2002 Jeep Liberty Limited V6 from North America
Summary:
Love the car - the problem was costly
Faults:
Upper ball joint failure under normal driving conditions.
General Comments:
Although this Jeep does have so-called high miles, this part (upper ball joint) should never fail under any circumstances. After successfully negotiating the Liberty to a stop from the 40 MPH breakage, I took some pictures of the interior ball joint. I am a excellent mechanic and can honestly say this ball joint broke due to corrosion and fatigue. Chrysler said they inspected the part and determined it was from an "Impact"... Yeah, Right... anyone have a bridge for sale?
Anyway, I found there was a recall on the lower ball joint and not the upper, and after fixing the problem I know why. The upper ball joint is fused into the upper "A" control arm and would cost Chrysler a ton of money to replace all those Liberty's out there. I was told by Chrysler that I'm on my own, I just wish someone would have informed us by a warning or possibility of breakage for the Upper. So check yours if you own a Liberty, because it seems to me "inevitable!"
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 22nd July, 2006
31st Jan 2009, 10:50
I took my Liberty into the dealer to get the lower ball joints replaced due to the recall, and they failed to tell me the condition of my uppers, and here it is, not 6 months later and the jeep drives as though I'm driving on a cattle trail because the uppers are falling apart. I would have appreciated a heads up on the condition of the uppers when I took it in the first time. "Trail Rated", yeah right! Only if that trail consists of going to the market.
1st Apr 2008, 14:53
I have had the same problem with the ball joints on my 2004 Jeep Liberty. You can go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and file a complaint. The NHTSA conducts investigations that lead to national recalls; you could get your vehicle fixed for free or get reimbursed for repairs that have already been completed if the agency finds a manufacturer's defect.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm