NHTSA Complaint #10252091 — 2005 JEEP LIBERTY

ON MONDAY NIGHT, AT AROUND 8:30PM, I WAS DRIVING BACK HOME AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, TAKING A LEFT, AND FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CAR, MY FRIEND AND I HEARD A LOUD POP NOISE, THEN SOME LOUD GRINDING NOISE AFTER. I QUICKLY SHIFTED THE CAR TO PARK, JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR THINKING THAT I HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE TIRES WERE INTACT. MY CAR REFUSED TO BUDGE, EVEN AFTER THE POLICE CAME AND WE HAD PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND TRIED TO PUSH IT OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION OF TWO ROADS. THE CAR REFUSED TO BUDGE. RIGHT AFTER THE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, I NOTICED THAT THERE THE CAR HAD BEGUN TO LEAK FROM UNDER THE HOOD ONTO THE GROUND. I HAD TO CALL TRIPLE A TO GET THE CAR TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP - GRAVA JEEP DEALERSHIP - AND THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP CALLED AND SAID THAT IT WAS THE LOWER BALL JOINTS - WHICH WAS A SAFETY RECALL FOR THE JEEP LIBERTY '05, AND BECAUSE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS HAD SEPARATED, IT HAD CAUSED RIM DAMAGE TO THE CAR, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH - AS IT WOULD DAMAGE AND DEFLATE MY TIRE. THE POWER STEERING LINE WAS ALSO FOUND TO BE LEAKING, OF WHICH I HAD NEVER HAD ISSUES WITH UNTIL THE BALL JOINT HAD SEPARATED, AND THE CAR WAS ATTEMPTED TO BE MOVED TO SAFETY (THAT WAS WHEN WE SAW THE LARGE PUDDLE OF LIQUID DRIPPING OUT OF THE CAR). GRAVA DEALERSHIP HAS AGREED TO REPLACE THE LOWER BALL JOINTS UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE TO THE RIM OR THE POWER STEERING, ALTHOUGH THE LOWER BALL JOINT CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO THE RIM WHEN IT BROKE APART, AND SAID BECAUSE IT WAS ONLY A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINT COULD HAVE CAUSED STRESS TO THE POWER STEERING, AND ISN'T DEFINITE, I WOULD HAVE TO COVER THE ENTIRE COSTS. I CALLED THE REIMBURSEMENT DEPARTMENT OF CHRYSLER EXPLAINING THE SITUATION AND THEY KEPT TRANSFERRING ME TO SUPERVISORS, SENIOR STAFF, OTHER CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVES, UNTIL FINALLY TODAY - 12/16 - I CALLED 2 MORE TIMES, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WOULD ONLY COVER 25% OF THE RIM DAMAGE. *TR