NHTSA Complaint #10393564 — 2007 DODGE CALIBER

I HAVE HAD ON GOING STEERING VIBRATION ISSUES WITH MY CALIBER SINCE 15K MILES AND MANY TIMES IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT NOTHING IS WRONG AND THE VIBRATION WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY THE TIRES BEGAN EXCESSIVELY WEARING ON THE FRONT (2 REPLACEMENT SETS IN 6 MONTHS). EXTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC FOUND THAT THE FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE FAILING. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BALL JOINTS HAD BEEN QUIETLY FAILING FOR ABOUT 30K-40K MILES. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 88K MILES ON IT AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE BEING REPLACED. DEALERSHIP ADMITS THAT 1,200 REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS HAVE BEEN SOLD BY DODGE IN THE LAST WEEK AND THE PART NUMBER HAS CHANGED 5 TIMES SINCE 2007. I FEEL THAT A MANUFACTURER DEFECT LEAD TO THIS ISSUED AND I AM ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT FIND THIS "QUIET" FAILURE BEFORE IT LEADS TO AN ACCIDENT. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE TIRES WEARING I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOW IT AS THEY DID NOT BECOME NOISY LIKE MOST BALL JOINTS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT NO SIGNS OF ABUSE OR DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO THE BALL JOINTS AND THE RUBBER BOOT WAS COMPLETELY INTACT WITH NO SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. FURTHER, THE BALL JOINTS ON THIS MODEL ARE NOT SERVICEABLE AND ARE SELF LUBRICATED. THE LIFE EXPECTANCY FOR BALL JOINTS ARE AT LEAST 100,000 MILE. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE DEEMED THIS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESS BEFORE THIS 5-STAR RATED VEHICLE SERIOUSLY INJURES SOMEONE. THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP, THIS IS A CHRYSLER ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE PROMPTLY ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED.