffered more extensive damage. Fixing this issue requires welding and specialized equipment, so professional installation is critical to ensure the vehicle remains safe to drive.

JEEP FRAME HAS RUSTED FROM INSIDE TO OUT. COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. MADE POPPING NOISE.

FRAME HAS BEEN RUSTING PREMATURELY FOR MANY YEARS AND IS A DANGER!

TAMARA RECALL MY 2000 JEEP WRANGLER THE FRAME IS ROTTED AWAY IN THE REAR WHERE IT GOES ABOVE THE REAR AXEL.

WHEN DRIVING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THE PASSENGER SIDE TRAILING ARM ON THE REAR AXLE DETACHED FROM THE FRAME BECAUSE OF RUST. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION THE WHOLE FRAME IS EXTREMELY RUSTY AND HAS HOLES IN IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS SERVICING THE VEHICLE, HE OBSERVED THE CHASSIS WAS RUSTED. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE CHASSIS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000. UPDATED 11/18/15*LJ

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 21013 FROM A PRIVATE SELLER. UPON CHANGING THE ENGINE OIL ONE DAY SHORTLY THEREAFTER, NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME AREA, WHERE THE REAR, LOWER CONTROL ARM IS MOUNTED, WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH! I HAVE SINCE HAD THIS REPAIRED, AT AN ADDITIONAL COST OF $800.00. ALSO, NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE FRAME ALL ALONG WHERE THE TRANSMISSION SKID PLATE IS MOUNTED - IS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH ALONG APPROXIMATELY 8" ALONG THE BOTTOM! I CAN RUN 4 FINGERS IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS FRAME! AND, THE FRONT SKID PLATE NUTSERTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SKID PLATE, ARE GONE! RUSTED AWAY - COMPLETELY! PREVIOUS OWNER HAD THE SKID PLATE ACTUALLY WELDED TO THE FRAME! THIS SHOULD NEVER, EVER HAPPEN! I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH ZERO FRAME RUST - ZERO! LOOKS BRAND NEW TO THIS DAY! COME TAKE A LOOK. MANY, MANY, MANY AND WAY TOO NUMEROUS TO MENTION PEOPLE HAVE THIS SAME FRAME RUST PROBLEM ON THEIR JEEPS. WHY IS THIS? THIS IS NOT SAFE, YET THESE VEHICLES ARE RE-SOLD OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS IS 2015. NO OTHER VEHICLE - AMERICAN OR IMPORT - HAS THIS PROBLEM. WHY IS THIS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN? MUST PEOPLE GET KILLED DURING THEIR ENJOYMENT OF THEIR SUPPOSEDLY "SAFE", IN THIS CASE, AMERICAN MADE VEHICLE BEFORE DEALERS AND THE NHTSA WILL APPLY A REPAIR BULLETIN? TOYOTA, IS STILL BUYING BACK TRUCKS WITH FRAME RUST - WHY ISN'T THE AMERICAN COMPANY CHRYSLER? HMMMM. *TR

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FRAME HAS EXTREME RUST ISSUES. THE INTERNAL FRAME WAS NOT CORRECTLY PROTECTED FORM WEATHER RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE RUST THAT HAS A HIGH RISK OF FRAME FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE A 2000 JEEP WRANGLER WITH ONLY 44,500 MILES. ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN IN THE SNOW OCCASIONALLY, IT IS NOT A DAILY DRIVER AND IS KEPT IN A GARAGE. THE FRAME HAS RUSTED THROUGH ON BOTH SIDES AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT OF THE REAR AXLE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN ALL JEEP TJ TYPE WRANGLERS AND IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE LACK OF DRAIN HOLES IN THE FRAME. PERHAPS A RECALL SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS THIS COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL. *TR

AFFECTED PARTS: FRAME AND SUSPENSION LAST WEEKEND I WAS DRIVING 2000 JEEP TJ THOUGHT I HAD A SHOCK MOUNT BREAK. THE JEEP WOBBLED AND I LOST CONTROL OF KEEPING THE JEEP STRAIGHT IN MY LANE ALMOST HITTING A CAR IN THE OTHER LANE. I CHECKED UNDER THE JEEP AND NOTICED THE REAR PASSENGER LOWER TRAIL ARM BROKE TOTALLY AWAY FROM THE FRAME DUE TO RUST. LOOKING ON FORUMS AND THE WEB READ ABOUT SAFETCAP AUTORUST FRAME SECTIONS. SO THINKING THIS MIGHT BE AN OPTION TO REPAIR IT ASKED A FRIEND THAT USED TO WORK AT A BODY SHOP TAKE A LOOK. HE TOOK A LOOK AND WAS SHOCKED HOW BAD THE JEEP WAS RUSTED FOR BEING A 2000. DIDN'T NOTICE UNTIL WE LOOKED AGAIN BUT THE SKID PLATE IS ALSO FALLING AWAY FROM THE FRAME. HE IS NOT SURE HE WOULD HAVE ANY GOOD METAL TO WELD TO AND ALSO SAID IT WILL BE LIKE DOMINOS THERE WILL BE MORE FAILED RUSTED PARTS UNDER THE JEEP LIKE BRAKE LINES ETC. FRIEND SAID SAFETY IS A HUGE CONCERN EVEN IF YOU WERE ABLE TO PATCH IT BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE FRAME AND COMPONENTS ARE RUSTED SO BAD. I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE OR EXTRA MONEY TO THROW COUPLE GRAND AT IT AND REPLACE THE FRAME. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE HAS ANYONE HAD ANY LUCK COMMUNICATING THIS TO JEEP CHRYSLER DEALERS OR HEARD ANYONE THAT HAS? COUPLE OPTIONS I SEE NOW ARE TO PART IT OUT OR TRY TO SELL IT AS IT STANDS. ANY SUGGESTIONS? I NEVER WENT ON ANY ROUGH TRAILS BECAUSE IT WAS A PRIMARY VEHICLE. FOR A 2000 JEEP WRANGLER SPORT TJ THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. DOES JEEP NOT TREAT THE FRAMES WITH RUST PROTECTION? IS THE FRAME JUST POORLY DESIGNED? WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER JEEP VEHICLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ALONG A RURAL ROAD WHEN I HIT A BUMP AND THE TRANSMISSION CROSSMEMBER TORE AWAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT IN TO 2ND, 4TH, OR REVERSE. IT IS DUE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME ROTTING AWAY. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE FRAME IS ROTTED BEYOND REPAIR AND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BRACKETS ARE IN DANGER OF BEING RIPPED FROM THE FRAME IF VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. THE FRAME HAS PREMATURELY ROTTED AND IS A DANGER TO ANYONE WHO DRIVES OR ENCOUNTERS THIS VEHICLE ON THE ROAD IN PASSING. I HAVE INVESTIGATED THE POSSIBILITY OF REPLACING THE FRAME BUT HAVE FOUND IT HARD TO FIND A SUITABLE REPLACEMENT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM BEING VERY WIDESPREAD. IT IS IN FACT SO WIDESPREAD THAT A COMPANY CALLED AUTO RUST REPAIR MAKES PREFAB FRAME PATCHES. THESE INCIDENTS OF ROT ARE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES THAT CAUSED TOYOTA TO RECALL MANY PICKUPS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR SO. *TR

DRIVER WAS GOING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND APPROACHED A SLIGHT CURVE AND THE ENTIRE LEFT REAR WHEEL SEPARATED FROM THE AXLE CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FLIP DOWN AND AGAIN IT FLIPPED BACK UP, TOTALING THE VEHICLE. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

SEVERE SHAKING AT 55 MPH. VEHICLE AND STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND SHOOK VIOLENTLY.*AK

WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE STABILIZER BAR FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE HEAVILY. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE NOTIFIED. *AK (MODEL/SAHARA) *SC *JB

VEHICLE VIBRATES AND SWAYS VIOLENTLY WHEN ENCOUNTERING ROAD SURFACE BUMPS OR IRREGULARITES.*AK

BEARING IN THE FRONT END "SLIPPED". THIS COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL, DAMAGED THE AXLES, TIE RODS, AND SHOCKS. BASICLY DESTROYED THE FRONT END. *JB

WHEN DRIVING STEERING WHEEL WILL START TO SHAKE. STEERING WHEEL WILL SHAKE EVEN MORE WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. ALSO, WHEN SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE WILL PULL TO THE LEFT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING. *AK

THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE REAR BOLT FELL OFF OF THE REAR STABILIZER TWICE. FIRST, DUE TO MANUFACTURER DEFECT, AND SECOND DUE TO MECHANIC'S FAULT RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL, WHICH WAS ALMOST FATAL. *YH

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A REAR END PROBLEM THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER NO REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.

CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A REAR END PROBLEM THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER NO REMEDY HAS BEEN MADE.