Steering Tie Rod Assembly Problems of Jeep Patriot

Takata recall: I had a repair done to my Jeep Patriot two weeks ago. The repairs were over 800$. I had to have the two front control arms, ball joints, and tie rods replaced. As I was driving to work, I lost steering and now not able to drive my vehicle.

See all problems of the 2011 Jeep Patriot 🔎.

Car purchased in WI and driven in TX. Car has been taken regularly to mechanic for maintenance for front suspension problems. At 77k, two outer tie rods and two lower ball joints replaced, at 133k, replaced one lower ball joint and one outer tie rod again. At 136k replaced inner tie rod. At 143k replaced two front control arms. Currently, both control arms and outer tie rods need to replaced again, current mileage is 198k. Mechanic has reported noise coming from front suspension and has noted heavy amount of rust on the front cross member. Structural integrity of the metal in front cross member is weak and further compromised if driving in areas where salt is used to DE-ice road. In addition tires have needed to replaced each time due to uneven wear resulting from this problem. Car is main driven in city environment.

See all problems of the 2007 Jeep Patriot 🔎.

Since I bought car in February of 2018, immensely they had to replace the rear ended and tie rods. I have always noticed how loose the steering is and if I drive in a groove in road the car would automatically go into that groove. I also notice going up a hill the cruise control would be set but car would slow down and not go up in elevation very well. Now the Jeep is chugging severely when I am at a complete stop and place gas to go again. It acts like fuel system is messing up and/or continuous transmission is messed up. Also the driver's and passenger seats do not heat and manufactured seat clips all broke simply by getting out of vehicle normally. The passenger seatbelt also locks no matter how or slow you pull it and lock it in. The passenger seat is way higher and unable to adjust height etc. . I am more concerned about power and slugging from stop position and cruise on hills.

See all problems of the 2013 Jeep Patriot 🔎.

The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Patriot. While being serviced for the brakes and rotors, the independent mechanic determined that the cradle, bolt joints, and tie rods were severely rusted and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.

See all problems of the 2009 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.

See all problems of the 2008 Jeep Patriot 🔎.

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.

Had to replace both outer tie rod ends and both front lower control arms . Had vehicle in for service on 7/5/12 and they had to replace master cylinder and were suppose to do a vehicle inspection at this time.

The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that the front end was exhibiting an abnormal squeaking noise when driving various speeds. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where an inspection was performed. The contact was advised that the front ball joint had worn prematurely due to defective material. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,700 and the current mileage was 10,500. Updated 12/4/cn the consumer was informed both lower control arms, ball joints and tie rods needed to be replaced.

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.

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.

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.

July 2011: submitted my vehicle to my local mechanic for a scheduled oil change and was advised that the ball bearing assembly was so structurally inept that the front wheels could be detached from the vehicle. Repairs were made as was a major safety issue. Nov 2011: about 4,000 miles later our Jeep was scheduled another oil change, and the same mechanic noticed that since our last service the tie rods were in need of replacement. My mechanic advised that this is not typical of a vehicle that has total 49,000 miles and could not have predicted such issues between routine service appointments.

The contact owns a 2007 Jeep Patriot fwd. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, a loud noise was heard from the front end of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle for inspection by the dealer where they informed the contact that the tire rods and ball joints were failing and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no known recalls for the failure. The failure mileage was 32,000.

I started noticing a vibration and steering wheel shimmy. I took it in to get new tires and alignment. I was told (and shown) that both front passenger and driver side lower ball joints were bad and the front outer tie rod on the drivers side was bad. I was told that with only 41100 miles on the vehicle the parts should not be bad. I was quoted a price of around $1000. 00 to replace the defective parts. They could not do the alignment because of the defective parts and now I have a vehicle with $700. 00 worth of new tires sitting in the driveway. I have an appointment at the dealership in two days. I purchased an extended maintenance plan when I purchased the vehicle. We'll see if the dealer honors the agreement. I decided to investigate and have found numerous others who have had the same problems as I. I purchased the vehicle new and it's only been driven on paved streets and highways, never "off road".

Took my 2007 Jeep Patriot in for a oil change, was told that the tie rod's were very lose. The mechanic did not want me to drive it home for fear of the tie rods breaking lose and causing me to crash. My warranty has expired and I did not have the 700 00 to fix it. Mechanic said this should not happen on a vehicle with only 55,000 miles on it.

Problem was isolated on a routine oil change. I had noticed handling problems coming down hill and applying brakes earlier in the month. Dealer says both front tie rod ends are shot, as well as lower right ball joint and control arm. They want $600 to repair it. I have researched this and it can cause rapid tire wear, or loss of control. The failure is apparently endemic with Jeep Patriots, as I have found many complaints from other owners as frequent as every 12k miles on the Jeep Patriot online forum. Some owners have almost lost control of their car. Some owners have reported multiple failures. I have never had a car which required a tie rod or control arm, let alone at 32k miles. This vehicle is supposed to be a rugged off road vehicle, and I have yet to take it off the road. So why did it fail so soon? if this faiure occurs this frequently, and if each occurence carries a potential loss of control, wouldn't that be a serious safety hazard?.

Premature failure of tie rod ends on 2007 Jeep Patriot. Have replaced two (2) outer and one (1) inner tie rod end in 33,000 miles of purely on road use. Tie rod ends are not servicable and are inadequate to the task. The first failure was noted at an annual motor vehicle safety inspection at less than 24000 miles.

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.

2007 Jeep Patriot - 58,000 miles - never been off road - highway driven 90% have to completely replace front components - ball joints / tie rods, etc. Rear wheel bearing needs replaced told by mechanic we were lucky we didn't have an accident - they were that bad. Can't believe Jeep has not been forced to recall and fix this terrible problem.

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.

This vehicle is my daughters and when we took it in to have new tires installed they discovered the defects. In April 2010 my daughter complained of a clunking noise when she would hit a bump in the road. She called me and I assured her that it was safe to drive with only 35000 miles on the vehicle. During this same timeframe she took this Jeep in for a regular oil change and at billion motors in sioux falls,sd and they tell her she has a bad tie rod end. Again I assure her that with only 35000 miles it is okay to drive. I have been a mechanic for over 30 years, but I was wrong. When we took this "Jeep" in to new tires installed the technician informed us that the right front lower ball joint and the left front outer tie rod end were defective. We went to the tire shop and he showed me the defective parts, so I had new parts installed. At this time the vehicle was four years old or "new" and had 44,000 miles. If this vehicle had been abused maybe these parts would be bad, but it never leaves the highway. Maybe Jeep needs to install grease zerks in their parts. Ball joints useed to last 150,000 miles, these must be new and improved -huh!!! having bad ball joints and tie rod ends on a vehicle three years old is just wrong. How many of these parts have failed and caused accidents?.

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.