2002 JEEP LIBERTY Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED OVERTIME THE RUBBER SEAL ON THE REAR GLASS CAME LOOSE. UPON INSPECTION THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE GLUE BETWEEN THE RUBBER SEAL AND GLASS DETACHED. THE ENTIRE REAR WINDOW NEEDED REPLACED.

4 COLLEGE FRESHMAN COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A 2002 JEEP LIBERTY SPORT DUE TO BALL JOINT FAILURE. WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AT AN EXTREMELY LOW RATE OF SPEED THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT SNAPPED CAUSING THE TIRE TO BUCKLE INWARD WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO TIP AND THE AXLE TO BREAK. AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE COVERED THE BALL JOINT, AXLE AND RIM. WHAT WAS ALSO DAMAGED BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION WAS THE MOLDINGS THAT ARE AROUND THE TIRE AND THE WASHER FLUID TANK, WHICH CHRYSLER WILL NOT COVER. THESE DAMAGES WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURED IF THIS VEHICLES FRONT END DID NOT FAIL. ALSO THIS VEHICLE IS MAINTAINED PROPERLY AND TIMELY FASHION. IT WAS A PARENTS NIGHTMARE COMING HOME FROM DINNER AND HAVING 3 FRANTIC MESSAGES FROM A DAUGHTER IN COLLEGE IN ANOTHER STATE 10 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME. I THINK THE LEAST CHRYSLER COULD HAVE DONE WAS TO COVER THESE ITEMS. *NM

1. I HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE ALL DAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT WITHOUT ANY NOTICEABLE IRREGULARITIES. ON THE MORNING OF THE FAILURE, MONDAY, JUNE 12TH, 2006, I HAD JUST STARTED THE MORNING COMMUTE TO THE BABYSITTERS WITH MY 1-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER AND HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT A MILE DRIVING BETWEEN 55 AND 65 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. 2. THE FAILURE WAS INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE A FLAT TIRE (FRONT DRIVER SIDE), ALTHOUGH I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED A FLAT TIRE THAT SLOWED A VEHICLE SO FAST AND JERKED THE CAR SO SUDDENLY. I HONESTLY FEARED THAT THE VEHICLE MIGHT FLIP OR ROLL OVER, AND SEEING OTHER CARS NEARBY IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR, THE SAFETY OF MYSELF, MY DAUGHTER, AND OTHER DRIVERS WAS MY INITIAL CONCERN. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW BAD THIS MIGHT HAVE TURNED OUT IN THE WINTER ON A SNOWY SURFACE OR EVEN JUST A RAIN SOAKED SURFACE. ONCE I GOT THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN AND ONTO THE SHOULDER, I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE DESTROYED TIRE. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER GETTING ALL OF THE LUG NUTS OFF OF THE WHEEL THAT I REALIZED THERE WAS A BIGGER PROBLEM. THE WHEEL WOULD NOT BUDGE. 3. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST LOCAL TIRE STORE (TIRES PLUS). THAT IS WHEN THEY DIAGNOSED THE BROKEN LEFT LOWER BALL JOINT WHICH HAD SEPARATED AND BECAME LODGED INTO THE WHEEL AND DESTROYED THE WHEEL. I HAD TIRES PLUS REPLACE THE BALL JOINT, ORDER A NEW (CONDITIONED) WHEEL, AND REPLACE THE TIRE. LATER THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER RIGHT BALL JOINT WAS LOOSE/HAD MOVEMENT AND ADVISED ME TO HAVE IT REPLACED ALONG WITH A SECOND NEW TIRE AS WELL. I AM ASSUMING THIS STEERING/SUSPENSION ISSUE CAUSED EXCESSIVE WEAR TO THE TWO FRONT TIRES. I AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS AND AM NOW OUT A LITTLE OVER $1200. INTERNET RESEARCH TODAY LED ME TO MANY INCIDENTS INVOLVING JEEP LIBERTY LOWER BALL JOINT FAILURES AND AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. NO HELP/CONSOLATION/REIMBURSEMENT WAS OBTAINED ON THE PHONE WITH DAIMLER CHRYSLER. THEY BASICALLY SAID "SORRY, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO". *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FELL TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED A SECOND TIME UNDER RECALL. A NHTSA RECALL, #03V460000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE LOWER BALL JOINT HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY BUTTON REMAINED DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 7/13/2006 - *NM

I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED ABOUT MY 2002 JEEP LIBERTY RECALL ON THE FRONT BALL JOINTS. LUCKILY I JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND WAS ONLY GOING ABOUT 5 MILES PER HOUR AND THE BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FELL OUT. I HEARD A BIG CLUNK AND THEN COULDN'T MOVE THE CAR, THE INSIDE RIM WAS ALL GOUGED. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD ABOUT THE RECALL ON IT. I PURCHASED MY JEEP IN DEC 03 AND THIS RECALL WAS NOV 03, THE DEALER SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM PRIOR TO SELLING IT. *NM

I PURCHASED A USED 2002 LIBERTY WITH ONLY 45,000 MILES ON IT, 9 DAYS LATER IT HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY THEN HAD IT FOR 2 WEEKS REPLACING THE HEAD BECAUSE THE EXHAUST ROCKER SPIT OUT OF PLACE. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE TENSIONER, TAPPETS, CAMSHAFT AND A FEW MINOR PARTS ALONG WITH THOSE. I HAD THE VEHICLE BACK ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WILL PROBABLY REPLACE THE WHOLE ENGINE. *NM

I WAS DRIVING MY 02 JEEP LIBERTY DOWN THE INTERSTATE PASSING A 18 WHEELER AT 75 MPH WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS, SPEEDOMETER, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS TURNED OFF. I ENDED UP SLAMMING ON MY BRAKES AND MOVING MY CAR TO THE SIDE. I THEN HAD TO DRIVE 50 MILES WHILE HOLDING MY BRIGHTS IN, AND MY FLASHERS ON. AFTER THE FACT, I REPLACED A FEW FUSES, AND THAT WORKED FOR ABOUT A MONTH. THEN, ONCE A GAIN, THE SAME THING HAPPENED, AND THIS TIME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE FUSES. TO THIS DAY, MY CAR IS PARKED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE TIRE CAME OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE LOWER BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. A NHTSA RECALL, # 03V460000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINT HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR WITHOUT CHARGE UNDER THE RECALL.

WE WERE RETURNING HOME TO CANADA FROM A HOLIDAY IN CALIFORNIA THROUGH THE REDWOOD FOREST AND SEVERAL OTHER MOUNTAINOUS/CLIFF SIDE HIGHWAYS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN WASHINGTON STATE WE HEARD A THUMP AND THEN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. THE TRUCK WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER OFF THE ROAD. WHEN WE TRIED TO JACK UP THE TRUCK, TO CHANGE THE TIRE, WE REALIZED IT WAS SOMETHING FAR MORE SERIOUS. THE LEFT BALL JOINT STEM WAS STUCK THROUGH THE ALUMINUM RIM. THE CONTROL ARM WAS ALSO BROKEN. THERE WAS OVER 200 FEET OF RUBBER LAID WHILE TRYING TO STOP AND CORKSCREWS OF ALUMINUM FROM THE WHEEL ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. THIS ALL HAPPENED WITH 22,377KM DRIVEN. THE BALL JOINTS WERE THEN REPLACED AGAIN WITH THE RECALL IN NOV/2003. ON MAY 4/06 THE BALL JOINT SEPARATED AGAIN WHILE PULLING ONTO THE STREET FROM A PARKING LOT. THIS TIME WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY @145,534KM. THE REPAIRS/TOWING AMOUNTED TO APPROX. $700. THE BILLS HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO DAIMLER CHRYSLER CANADA FOR REIMBURSEMENT. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT THIS TRUCK HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN OFF ROAD. *JB