NHTSA Complaint #10172623 — 2002 JEEP LIBERTY

A VEHICLE RECALL WAS ISSUED ON MY 2002 JEEP LIBERTY. THERE HAS BEEN NO FAILURE, ACCIDENT OR INJURY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS COMPLAINT. THE RECALL IS TITLED SAFETY RECALL F-23--LOWER BALL JOINTS. I FIRST RECEIVED NOTICE OF THE RECALL SOME TIME IN SEPTEMBER OF 2006. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALER AND TOOK THE VEHICLE IN. THE DEALER INDICATED THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE BALL JOINT PARTS FROM CHRYSLER. CHRYSLER WAS NOT RELEASING ENOUGH PARTS. I HAVE CALLED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. THIS PAST WEEK, I WENT IN TO THE DEALER AND INQUIRED AGAIN. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD A STACK OF OTHER CUSTOMERS AS WELL (HE SHOWED ME THE STACK OF WORK ORDERS). HE INDICATED HE HAS CALLED CHRYSLER TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF PARTS. CHRYSLER KEEPS PROVIDING THE SAME SONG AND DANCE, NAMELY THAT THE PARTS WILL BE SHIPPED. WHEN HE ASKED WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO TELL HIS CUSTOMERS, THE DEALER WAS GIVEN THE BLUNT REPLY, "TELL THEM THE PARTS WILL BE SHIPPED." NO DATE WAS GIVEN FOR SHIPPING. HAVING WORKED FOR A VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AS GENERAL COUNSEL AND HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN RECALL MATTERS, I FIND THIS LACK OF ATTENTION TO THIS RECALL PARTICULARLY DISTURBING. FRANKLY, I WANT MY VEHICLE FIXED AND FIXED NOW. MY WIFE AND I HAVE A NEWBORN SON AND I AM VERY NERVOUS ABOUT TAKING ANY OF THE FAMILY IN A VEHICLE THAT COULD HAVE A FAILURE IN THE BALL JOINTS THAT CHRYSLER SAYS "CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND COULD CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING." *NM