Front Suspension Upper Ball Joint problems of the 2002 Jeep Liberty - part 1

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that front passenger side upper ball joint detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall related to the suspension in 2007 but the contact stated that the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 09v119000 (suspension). The failure mileage was 153,000.

Got a flat tire and noticed that my two front tires were wearing extremely unevenly (both tires looked fine on outside, really worn on inside). Been noticing some slipping in the steering wheel for about a month, getting worse throughout the month. Aaa came to fix the tire and said the ball joint looked bad and that they "see this all the time on these vehicles. " I had already had f23 done on this car which was supposed to fix the lower ball joints but probably didn't and noticed there was a recall called j17 which covers the upper ball joints which for some reason didn't apply to my vehicle because it was built in may 2001 and the affected vehicles were built may-sept 2002. I suspect my vehicle should have been part of that recall, especially after what aaa said and what they said at the repair shop, that they see faulty ball joints on these all the time. Why was my defective car not included? did Jeep really make the cars worse after may 2002 or is it more likely mine had the same problem? this omission has led to an extremely hazardous condition and unreliable steering. I have had nothing but problems with this car since we bought it a year ago. A/c evaporator went bad out of nowhere, hit a bump which caused one of my brakes to snap, something that's inexcusable with an SUV, it's just repair after repair.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while the driver was parking, the front passenger tire separated. The vehicle was towed to the contact¿s home and was inspected by a private mechanic. The technician stated that the front passenger upper ball joint fractured due to corrosion and caused the tire to separate. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 180,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to shake. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an alignment, who notified him that the upper ball joint needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 06v288000 (suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint). The current and failure mileage was 142,000.

Chrysler has issued a recall for the 2002 Jeep Liberty regarding the upper control arm failure. This failure is due to failure of the ball joint seal allowing contaminants to eventually cause the ball joint to fail. The recall notice #j17 recall id# 09v119000 only includes vehicles subject to corrosion from road salts in the northeast. I own a 2002 Jeep Liberty and have noticed that both the joints on the upper ball joint of the control arm have failed (split) and as result have allowed contimanents to enter the ball joint resulting in its replacement. I feel these vehicles need to be covered under the recall notice #j17 for the same reason. It is a "safety issue" and has nothing to do with being worn. There is a defect in the manufacturing process for if there wasn't the rubber seal around the ball joint would not have split. For the split on the rubber ball joint seal to be noticed, a person has to look really close at it. I noticed mine because I was changing out my front brake pads and did a close up inspection. This is of concern to not only me, but I am sure a lot of the other Jeep Liberty owners who have had their vehicles front end drop out from under them when they were driving. I live in georgia and do travel to the northeast from time to time and also travel south to florida from time to time. My concern is this: both seals failed on the ball joints. Both ball joints are subjected to elements similar to those of the vehicles in the northeast even more so while along the coast of florida. There have been numerous ball joint failures on Jeep liberties in georgia and fla for the same reason there have been ball joint failures on Jeep liberties in the northeast. A response regardint this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Passenger upper ball joint failure.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph the vehicle began to veer towards the left. At the same time, the passenger side of the vehicle dropped downward. The contact was unable to turn the steering wheel and crashed into a set of trees. A police report was filed. Both the driver and passenger were hospitalized as a result of their injuries. The manufacturer investigated the failure and informed the contact that the upper ball joint seperated from the vehicle. The contact was also informed the steering wheel was bent and the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 09v119000 (suspension:front:control arm). The vehicle was towed to a storage yard, but was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 170,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Car was taken in for another issue with the Jeep vehicle (seems constantly happening). I was told the upper ball joint was failing and car should not be driven. The mechanic called re a possible recall and was informed my vehicle was not in the recall. The date of manufacture was in the required date range but the car was not sold in a "salt belt state". Actually the car was in the date range (may 1 was start of manufacture - mine was may 2) this is not acceptable. I was driving a dangerous vehicle on an interstate constantly and in an inspection for a leak in fluids this ball joint failure was found. Jeep constantly refuses to pay for issues that are turning out to be excessive repairs for many owners. But an extreme vehicle parts failure such as this is not acceptable and should involve all vehicles - not just those in the so called "salt belt".

I have a safety recall on my 2002 Jeep Liberty (safety recall j17 front suspension upper ball joints). When I called jeff wyler Dodge/Jeep in ft. Thomas ky, I was told that they were receiving only one recall repair kit per week and that I would be # 30 on the list. That means that my son has to drive the car for over four months on a recalled part.

While inspecting front brake pads noticed rubber boots on lower and upper ball joints were completely deteriorated (dry rotted). This is a 2002 Liberty 4x4 renegade with 37000 miles highway driving only. Lower ball joint was covered by recall at dealer . Upper control arm /ball joint (assembly) is covered in so called salt belt states ,but not here in texas . The rubber boots (seals) appear to be made with defective material that cannot withstand any environment. Apr 09,2009/recall id#65314 should cover all Jeep Liberty vehicles in all states. This is truly a dangerous life threatening defect that needs to be fixed by Jeep dealers at company cost immediately to save lives.

2002 Jeep Liberty upper control arm ball joint broke while backing out of driveway. Vehicle was not drivable. Vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting repairs. This vehicle has been recalled per chrylser recall f23, but not for the latest Chrysler recall j17 and the local dealership claimed they knew nothing about recall j17. Need help as j17 seems applicable in this situation.

Recall #009v119000 dated Apr 09, 2009 expected to begin October 2009 covering 2002 Jeep liberties excludes the state of louisiana - condition described in the recall exactly describes the problem with my vehicle. Since Chrysler is aware that this condition does exist, why does it exclude the state of louisiana. "the front suspension upper control arm ball joint may experience a loss of lubrication which could lead to corrosion, accelerated wear & possible separation while driving. Consequence: failure of the ball joint could result in a loss of steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash. " previous recall on lower ball joint has been taken care of.

I left my house to go to work and started to pull away when I heard a clunk and then a terrible grinding noise - I tried to back up and the upper ball joint in my Jeep snapped and took the brake line with it. I got out and the wheel/tire was hanging sideways on the vehicle. Thank god I was not driving on the highway at the time. Chrysler says this is not a recall and will not consider fixing it. I am very disgusted as this is a safety issue and the lower ball joints had been recalled previously and there is a bulletin now out about the upper. Because there is no recall connected to my VIN they will not consider it however. I will be fighting this.

2002 Jeep Liberty-driving 30mph in residential neighborhood front drivers side dropped to street and car immediately went right up on the curb and missing a tree by inches. The front upper ball joint had separated and the tire was on its side under the front end. The joint was bone dry. Husband bought parts and fixed the vehicle.

Was turning right onto a busy road when the front upper ball joint failed. Managed to get to the side of the road. Was told by a local dealer that Chrysler would not do anything for this, regardless of the numerous complaints I've read about online. I replaced the upper control arm myself. $226. 00 in parts.

Failure of upper ball joint let side on 2-27-09, two days after the lower ball joint on same side was replaced as per recall. The replacement of the lower ball joint was the fourth such replacement. I initiated the repair two days earlier after the vehicle began to make a grinding noise. The lower ball joint failed a couple of years ago while the vehicle was traveling in reverse at low speed while backing out of a parking space. The failure of the upper ball joint happened about five minutes after traveling at 70 mph down an interstate. After exiting the freeway, I pulled the Jeep into a parking lot of a convenience to check directions and then pulled out at low speed - less than 10 mph. It failed.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. While driving 5 mph in reverse out of a parking space he attempted to move forward and the front of the vehicle collapsed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The failure was located at the front upper ball joint. The estimated cost for repair was $1,000. 00. The vehicle was not repaired. He will contact the manufacturer. The current and the failure mileage were 90,000.

Took 2002 Jeep Liberty for oil change. Informed vehicle needs 2 new upper ball joints. Bottoms were recalled by Chrysler. Why not the uppers as well????.

My daughter was driving and turning into a parking lot, as she was turning left to park the car, she said something happened. She got out of the car to find the drivers side wheel had collapsed. The upper ball joint broke or separated causing the tire to collapse. This caused the Jeep to be totally disabled and I'm sure will be a very expensive repair. What is even scarier is that this could have happened on the highway and something much worse could have occurred. How unsafe is this vehicle!!! please look into this vehicle. The SUV has not been repaired yet. It is still being looked at. I noticed that this is not the only complaint about this problem. Please take care of this so that our families are not in danger!.

On 09/08/2008, the vehicle(2002 Jeep Liberty sport), was being driven at a slow rate of speed approximately 5mph exiting right out of a parking lot. It was at this time the drive of the vehicle heard a loud pop or cracking noise. The vehicle jerked forward and then came to a stop at which time the driver struggled to move the vehicle to the side of the road out of traffic. The driver then exited the vehicle and discovered the tire was folded under the vehicle. The driver noticed a broken part that was later determined to be the upper ball joint. Had this incident occurred at a higher rate of speed maintaining vehicle control would have been impossible causing injury to the driver or to other motorists. It should be noted this vehicle received a recall for a similar part in 11/2006, the lower ball joint. This recall and all other recalls had been completed according to Jeep records. The owner is currently awaiting an estimate for repair.

My 2002 Jeep Liberty with 90,000 miles, the front right upper ball-joint failure occurred when I was attempting to make a left turn across the flow of oncoming traffic. As I turned south on mound rd from hall rd in sterling heights michigan I, heard a loud noise from the front right and then the wheel separated and I lost control of the vehicle. My Jeep was towed that night to utica van dyke service for repairs 586-739-2680.

I was driving my Jeep Liberty 2002 sport 4-wheel drive truck. I went over a set of railroad tracks and I heard a terrible squeak! I pulled over into a bank parking lot to find my tire under my car. The upper ball joint broke causing me to have my truck towed and fixed.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The vehicle was included in two previous recalls regarding the lower ball joints. While driving between 30-35 mph, the contact suddenly lost control of the vehicle. It jerked to the left into oncoming traffic and crashed. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and it appeared that the upper ball joints snapped out of place, causing the loss of control. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The failure mileage was 70,000.

I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty. My car was giving me problems. So I took it to the shop. They told me that my upper ball joints needed to be changed at a cost of $963. 00. I told them that it had been recalled. They told me that it was only the lower ball joints. I did research online and it seems like I'm not the only person who had to change the upper ball joints too. I really think it should be recalled too, before more people out there get hurt.

I began to hear a knocking sound in the front right wheel well when I hit little cracks and bumps in the road. Lifted it at a mechanics shop and found the upper ball joint was about to fail. Had to buy a new one so I wouldn't lose control while driving. I inspected the old one and found the ball could nearly have complete separation.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle became very unsteady. The failure was also noticed while driving at all speeds. The contact stated that the vehicle made a severe clunking noise prior to the upper ball joints failing. The vehicle is currently at the state inspection station. The upper control arm was replaced. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 41,000.

I was on my way to work driving my 2002 Jeep Liberty when I heard a strange noise. I pulled over to check for any visible problem. I found nothing. I began to driver a short distance when I heard a loud noise coming from the right front end. When I to pullover the vehicle lost control. Fortunately I was able to stop the car . Again I stepped out of the car to check for a problem. Once again I saw nothing visibly wrong. I slowly moved the car out of traffic when my Jeep lunged forward and came to a full stop. When I checked for the problem my right front wheel had fallen off. What a scare. This could of ended up being a very tragic accident .

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the upper ball joint failed and the wheel fell underneath the vehicle while driving. The vehicle is currently at the repair shop. The speed was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 72,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The lower ball joints were replaced due to NHTSA campaign number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). While performing the replacement, the dealer noticed that the upper ball joints also needed to be replaced, however, they were not under a recall. The dealer repaired the upper ball joints. The current and failure mileages were 39,300.

Saturday August 18th 2007 I received a recall notice from daimler Chrysler regarding the lower ball joints on 2002-2006 Jeep liberties. The recall said water could get into the front suspention causing the ball joint to corrode and separate which could lead to loss of steering and a possible accident. While driving home from work on Monday the 20th (2 days later) my front left wheel fell off without warning, causing loss of control and nearly causing an accident (coincidence?). The dealer said that my upper ball joint had corroded and separated and the recent recall would not cover my repair. Daimler Chrysler said there's nothing they can do and I would be responsible for repairs. I went online and was shocked to find (in only about 20 minutes- so there must be many more) that hundreds of people has the exact same failure with their 02' -06' Liberty. Although I would like daimler Chrysler to take responsibility for the repair, the more important issue is that there seems to be a serious problem with these cars (specifically the ball joints). The recall should definitely include upper ball joints as well. Luckily I was only going about 15-20mph (my car was still completely fish-tailed) if I had been doing anything over 40mph I'm certain I would have rolled it. I'm sure there has to be people out there who had family or friends killed in accidents caused by this exact issue. . . They probably don't even know how widespread the problem is.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact received recall notice number 03v460000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). She took the vehicle to the shop for repair and they informed her that the vehicle also has a defective upper ball joint. The contact would be responsible for the repair costs. She feels that the repair and the costs should be included in the recall repair. The current and failure mileages were 40,000.

I have been trying to receive a reimbursement from my '02 Jeep Liberty for recalled upper ball joints that we had already replaced. I have a receipt for a "cash sale" but they will not accept it. Dealership is closed. Every time I try to call your number to file a complaint, I'm put on hold for 5 minutes then the connection is broken. I have tried 3 times today. Please advise how I'm to file this complaint. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. He stated that his daughters vehicle was included as part of a recall (NHTSA campaign #03v460000) for the lower ball joint. The vehicle has been repaired twice. The contact felt that the upper ball joint was damaged due to a torn rubber pad. The mechanic stated that the brakes on the vehicle were inappropriate based on the weight of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 27,000 and the current mileage was 61,000.

Jeep Liberty 2002 model subject to recall for lower ball joint failure, recall #f23. Lower ball joints replaced by dealer, found upper ball joints also worn out. This problem is similar to the cause of the lower ball joint failure - seal failure with attendant lubrication failure and corrosion.

After having satisfied not one, but two recalls on the 2002 Jeep Liberty renegade for lower ball joint issues, the upper ball joint on the driver side failed as I pulled into my driveway at a 45 degree angle. The tire fell into the ball joint, stopping the Jeep (moving at 5 mph) in its tracks. I am very thankful this did not occur on the highway at 70 mph not 10 minutes earlier. Slight noises were coming from under the vehicle and had just gotten a bit worse a day or two before the failure (although it was driving normally), so I was about to schedule an appointment for it. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, the car itself is fine too, well, other than the missing wheel. . . Parts will be replaced tomorrow at my expense - I am attempting to work with the service manager and likely Chrysler directly to be reimbursed for the obvious flaw. A 4 1/2 year old vehicle with 65k miles driven normally should not simply fall apart like this - warning to all Jeep Liberty owners to have all upper and lower ball joints inspected regularly (at least annually) for this dangerous condition.