Front Suspension Upper Ball Joint Problems of Jeep Liberty - part 2

Drove into a driveway with a bump up of about 6 inches, and suffered a catastrophic failure of the right hand upper ball joint causing loss of steering control, in my 2003 Jeep Liberty limited. Recall work for lower ball joints was completed June 28, 2007. Upon inspection, upper ball joint had lost all lubrication (seals/bushings rotted) and joint was severely pitted and rusted. I pulled the ball joint and am attempting to replace it. However, local Chrysler dealer only sells the entire upper control arm (incl. Bushings and ball joint) at $215 per side.

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My 2005 Jeep Liberty renegade 2wd has both front upper ball joints with signs of excessive wear. My car has never been off road and I have never hit anything that could cause such of abnormal wear. My car has 56000 miles and according to the mechanic it has been like this for a while. Note that this car had the lower ball joint replaced do to a previous recall.

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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.

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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.

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. While attempting to accelerate out of a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating and could not be moved. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that the upper ball joint separated. The current and failure mileages were 81,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. While driving 30 mph in the process of a turn, the front passenger side control ball joint suddenly snapped. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 128,000.

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.

Upper ball joint on passenger side upper control arm separated. Ball shows extreme pitting and no signs of lubrication.

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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.

Near collision due to torque problem, vehicle moves slightly left with acceleration and moves substantially right with deceleration. If you release gas pedal in a curve vehicle moves right about 1. 5 feet. Dealer test drove found vehicle shifting to left and right based on acceleration and inspected vehicle initially could not find fault. Only through lost Jeep forums with other owners of Jeep Liberty complaints of same problems found and the fix was that all of the rear bushings are worn on the lower control arms and possible the upper tri-link arm/bushing need replacement with the rear upper ball joint if movement present. Real problem is that due to the lower control arms bushings worn out that the rear differential is shifting slightly causing the vehicle torque problem.

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.

I own a 2004 Liberty and had the front lower ball joints replaced due to a recall. I started hearing an awful sound and took it to my Jeep dealer to find out the front upper ball joints are bad. The left is severely separated and could go at any time. I don't have $400 to repair what I would consider a defect. This vehicle is barely 5 years old and I have had some pretty major problems with it. In the short time that I have owned it I owned a 1996 Jeep cherokee for 8 years and never had more than an O2 sensor problem. I would appreciate a response at your earliest convenience.

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.

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. Approximately two months after purchasing the vehicle, the contact heard a noise in the front end of the vehicle. She took the vehicle back to the dealer and was informed that the ball joints were the cause of the failure. She was unsure if it was the upper or lower joints that needed repair. The dealer repaired the vehicle for free in July of 2006. In January of 2007, the contact received a recall notice for the ball joints and the dealer stated that the issue was previously repaired. Three days ago, while making a right turn, the contact could not move the vehicle. She exited the vehicle and noticed that the front driver's side wheel was tilted outwards. The vehicle was towed to another dealer and they stated that the upper ball joints needed to be repaired. The contact would have to pay for the repair. The vehicle is still at the dealer. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Right front upper ball joint getting close to separation.

Upper ball joints worn to the point the vehicle was considered unsafe by Jeep dealership.

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. While driving 10 mph in reverse, the contact heard a loud noise and then the front passenger tire collapsed. The dealer stated that the upper ball joints fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local repair shop and the upper ball joints are currently being repaired. The manufacturer would not assume financial responsibility for the repair because there were no recalls available. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 57,000.

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????.

The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The technician inspected the vehicle and noticed corrosion in the front upper ball joints. The vehicle was not repaired at that time; however, the lower front ball joints were replaced eight months ago according to NHTSA campaign id number 06v288000 (suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint). The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 77,000 and current mileage was 78,000. Updated 01/07/09. Updated 01/08/09.

Upper ball joint broke while pulling into my drive way. Had it broke only minutes earlier it would have lead to a serious accident.

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.

While driving slowly across a bridge, my upper ball joint disconnected causing the passenger side front tire to fall off. No apparent warning that vehicle was in need of repair. No one was injured. Had vehicle towed and control arm: upper ball joint replaced. The lower ball joints were replaced on 12/29/2006 due to the recall in 06' of the lower ball joints -- it appears the upper ball joints have the same issue. My concern now is when will the other side go bad? hopefully I won't be traveling at a high rate of speed when the other side goes, because I fear the outcome. It only had 61,000 miles at the time -- can I assume the side that was repaired is safe to drive another 61,000. It's not worth putting my life and/or others in danger. How can Chrysler assure me that it is safe? I feel this is a dangerous and premature failure of this part and should be covered by Chrysler, just for safety alone.

2003 Jeep Liberty - lower ball joints replaced on recall notice now I have been advised that the upper ball joint needs replacing. I have read that this is a known problem but no recall has been implemented yet.

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.

Normal highway to semi-hard off-road driving in wyoming. Destroyed 2 sets of upper ball joint/upper control arm assemblies within 45,000 miles. No serious damages yet but scary, still. $400 for parts each time, quoted $359 for labor. Did labor myself, both times.

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 2003 Jeep Liberty. While driving various speeds, the contact heard noises coming from the front driver's side of the vehicle. The failure began in April of 2008 and occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to two mechanics and they stated that there were no failures. Approximately two months later while driving, the driver's side upper ball joint failed. The lower ball joints were replaced a few years ago. The current mileage was 104,000 and failure mileage was 102,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact received a recall notice for the lower ball joints. She took her vehicle to the dealer for repair and was informed that the upper ball joints also needed to be replaced. Since only the lower ball joints were on recall, the dealer would not repair the upper ball joints. The recall number was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 113,987.

We purchased a 2003 Jeep Liberty on December 4, 2002, in kent, ohio, that was manufactured in November 2002. We have lived in akron, ohio, continuously since 2002. We drive the Jeep in the eastern suburbs of cleveland, ohio, very frequently to visit family and to take our son to school. Ohio is a salt belt state, and akron and the eastern suburbs of cleveland experience significantly more snowfall during the winter than other areas of ohio due to lake effect. The right front upper control arm assembly became loose, almost to the point of failure, and was replaced on April 26, 2008, at our cost of $597. 87. On December 17, 2007 NHTSA opened preliminary evaluation pe07-q62 for 2002 -2003 Jeep Libertys based on complaints of front suspension upper ball joint separation. On April 7, 2009, Chrysler notified the NHTSA that [t]he front suspension upper control arm ball joint [of 2003 Jeep Libertys] may experience a loss of lubrication which can lead to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation while driving[,] and agreed to conduct a safety recall to replace the front upper control arm assemblies on all affected vehicles. ¿ additionally, Chrysler stated that [t]he vast majority of these alleged separations occurred in salt belt states. A review of some returned parts indicated compromised sealing, loss of lubrication which resulted in corrosion, accelerated wear and separation. ¿ however, Chrysler has refused to reimburse us for replacement of the failed front upper control arm assembly because it was manufactured in November 2002 and not between may 2002 and September 30, 2002, even though it is the same part, manufactured on the same assembly line with the same materials, and Chrysler admitted that [n]o root cause for this increase in the rate of separation during this five month build window in 2002 has been determined. ¿ we request that the recall be expanded to include Jeep Libertys manufactured in November 2002.

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.

While driving slowly out of my driveway, my upper ball joint disconnected causing the passenger side front tire to fall off. I did have my children with me however no one was injured. The apparent recall in 06 of the lower ball joints was unknown to me at the time. Chrysler did replace the upper and lower ball joints. I was charged a $150. Deductible which I feel is very unfair considering the investigation revolving around the upper ball joints and obvious concerns about the lower ball joints. My concern now is when will it happen again, it only had 50,000 miles at the time and can I assume it's safe to drive another 50,000. It's not worth putting my kids in danger. How can Chrysler assure me that it is fixed!.

Both left and right upper ball joints have failed and require replacement. The condition was originally evident by front end suspension noise and loose steering. The joints exhibit severe wear and corrosion.

While driving my 2003 Jeep Liberty the front passenger wheel snapped off. The date was 3/9/08. I was turning a corner and felt a sharp snap and the front end dove toward the ground. I had the vehicle towed and it was repaired at a cost of approx $400 plus $60 for towing. The description on the repair bill is "ball joint came out of upper control arm. Replaced rt front upper control arm assembly. " I tried calling Jeep's corporate office (3/14/08 at 10:45am) per the dealer recommendation. The corporate person said it was out of warranty, she very rude and refused to do anything to assist. When I asked to speak to the person's supervisor she refused saying they she was authorized to make these decisions. My greatest fear is that if I was on my normal daily commute of 70 miles on the freeway and the wheel snapped off, then I probably would not be typing this message today. The car would have easily flipped. I have the old part and it is available for review. I wish Jeep corporation was more responsible to recognize the seriousness of this failure. Of note, is that there was a recall on the vehicle in 2006 for the ball joints causing loss of steering control. I had that repair completed in 2006. However it certainly did not prevent me from losing control of the vehicle during this incident.

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.