Problems with 2002 Jeep Liberty SUSPENSION

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 18 mph, the contact heard loud noises and then lost control of the vehicle. she had to continue to apply her brakes in order to stop the vehicle. a certified mechanic diagnosed the vehicle as having ball joint failure. the contact found two recalls regarding the ball joints for her year, make, and model vehicle. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 205,000.

Took 2002 jeep liberty for oil change. informed vehicle needs 2 new upper ball joints. bottoms were recalled by chrysler. why not the uppers as well???? *tr

2003 jeep liberty top passenger side ball joint separation. while turning right into our driveway the top ball joint separated causing the wheel to lean to the outside of the vehicle. *tr

My daughter was driving and turning into a parking lot, as she was turning left to park the car, she said something happened. she got out of the car to find the drivers side wheel had collapsed. the upper ball joint broke or separated causing the tire to collapse. this caused the jeep to be totally disabled and i'm sure will be a very expensive repair. what is even scarier is that this could have happened on the highway and something much worse could have occurred. how unsafe is this vehicle!!! please look into this vehicle. the suv has not been repaired yet. it is still being looked at. i noticed that this is not the only complaint about this problem. please take care of this so that our families are not in danger! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact received a safety recall notice and took his vehicle to the dealer, but they were closed. he called the dealer to schedule an appointment and was informed that they would be unable to service the vehicle for at least a week. there had been no failure to date. the nhtsa campaign id number was unknown.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact's vehicle was repaired in 2007 according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). one year later, while attempting to make left turns, he heard a loud popping noise coming from the rear driver's side tire. he has not had the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the upper part of the radiator also produced a hairline crack, causing radiator fluid to leak from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who found the source of the leak at the radiator tube. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 81,000. updated 10/14/08. *lj the lower ball joint failed. updated 10/15/08 *jb

On 09/08/2008, the vehicle(2002 jeep liberty sport), was being driven at a slow rate of speed approximately 5mph exiting right out of a parking lot. it was at this time the drive of the vehicle heard a loud pop or cracking noise. the vehicle jerked forward and then came to a stop at which time the driver struggled to move the vehicle to the side of the road out of traffic. the driver then exited the vehicle and discovered the tire was folded under the vehicle. the driver noticed a broken part that was later determined to be the upper ball joint. had this incident occurred at a higher rate of speed maintaining vehicle control would have been impossible causing injury to the driver or to other motorists. it should be noted this vehicle received a recall for a similar part in 11/2006, the lower ball joint. this recall and all other recalls had been completed according to jeep records. the owner is currently awaiting an estimate for repair. *tr

My 2002 jeep liberty 2x4 always bounces when i drive it. it bounces and the steering wheel turns by itself when i hit a bump at slow speed. regularly, i hear a popping sound when i turn the wheel to make a turn. i have had the vehicle serviced regularly and had the recall item completed (front ball joint) but still have the problems. i have placed all new tires on the vehicle but the problems still exist. i am afraid to drive the car on the freeway at high speed because i can feel that the car does not operate correctly. i cannot afford to buy another car at this time but feel that this car is not completely safe to drive. please note: this is a recurring problem rather than an incidental problem.. which started about a year and a half ago and has gotten progressively worse. thank you for your concern and for letting me bring this to your attention. *tr

Front left (driver's side) suspension collapsed while driving the vehicle. *tr

It happened again yesterday! i have a jeep liberty 2002. my front passenger side wheel fell off while i was driving (with my kids) in a residential area:had it been on the highway, i know there would have been injuries. i have had two recalls. first recall 2004 and another at the end of 2007. january 2008 while i driving both front tires popped off (very scary), then second recall was done. since this was supposedly taken care of, i thought that all was ok and then it happens again last night! why can somebody make jeep find an answer before there is a fatality, or is this what hey are waiting for? the right number of deaths. *tr

It happened again yesterday! i have a jeep liberty 2002. my front passenger side wheel fell off while i was driving (with my kids) in a residential area:had it been on the highway, i know there would have been injuries. i have had two recalls. first recall 2004 and another at the end of 2007. january 2008 while i driving both front tires popped off (very scary), then second recall was done. since this was supposedly taken care of, i thought that all was ok and then it happens again last night! why can somebody make jeep find an answer before there is a fatality, or is this what hey are waiting for? the right number of deaths. *tr

My 2002 jeep liberty with 90,000 miles, the front right upper ball-joint failure occurred when i was attempting to make a left turn across the flow of oncoming traffic. as i turned south on mound rd from hall rd in sterling heights michigan i, heard a loud noise from the front right and then the wheel separated and i lost control of the vehicle. my jeep was towed that night to utica van dyke service for repairs 586-739-2680. *tr

I was driving my jeep liberty 2002 sport 4-wheel drive truck. i went over a set of railroad tracks and i heard a terrible squeak! i pulled over into a bank parking lot to find my tire under my car. the upper ball joint broke causing me to have my truck towed and fixed. *tr

Lost control and rolled over.... recall #f23 by daimler chrysler lower ball joints jeep liberty. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the vehicle was included in two previous recalls regarding the lower ball joints. while driving between 30-35 mph, the contact suddenly lost control of the vehicle. it jerked to the left into oncoming traffic and crashed. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic and it appeared that the upper ball joints snapped out of place, causing the loss of control. the vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the vehicle exhibits poor steering and the steering wheel will not return to its normal position. the driver struck a parked vehicle because the wheel would not turn in order for her to pull into a parking space properly. the vehicle was serviced for two nhtsa campaign id numbers (03v460000, 06v288000) regarding both front lower ball joints. the vehicle was diagnosed with front lower ball joint failure again at 18,000 miles. a police report was filed. the current mileage was 107,000 and failure mileage was 105,000. the consumer stated that chrysler would repair the vehicle at no cost to the owner due to the fact that 2 recalls were already performed. the consumer further stated had to pay out of pocked for the repairs. updated 06/02/08 *tr

I received a recall notice on the lower ball joints of my 2002 jeep liberty on 9/26/06. when i went to north point jeep in winston-salem to ask to have the repairs done, they told me that the supply of the necessary parts was limited and that they would put me on a list and would call when they had a part for me. a year and a half later, no call! i have asked repeatedly to confirm that my name is on the list and they have repeatedly told me that it is. this is the only convenient dealership for me to go to for repairs or else i would take my vehicle elsewhere! *tr

I purchased my 2002 jeep liberty, in july of 2007. it had been running wonderfully. two and a half weeks ago (03/07/08)while driving on the expressway, my drivers side wheel came completely off of my car. i had my jeep towed to kwik kar auto repair. kwik kar informed me that my ball joint had come loose. i had them to repair it and paid out of pocket for both the repair and the tow. on wednesday, march 26, 2008, while driving, again the wheel on my jeep came off, this time on the passenger side. once again, i had my jeep towed to kwik kar. this time the ball joint on the front passenger side had come loose and caused significant damage to the wheel, abs system, etc. the bill for the repair this time was way more than i could afford, so my mechanic checked with chrysler to see if any of the parts were covered. he found that the jeep liberty was under recall notice for this exact same defect. i contacted chrysler and was told that since i did not take my jeep to a chrysler dealership that i would have to pay for the repairs. i was also informed that the nearest chrysler dealer that would honor this recall and fix my car was in arlington, tx which is nearly 20 miles from my home. i was told by the chrysler representative that recall notices were sent out in september of 2006. since i bought my jeep liberty 10 months after the recall notices were sent out, from drivetime auto sales, i never received a notice of recall. i was told to contact the previous owner of my car to get the recall information. so i contacted drivetime auto sales. i was told by drivetime that they are not responsible for checking recall notices on the cars that they sell and that it is chrysler's responsibility to fix my jeep. i again called chrysler customer service and spoke to a supervisor. i was informed that chrysler would not pay for the repairs and if i pay for the repairs, there is no guarantee that i would be reimbursed. *tr lower ball joints*smch

I have a 2002 jeep liberty. my car was giving me problems. so i took it to the shop. they told me that my upper ball joints needed to be changed at a cost of $963.00. i told them that it had been recalled. they told me that it was only the lower ball joints. i did research online and it seems like i'm not the only person who had to change the upper ball joints too. i really think it should be recalled too, before more people out there get hurt. *tr

This complaint regards safety recall f23 for our 2002 jeep liberty. when we received notification of the recall, we contacted our local jeep dealership in houston, tx. they informed us that the part was on back-order and would contact us when it arrived. that was over a year ago and our car has never been fixed, nor has anyone contacted us about the part. we followed up with the dealership several times; each time we were informed the part was not available. we have not yet had an incident or crash, but consider this unacceptable. *tr

Jeep liberty 2002 has vibration in the steering wheel that makes controlling the jeep very difficult at speeds over 60 miles an hour. then i was on the freeway and i had a total loss off power all most causing accidents the dealership said that the engine needs to be torn apart and inspected and a recall of ball joints done the work took them over a year and the problem still continues their is no warranty and i was charged for the recall repair work i asked for the inspection report showing the work on the engine heads and recall work done when i picked up my jeep they gave me an invoice that showed battery and sparkplug for $2085.00 failing to present me with reports i asked for they said all work is warranted for 1yr 12,000 miles i drove the jeep liberty back to service dept after having another facility look at the engine to confirm if work had been done it had not been touched reported the mechanic and i am now scared to drive or own this vehicle . *tr

I began to hear a knocking sound in the front right wheel well when i hit little cracks and bumps in the road. lifted it at a mechanics shop and found the upper ball joint was about to fail. had to buy a new one so i wouldn't lose control while driving. i inspected the old one and found the ball could nearly have complete separation. *tr

Vehicle has always pulled to the right regardless of new tires, front end alignment, etc. about one year ago started to hear screeching and clunking noises from front end. particularly on cold days and even over small bumps. service shop couldn't diagnose a problem. recent trip to shop revealed a split boot on the right upper control arm and losing grease. if not replaced, it will fail. vehicle has been serviced for previous two recalls on the lower control arm ball joints. dealer will not cover the replacement cost of ball joint and/or upper control arm assembly. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving between 5-10 mph, the front passenger side of the vehicle dropped. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the fender well was damaged. the vehicle was previously repaired for nhtsa campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint) at approximately 20,000 miles. the current and failure mileages were 65,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 15 mph, the vehicle became very unsteady. the failure was also noticed while driving at all speeds. the contact stated that the vehicle made a severe clunking noise prior to the upper ball joints failing. the vehicle is currently at the state inspection station. the upper control arm was replaced. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 41,000.

I was on my way to work driving my 2002 jeep liberty when i heard a strange noise. i pulled over to check for any visible problem. i found nothing. i began to driver a short distance when i heard a loud noise coming from the right front end. when i to pullover the vehicle lost control. fortunately i was able to stop the car . again i stepped out of the car to check for a problem. once again i saw nothing visibly wrong. i slowly moved the car out of traffic when my jeep lunged forward and came to a full stop. when i checked for the problem my right front wheel had fallen off. what a scare. this could of ended up being a very tragic accident . *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the upper ball joint failed and the wheel fell underneath the vehicle while driving. the vehicle is currently at the repair shop. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 72,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the lower ball joints were replaced due to nhtsa campaign number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). while performing the replacement, the dealer noticed that the upper ball joints also needed to be replaced, however, they were not under a recall. the dealer repaired the upper ball joints. the current and failure mileages were 39,300.

Saturday august 18th 2007 i received a recall notice from daimler chrysler regarding the lower ball joints on 2002-2006 jeep liberties. the recall said water could get into the front suspention causing the ball joint to corrode and separate which could lead to loss of steering and a possible accident. while driving home from work on monday the 20th (2 days later) my front left wheel fell off without warning, causing loss of control and nearly causing an accident (coincidence?). the dealer said that my upper ball joint had corroded and separated and the recent recall would not cover my repair. daimler chrysler said there's nothing they can do and i would be responsible for repairs. i went online and was shocked to find (in only about 20 minutes- so there must be many more) that hundreds of people has the exact same failure with their 02' -06' liberty. although i would like daimler chrysler to take responsibility for the repair, the more important issue is that there seems to be a serious problem with these cars (specifically the ball joints). the recall should definitely include upper ball joints as well. luckily i was only going about 15-20mph (my car was still completely fish-tailed) if i had been doing anything over 40mph i'm certain i would have rolled it. i'm sure there has to be people out there who had family or friends killed in accidents caused by this exact issue...they probably don't even know how widespread the problem is. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact received a recall notice for the lower ball joints. he called the dealer and was informed that they could not service his vehicle for another six months. the recall number was unknown. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 61,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact received recall notice number 03v460000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). she took the vehicle to the shop for repair and they informed her that the vehicle also has a defective upper ball joint. the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. she feels that the repair and the costs should be included in the recall repair. the current and failure mileages were 40,000.

2002 jeep liberty that was totaled when the power steering went out customer states that she is now without transportation due to faulty parts and wants some kind of solution**cc the consumer received 2 recall letters in the mail after her accident. both notices stated that the vehicle needed to have the ball joints repaired. the consumer contacted the manufacturer and informed them of the accident chrysler stated they were sending a representative out to investigate the vehicle. the consumer stated the representative assessed there was nothing wrong with the lower ball joint, airbags, or steering to cause the accident. the consumer further stated she spoke with the garage where the vehicle was located and stated no one ever came to check the vehicle over. *jb

I have been trying to receive a reimbursement from my '02 jeep liberty for recalled upper ball joints that we had already replaced. i have a receipt for a "cash sale" but they will not accept it. dealership is closed. every time i try to call your number to file a complaint, i'm put on hold for 5 minutes then the connection is broken. i have tried 3 times today. please advise how i'm to file this complaint. thank you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. he stated that his daughter's vehicle was included as part of a recall (nhtsa campaign #03v460000) for the lower ball joint. the vehicle has been repaired twice. the contact felt that the upper ball joint was damaged due to a torn rubber pad. the mechanic stated that the brakes on the vehicle were inappropriate based on the weight of the vehicle. the failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 61,000.

Jeep liberty 2002 model subject to recall for lower ball joint failure, recall #f23. lower ball joints replaced by dealer, found upper ball joints also worn out. this problem is similar to the cause of the lower ball joint failure - seal failure with attendant lubrication failure and corrosion. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 20 mph, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the vehicle. he stated that the lower ball joints separated. the service station repaired the driver side front axle and upper tie rod. the current mileage was 107,536 and failure mileage was 107,701.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 60 mph the right side of the vehicle dropped and there was a blow out on the tire. the contact felt that the front lower ball joint caused the failure. there is a recall for the front lower ball joint (nhtsa campaign id #06v288000). the contact stated that the manufacturer wanted to charge to repair the tire and the wheel. he felt the front lower ball joint caused the damage. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 15 mph, the driver side front tire blew out. the contact then heard a noise and the vehicle dropped down. the vehicle was towed to a chrysler dealer and diagnosed as needing the lower ball joints replaced. the contact stated that the lower ball joints were replaced in 2003. the vehicle has been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 82,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact's vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint) in 2007. one year later, while attempting to make left turns, he heard a loud popping noise coming from the rear driver side tire. he has not had the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 80,000.

After having satisfied not one, but two recalls on the 2002 jeep liberty renegade for lower ball joint issues, the upper ball joint on the driver side failed as i pulled into my driveway at a 45 degree angle. the tire fell into the ball joint, stopping the jeep (moving at 5 mph) in its tracks. i am very thankful this did not occur on the highway at 70 mph not 10 minutes earlier. slight noises were coming from under the vehicle and had just gotten a bit worse a day or two before the failure (although it was driving normally), so i was about to schedule an appointment for it. fortunately, nobody was hurt, the car itself is fine too, well, other than the missing wheel... parts will be replaced tomorrow at my expense - i am attempting to work with the service manager and likely chrysler directly to be reimbursed for the obvious flaw. a 4 1/2 year old vehicle with 65k miles driven normally should not simply fall apart like this - warning to all jeep liberty owners to have all upper and lower ball joints inspected regularly (at least annually) for this dangerous condition.

Tl. the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the current mileage was 53,536 miles. the contact heard a grinding noise and observed an oil-based odor. the vehicle was included in recall campaign no's 03v460000 and 06v288000. during a scheduled appointment, the dealer stated that the ball joints were not available. the call was disconnected before getting vin and other vehicle-basic information. the failure mileage was 50,000 miles. bk

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. when the dealer took the vehicle for a test drive, traveling at 25 mph, the left front tire came off the vehicle. the contact never received the ball joint recall notice. chrysler stated that they did not get all the notices out on time, due to the large quantity, and are not responsible. the vehicle is currently at the shop and will require other parts to be replaced, which will cost over $1,000. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 100,003.

In november of 2006, i had a recall fixed for the "front:control arm:lower ball joint" when the parts became available. i brought the car back 3 days later having issues with the steering and hearing a noise. the dealership took the car for a few days and did a complete inspection and assured me the new parts were sufficient. every now and then (not constant, but scarcely) when i would turn the wheel just a little, the car would turn as if i had turned my wheel all the way. it scared me a few times, but it didn't happen often at all, so i didn't think much of it. on may 31, 2007, i was merging onto i-91 in connecticut driving only 22 miles per hour, and my car did that very thing. i went up and over the curb, up the embankment and crashed into a steel connecticut state sign. if it wasn't for the sign, i would have continued to lose control and possibly been killed. hitting the sign swung my back end around, where i rolled down the embankment and to a complete stop on the side of the highway. my car sustained over $7,000 worth of damage and has damaged my perfect driving record. no other car was involved and no one was hurt, including myself. i was very fortunate, but i feel there needs to be further investigation into the previous recall and possibly a new recall should be posted to eliminate this problem. the problem still exists despite the recall from last year. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 55-60 mph, the vehicle pulled to the right and the steering wheel vibrated. the contact also heard a humming noise coming from the front tires. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle. the contact felt that the humming noise was due to excessive wear caused by the lower ball joints. the contact received recall notice number 03v460000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint) on august 2, 2007. he feels that the tires should be replaced as part of the recall. as of august 3, 2007, the ball joints have not been replaced. the current mileage was 62,000 and failure mileage was 60,000. the consumer stated the lower ball joint has been repaired and the cupped tires were then rotated to the rear of the vehicle and the consumer stated there is still a loose feeling in the rear of the vehicle. updated 08/22/07 *tr

I was turning into a parking lot when my front right tire collapsed and i hit the curb. this was due to the ball joints being defected. after about a week and a half my car was fixed by the dealership for no charge. it concerns me that i was never notified that there was a second recall on the ball joints or in fact for that matter on the air bags or the exterior lighting. this accident happened last march, i felt it was necessary to make a complaint after seeing on the tv the investigation that is on going with this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact called regarding recall campaign # 06v288000 concerning the lower ball joint. the contact has been on a waiting list for repairs since november. an appointment was scheduled for march 19, 2007, but dealer stated the part was unavailable. there was no inormation as to when the part will become available for repair to begin. the current and failure mileage were 90000.*ak the dealer called the consumer back and said they found the part. updated 04/09/07. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact received recall notice for the lower ball joints. on march 7, 2007 the dealer was contacted to perform the recall repairs. the dealer stated that work could begin in approximately four to five weeks. on april 5, 2007 the dealer stated that the parts still had not arrived. the current and failure mileage were 68,985.*ak

Tl*- the contact has a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact received recall 06v288000 concerning lower ball joint. the contact called the dealership in his area , and they stated that it could take 4 months or more in order for them to perform the recall service. the contact stated that there was a waiting list of over 100 people. there have been no failures to date. the current mileage was 59700.*ak updated 03/19/07. *jb

I own a 2002 jeep liberty. in november of 2006 i had the ball joint recall performed on the jeep. yesterday i was driving down the road when the passenger side ball joint failed causing my wheel to fall down underneath the jeep tearing the upper ball joint out. the rim and tire were damaged due to this incident as well as other components of the front suspension. it is currently at a jeep dealership being diagnosed for further damage. *nm

Failure of daimler chrysler and local dealer to remedy a recall within a reasonable time. after 2 1/2 months they say it will be 2-3 more weeks before parts are available. i thought the recall notice said the car could crash without prior warning. when i called again today i was told to wait another 2-3 weeks! *nm