NHTSA Complaint #10397692 — 2004 JEEP LIBERTY

VEHICLE STARTED MAKING CRUNCHING NOISES WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS (DIPS, SPEED BUMPS/HUMPS, RAILROAD TRACKS) ISSUE WASN'T CONSTANT, TENDED TO HAPPEN IN THE EARLY MORNINGS OR LATE NIGHTS WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLDER. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A COUPLE OF MECHANICS WITH NO FINDINGS. OVER TIME (02/01/2011) THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A 'WHINING' NOISE WHEN I MAKE SHARP RIGHT HAND TURNS, AGAIN NOT EVERY SHARP RIGHT HAND TURN RECREATES THE NOISE. I SUSPECTED POWER STEERING AND OR BUSHINGS COULD BE AN ISSUE. TODAY, 04/19/2011, VEHICLE IS IN SHOP FOR NEW TIRES AND AN OIL CHANGE AND AN INVESTIGATION INTO MY COMPLAINTS/SUSPICIONS. IT'S BEEN DISCOVERED THAT THERE IS A LEAK IN MY POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE AND ISSUES WITH MY RACK AND PINION. ON A SIDE NOTE, IT'S ALSO TIME TO REPLACE MY STRUTS AND SHOCKS, HOWEVER THIS IS NOT PART OF THE ISSUE I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING, ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC. IT WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT RACK AND PINION ISSUES AS WELL AS POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE LEAKAGE ISSUES ARE VERY COMMON WITH THIS YEAR/MAKE/MODEL. FUNNILY ENOUGH, AFTER LOTS OF RESEARCH AND MANY PHONE CALLS TO SEVERAL OTHER MECHANICS, THE PS PRESSURE LINE ISSUE CAN BE FIXED BUT WILL MOST LIKELY REOCCUR DUE TO THE HOSE NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE CONSTANT WORKING PRESSURE OF 3000 PSI. IT SEEMS I WILL NOW BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER PART FOR MY JEEP THAT IS BEING FABRICATED BY AN INNOVATIVE INDIVIDUAL THAT CAN DO THE JOB THAT JEEP CAN'T SEEM TO FIGURE OUT. (YOUR WINDOW REGULATORS NEED TO BE RE-ENGINEERED AS WELL)