My 2004 Jeep Liberty had weird stirring too, then the passenger side ball joint broke, then 5 days later the drivers side ball joint broke. I think some of the bad ball joints from the 2002's and 2003's may have spilled over into some of the 2004's. Luckily I wasn't going very fast!! Be careful!!!
I own a 2004 Jeep Liberty. A month ago, (March 15th) with 37,800 miles on the car, the left front lower ball joint broke as I was backing out of a space at about one mile per hour. The dealer refused to replace under warranty. They said the car was only covered bumper-to-bumper for 36,000 miles. Imagine if the ball joint broke minutes earlier when I was traveling at 55 miles per hour?
I came to find out one day, and $600, later that Chrysler has recalled 336,000 2002, and 2003 Liberties for the very same problem. As of April 10th some thirty three 2004 Liberties had been reported to the Nation Highway Safety Administration with the same complaint. I was told that the average mileage at the time of breakage was about 44,000 miles. I must say here that I've owned exactly 40 cars in 50 years, having bought my first at sixteen, and never experienced even one broken-off ball joint!
Given the fact that a lower ball joint break means total loss of steering and control, placing lives in serious jeopardy, when is Chrysler going to do for the 2004 Liberty owners what they did for the 2002's and 2003's? How many of us must be seriously injured or killed before they own up to their responsibility under the laws of product liability?
Just had the right front ball joint on my wife's Liberty snap. Luckily it was in the driveway. 44,000 miles on it, never off roaded. She drives 40 highway miles to work one way each day. What is going on???
We took our '02 Jeep Liberty to the dealer as soon as we got the recall notice in '04 with approx. 30,000 miles on odometer. Dealer "took care of" problem. Yea right!!!
Last night wife and 5 year old child returned from a 90 mile trip and as soon as she pulled into the driveway the lower control arm cut loose due to ball joint failure. 10 minutes sooner and I would probably have been going to two funerals!!
Or at the very least sitting in a hospital. I am a long time Chrysler customer, but this really ticks me off!!!
Please be careful folks--this is a totally bad deal!!!
Yesterday, my girlfriend and I used her Fathers 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport to go to Kansas City Kansas from Leavenworth which is about 15 minutes away. When we pulled off the highway and into the village west district we were drivin into the parking lot of a hooters restaraunt when BOOM, the tire wheel and tire separated from the vehicle. We got out and the front passenger side wheel was just tilted in with the front fender sitting on it, it looked like it just came off. The lower arm control broke due to a bad ball joint!!!I called triple A and they sent a tow truck, when the driver arrived, as well as a police officer, they both said we were lucky it did not happen just ten minutes earlier, because we would have flipped and lord knows what might have happened. I will never step foot in that jeep again or any other for that matter.
May 30, 2006.
I just took my car in for the 2nd time to the dealer with a popping noise I was hearing when I turned the wheels. I just had it in last oil change and they said all it needed was to be lubed. wrong? this time it is my ball joint. Chrysler has just dropped their warranty from 7 yrs 70,000 miles to the standard 3 yr 36,000 miles this really upsets me. lucky I was covered. my husband and I just got back from a long rode trip over memorial day... i don't even want to think what could have happened? be careful... very careful. they should have made the consumer aware with a recall notice.
My girlfriend and I were pulling out of a parking spot yesterday and the wheel went loose. We contacted the dealer and were told that the upper ball joint was not recalled for 2003 Liberty, only the lower ball joint. When you look at the ball joint where it separated from the rocker arm, it is dryed out and very worn out. The mechanic thinks that Chrysler should recall the upper also and is recommending the replacement of the driver's side... It will cost my girl $700 to get both sides replaced because Chrysler will not admit they have a problem with their steering\suspension parts...
As many others on here - I got very lucky as well - pulled into my driveway and the wheel snapped off - looks like the lower ball joint also. I have a 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited which is 2 years and 11 months old with 15,000 miles. This should not be happening to a car that is hardly driven. I checked with Jeep. com and there was no recall for a my VIN for this problem. I called Chrysler and the dude confirmed that my car was manufactured a couple of months after the cars which the recall applies to... I'm not buying it. Luckily its still under warranty. I had a 1994 Jeep Wrangler prior to this and never had a problem as serious as this. I am done with Chrysler. My next car will be an import.
Add me to the list.. I was going 65 on interstate 70 downtown Indianapolis and mine broke!!! 04 Renegade with 27k miles!
Hey guys... don't report things to Jeep... go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov and make a report to them. cause they are the ones who make the makers do the recalls and such.
Jeep was much better before Chrysler started changing things.
The AMC designed YJ Wrangler and the Cherokee, were better built & more reliable than these "Jeepslers" they're building now. (Or is it "Chreeps")?
I sold my new Liberty Limited with only 7k miles on it and went back to a YJ Wrangler.
Now the brain trust at Chrysler has added insult to injury, by killing the best engine ever made- the 4.0 in-line six, and they're putting the 3.8 (mini-van?) engine in the Wrangler.
I wish Chrysler would sell the Jeep division to an automaker who has a clue.
How I miss Willy's & AMC!!!
On 5/5/06 I was pulling into the parking lot at work and had a catastrophic failure of the lower left ball joint on my 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade. This failure caused the left front tire assembly to separate from my car, causing the left suspension to collapse and skidded/ground my car to a stop on the pavement. Had this happened to me ANYWHERE else in my daily commute I most likely would not be here writing this. After inspecting the bolt that sheared off, it was blatantly obvious that it had been broken over half of the cross section for many years and had finally snapped off. Half of the cross section of the bolt is worn rather smooth and is rusty. The other part is shiny and shows signs of a fresh break. The car is only 3 years old and this is obviously a manufacturing defect that was with the car from day one.
I filed an incedent with Chrysler, took the car locally to be inspected and was denied compensation. My build date is April 9, 2003 or April 14, 2003 (Chrysler gave me both so who knows) and the Recall No. C36 ended 3/25/2003. Coincidence, I think not!
I filed a complaint with NHTSA as well as with the Ohio Attorney General. If I don't get help soon, I might contact the local news organizations.
I have a 2005 Liberty, it is now in the shop for the third time for pulling to the right. The two dealers I have taken it to, have rotated the tires as a solution. I have explained to the dealer this time that it should not have to have a front-end alignment twice within one year and 21,000 miles that something else has to be causing this issue. I appreciate all the comments and information on this site.
Thanks.
When I purchased my 2004 Liberty in 03, it pulled to the right. I was told then that was the roads, I knew this not to be the case, but made them notate it and went on my merry way.
The problem has significantly degraded, additionally I have a similar grinding/squeaking noise when I apply the brakes. This problem has been ongoing. I thought I would confirm/add to your assertions, and recommend anyone else file a complaint as instructed above.
I have a 2004 Jeep Liberty with 28,872 miles. I was backing out of the drive way, heard a loud noise and the left front ball joint broke. The front wheel was falling off and up against the fender. Had to be towed to dealer to be replaced along with the front wheel, which luckily was covered by the warranty. Requested the dealer replace the right ball joint due to the defective ball joints being used by Chrysler since 2002. Dealer said he can only replace it when it breaks as Chrysler has not issued a recall on the 2004 Liberty's. Talked to Chrysler and was told that the dealer says the right one is safe and they will not replace it. This is my first jeep and I will be going back to Chevrolet.