Problems with 2004 Jeep Liberty SUSPENSION

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated received notification of nhtsa campaign id number 12v085000 (suspension) however, the part needed to remedy the defect was unavailable. the dealer was unable to provide an expected date for the remedy part to become available. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the contact had not experienced a failure.

We took the car to a dealer to have the lower control arm replaced due to a recall on the part. we were told by the dealer that the upper control arm was bad and they would not do the recall repair of the lower control arm until we paid to replace the upper control arm. we were told the part was pretty much worn out and hanging by a thread and the only thing holding the tires to the car were the shocks. the upper control arm is not part of the recall and dealer charge to repair it was $600. the recall of the lower control arm is because the part can wear out due to not being treated for the salt used on roads in our state. the upper control arm is also falling apart for this same reason yet is not included in this recall. the upper control arm also needs to be recalled. *tr

Almost in fire and shake all the car but im fine . *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 30 mph, the rear passenger side of the vehicle nearly encountered the ground. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced both rear lower control arms. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v085000 (suspension). the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

2004 jeep liberty 4x2 has speed wobble, throws the jeep side to side and is increasing in sway monthly if not daily. now when you lift off the accelerator to slow down the jeep throws itself to the right. when the jeep has four people in it and some weight in the rear trunk area it is not noticed but when it is just the driver or one other passenger the speed wobble is noticeable. it is causes the steering to be extremely loose and sloppy so much to the point that an attempt to avoid road debris may throw the jeep into a death roll because it is already center of gravity challenged being a stock jeep with no modifications, jeeps are made this way but the steering is even more dangerous now then ever. our jeep was purchased in florida and now i am retired military living in virginia along the coast like in florida i believe our jeep liberty needs to meet the recall standards as the ones listed in the "suspension rear lower control arm" recall. this is a bad situation. *tr

Rear control arm failed. chrysler will not fix rear control arm because the vehicle is registered in south dakota. the rear control arm on this vehicle was recalled for vehicles in other state because of the salt on the roads during winter driving. south dakota has the same salt on roads as minnesota and iowa (states listed on the recall) and should be included in this recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, she heard a loud thumping noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and noticed the front driver side hub had detached from the vehicle. the contact placed the hub back on the wheel. the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 12e047000 (suspension: front: hub) that may be related to the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vin was not included in the recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 159,000....updated 04/25/13 *bf

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty sport. the contact stated while traveling 3 to 4 mph the drivers side front control arm detached. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the vehicle would veer to the left or right independently without any notice. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnose that the front ball joints and control arms broke. as a result, both needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle had been repaired under recall nhtsa campaign id number: 06v288000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 111,000 and the current mileage was 111,200.

When on vacation getting ready to drive back home from nc to ny turning into a parking lot the right front ball joint snapped. we had to have the vehicle towed to have it repaired only to find out when we arrived home and i looked up online that there had been an previous recall on this that i was never notified of. the repair tech ripped the "better brand" more expensive moog brand boot when he put it on and didn't tell us. we didn't find out until arriving home & then we had to take it to another shop 45 min away to have it repaired again.. if we had been notified previously we would have had this taken care of prior to and had it fixed the right way. thankfully we were pulling into a gas station parking lot at the time of the incident and not 20 min later when we were driving 65 mph down the highway or this could have caused a serious accident. *tr

2004 jeep liberty. attorney representing consumer writes in regards to rear suspension lower control arm recall notice. *smd the consumer was injured, when the jeep she was driving spun out of control and ultimately hit a tree. she suffered injuries to her right hand, left leg, ribs and left knee. the attorney stated it appeared his clients injuries were based upon the same defect as reported in recall # 12v085000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact received the recall notice associated with nhsta campaign id number: 12v085000 (suspension:rear). the contact stated that the repairs were not made because the parts were not available. the contact notified the dealer, however they did not provide further information. the manufacturer was not made aware of the situation. the failure and current mileages were 145,000.

While driving on the interstate, the driver side rear lower control arm broke causing loss of control and veering to the right. after research i discovered that there is a recall for just such a problem but doesn't include the state in which i reside. even though i live just 10 miles from two states where the recall is in effect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when a sudden loss in steering control occurred and the vehicle swayed off the road, crashing into the median. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the driver's side lower control arm was fractured. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 12v085000 (suspension:rear) however the vin and vehicle's registered state were ineligible under the recall. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

In 2006 the dealer claimed to replace the lower ball joints per the safty recall. we had been experiencing a loosness and rattle in the suspension lately. upon inspection it was noted that the lower ball joints were very loose and this jeep has only 18400 miles on it. i suspect that the dealer just signed off on this safty recall instead of doing the required work. we have kept the suspected ball joints for inspection and further investigation in this safety related mater. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle began to wobble abnormally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics. the mechanic advised that the front control arm was fractured due to corrosion. the mechanic stated that the front control arm, tie rod, wheel and spindle would have to be replaced. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint) but was advised by the manufacturer that the vin was not included in the recall. the vin was not available. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

2004 jeep libery. consumer writes in regards to recall l27/nhtsa 12v-085 *tgw on two occasions, the consumer was informed the parts were not available. finally, when the parts arrived, the dealer stated he would have to leave they vehicle, because they couldn't commit to how long it would take, because they were busy. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that he received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v085000 (suspension:rear) in april 2012. the contact stated that he attempted to have the vehicle repaired on numerous occasions however, the dealer constantly stated that they did not have the necessary parts to complete the recall repairs. after six months, the contact still had not been able to have the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that no dealer in the area had the parts available. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Rear control arms from frame to axle have defective rubber bushings. bolt holes and bushing are rotted/rusted/worn. *js

2004 jeep liberty. consumer requests reimbursement for towing and parts. *smd the consumer stated the upper and lower ball joints were replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 30 mph, there was a loud bang and the rear lower control arm detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised of nhtsa campaign id number: 12v085000 (suspension: rear). the manufacturer was contacted who advised that the vin was included in the recall and when the recall remedy had begun, the vehicle would be repaired accordingly. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 174,000.

Passenger side rear control arm broke in half. caused vehicle to make a hard left turn crossing center line into oncoming traffic. fortunately there was no oncoming traffic at that moment so there was no crash. visual inspection revealed massive corrosion on both control arms. when this happens, you have no control of the vehicle. this recall needs to be expedited and owners need to be notified before someone gets injured or killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number 12v085000 (suspension:rear). the contact notified an authorized dealer and scheduled and appointment to bring the vehicle in for repair. on the day that the repairs were to be performed, the dealer stated that the parts were not available and they were unaware as to when they would become available the contact was informed that the parts were on a back order. the manufacturer was not yet notified. the failure mileage was 105,000.

2004 jeep liberty. consumer states vehicle front end fell to the ground while stopped at a light. *tgw the consumer had the vehicle towed where they repaired the lower ball joint and upper control arm and ball joint on the driver's side. the consumer stated a recall was issued. however, he never received a recall notice. recall #06v288000 *jb

I was driving in traffic when i felt the rear of the car suddenly shift at least a one foot to two feet. it felt as if i had been hit by another car. i drove approximately 500 feet where i could pull into a parking lot. i checked my tires and looked the vehicle over. i did not look under the car. i got back into my car which handled very poorly. i drove about one half mile to my destination, got out of the car again and called my husband, explained what happened and asked him to come look at my vehicle. my husband looked under the car, the lower rear control arm had broken almost all the way through and rusted. my vehicle was moved to my daughters house (she lives one mile from my destination, i live 25 miles from my destination) the car is parked until i am able to get it repaired. pictures taken show that the damage is from a corroded part that should not become corroded. this part failure is the responsibility of the manufacturer. minutes before the incident i was on the interstate driving 70 miles per hour. if the part had broken then, i am certain it would have resulted in an accident most likely involving other vehicles and injuries. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the front lower ball joint started to exhibit an abnormal noise. the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 06v288000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint) but the failure recurred. the dealer was notified of the failure who advised the contact that any repairs to the vehicle would be at the vehicle owner's expense. the manufacturer was also notified of the failure who advised that the vehicle was previously repaired under the recall and they were unable to provide any further assistance. the failure mileage was 76,000.

The rear passenger side lower control arm has completely rusted threw causing it to crack in half while driving at 30 mph which caused the car to swerve all over the road. the driver side rear control arm shows serious signs of corrosion and a crack in the unit is starting to appear. *tr

I was backing out of garage and heard a pop and then grinding noise. stopped immediately and found the left front upper ball joint had popped out of the control arm. the ball joint is rust pitted badly. i would assume the right front ball joint is in the same condition. i am also aware that the 2002-2003 liberty's have an open recall for this problem due to water intrusion. i had the recall for the lower ball joints replaced under warranty. i was lucky that there was not a separation while driving at speed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact was driving 35 mph when the rear of the vehicle abnormally began to sway back and forth. the dealer inspected the vehicle and advised that the rear trailing arms were corroded and needed to be replaced. in addition, the dealer confirmed that the vin failed to qualify for repairs under nhtsa campaign id number:12v085000 (suspension:rear). the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 127,854 and the current mileage was 131,000.

I recently noticed abnormal tire wear (insides balding) on my front tires so i replaced the tires and took the vehicle for an alignment. before the repair shop would do the alignment on the vehicle the checked the components to be sure that the was no other problems. they found that the lower and upper ball joints were bad on both sides and stated that it was unsafe to drive. i immediately contacted my local jeep dealer to inquire about the repairs and to check for recalls. they advised me that there was a recall on the lower ball joints, i asked if the lower ball joints could cause the upper ball joints to go bad and they said that it could. i asked if that would be covered under the recall as well since they could have caused the upper ball joints to become bad, and i was told no that it would only cover the lower ball joints. so my complaint is that the recall should cover the upper ball joints as well because even after the repairs on the lower ball joints the vehicle is still unsafe to drive if the recalled part caused the problem to the upper portion as well. *tr

While driving 60 mph on the staten island expressway in ny i heard a thump and lost control of the vehicle. it was as if i was driving on ice. the rear end of the jeep swayed side to side until i was able to bring it to a stop. the drivers side rear lower control arm snapped causing the rear axle to move to the rear on the drivers side. this caused the drive shaft to pull out of the transmission and hit the ground. while moving forward the drive shaft was dragging on the pavement moving side to side as it was still turning because the rear wheels were turning. luckily i was able to bring the vehicle to a stop while just barely avoiding hitting a guard rail and other cars in the lane to the left of me. once stopped i was stuck on a two lane exit at 11:00 pm with cars doing 60 mph coming to a screeching halt behind me and with some cars swerving into the adjacent lane to avoid hitting my car. this car is driven most by my wife with only my daughter in the front passenger seat. on this evening we had two adults in the front and two adults in the rear seat. i believe it was the added weight in the rear seat that caused the arm to break at this time. these vehicles need to be recalled and repaired as the situation will only get worse as they go through more winters. it looks to me like they want to wait until someone is killed before they do a recall. i also believe that a lot of these part failures are going unreported. had the drive shaft hit a lip, pot hole or other obstruction before stopping, my vehicle could have flipped over causing serious injuries or death. the cost for the repair which had to include a new drive shaft was over $1100.00. if needed i have the failed part and the other control arm and drive shaft. i also have photos of the failed part. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 55 mph, the rear end of the vehicle began to fishtail uncontrollably causing difficulty in the steering. the contact was able to gain control and maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated both rear trailing arms were completely covered with rust and exhibited numerous cracks. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving, he lost control momentarily. the contact noticed that one of the tires was deflated and the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that the rear control arms were rusted and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 120,000. one control arm was completely busted and rusted through. the other one was rusted and would have broke at anytime. updated 10/19/2011 *ln *tr

While driving down the main road in our town at 30mph driver heard a loud noise and then lost control of the steering in 2004 jeep liberty. the car was swerving and the driver had no control of the vehicle. the car went off the right shoulder of the road, scraped a metal mile marker and finally came to a stop. it has been determined that the left rear lower control arm had corroded and broken. this could have resulted in a very serious accident.

While initially starting to move the vehicle, my wife noticed that the car was not acting correct. she got me, i looked under the car and noticed that the drivers side rear axle control arm was completely rusted through and the rear tire was moving back and forth in the wheel well. obviously the car was inoperable to use at this time. the jeep dealership (pinckney chrysler dodge jeep inc., pinckney, michigan) claimed they did not know of any issues with the rusted through control arm and the service manager did check for any outstanding recalls on the vehicle but i knew we were not the only ones that had this problem. i went to a local jumk yard (because were very tight on money) and bought a used, like new one and replaced the part myself. the junk yard said they sell a lot of them, obviously jeep has a problem and are trying to hide it with this component rusting through. i do have the failed part in my possession and will gladly e-mail pictures of it to anyone of interest. *tr

Had been driving and hear squeaking/creaking when turning the vehicle. every once in awhile, i would feel the vehicle slip on a turn. one morning when i was driving to work; as i entered the parking lot, i heard a loud pop on the driver's side followed by a harsh grinding. i was able to pull into a parking spot, but it is clear that the vehicle is not drivable. i was going no more than 5mph when this occurred. *kb

While traveling on a curvy state route, i noticed that my jeep wasn't handling the turns quite as well as normal. once i arrived in town, i made a stop at a traffic light and when i began to move again, i noticed a very loud grinding sound near my passenger side rear tire and felt my vehicle begin to fishtail as i accelerated more. fortunately, i was able to safely come to a stop in a restaurant parking lot and inspect the vehicle. at that time i noticed a rusted piece of metal that had separated itself from the frame and sway bar. i also inspected the other side, and observed obvious and excessive corrosion on the opposite side as well. had the complete separation of this part happened while i was driving on the curvy roads or on an interstate at highway speeds, it without a doubt would have caused severe vehicle damage and had major potential for driver and passenger injury or even loss of life. fortunately, the worst case scenario didn't happen,but, i am still left without transportation, as this was my only vehicle. this vehicle had to be towed on a flat bed tow truck and is still awaiting repair. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 2 mph, the contact heard a loud noise when suddenly the front driver's side of the vehicle collapsed to the ground. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the front upper control arm was replaced. there was a recall under a nhtsa campaign id number was 12v085000 (suspension:rear); however the recall pertained to the rear lower arms. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 91,618. updated 6/7/12 *cn

For the last year or so we have had problems with the jeep swaying everytime we accelerate and decelerate. this was becoming a serious safety concern and took the jeep to my mechanic after researching on google and finding other jeep owners reporting the same issue. my mechanic reported that he had to replace the rear suspension lower control arm which fixed the problem. i had this work done in april 2012 and have since seen that a recall has been issued for this same problem (nhtsa action number ea11013) but the recall does not include jeeps manufactured in texas since it is explained that the cause is corrosion due to application of road salts during winter weather conditions. i believe this needs further investigation of the potential causes and needs to be expanded to texas and possibly other states as well. i personally would like chrysler to be held accountable and believe that i should be reimbursed for my expenses which were quite substantial. *tr

Lower control arm was extremely corroded and fractured causing the rear axle to become detached. this caused the rear end of the vehicle to fishtail at a low rate of speed. vehicle had to be towed to a repair station. *js

The rear trail arm rusted through and fractured making the jeep nearly impossible to control. i had to call a tow truck.

Loss of control of 2004 jeep liberty limited due to failure of lower trailing arm. lower trailing arm snapped due to corrosion according to repair shop. the vehicle was being driven at about 30mph on rural back road on straight section. jeep veered back and forth wildly until was able to stop. both rear lower trailing arms were replaced, the broken one and the other one which was also badly corroded. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the driver thought that she had a flat tire, but continued to drive. the driver inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear drivers side control arm had fractured. the dealer was contacted and advised him that there was no recall for that component. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 78,000.

I was driving noticing i had lost control of the car. i thought it might be a blown tire or alignment issue. i got out to check after driving awhile on a 30 mph road. i noticed the rear control arm on the drivers side was rusted and broken apart. i then had no rear control of vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty limited. the contact stated that the vehicle exhibited a loud popping noise while the vehicle was idle. as the contact accelerated to 20 mph, she realized she had little control of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test and confirmed that the rear control arm was rusted and fractured. the vehicle was repaired and the dealer advised that the passenger side control arm was also rusted and could fracture at any time. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was awaiting a response. the current mileage was 61,000 and the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 06/24/11 *bf updated 1/18/2012 *ln *tr

2004 jeep liberty. consumer writes in regards to vehicle ball joints *tgw the consumer stated the lower ball joints were replaced. the consumer is seeking reimbursement, since a recall was issued. *jb

On february 21st 2012 i was driving to work. i lost complete control of my vehicle and went down a steep ditch and crashed into a tree. my air bag did not deploy. my vehicle was declared a total loss. now i have received a recall, saying a control arm could break and cause loss of vehicle control and cause a crash. *tr

The car did not feel right when i was driving home one evening and the whole back end jumped to the right when going over bumps or traffic passed my car. i got off the freeway and as i turned a corner the whole back end just slid and the vehicle was hard to keep control of. i had to drive 10 mph on city streets to get home and the car was difficult to control, it wanted to keep sliding to one side or the other. i found, on getting home, the rear lower control arm had rotted out and failed. it looked as though it had been in salt water for 25 years. if i had been at freeway speeds when it failed there is no doubt in my mind it would have caused an accident and very likely a fatal accident to me. i have seen 20 year old cars that do not have this kind of rot on critical parts like this and feel there is no way this should of happened on a 7 year old car. i have spoken to chrysler and they will not help me on the repair as it is out of warranty but the real concern is to the pre-mature failure of this critical part. i have kept the part they removed if anyone would care to inspect it. i hope this may help other owners inspect this part and prevent a serious accident. i hope someone from the nhtsa contacts me so i can further express my concerns. updated 05/12/11 *bf updated 1/5/12 *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the left rear lower control arm broke while the vehicle was traveling 30 mph. the failure occurred because the control arm was rusted. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear right control arm was about to also break due to rust. the dealer stated that the broken control arm needed to be replaced. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 76,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle violently pulled to the right. the contact pulled over and upon examination, he noticed the rear lower control arm was rusted and broken. the vehicle towed to an authorized dealer where it was being examined for the cause of failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 56,000. updated evoq 02/01/11*jb