NHTSA Complaint #10314624 — 2007 JEEP COMPASS 4X4

MY WIFE'S 2007 JEEP COMPASS 4X4 LTD WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP IN EDGEWOOD, MD FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. A MECHANIC ON DUTY NOTIFIED US THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OIL CHANGE, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT (LOWER) REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS "LOOSE". THE MECHANIC DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS SOMETHING SERIOUS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY SINCE THE WHEEL COULD FALL OFF IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. LESS EXTREME CONDITIONS WERE DESCRIBED TO US AS LEADING TO A POSSIBLE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE MECHANIC ALSO MENTIONED TO US THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE JEEP COMPASSES HE HAS WORKED ON. WE TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO FIX THE CAR TO KEEP IT DRIVABLE BY HAVING THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE BALL JOINT THE FOLLOWING DAY - SAFETY WAS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN. WE TOOK STEPS TO CONTACT CHRYSLER'S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD CONSIDER REPLACING SINCE OUR CAR WAS BEYOND WARRANTY (61,000 MILES) - THEY DISMISSED OUR CLAIM AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE US FOR THE WORK DONE OR THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. HAVING DONE SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS MOST JEEP MODELS FROM 2007 THROUGH 2009 HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING BALL JOINT PROBLEMS LEADING TO RECALLS - THE COMPASS IS NOT YET ON THE RECALL LIST. A BALL JOINT FAILING AFTER 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR AND ALL HIGHWAY MILES (NO OFF-ROADING, NO CITY DRIVING, NO BUMPY ROADS, ETC.) JUST SEEMS VERY ABSURD TO US. THIS SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT?S MORE OF AN ISSUE WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS PLACED IN THE COMPASS THAN AN ISSUE OF WEAR AND TEAR. THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FAILURE SUCH AS THIS WHILE MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. IF THE MECHANIC ON DUTY IS SEEING THIS PART FAILURE IN MORE THAN ONE COMPASS, IT COULD MEAN A BIGGER PROBLEM EXISTS, PRESENTING A DANGER TO MANY COMPASS OWNERS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS! *TR