Front Suspension Lower Ball Joint problems of the 2009 Jeep Patriot

Tire dealer indicates that front lower control arms need replacing due to worn ball joints. The vehicle has approximately 47000 miles and is driven for family pleasure only. This is premature wear. All four tires wore prematurely. (in fact, the ball joint issue was discovered when the vehicle was in for tire replacement. ) if the ball joints separate, control of the vehicle would likely be lost. The tire dealer recommended immediate replacement of the defective ball joints and to avoid driving the vehicle until repairs are made. There are many complaints on the internet about this (2007-2017) compass and Patriot models. This is a safety issue! Chrysler has issued a recall for defective lower ball joints on the 2004 Jeep liberty. The same should be done here before a fatality occurs.

At less than 370000 miles, (just out of warranty) I noticed a clunking and rattling noise from the front driver side of my 2009 Jeep Patriot. After a few days it spread to the passenger side front. When taking off or braking, especially around 5-10 mph, the clunking is really loud. I drove to Chrysler in wiesbaden, germany, and informed them that I believe it was a lower ball joint making the noise on both sides. Later they called me and said I was right, and they do not do ball joint repair, they replace the control arm. Makes sense, I am a mechanic, sae certified, working at a repair facility. The customer service manager also said I needed a cv boot on the passenger side. Cost of a control arm (part only-600 euro!!. Cost of a cv boot, just a piece of rubber, 201 euro. Parts only. Total cost with parts and labor would have been 1,060 euro, about 1200 us dollars for one side only. I did not allow them to rob me, so I ordered both sides, control arms, cv boots, inner and outer tie rods complete. I installed them with the help of my supervisor using manufacturer's data to torque all bolts and nuts. Parts used were Chrysler USA parts. The replacement parts started making the same noises the same day. Chrysler needs to recall these cars and manufacture a fitting part. The material is too cheap for such a heavy car. So, no warranty, no recall (nobody died yet!) and no cooperation from Chrysler.

The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Patriot. The contact heard a noise in the front end of the vehicle whenever he drove it. The noise was intermittent at first but became progressively worse over time. In addition to the noise, the vehicle would pull while the contact was driving. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer several times where the bushings, a sensor, front strut and a lower ball joint were replaced. The failure continued to occur. The dealer could not figure out what was causing the failure. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The current mileage was approximately 46,000. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.