← NHTSA complaints

2003 JEEP LIBERTY — SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

crash · 453232 · 2004-02-03

Vehicle

Make
JEEP
Model
LIBERTY
Year
2003
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
Miles at failure
22,000
Speed
30 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 2 LANE COUNTRY ROAD, WITHIN SPEED LIMIT, ROAD CONDITIONS EXCELLENT. I HAVE A PRISTINE DRIVING RECORD. I ROUNDED A BEND AND WAS APPROACHING THE STRAIGHTAWAY AND ALTHOUGH I STEERED TO STRAIGHTEN THE VEHICLE, MY JEEP CONTINUED TO GO TO THE RIGHT. I TURNED THE WHEEL HARDER TO CORRECT THE DIRECTION AND THE JEEP VEERED TO THE LEFT INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR BACK TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, BUT THE CAR HIT THE GULLY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A TREE STUMP. ALTHOUGH I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE CAR FELT LIKE IT SKIDDED TO THE RIGHT AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKES DIDN'T ENGAGE. WHEN I CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I BROKE THE FRONT WHEEL AND DAMAGED THE REAR WHEEL, BROKE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, DAMAGED THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING KNUCKLE, AND DID SOME BODY DAMAGE. WHEN I QUERIED THE DEALER ABOUT HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN, THEY SAID THEY KNEW OF NO DEFECTS ON THE 2003 LIBERTY. AFTER FINDING THE INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM/BALL JOINT RECALL, AND CALLING THE DEALER AGAIN WITH THIS INFO, THE DEALER SAID, OH YEAH, THEY KNEW ABOUT THAT, BUT "DON'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO RECALLS." I HAD THE CAR SERVICED BY MY DEALERSHIP ON 12/16/03, THE DAY AFTER THE RECALL NOTICES WERE SUPPOSEDLY SENT TO CUSTOMERS (I STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED ONE AS OF 2/3/03), BUT THEY NEVER MENTIONED THE RECALL OR SCHEDULED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE PART. I AM AVAILABLE FOR CONTACT IF THERE ARE OTHERS OUT THERE WHO HAVE EXPERIE

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10056486
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown