NHTSA Complaint #10282002 — 2007 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4

FRONT & REAR WHEEL BEARINGS ON MY 2007 JEEP PATROIT. WHEN I FIRST PICKED UP THIS VEHICLE AS A LEAST VEHICLE, MY FATHER, WHO IS A FORMER CHRYSLER ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN OF HIGHLAND PARK MICH TOLD ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND HAVE THE FRONT AND REAR WHEEL BEARINGS INSPECTED. HE SAID HE SUSPECTS THEY ARE FAULTY BECAUSE HE SAID HE HEARD THEM MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. AS SOON AS TIME PERMITTED I DID THAT AND THE DEALERSHIP, RICHMOND CHRYSLER REPLACED THE REAR BEARINGS ONLY. THEY SUPPOSEDLY ROAD TESTED THE CAR AND SAID IT WAS FINISHED. I PICKED IT UP AND HAD MY FATHER ALSO ROAD TEST IT. HE SAID THE FRONT BEARINGS WERE MAKING A WORSE NOISE THAN EVER AND THEY SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS AT THE DEALERSHIP. WHEN I ASK THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT, THEY SAID IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED AS MY WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT. ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK I WAS FORCED TO TAKE IT BACK AND GET IT FIXED. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ORDERED THE PART THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND ALL THE BEARINGS WERE BAD AND RETURNED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THEY FINALLY RECEIVED A GOOD SET AND NOW THEY GIVE ME A BILL OF $1400.00. MY FATHER RETIRED IN 2006 AFTER WORKING 41 YEARS. I THINK THIS IS VERY UNFAIR AND SHOWS LITTLE CONCERN FOR THE COSTUMER WHO IS BY LAW (RIGHT) TILL PROVEN OTHERWISE. I DON'T MIND PAYING A FAIR PORTION OF THE BILL BUT DON'T YOU THINK IT WOULD SHOW GOOD CONCERN FOR THE COSTUMER IF YOU CAME THROUGH TOO AND RECOGNIZED THAT THEY WERE BAD TO BEGIN WITH AND COVERED AT HALF THE COST. YOUR STORE POLICY'S ARE TO TREAT ALL COSTUMERS RIGHT. SO TELL ME WHAT IS FAIR ABOUT THIS. WE'VE BOUGHT CHRYSLER PRODUCTS FOR OVER 30 YEARS BUT I TELL YOU OTHER PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET ARE LOOKING BETTER. I FEEL I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING AS I DID REPORT THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY LEASE AND IT WAS NOT CORRECTED. PLEASE COMMENT, BECAUSE I FEEL I'M BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY AND I'M AT THE POINT OF CALLING THE NEWS PAPERS. IF YOU WANT THE BAD PUBLICITY, FINE, I'LL BE GLAD TO COMPLAIN TO THEM. *TR