NHTSA Complaint #10408417 — 2003 JEEP LIBERTY

I HAVE A JEEP LIBERTY RENEGADE 4X4 WITH ONLY 38,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS DRIVING ON THE QUICKWAY (HWY 17 IN MIDDLETOWN, NY) WHEN MY CAR DROPPED DEAD IN THE ROAD WITH NO INDICATIONS OF ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. IT HAD GAS IN IT, IT'S FLUIDS WERE ALL CHANGED, ETC. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT THE SPRING BROKE CAUSING THE ROCKER ARM TO DROP OUT THEREFORE CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. HAD I BEEN DRIVING IN THE PASSING LANE OR MIDDLE LANE OF THE QUICKWAY, MY SON AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD PARTICULARLY IF A SEMI WAS BEHIND US OR A MAJOR CRASH IF IN EITHER LANES. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND COULD COAST OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD TO RELATIVE SAFETY. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN IN A CAR WITH ONLY 38,000 MILES ON IT? THIS, IN MY OPINION IS A SAFETY DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE. CHRYSLER SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THEM. I CALLED THE DEALER JUST RECENTLY AND WAS TOLD THAT CHRYSLER WOULD PAY FOR PART OF THE REPAIRS IF I HAD THE OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. MY HUSBAND DOES ALL THE MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE, FOR THE MOST PART, HE DIDN'T KEEP THE RECEIPTS. ALSO, THERE ARE MAJOR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS HAPPENING AND THE DEALERSHIPS ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS DEFECT IN THE 3.7 AND 4.7 ENGINES FROM 2002 TO, I BELIEVE, 2007. SO, I AM SURE THAT CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THIS. I AM READY TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND HEAD TO THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS TO GET THEM TO PUT OUT THIS INFORMATION AND TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHRYSLER AND THE DEALERSHIPS. MY JEEP HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY SINCE DEC 8TH, 2010 BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX IT. *TR