Problems with 2003 Jeep Liberty STEERING

A recall was made for jeep liberty for the control arms upper and lower and the ball joints. i was told my vin did not have the recall. however, others had the recall and jeep paid for the repairs. after the repairs the wheel hub went bad, and a recall was made for that but not my basic model. after replacing the wheel hub the driveshaft was damaged by all the issues. a recall for the same vehicle was made for a driveshaft and again the bass model was not included in the recall. this time jeep said they would fix the driveshaft and when it came time they denied it.

Took my liberty to my mechanic because it started making a horrible sound up front when ever i made a turn. upon inspection my lower ball joints had disintegrated, crumbled into their hands. they could not believe how lucky i was that it did not break while driven. nothing was holding it in or together. come to find out there are recalls on both the upper and lower ball joints. i was never notified. i have had the lowers fixed and paid for with lifetime warranted parts. i need reimbursed for the lower $488.27. the upper ball joints also must be fixed on a separate recall that i was never notified of. do these people have any idea how bloody and devastated an accident would be when your wheel shears off and there is no steering? it's called flipping the fringing jeep over!!! not only is it unacceptable that i wasn't notified but i could have killed my father and others in an accident. my mechanic told me straight up if i had gone over a bump or turned i would have wreaked! i can not believe that there are other people that have had accidents with more damage or a full total of theirs and others are not being reimbursed for the entire damages. thi fixed wrong the first time by the dealer, before their wreak. how is that not their responsibility? there is no excuse for any of those jeeps or mine not being fixed. these are straight up recalls something is wrong with this, really wrong.

I want my car included in recall j17. my car should have been included in the safety recall "chrysler recall no. j17", campaign # 09v119000 . i have verified with chrysler that my car was both built and sold in illinois, and therefore in the target recall population. see following excerpt from recall text: 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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while driving 5 mph, a loud squeaking and clanking sound emitted from the vehicle and it became hard to control without warning. when the steering wheel was turned slightly, the vehicle veered to the left or right. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the driver and passenger side lower ball joints needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 125,000.

This car leaks power steering fluid. many similar jeep 2002 and 2003 have this problem. this car has only 50000 miles. the dealer wants to replace the entire steering system.

Every time i turn a corner my steering makes a very squeaky noise. i have visited the jeep form and many owners of this vehicle have complained about the same issue when its hot

While driving an extremely short distance from my home driveway (maybe 50 feet), my "driver side" seatbelt pretensioner and airbag deployed. there is already a recall for airbag/seatbelt pretensioner on my vehicle (m35 (12v-527) or n13 (13v-040) r06). when i brought my vehicle into suncoast chrysler dodge jeep ram, they to told me the recall was for only the "passenger side" and "driver side" was not part of the recall. they said they could not find any reason why the "driver side" airbag and seatbelt pretensioner deployed. they said the cost to replace my airbag and seatbelt pretensioner would be just under $1500.

We were driving on a busy street to go our house when we heard a warning tone when we were turning over a roundabout. after 10 seconds, the air bags blew up all of a sudden. it was fortunate that we are running only at 10 mile per hour or slower as it was rush hour and there was traffic. also my husband was able to put on the brake to avoid hitting the car in front of us. we were badly shaken, traumatized and had bruises on our arms and chests due to some parts bursting towards us. the steering wheel cover and dashboard where the air bags were are pretty damaged. we totally cut out the air bags to avoid the repeat of this incident. my husband is now traumatized to drive the jeep. we also heard some strange sounds in the serpentine belt. we don't now if it's connected to the air bag explosion. our car was bought second. the first owner who is american imported the jeep from the us and brought it here (another country in southeast asia). we are living abroad (not in us) and we don't know how we can file this complaint on the defects of the jeep liberty we are using. we hope someone can respond and help us. i am putting the contact details of my brother who lives in the us in the personal information in case someone would like to contact us. *tr

I have replaced the power steering pump and hose multiple times and all those times the pump went bad right away, i believe there might be more to the problem than just the pump. when the pump first goes out i loose control of steering. is there any recall on this? *tr

I have reported this to daimler chrysler in regards to the ball joints i feel the recall parts were never fixed and could not get an answer as to whether they were ever replaced this vehicle at one time was in an accident not known when i purchased this jeep to be safe and it is the worse vehicle ever i have a four year old and like i said to daimler chrysler if anything happens to me or my family while rising in this vehicle there will be a lawsuit. *tr

When attempting to switch lanes, it felt as if the steering wheel locked and the vehicle began to swerve between lanes. i had no control over the steering, therefore the vehicle continued to swerve and eventually slid off road into a median full of trees. once in the median, the vehicle began to roll over. the vehicle rolled 3 or 4 times, eventually coming to a stop passenger-side down. there was damage all over the body of the vehicle, including the front and sides. airbags did not deploy. vehicle was taken in less than a year ago to get fixed due to a recall on the air bag system, but airbags did not deploy during crash. i was taken via ambulance to a local trauma unit. vehicle was totaled. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 mph and making a right turn, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. the check engine warning light illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 158,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the steering wheel seized causing the vehicle to spin and the rear of the vehicle crashed into a median. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 12v537000 (steering). however, the part needed do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and no warning lamps were illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a dealer who diagnosed that the steering column was fractured and causing the ignition switch to malfunction. as a result, the steering needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 92,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact attempted to start the vehicle but the key would not turn in the ignition. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the steering column, ignition switch and lock cylinder needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

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.

I was on my way home when it became very hard to steer the vehicle which resulted in a accident,also the airbag never deployed. the insurance company did in fact total the vehicle.

I was on my way home from whiteville nc i was going down antioch chruch rd,as i proceded to go into a curve i noticed that i couldn't turn the steering wheel that caused me to go off the road and i lost control and when the vehicle came to a rest in a feild the vehicle had landed one side up i think it landed on the passenger side down.i later find out that there was something wrong with the suspension on the jeep.i always wondered what caused the accident that night,i am just learning about the recall on the jeep i had.i lost alot of money that i had including the down payment,the payments that i paid,the stereo system etc.i knew from the begining that something wasn't right with this vehicle.i tried to get the dealership that i got it from to fix it,but in response i was told that it didn't come with a warranty.so nothing was done. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stated that when she inserted the key into the ignition, it would not turn. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who stated that a piece of the steering column broke and was preventing the key from turning. the mechanic stated that the unless something long was stuck into the ignition like a screwdriver, the ignition could not be turned over. the mechanic called the manufacturer who stated that they were no longer making the part needed for repair and the entire steering column needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 80,400. updated 03/22/11*lj updated 05/05/11

For the past month or so, my steering wheel ignition locking mechanism has been nerve racking. i put the key in, but it doesn't even turn...almost like i am using the wrong key. if i jiggle a bit it will work...but last night nothing was working. now - my steering column is locked, so i can't even attempt to spin the steering wheel while i try the key. it has been towed, which now will cost me an arm and a leg i am sure to fix. i have researched online and was surprised to see how many people are complaining about the same thing. we are all having the exact same problems. i have read things like broken shift interlock cable, broken ignition rod, etc... i am puzzled why this hasn't been brought to the surface and there is no recall. this is dangerous especially for those that have young children, like myself, incase i am stranded in the middle of nowhere. who knows what lowlife would cross my path all because jeep was aware of this problem and hasn't so much as even recognized the issue. i will never buy a jeep again. *tr

This is a problem with my 2003 jeep liberty. difficulty turning key in ignition. steering wheel must be forced to turn to the right. dealer says that the steering column must be replaced due to bearing seizure. cost = $630. this is a dangerous situation and should cause a recall. checking various forums, numerous people have had difficulty with ignition and steering column problems. *tr

My 2003 jeep liberty will not start. i replaced the key lock component 4 months ago. now, my dealer is telling me that i need an entire steering column at the cost of $1000. i am not alone go to www.topix.com/forum/autos/jeep-liberty/t4edn8hgld2h8123l/p3 for a wealth of similar complaints. how can this not be a recall? the problem seems to exist to the newest of jeep libertys. the part is in on a 1-2 month back order. i am very stressed out over this. my vin # is incorrect because it is at the dealer and i don't have access to it. *tr

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

There wasn't an incident/failure in this case, however i am hoping to prevent one from occurring. over 950 people have the same part (a power steering hose) on back order. if that many people have had to order this part, isn't it defective? meanwhile, well over 900 of us continue to drive a jeep in which the steering can go out at any moment, causing how many potential injuries and deaths? i think this should be looked into-it is definitely a safety hazard. *tr

2003 jeep liberty - lower ball joints replaced on recall notice now i have been advised that the upper ball joint needs replacing. i have read that this is a known problem but no recall has been implemented yet. *tr

Making a right-hand turn from work parking lot the front right wheel control arm split in half causing the right wheel buckle. control arm, knuckle suspension and ball joints were replaced. contacted chrysler at the time and told that there was no recall concerning those parts. my mechanic thought the part might have been faulty. *tr

2003 jeep liberty with lower ball joint problems. customer states that she never received the recall for the lower ball joint repair. she ended up breaking down on the road, and chrysler will not refund her. *kb the consumer stated while driving, the left front wheel became loose and fell of the vehicle. the manufacturer stated the way the consumer went about having the vehicle repaired negated any reason for them to consider reimbursement. the dealer also found play in the left front outer tie rod and left front axle boot. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. in december of 2006, while driving 55 mph, the steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably. the contact was unable to immediately stop the vehicle. there was snow on the ground at the time of the failure. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. most recently, while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel began to shake uncontrollably and the vehicle rolled over and crashed into a ditch. three passengers were injured and the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. on both occasions, the air bags failed to deploy. the contact informed the insurance company that there was something wrong with the steering wheel, however, they were unable to determine the cause of the crash. the vehicle was towed. the current mileage was 94,000 and failure mileage was 87,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contacts grandson heard a loud breaking noise and the steering immediately locked, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. the rear passenger side tire detached from the vehicle; however, he was able to avoid a crash and successfully stop the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local garage. a police report was filed. a professional technician inspected the vehicle and noticed that the front and rear axles were corroded for a very long time, which caused them to fail. the insurance company stated that the vehicle was completely destroyed. the dealer did not provide any assistance. the manufacturer stated that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint), but the contact never received a recall notice. the manufacturer sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle and it was discovered that there was no correlation between the failure and the recall. the manufacturer is refusing to assume any liability for any of the damaged components caused by the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired and the contact has pictures of the failed component. the failure and current mileages were 61,000. updated 05/06/08 *bf the consumer had brusing on his shoulder. updated 04/01/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. the contact received recall notice#06v288000: suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint in february. the mechanic stated that there was damage to the tie rod and steering knuckle. the dealer stated that they would repair the vehicle at no charge; however, they advised her at the appointment that she was responsible for paying $600 to repair it. the dealer also stated that the recall repairs are only related to the lower ball joints. the failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 77,310. the dealer stated replaced left outer tie rod, left knuckle, wheel speed sensor, and fixed hub assembly. the consumer provided invoices of repairs for vehicle. updated 07/05/07 *tr

Have recall on my jeep liberty 06v288000 it was issued in aug 2006 it is now dec 2006 the manufacture has not made the parts available to the customer. i call each week and they state part will be shipped and we will call you when we have them. if this was bad enough to have a recall the manufacture should make the parts available. *nm

Tl*- the contact received recall 06v288000 on 10/25/06, for 2003 jeep liberty. the contact stook the vehicle to dayton jeep, and was told that they didn't have parts available to make the repairs. the dealer did not give her an appointment at that time. the contactried on numerous occasions to get an appointment ,and the dealership still refused to setup t an appointment. also, the contact was having steering problems during all types of weather, especially under rainy conditions . *ak

2003 jeep liberty, left lower ball joint separated causing wheel to nearly separate from vehicle. vehicle repaired by chrysler. since repair there has been loud noise when steering wheel is turned. brought back to repair facility to be inspected. informed that the lower control arm bushings cracked causing failure. this seems to be related to another material defect as the control arm sleeves are pressed as were the ball joints. i contacted chrysler and they stated there is no recall at this time. the vehicle is three years old and for two major material failures at the same time seems to be a serious problem. is there any others who have complained of this problem? *jb

Steering rack failure. near miss collision. loss total control of vehicle. consequences could be a fatality. smithfield jeep denied the incident to defective parts a recall and would not pay for the repair of a defective product. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the power steering pump was noticed leaking. the power steering pump leaked for several months, although the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repair.

While i was approaching an intersection (the speed limit was 45 mph), i tried to apply the brakes and they were locked. my steering was also locked that i couldn't turn. thank god the signal just turned green for me as i coasted right through it and finally came to a stop on its own. i am very unhappy with this vehicle. i could have been in a serious accident, or better yet, dead! i no longer feel safe in this vehicle. my lease is up in 11 months and i will no longer purchase a daimler chrysler vehicle. *ak

Consumer was making a right hand turn and steering locked. consumer was unable to contol the vehicle and it struck a tree. no injuries sustained.*ak

Dt: a clunking noise in the front end of the vehicle. took it to the dealer last year and they said they couldn't find anything. wrong. currently, took vehicle to an independent mechanic, who determined it was the tie rod end on the right front side. vehicle was out of warranty. *ak

Dt: contact received a recall notice for the lower ball joint and had the repair work done. seven months later the ball joint failed again while the vehicle owner's son was driving at 35 mile mph. the ball joint failed while driving over a bridge ,and t vehicle was damaged. vehicle had to be towed to the owners home, and then to the dealership for repairs. the wheel and brakes, both fell off the vehicle. the police were called. however no report was filed because there was no crash. repairs were done. . the owner noticed that before the ball joint failed. there was too much play in the steering. when the wheel is turned it takes the tire a minute to catch up. the owner is concerned that the ball joint is about to go out again. the replacement parts do not seem to be any different than the original parts. the caller heard a report of a lady dying with the same problem in her vehicle.*ak

The steering locked, causing the vehicle to strike a barrier and roll over. recall 03v460000 was issued on the steering, however, manufacturer did not find fault for the crash.*ak

While driving between 60 and 65 mph consumer lost control, and rear ended another vehicle. dealer notified.*ak

While driving 55 mph the steering column malfunctioned. as a result the driver loss control causing the vehicle to roll over three times landing on it's roof. the airbag deployed upon impact. no injuries reported. the consumer states two weeks prior to the collision the steering column experienced problems such as vibration and loud clunking noises. please provide any additional information. *nm

While turning during rainy weather the consumer would temporally lose steering control. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *nm *mr

Transmission is leaking,brakes squeal when you are backing up. they say it is from dew. it's in the garage at night. the steering is my main concern.it pulls so hard to the right. it's an accident waiting to happen.

When turning corners the vehicle's steering wheel be came very stiff as if there wasn't any power steering. this problem has occurred at least seven times. the dealer could not duplicate the problem. the manufacturer is aware of the problem. *nm *jb