Problems with 2003 Jeep Liberty SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the upper ball joints on both front sides of the vehicle were damaged. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not repaired per nhtsa campaign number: 09v119000 (suspension). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle made an abnormal noise. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the ball joints needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Vehicle was left at the dealer for suspension repairs, after waiting 7 days, dealer called indicating that manufacturer has not provided the necessary parts to repair the problem. i had to pick-up the vehicle and take it to an independent mechanic to fix the suspension problem. *tr

Wondering why florida is not in the group since it is surrounded by salt water on 3 sides: the upper and lower ball joints are bad: 2003 jeep liberty front control arm recalls recall number: 09v119000 owner notification date: april 12, 2010 record creation date: april 9, 2009 defect description: chrysler is recalling 42,469 my 2002-2003 jeep liberty vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in salt belt states of connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia , wisconsin and the district of columbia. the front suspension upper control arm ball joint may experience a loss of lubrication which could lead to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation while driving. defect consequence: failure of the ball joint could result in a loss of steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash. corrective action: dealers will replace the front upper control arm assemblies free of charge. the recall is expected to begin on or about april 24, 2010. owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number: 12v527000 (air bags), nhtsa campaign number: 13v252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure), and nhtsa campaign number: 09v119000 (suspension) exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. the manufacturer was made aware of the delay. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact had not experienced any failures.

I would like to file a complaint about the passenger side upper and lower ball joints. i purchased the vehicle in 2006 as a second owner and in the 7 years i have owned my jeep i have had to replace my ball joints now 3 times. this is very unsafe and seriously should be addressed by the makers as to why even after being recalled they have gone out twice. luckily i have been fortunate enough (or i should say chrysler has been fortunate enough) to not have had an accident or anything serious happen to me or my family due to this. thanks. *tr

Front suspension upper control arm/ball joint separated causing wheel dislocation on front passenger side. the incident occurred leaving a parking lot at about 5 miles per hour. the same make/model year jeep liberty has recall j17 for the front suspension upper control arm/ball joint, but my vehicle vin is not included in the recall. lower ball joint, covered under recall f23, was not involved in the failure. both the ball joint and the upper control arm on the front passenger side of vehicle required replacement, after vehicle was towed to garage and inspected. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty 4x4 the contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph across a railroad track, the front driver's side lower ball joint became detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the upper ball joint and control arm would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph the front drivers side wheel detached from the vehicle onto the road. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who informed that the ball joint separated. there was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension); however, the part was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified and they were unable to provide an expected date the part would be available. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 126,900.

Left driver side, upper ball joint separated from control arm. wheel collapsed outward. fortunately, it happened after leaving the interstate driving 70 miles per hour. entering service station wheel collapsed. happened to talk to an individual who was aware of the problem. individual said that this is a current and on going problem with today's vehicles. the front components are being designed so they cannot be maintained properly. lack of grease fittings, pressed in joint design on ball joints to control arm , instead of re enforced with bolts or other safe measures. individual stated that it is occurring on most all makes and models. instead of just replacing the defected ball joint, the control arm, with no other defect, but this, has to be replaced, costing even more money. has been reported, that deaths have occurred. the mental impact and feeling insecure after a fix is ongoing. i see more deaths and accidents occurring because of this problem. thank you. *tr

The support straps for the fuel tank failed suddenly after making a left turn. the fuel tank contacted the road surface for a short time (1 minute) before the vehicle could be stopped. the rear corner of the tank (passenger side) was damaged to the point that fuel leaked from the tank. both support straps were broken after the incident. the tank was approximately 1/4 full prior to the incident. both of the support straps failed near the bottom of the fuel tank. the remaining pieces of the support straps were still fastened to the frame and the fasteners were still in place after the incident. both support straps were severely rusted. although we are disappointed that this incident happened, we are grateful that no one was hurt. we realize the outcome could have been a lot worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while entering a residential driveway, she heard a loud noise near the front driver's side wheel. the contact exited the vehicle and noticed that the top of the wheel was abnormally tilted inward. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the upper control ball joint failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the rear of the vehicle spun out of control. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the lower control arms was defective. as a result, the lower control arm and the bushings needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 150,000.

At only 66,000 miles original owner directly from a 4-year corporate lease, a large corrosion/rust hole through bottom of passenger side body frame rail has been discovered, where lower control arm meets the frame rail. breakage of the rear frame rail is pending due to rust hole, would likely cause a spontaneous loss of steering, injury or death. jeep is too dangerous to drive. must spend $2,000 to try to replace frame rail. contacted chrysler but they would not fix due to year of vehicle, corrosion recalls are 2004-2007. the entire underside of vehicle is rusted and only a matter of time before all other components rust through including suspension and brake lines as well as lesser parts already going like rear window currently rusted shut and engine parts with corrosion beginning. i live in nj which is included in the "salt belt" -states that use salts to de-ice roadways in winter, so the recall on my would not affect my vehicle regardless of it's year. it is my opinion that there is a major corrosion/rust issue in the earlier jeep liberty models which makes these vehicles very dangerous to drive. buyers beware especially in the northeast. have a thorough inspection for rust before buying any used jeep liberty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that after having the vehicle in for a regular oil change, she was advised that all of the suspension components were severely rusted and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 12e047000 (suspension. the contact stated that the repairs were not made correctly and caused the vehicle to pull to the right when driving at any speed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 84,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for routine service when the mechanic advised that the ball joint was defective. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 06v288000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vehicle was not included in the recall campaign. the failure and the current mileage was 120,000.

I was advised by my jeep dealership that my 2003 jeep liberty needs both the left and right front upper control arms replaced. 2003 jeep liberty vehicles manufactured from may 2002 through september 2002 have been recalled due to the failure of this component. the chrysler recall is no. j17 (nhtsa campaign id 09v119000; nhtsa action number ea08008). my jeep liberty was manufactured in october 2002 - one month after the recall period and therefore isn't eligible for this recall. in researching chrysler recall no j17, the root cause of the upper control arm issue was never determined. it was only determined that 70% of incidents occurred during this time period while only accounting for 11% of vehicle production (a "spike"). i argue that since my jeep was manufactured one month after the recall period, and requires upper control arm replacement, it is the same issue experience by vehicles under the j17 recall. i ask that either: (1) chrysler replace my upper control arms free of charge -or- (2) nhtsa / odi extend the recall to cover the remaining 2003 jeep liberty vehicles not covered under j17. i ask for nhtsa / odi's assistance in seeking reimbursement from chrysler and investigating extension of the j17 recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that there was rust on both the front and rear control arms. the dealer diagnosed that there may have been a leak that was causing the rust. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairs to the defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 68,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 09v119000 (suspension:front:control arm). an authorized dealer was notified and the contact was informed that the parts necessary to remedy the failure were on national back order. the contact was also informed that they did not know when the parts would become available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 62,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the driver side ball joints failed while driving 30 mph. the failure caused the contact to crash into another vehicle, a cement wall and then the vehicle traveled over the overpass. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a local mechanic. the contact was injured and transported to the hospital. the police were called and a report was filed. the insurance company was notified of the failure. the manufacturer was also notified and offered no assistance. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 30,000.

My stepdaughter was driving her 2003 jeep liberty in her grandmother's driveway when she heard a loud thunk causing the vehicle to come to a stop due to the driver's side front tire separating from the vehicle. we changed the front driver side ball joint and control arm due to failure and tire separation from the vehicle. it was well that my step daughter was not travelling on the highway at a faster rate of speed because that surely would have ended with a more serious result. i see that there have been three recalls related to the control arm and ball joints. this particular vehicle was purchased from a private individual that actually had taken the vehicle in for the recall in 2006, but it seems that the problem has not been resolved. i'm very much concerned for my step daughter's safety while operating a motor vehicle and i hope that something can be done soon to correct this problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty ultd. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph when he heard a loud rumble from the front passenger side of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who informed the contact that the front right passenger ball joint was fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 257,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty sport. the contact stated that he received a recall notice for recall 09v119000 (suspension: front: control arms) in november 2010. on november 18, 2010, the front driver side tire separated from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was repaired. the contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint; the manufacturer stated that the repair for the recall should have been performed april 2010. the current and failure mileages were approximately 80,000.

In october of 2010 passenger side lower ball joint failed when attempting to turn into a parking lot. discovered a recall was ordered on vehicle but never received notice. on 10/26/2010 dealership stated that they did replace both lower ball joints however on 11/11/2010 driver side lower ball joint failed at highway speed causing a serious automobile accident. there was also significant front end damage and airbags failed to deploy. *tr

Recall j17 front suspension upper ball joints 2003 jeep liberty my vehicle was taken to a chrysler dealer that didn't order the parts for my appointment that was set two weeks in advance. they entered my problem in their system my this recall j17. the dealer couldn't provide me with a loaner car or rental? i than contacted chrysler customer services and they couldn't assist me either. the dealer is said my vehicle parts was on a back order and now i am without vehicle for 3-5 days. i work and have a 10 year old that needs our car. what remedy is there to my problem? *tr

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that after receiving a recall notice in regards to nhtsa campaign id number 09v119000 ( suspension:front:control arm). she has tried to contact the dealer and the manufacturer and they advised 6 months ago that the parts still not available. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 55,000. tb

Was driving and all of sudden vehicle went out of control ,rolling over numerous times and ending up in the opposite lane. vehicle was hit by another vehicle and air bags never deployed. car was completely demolished . *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while the contact was driving approximately 20 mph, the front passenger wheel disengaged without warning. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they informed him that the lower ball joint broke due to excessive corrosion. there was a recall under the nhtsa campaign id number 03v460000 ( suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). the technician advised that the vin was excluded from the recall and the owner would be responsible for the repair expense. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 92,000. the vin was unavailable.

There was a recall on the lower ball joints and a local dodge dealership replaced them free of charge. there after loud popping noise continued and the upper ball joint broke. the upper and lower ball joints have been recalled in other states but only the lower ball joint has been recalled in tn. i believe that they need to be recalled in tn also because this is very dangerous. i also believe that they should pay to have this problem repaired on my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated while driving 25 mph there was a loud noise coming from the rear suspension bar. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated there was rust and corrosion on the rear stabilization bar that needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified who advised the contact that there were no recalls for the vehicle and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 90,045.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact received notification of nhtsa recall campaign id number: 09v119000 (suspension: front: control arm) and when contacting the dealer, she was told the parts needed to make the repairs were on backorder and they were unable to secure an appointment for her. the dealer advised placing her on the waiting list and the dealer could not confirm when the part would become available. the contact stated the recall has exceeded a reasonable time for repair. the failure and current mileages were 120,000.

While making a left turn onto my road from another driveway, my front left tire separated from it's joint, making it unable to drive. the tire was manually tied back in place with a strap and driven to a nearby garage (about 40ft.away.) finally a call was made to chrysler describing the incident. on april 23, 2010 a call was made to a local dealership to replace the recalled parts. i was told that the parts had to be ordered in. when the parts arrive, the dealership would call me to schedule an appointment. as of today, 5/4/2010, i have not received a call to schedule an appointment. *tr

Safety recall j17 i have contacted the dealer and ask to order the parts and he said they will call me when the part comes in, that was on 5/21/10, i called back last week and been told the part still was not in. i also been told they only do 1 car per week, if that is a safety issue, why does it take so long? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact received recall notice (nhtsa campaign id number 09v119000: suspension front, control arm) and upon contacting the dealer was told that they only received one set of parts per week. the contact was informed that he was number five on the dealers waiting list, which meant he would not be able to have vehicle repaired for at least another five weeks. the manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any further assistance. there were no failures at this time. the current mileage was 130,000. updated 07/01/10 *bf the consumer stated he still has not heard from the dealer or chrysler. updated 07/02/10.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. six months ago he received a recall notice for the upper ball joints, but the parts were not available. the dealer informed him they will contact him whenever the parts arrive. the dealer continues to state they do not have the parts for the repairs. he continues to contact the dealer but had not tried another dealership. the manufacturer had not been contacted. the failure mileage was 82,000. updated 10/15/10 bf the consumer stated the problem has been resolved. updated 10/21/10*jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 15 mph, the front end collapsed with separation of the front driver wheel axle. there was no prior warning. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. the technician stated the failure was identical to a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 09v119000 (suspension: front: control arm). the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure and current mileages were 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated while driving 25 mph the front suspension dropped causing the frame to sit on top of the tire. the contact towed the vehicle to a local mechanic and they discovered that the front lower ball joint was broken. the mechanic notice a recall for the suspension;front;control arm but the vehicle vin number was not included in the recall. the contact stated if the vehicle was traveling at a higher speed the vehicle would have caused a crash. the contact feels the manufacturer should be responsible for the repairs. the failure mileage was 95,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions. there was a loud noise outside of the vehicle, followed by an excessive vibration. the driver pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. the vehicle resumed operation exhibiting continuous failures. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the failures were contributed to the upper control arm ball joint. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number 09v119000 (suspension:front:control arm). the contact experienced the identical failures as mentioned in the recall. however, the vin was excluded from the recall defect. the vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 122,000.

Drove into a driveway with a bump up of about 6 inches, and suffered a catastrophic failure of the right hand upper ball joint causing loss of steering control, in my 2003 jeep liberty limited. recall work for lower ball joints was completed june 28, 2007. upon inspection, upper ball joint had lost all lubrication (seals/bushings rotted) and joint was severely pitted and rusted. i pulled the ball joint and am attempting to replace it. however, local chrysler dealer only sells the entire upper control arm (incl. bushings and ball joint) at $215 per side. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while attempting to accelerate out of a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating and could not be moved. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the upper ball joint separated. the current and failure mileages were 81,000.

On 08/03/09, i had my 2003 jeep liberty towed to my local 5-star chrysler dealer (mileage = 148520). the right front ball joint had broken while i was making a turn in the parking lot. the tow truck driver had to pull my vehicle up onto the flatbed, as it was not possible to drive it, not even a few inches. during the loading of my vehicle onto the flatbed of the tow truck, the right front axle had come apart from the wheel. the service department had completed the necessary work to put my vehicle back together and indicated that it was all taken care of under the recall that was in the system. i had not known about the 2nd recall. i took my vehicle to the dealer for an oil change & courtesy vehicle inspection on 10/07/09 (mileage = 151838). the courtesy inspection indicated that the "suspension/steering" was "checked and ok." on 12/23/09, i took my vehicle to the dealer for an oil change & courtesy vehicle inspection (mileage = 158083), and i indicated that the right front wheel had begun making a weird noise again. i was told that it was it was fairly common, especially if the housing got wet inside. the courtesy inspection indicated that the "suspension/steering" was "checked and ok." on 03/19/10, i had my vehicle towed to the dealer (mileage = 161533) because it felt like i had a flat tire while i was driving, although there was nothing wrong with the tires. it ended up that the right front axle had to be replaced. at first i was told the damage was due to "normal wear & tear" and "high mileage." as they began looking at it more closely, they commented that they had not seen one this badly damaged. it was repaired & ready for pick up on 03/31/10. i am in the process of finding out more information on the right front suspension issues because i do not see how after all the "inspections," it went from being "ok" to being told that they had not had one come in that was that badly damaged. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while driving 30 mph in the process of a turn, the front passenger side control ball joint suddenly snapped. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 128,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while driving less than 60 mph, the front driver's side of the vehicle collapsed and knocked the tire off the rim. the vehicle slid 100 yards, tearing the tire and wheel until the vehicle came to a stop on its own. the dealer stated that the ball joints could have been a factor in the failure. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id numbers 06v288000 and 03v460000. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were less than 105,000.

On friday june 12th, 2009, my wife was driving our 2003 jeep liberty home. after stopping for a stop sign, she turned to the left and immediately the upper front ball joint gave way.(it was completely rusted on the inside) the jeep has 42087 miles on it. fortunately my wife was going very slow, otherwise there is no telling how severe an accident could have occurred. chrysler/jeep said that there has been no recalls on this particular model, yet i found a april 15, 2009 posting on the internet saying that there have been recalls for the upper control arm ball joints (recall n. j17) on models sold in the "salt belt states". we are in pennsylvania. i've had the part replaced but would caution other jeep liberty owners about a potentially serious problem. *tr

2003 jeep liberty limited. due for inspection may of 2009. failed to pass inspection due to front lower ball joints. next day, received notice in the mail regarding recall of front lower ball joints (the recall was issued in 2006, i found out later, but this was the first i was notified). called dealership (don white's of timonium) regarding recall, was told it would take a few days to receive parts, but still within the month of may, told that they would call in a few days with more exact dates. canceled appointment that i had previously made to have ball joints replaced, since recall would repair the parts free of charge. never received phone call, so placed call myself to dealership, told it would be several weeks to receive parts as they were on back-order. i then placed call to chrysler to investigate huge delay on recall parts (may 26th). i was told that they were on back-order, but chrysler would arrange for a rental (free of charge) while i waited for the parts to arrive. i was told they would call me in 3 to 4 days with the car rental information. never received phone call. called chrysler again on june 1st, was told to wait another day. called back the next day (today) and was informed that the dealership never ordered the parts and that chrysler needed to "investigate" further before i could be issued a rental, if i would get one at all. now the inspection has expired on the jeep and i am left with an unsafe vehicle. i still have to work and cannot afford a rental for what could amount to a month or more. *tr

On several occasions my car has stalled. prior to it stalling it would have power surges, backfire, the rpm needle would go crazy, and then just shut off loosing all power to brakes and steering. stalling would occur mostly at lower rates of speeds (under 50mph). it wouldn't turnover immediately. i would have to wait 20 to 25 seconds each time and then it would start, almost as if the system resets itself. it's pretty scary when you have to young children and your on a freeway and your car all of a sudden stalls. the second problem i'm having is a very loud noise coming from the rear end. i pointed my side mirror down towards my backtire. i watched as the rearend made a load cluncking noise and it was as if the back tire was being pushed outwards. the third problem is my passenger side rear window just dropped into the door. the motor still works i can hear it. and last but no least my left turn signal blinks extremely fast and then sometimes it doesn't. my car is currently at the jeep dealership. i think it's kind of funny that the guy wants to charge me $200 to investigate the problems i'm having to find out what it is. thanks to everyone's complaints i can call him and tell him the problems, as if he didn't already know. goodluck to everyone. *tr

Start with a noise when i push brakes and after two weeks the left ball joint snap and left side was wreck (paint, bumper) now i'm afraid this thing happen with right ball joint. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. approximately two months after purchasing the vehicle, the contact heard a noise in the front end of the vehicle. she took the vehicle back to the dealer and was informed that the ball joints were the cause of the failure. she was unsure if it was the upper or lower joints that needed repair. the dealer repaired the vehicle for free in july of 2006. in january of 2007, the contact received a recall notice for the ball joints and the dealer stated that the issue was previously repaired. three days ago, while making a right turn, the contact could not move the vehicle. she exited the vehicle and noticed that the front driver's side wheel was tilted outwards. the vehicle was towed to another dealer and they stated that the upper ball joints needed to be repaired. the contact would have to pay for the repair. the vehicle is still at the dealer. the failure mileage was 60,000.

Right front upper ball joint getting close to separation. *tr