Steering Tie Rod Assembly problems of the 2008 Jeep Patriot

The subframe assembly on my 2008 Jeep Patriot has begun rusting out. The outer tie rod ends and lower ball joints are also worn. Similar issues have been addressed through a parts recall on the 2007 Jeep Patriot. This degradation of steering/suspension parts on a 2008 model warrant a recall similar to that of the 2007 model.

The left tie rod is bad and has to be replaced.

I only have 46,000 miles on my 2008 Jeep Patriot and I already need both front lower ball joints replaced and the left and right tie rods. I have never done any type of off-roading in this vehicle, it's only been driven on the street. I'm am very unhappy with this, it's unacceptable to make something so cheap on a vehicle!.

Severe vibration when braking in front end of vehicle, worse when braking downhill. Had to have both front control arm/ball joint assemblies replaced, along with the left outer tie rod end. Checked the Jeep customer web site and found many similar incidents reported by other owners.

Had vehicle in for oil change and was told be dealer that both lower ball joints and tie rod ends were "wore out" and would need to be replaced. Oh and the ball joints are "built in to the lower control arm, so both lower control arms need to be replaced" this is on a vehicle that has only 43,500 miles on it! how can this be! there should be a recall on this because it seems to me that this is happening to a huge number of Jeep Patriot owners and these part should last way longer then 43,000 miles. This is poor quality parts! the owners of these vehicles should not be expected to replace these major suspension part ever 40,000 to 45,000 miles! the cost of this is over $1,000. 00. This is a very dangerous issue and definitely makes the vehicle unsafe.

Both lower control arms and tie rods failed at 30,000 miles and under. I just failed my annual PA state safety inspection for the for the second time in 2 years. This year it was the left lower control arm and outer tie rod. Last year, when it failed the safety inspection, it was the opposite side components. My odometer read 30379 miles at the service date. This is listed on the current invoice from a reputable Chrysler service center / dealership where I had the work done. Last year's safety inspection failure was at about 23000 miles. I am obviously upset that I have had to spend so much money on this safety issue so early in the life of this vehicle. I am also very concerned for the welfare of other owners which may not have required state inspections like I have where I live. I am thankful for the inspections and the mechanic who recognized the issue and possibly saved me from a future accident. I started doing some homework finding that this is a common problem on these vehicles. I found this by looking at many different independent Jeep owner websites, blogs, and even complaints found on the NHTSA website. I do not drive aggressively, go off-roading or any other thing like that which may have contributed to this problem. I am very disappointed that Chrysler has not taken any responsibility for this safety concern to date. In fact, when I sent an email to Chrysler I was given a stock reply amounting to "we are sorry for your trouble but we can't make a diagnosis on your vehicle. Please go to a licensed Chrysler service center. Please report your safety concern with NHTSA. Have a nice day!" . . . And here I am. I wonder if they even read my email because I already had the work done. Hopefully somebody will take care of this before people get hurt or have to pay over a thousand dollars for repairing safety issues Chrysler should be addressing.

Lower control arms and outer tie rods wore out 54,000 miles. Seems kind of low mileage for them to wear out under normal driving conditions. Replaced 2/7/12 for $690. 15.

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Patriot the contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for inspection where they detected that the front passenger's side lower ball joint was faulty. The vehicle was then taken to another mechanic for a second opinion who informed the contact that the front passenger's side tie rod end and lower ball joint would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 37,053. Updated 03/14/lj.

On 9/21/2011 this vehicle was taken to our dealer for regular service at 30,979 miles. It was discovered to have defective and loose lower control arms and tie rod ends. The dealer indicated the vehicle was not safe to drive for any extended miles. There was at least 1/2" play in the wheels. The parts have now been replaced. Previous inspection & tire rotation at about 25,000 miles and 2 1/2 months ago indicated no suspension problems. The only clue to the problem was some 'clunking' noise in the front end when going over bumps. This vehicle was purchased new, has been serviced regularly by the selling dealer, is driven exclusively on the road, and has been in no accidents. Up until may 2011, it was driven only about 7,500 miles annually. It was out of warranty for only 40-days. I am incredulous that a well maintained 4wd vehicle would have a major suspension failure with such a rapid onset at such low miles. Research on the internet indicates this is a common and potentially dangerous experience by other Jeep Patriot owners that should be taken more seriously by the manufacturer than it currently is.

Failed tie rod ends and balljoints causing premature tire wear and loose steering.

Our vehicle had been making creaking/groaning noises for a few weeks. We took it to pepboys for it's annual inspection, when the mechanic determined that both lower ball joints were bad, along with the driver-side outer tie rod. The vehicle only had 20,058 miles at the time of inspection, and I've read multiple complaints on various websites as well as here on safercar. Gov regarding these premature ball joint failures, and the related parts that have subsequently failed. I opened a case with Chrysler customer care, and after having their own people inspect the vehicle, they've replaced only the passenger side ball joint and the failed tie rod. After picking up the vehicle (and paying for a portion of the repair service, which included $150 for the 'extended warranty' CO-pay and a $69. 95 alignment) the vehicle is still making some squeaks, indicating that the driver-side ball joint may also be failing. I guess someone has to die before a safety recall is issued, otherwise there'd already be one based on the current level of complaints. I hope that the NHTSA will take the steps required to implement a safety recall of all mk49 chassis code suspension parts (Jeep Patriot and compass, and Dodge caliber) before the sudden failure of one of these prematurely failing ball joints causes any deaths due to wheel disconnection and loss of control.

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Patriot fwd. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a routine tune -up when the dealer diagnosed that the tie rod, lower control arm and the ball joints had to be replaced. The dealer replaced only the ball joints. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,242 and the current mileage was 62,892.

2008 Jeep Patriot tie rod end failure at 50k miles. Good thing I had a state inspection and they found this. I've not had front end parts go bad like this in any other vehicle. I found out that they are using cheap front end parts on these vehicles, some fail at under 20k miles. Tie rod ends, ball joints, and control arms seem to be defective.

In October of 2009, I noticed an odd clicking sound coming from the area of my tires. The Jeep started to make louder cranking sounds and gradually became more and more difficult to steer. I was able to make the Jeep to the dealership to investigate the sound. I didn't feel safe or comfortable driving the Jeep in this condition. Upon taking the Jeep to bob boyd, a certified Jeep dealer in lancaster, ohio, it was determined that the axle nut retainer was rusted away. The rust was cleaned from the axle and the nut, per the service report, and the axle nut was retorqued. The charge of this "repair" was $157. 47, with no other repairs being made. I was told that if I had not brought the Jeep in at the time I did, there was a possibility that the axle nut could have caused the tie rods and wheels to come apart from my vehicle while driving. At that point, the problem seemed to be gone. My husband asked if this could cause any other types of problems in the future with my steering and wheel assembly and he was told that there would be no problem. In August of 2010, I was recommended to have my tie rods replaced, as there was a noise coming from my tires again. Upon having my car taken to bob boyd again, I was told that my lower control arm and ball joint needed to be replaced. With an alignment, the total cost was $694. 60 for this visit. I understand that tie rods are a wear and tear item, however, I think that the rusted axle rod is a safety issue on a vehicle that was just over a year old at the time it was found. Please let me know if anyone else has had this problem, as a rusted out part that could cause a vehicle to "come apart while driving" should be considered a safety issue. Thank you.