NHTSA Complaint #10005689 — 1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WHILE DRIVING TO FLORIDA IN OUR 1999 JEEP GRANG CHEROKEE, THE TIE ROD ON DRIVERS SIDE DROPPED TO THE GROUND. FORTUNATELY FOR US, WE WERE NOT GOING FAST AT THE TIME. THE TIE ROD END WHICH CONSISTS OF A BALL AND SOCKET CAME APART. INSPECTION BY A JEEP DEALER DETERMINED THAT ALL 4 TIE ROD ENDS (2 TIE ROD AND 2 DRAG LINK) WERE LOOSE AND IN DANGER OF FAILING. IF WE HAD BEEN MOVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, WE WOULD HAVE LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL. THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE FAILED AND FAILING PARTS AND NO MENTION OF HAVING THE TIE ROD ENDS CHECKED AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. WE ENDED UP HAVING ALL FOUR TIE ROD ENDS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE ALIGNED, AND BUYING FOUR NEW TIRES, BUT THAT BEING SAID, WE JUST FEEL FORTUNATE WE WEREN'T IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR WORSE. THE FAILURE OF THE TIR ROD ENDS SHOULD BE MADE A RECALL FOR THE PROTECTION OF OTHER JEEP OWNERS.