NHTSA Complaint #10147803 — 2004 JEEP LIBERTY

I LEASED A JEEP LIBERTY 2004 WITH 37800 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING TO A DESTINATION, I LOST MY WAY AND HAD TO TURN INTO A CAR PARK. WHILE IN THE CAR PARK, I SUDDENLY NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR DIP DOWN WITH A LOUD NOISE. AS I PARKED THE CAR, THE CAR FELL FURTHER DOWN, SO I PARKED AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. LOOKING AT THE CAR IT APPEARED TO BE LEANING TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. NEXT DAY WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING PUT ON THE TOW TRUCK, I NOTICED THAT BOTH THE WHEELS WERE FALLING APART AND THE MIDDLE PART OF THE AXLE (OR WHATEVER HOLDS THE TWO FRONT WHEELS TOGETHER) WAS BROKEN AND DRAGGING ON THE GROUND. THE CAR HAD NO PROBLEM UP UNTIL THIS POINT AND IT IS ONLY 18 MONTHS OLD. THANKFULLY THIS WHOLE EPISODE HAPPENED WHILE I WAS IN THE CAR PARK. HAD IT HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY, IT WOULD MOST LIKELY HAVE BEEN FATAL. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO A JEEP DEALER (A WEEK AGO). IT WILL BE RETURNED TOMORROW WITH ME HAVING TO PAY THE FULL COST OF REPAIR. I WILL ARGUE THIS WITH THE JEEP DEALER TOMORROW, AS JEEP SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CAR FALLING APART AND SHOULD NOT ONLY ABSORB THE COST OF THE REPAIR, BUT ALSO INVESTIGATE WHAT WENT WRONG AS THIS KIND OF FAILURE IS BOUND TO BE FATAL. IF THE JEEP DEALER IS NOT ACCOMMODATING, WE WILL PURSUE THIS THROUGH THE NHTSA AS WELL AS THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU. WORST CASE WE WILL HAVE TO HIGHER A LAWYER. *NM