Problems with 2002 Jeep Liberty SUSPENSION

I was backing out of a parking spot and heard a loud cluck. i stopped the truck and found that the passenger side lower ball joint shaft had broken. this caused the lower control arm to separate from the steering knuckle and rest on the inside of the wheel. when it was towed to the dealership, the repair was covered under warranty because i had the lower ball joint recall done on my jeep liberty previously. the dealer replaced the lower ball joint, upper control arm, axle shaft, and a few seals. the old parts are not available. *jb

I currently own a 2002 jeep liberty. as i was making a turn in the parking lot my car stopped and i saw my tire bent under my car the ball joints in my jeep liberty went 2 times on me. first the lower ball joints before the recall and then the upper ball joints the control arm and the axle failed on me just yesterday. the upper ball joint failure also caused a large puncture in my rotor and it bent my axle. i fear for the other jeep liberty owners; for instance what if this happened on a major highway causing the driver to lose total control? someone could have lost their life. this upper ball joint issue should be researched and recalled. *jb

Tl*- the contact received recall 06v288000 on the 2002 jeep liberty with 70000 current mileage on november . 24, 2006, and the vehicle still has not been repaired. chrysler had not been contacted. there had been no failures to date.*ak the consumer stated vehicle was repaired by dealer late march 2007. update *4/23/07 *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while at a stop sign and attempting to make a left turn, the right lower ball joint fractured and the wheel dislodged. both front lower ball joints were replaced under recall, #03v460000 two years ago. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and the ball joint was replaced.

2003 jeep liberty sport with concerns about recall f23 -lower ball joints customer wants to be compensated for damage**cc the consumer only received reimbursement for the two defective ball joints. the consumer wants to be compensated for the damage to the vehicle. the axle assembly, a-arms and sway bars were damaged as a result of the faulty ball joints. *jb

Tl* - the contact received recall letter 06v288000 for the replacement of the lower ball joint on the 2002 chrysler jeep liberty. the contact stated that she immediately called the dealer to schedule an appointment. the contact was told that she could not be put on a waiting list and that it was first come, first serve because it is a safety problem. she was also told that if she had an appointment and someone came to the dealer before she arrived they would be given the part. the contact's vehic has not experienced any problems at this time. *ak

2002 jeep liberty with ball joint failure. consumer states that the driver side lower ball joint separated causing the entire wheel assembly to fall off. mechanic replaced the defective ball joints with more defective ball joints. *kb the consumer stated it will be the third time the lower ball joints have been replaced for the same problem under the recall. *jb

Tl *- the contact received a recall letter (f23) for lower ball joints. the jeep liberty, in question, crashed and the contact believed the recalled part was the reason. while driving approximately 50-55 mph the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree. the road conditions were dry but cold. the driver was injured due to airbag deployment. the contact would like it noted the previous owner kept vehicle in garage. he believes that the part became frozen, as this is one of the possibilities described in recall letter. updated 03/19/07. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while pulling up to a gas pump island at 3 mph the front control arm lower ball joints failed on the passenger's side. there was a loud thump, and the vehicle seemed to sit down on the front tire. upon inspection the contact noticed the control arm hanging down. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for inspection which confirmed the lower control arm ball joint failed. the contact called the manufacturer, and they were willing to make repairs under the previous recall campaign. at a local dealership. the contact wanted to have the vehicle repaired at the independent repair shop, but the manufacturer would not guarantee reimbursement if the work was completed at an independent repair shop. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa recall campaign 03v460000 concerning the front control arm lower ball joint in 2003. there was no problem with the original part, only a failure of the part replaced under the recall. *ak

Daimler chrysler being ridiculously (and unsafely) slow about replacing ball joints on approx. 800,000 jeep liberties. and not being very 'up front' about it, either. i have not had an incident (yet) so the following 'incident' information is fictitious, but required to submit this complaint. *jb

At approximately 1745 hours (mst) on the below date i was driving my 2002 jeep liberty limited at 30 mph on a two lane asphalt city street. the pavement was dry, there were no potholes or any road defects or obstructions. suddenly i heard a loud, metallic "thump" followed immediately by the vehicle pulling sharply to the right with no steering control. the vehicle came to a stop with minimal braking and the use of the right street curb. inspection first noted the right front tire to be flat (it was dark). after raising the vehicle on the jack i removed the right front wheel and installed the spare tire. i then attempted to drive the vehicle forward and again, after approximately 2 feet of driving, i heard a scrapping sound. i immediately stopped and inspected the spare wheel. i then noticed that the right front lower ball joint had failed and was digging into the inside of the right front wheel rim. i then called to have the vehicle towed to the nearest jeep dealer. subsequently i was advised that both front ball joints were replaced and that the impact was of such force when the ball joint failed that the front axle seals had been damaged and were replaced. the wheel was replaced because the force was such that the failed ball joint gouged a hole in the wheel rim. it is noteworthy that on may 17, 2004 under job order 1034728 both front ball joints were replaced on this same vehicle at the uftring jeep dealership in e. peoria, illinois (309) 694-0700 due to a campaign recall previously ordered from jeep corporate. i now considered this vehicle unsafe since the previous recall did not remedy the situation and i have no guarantee from jeep that the most recently installed set of ball joints will not fail in the future. *nm

I own a jeep liberty 2002 and it has 54600 miles, last week i heard a noise in the steering, i took to the dealer service center here in venezuela closest to my home and explained the problem the check the car and call me back that the only thing needed was an oil change, satisfied i took my car and planned a weekend family trip out of town and drove another 200 miles at high way speeds when returning home at very low speed passes a speed reducer bump on the street by my home and the left front wheel felt off, the lower ball joint broke!, i was on shock if this would happened few miles before all of my family including me could be killed in a car accident, and the worse part is that i took to the dealer just before to prevent this kind of issues and they just didn't care about i found out today at some of the jeep chat rooms that it is a proven problem and that there is a recall on this issue for this models, we were very close of been harmed or may been killed, my report is to make sure you correct this on your country at least and you may safe some other family lives i know that the regulations on venezuela fall way behind in order to introduce a legal complaint against daimler chrysler here and i wont get any progress over here but at least i put a little sand grain to avoid any incidents were i know that can be avoided. *jb

My wife was pulling into the driveway at a low rate of speed and heard a clicking noise and stopped the vehicle halfway into the drive way. got out and ran inside to get me and i went and looked at the car and there was no obvious damage so i got in and put the car in drive and it didn't move and then in reverse and the same thing, so i put in drive again and thats when the front right end of the car dropped to the ground. after inspection i noticed that the front right lower ball joint wasn't in the ball joint knuckle anymore. the wheel was bent outward. i just bought this car on aug. 29, 2005 just 3 months prior. i have only put 3,000 miles on this car since i bought it. the dealer should have inpected the ball joints prior to selling it to me seeing how there is a prior recall on that part. luckily i have it on warranty so hopefully there won't be any problems with getting it repaired. repairs still pending. *nm

Tl*- the contact called regarding recall letter 06v288000 that he received on 09/27/06. the contact stated that last year on 11/26/05 he had a crash while driving the vehicle in the evening. it was on a clear night and the road conditions were good. he stated that he lost control of vehicle, the steering became very stiff, and the vehicle started shaking and vibrating while driving at 45 mph. the contact stated that he couldn't get control of the vehicle and hit a traffic light. the air bag didn't deploy, but the seat belt did restrain him. the contact said that in both the police report and the insurance report stated that the ball joints failed. the contact was admitted for internal bleeding. the vehicle sustained a great deal of damage, and the contact was obliged to pay the state of maryland for the replacement of the traffic light $1,075.26. the contact was interested in some type of reimbursement. the contact stated that he wrote to chrysler last year informing them of the vehicle's malfuction, but still had no response from them.*ak

Tl*- the contact received recall letter (f23) for lower ball joint. she called the dealership and was told that the part was not in stock and they do not know when the part will be available.

Failure of lower ball joints at 40,100 miles in my 2002 jeep liberty, build date august 2001. *nm

Lower ball joints failed. lucky that there was no damage or injury. chrysler repaired at no cost under recall. *nm

Right front wheel fell off of jeep while driving into a parking lot with no warning. wheel damaged suspension, body and rim. the jeep dealer did the repairs under warranty even though the recall had already been done once before in 2003. this will be the 3rd set of lower ball joints in 75000 miles. other jeep owners that have had the recall done should not assume their vehicle front suspension is in safe condition. something needs to be done here. *jb

My 2002 jeep liberty was taken in for service because of oil leaking from the right side of the front differential and a torn boot on the left side. these items were repaired and the vehicle returned to me. one month later while backing out of a parking space i heard a loud snap and then felt the left front end of the vehicle drop to the ground. the front wheel was forced up under the wheel well damaging the fender and blowing the tire. the lower ball joint had separated letting the vehicle drop and wheel to move up into the wheel well. the ball joint recall had been completed on this vehicle 30,000 miles ago. this was very scary because i had my 4 year old grandson with me and had just been on the freeway traveling at 65 mph. the vehicle is still at the dealer and i am waiting to see what chrysler/jeep has to say. ld. *nm

Dt: the contact was traveling at 10 mph, when the upper ball joint broke. this caused the axle to break. the location was the front driver's side. the happened on 10-16-05. the vehicle was then towed to the jeep dealership. the dealership was repairing the vehicle. the cost would b e $2,000.00, the warranty on the vehicle expired in may 2005. there were no injuries reported. the vehicle is a 2002 jeep liberty. the manufacturer has not been contacted. *ak

Jeep always pulls to the right. problem was supposed to be resolved with ball joint replacement procedure from a recall, but it still exists. dealer performed a wheel alignment (which he suspected was needed), but problem still exists. replaced original tires with only 20,000km (probably due to compensating for pulling to the right) - consider this a safety issue because you always have to compensate for the pull. *nm

I have had to replace the front ball joints 2x with in 40,000 miles, even after a recall which replaced them in their entirety. *jb

On june thursday 9:00 am 16th i call the dealer to look at my jeep liberty because the steering was very stiff and hard to control the vehicle. i was told by the service manager that i could not get my car in until monday the 20th three days later. i told the service manager that i needed to travel to ohio on business and that i could not wait. he had no response other than i should not drive the car until someone had looked at it. i then call a local garage who told me that could get my car that morning. they found and documented that the lower ball joints seem to be the problem even though they could see through the chrysler recall website that i had taken the liberty in gregory chrysler plymouth jeep prior to this for the recall which should have fixed this problem. i think maybe this work was billed but never done and i have no way to prove this. (i would like to know how many libertys have seen this recall problem twice) they greased the ball joint so that i could drive the car again. on sept 7th i took the car in to the jeep deal who told me that they would not cover the replacement of the ball joints because i had someone else help me out when they could not. so the question remains, does the lower ball joint recall really fix the problem or is this dealer just scanning people on the work that is suppose to be covered? it is either one or the other. *nm

Dt: the contact stated while driving on a curve the lower control arm snapped, and he could not control the vehicle. this caused the vehicle to run into a power pole. the vehicle was towed to a body shop for repairs. the lower control arm, rim, bumper and two doors were replaced on the vehicle. the insurance company contacted daimler/chrysler because there was recall 0346000 for the lower ball joints, but this vehicle was not included in the recall. *ak

My wife lost control of our "2002" jeep liberty. the lower ball joint separated from itself. recall service for lower ball joints was already performed by tom harrigan jeep of dayton ohio on jan 10th of "04"*jb

Dt: caller had recall work done on the ball joints o last year. now she took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and she was told the ball joints were bad again. dealer and manufacturer said a certain amount of play was acceptable, and they will not replace the ball joints until there was complete failure.*ak

Sept. 9, 2004: the vehicle (2002 jeep liberty) went the dealer for a safety recall replacement of the front lower ball joints. the dealer replaced the ball joints per the safety recall. aug. 1, 2005: the front lower ball joint on the right-front wheel failed. when this happened, the ball portion of the ball joint separated from the socket causing the right-front wheel to seemingly fall off. prior to the failure, it was noted on july 31, 2005 that the vehicle pulled to the right slightly when the brakes were applied. the ball joint failure occurred on a flat, smooth parking lot at low speed. no bodily injuries occurred. the dealer and the manufacturers representative have agreed to replace the ball joint and repair the damage caused by the failure. however, the dealer and manufacture will not certify in any way that the new parts have been inspected and are free from defect. it is important to note that it is the safety recall replacement part that failed. i do not believe that diamler chrysler has resolved the problem(s) that led to the initial recall. i do not feel safe with their proposed fix to my vehicle. *nm

First problem: on march 31, 2004, we took my 2002 jeep liberty to the jeep dealer due to a loud squeaking noise in the front. they diagnosed a bad lower ball joint on the left front side and replaced it. note - my jeep had the lower front ball joints serviced under a recall notice at the end of 2003. it was supposed to have had the lower ball joints replaced and a heat shield installed. second problem: without warning on july 28, 2005, the front right lower ball joint broke while attempting to drive the jeep into our garage, and the front end collapsed onto the pavement and the disconnected wheel. there was no noise or any indication of a problem before this happened. the events leading up to this: i started up the engine, backed the jeep up a few feet to straighten my approach, and attempted to pull it into the garage. however, i noticed a strong resistance to roll forward so i stopped, got out and looked around to make sure i wasn't running over something. after seeing nothing in the way or under the vehicle, i tried again to pull forward, but it wouldn't roll and the wheel skid. so i put it into reverse and tried to back up. that is when the front end dropped with a load crunch onto the wheel that had came off. the jeep dealer paid for the new ball joint and several other parts that were damaged due to the incident. another problem: on december 12, 2003, the right rear seat belt latch had to be replaced because the release button was jamming (sometimes it would work and sometimes it wouldn't). *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. he received a recall notice on the lower ball joint and the dealership was supposed to of fixed the recall. while he was pulling out of his driveway the lower ball joint broke and the vehicle is riding on its rim right now. there is not an nhtsa campaign id number or a manufacture number available. *nm

Jeep liberty pulls to right, will stop dead in its tracks while in drive, hard to control, thumping noise, metal to metal grinding from front end, seat belts do not work properly, hard to start, front seat covers rippled, paint peeled on hood, tailgate, breaks only work some of the time, shakes and hard to control on speed above 35 mph, all interior weather stripping came off. same complaints from 1/7/03 ball joints replaced on recall on 1/10/03 still had pulling to right problems, shaking,. weather stripping all fell off on interior of car, acts like wheels are binding. 3/4/03 same complaints pulling to right, stops dead in its track, hard to control, wheels bind, dealer could not duplicate complaints (did not write up work order) 3/27/03 dealer installed interior weather stripping, same complaints as 1/10/03,3/4/03. again on 6/2/03 took jeep liberty to dealer took a test drive could not verify complaints. did not write up a work order. 1/16/04 jeep liberty hard to start, pulls to right, jeep shakes & vibrates hard to control, seat belts do not work, seat rippling, car stops dead it its tracks, dealer fixed lower ball joints again on 2/13/04 at 23,850 miles. 2-13-04 picked up car from dealer still had same problems" dealer stated " this is how jeeps drive" they are nuts! 11-04 dealer took test drive was still having problems claimed everything okay. did not right up a work order. 5/27/05 had massive problems brakes would go to the floor, sometime would work and other time not. took to nearest brake place pads, okay, but wheel cylinder leaked. claim it could be a intermittent failure of master cylinder, called dealer ship no part available. 7/5/05 took to dealer again with same problems,r they had not even looked at it. removed jeep and took to private auto placed,ut with intermittent problems you could replace most of the parts on the car & you may not cure the problems. *jb

Dt: caller says his ball joints are defective. without warning the front passenger wheel fell off two weeks ago. vehicle had to be towed. dealer fixed it under warranty. manufacturer said they will not replace the vehicle because of the mileage. recall work was done in april 2004. caller dose not have recall information. caller says at his expense he replaced the rear ball joints.*ak

Dt: consumer has a 2002 jeep liberty had the ball joint recall repaired. on sunday the ball joints became disconnected from the wheel. they couldn?t steer the vehicle, and the driver's side wheel tilted outward. consumer complained approximately 6 months after the repair s because she heard funny noises. she took the vehicle to be looked at, and was told there was nothing wrong. when she had the vehicle at dealer for the 60,000 mile check up she was told the vehicle was fine. she contacted the dealership and manufacturer and neither of them were willing to help her. the axle came out, and the dealership told her it was $800 worth of damage.*ak

I bought a 2002 jeep liberty in mid-april of 2005. i told a number of people that the jeep frightened me when driving because it felt like the steering was loose and like the jeep was skating on the road. after driving the jeep over 2 1/2 weeks i had a tragic accident lost of steering control. *ak

Caller stated she got a recall notice to get the ball joints replaced, which she did. after another 37000 miles the ball joint snapped, resulting in the tire falling off. vehicle was towed to a different repair shop.*ak

I was taking my daughter to school and was turning left out of our driveway onto a busy state route and my front right side wheel broke completely off of the jeep. we were going about 15-20 mph. this ruined the rim on my jeep, now i don't have a spare rim/tire anymore. they did put a recall on the upper ball joints and that is what was wrong with my jeep, i did get reimbursed for that....but not the rim that was ruined from the incident......now i am out a spare rim/tire. i did tell them that i no longer had a spare rim/tire and they indicated that there was nothing they could do about that? i have a hard time believing that. i cannot be the only person that this has happened to. *tr 4-23-08 by e-mail failure was to upper ball joints * smch

Tl*- the contact received a recall letter for his 2002 jeep liberty in the mail stating the there was a recall on the lower ball joints. the complaint was that dealership was only servicing one car a day.

Since purchasing this 2002 jeep liberty for my 23 year old daughter it has pulled to the left when the steering wheel was released. it was returned to the jeep dealer several times for repair. each time it was realigned and was ok for a time then started to pull to the left again. we also replaced the tires trying to eliminate problem, which continued until the 3/31/05 accident. my daughter was traveling down the highway on 3/31/05 a sunny dry day in new britain ct when she suddenly lost control of her jeep and side swiped the jersey barrier. although this can't be proved without more investigation, i believe the lower control arm , which is casted not pressed steel, had a partial crack that totally failed at the time of the accident. the failure caused loss of control of the jeep liberty and it side-swiped the jerky barrier. there was about $6,000 damage to the driver's side of the jeep, no other vehicles were involved. the police officer attributed the accident to tire failure, since the 2 driver's side tires were flat. when examining the jeep at the body shop, i noticed the lower control arm was broken. i didn't think the crash was severe enough to cause this to happen. on closer examination of the part it looked to me like the broken edge was about half rusted. to me this indicated a preexisting crack in the casting. i am reporting this incident because i can't proof the jeep's part failed. the jeep is advertised as an "off road" vehicle and as such should be heavy duty. if this part did fail after only 46,000 miles it could be a manufacturing problem that should be investigated. i am having the body shop save the part for examination. the car has been repaired.*ak

2002 jeep liberty ball joint separated resulting in the consumer losing control of the vehicle.*mr after the dealer performed the recall on the lower ball joints the consumer started to hear a noise coming from the tire. the dealer claimed the noise was from the brake and it was adjusted, however the noise was still present and that was when the consumer experienced the ball joint separating from the knuckle. the consumer believed when the dealer replaced the ball joint it was done incorrectly.*jb

I bought my 2002 jeep liberty used in 2005. my excitement over the new used vehicle was shortly lived. before i could even make a payment my vehicle had a major problem. my mother was driving it on a paper route in the country early in the morning when she went to pull away from the mailbox she said the car would no longer move. she proceeded to get out and saw the lower control arm and the tire hanging there. she had to walk and knock a strangers door at 6 in the morning to call a tow truck. it was towed to a local mechanic that then investigated recalls on the liberty and found that it was a recall. it was then towed to jeep and i was informed about being reimbursed for the towing by diamond chrysler which i never was. it was fixed and my window washer fluid reservoir was busted and so was my wheel well which was also replaced. then i still had the same noise that i had before this so i called jeep but they told me if they looked at it and it wasn't the ball joint/control arm then they would charge me and i didn't have the money so i didn't take it in. then in 2006 i got the recall notice from jeep and had it replaced again. i am still continuously having the same problem. i here the same loud popping noise when i turn hard and you can tell it still isn't right. i saw this investigation and i feel that i should inform you so we can get these vehicles either fixed or off the road. there are several complaints on blogs about the liberty's and i feel my money has been wasted with this malfunction of a vehicle. i am truly scared for my safety and others. there were the original sets, then the first recall, and then a second recall with no solution to the problem. please please help! *tr

The front end of my 02 jeep liberty (39,527 miles) vin # [xxx] began to make loud noises from the front end. the dealer diagnosed the noise as upper ball joint failure. the repair cost $655.20 and car rental $89.99. previously, this jeep model was factory recalled for a bottom ball joint defect which was performed at 26,887 miles. i contacted the diamler chrysler customer assistance center who refused to pay for the repairs. i have a hard time believing that the upper ball joints were not defective like the bottom ones. a heavy duty jeep should have suspension components which last the life of the vehicle. *jb updated 07/19/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

While backing out of a parking space at 5 mph lower driver's side ball joint broke, and the vehicle went down. vehicle was towed, and serviced on the recalled ball joint at 5,800 miles. *ak

Left upper ball joint failed. this was the same side that was showing damage due to o3v460000, lower ball joint failure.*ak

Driving 25 mph, the front lower ball joints failed causing the front end to drop onto the front wheels. the vehicle was towed. *jb the passenger's side lower ball joint failed causing the front end to drop onto the passenenger's side front wheel. the seat belt did not retract. *sc

While driving. the lower ball joint completely failed. the consumer took the vehicle to be repaired. however, this is the second time the ball joint has been replaced within 1800 miles. the first time it was done through a recall. the consumer bought the vehicle used. please provide any further information. *jb

While driving 25 mph front end began to produce a loud knocking noise. dealer stated the front driver side wheel bearing separated from the axle. *ak

Ltr re recalls on her daimler chrysler purchased back in august 13, 2001. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle has been recalled more than 3 times and supposedly fixed over 6 times regarding the ball joints. the consumer had an accident. the ball joint broke while the consumer was attempting to park. the radiator was leaking at the seam. the right front hub bearing was noisy. the cd changer would skip after a few songs. the dealer found an internal fault. there was a heavy crunchy noise when driving, stopping and making turns. the front stabilizer/sway bar was replaced. the rack and pinion was leaking. *jb

Customer is inquiring on the possibility of getting reimbursed for expense of replacing a recalled lower left ball joint on a 2002 jeep liberty**cc the consumer experienced a failure of the lower ball joints after having it replaced under recall. *jb

3rd time work on a ball joints recall job that cause damage to brakes, tie rods ,rack n pinion,rotors and most of the suspension system. *tr

Consumer has had to replace shocks, drive shaft, brakes and all four tires since purchase. the tires were worn and the noisy were struts, a constant thumping sound was heard when the vehicle was in motion, creaking noise were coming from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps due to the front sway bar bushings, the regulator on the passenger door was noisy, the handle on the passenger door was loose, grinding noise on the front passenger side, the passenger front door's weather strip was coming off, loud noise coming from the rear differential bearings, excessive play in the front tie ends, water under the driver's side carpet, rattling in the speaker on the passenger side, when in 4th high and 4th low, the vehicle felt as if it were in neutral, the cigarette lighter was inoperative, the was a squeak in the steering wheel when turning, the engine idled loud, the vehicle would jump when shifting into gear, there was a delay when braking, the axle boot was leaking. *sc

While driving at any speed consumer heard a loud noise coming from the rear and vehicle vibrated. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the rear coil springs needed to be replaced due to worn out parts. *ak the brakes made noise when applied. the blower motor for the heat failed and the a/c was inoperative. *nm