NHTSA Complaint #10421646 — 2008 JEEP COMPASS 4X4

MY 2008 JEEP COMPASS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES, REQUIRED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS TO BOTH BE REPLACED OR RISK A SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THESE PARTS SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG AS THEY ACTUALLY DID AND THE TECHNICIAN AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP I SPOKE WITH SAID THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL OF JEEP WITH THIS SPECIFIC PART. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED BECAUSE IT WAS RIDING ROUGH. IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AT THE TIME WE DID THEN THERE WAS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE PARTS FAILURE (LOWER BALL JOINTS) COULD HAVE CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT END RESULTING IN THE WHEEL AND TIRE SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN FOR ANY FAMILY WHO OWNS THIS MODEL OF JEEP. WE HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER DIRECTLY TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM AND TELLING THEM OF OUR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PART BOTH NEEDING REPLACED WELL BEFORE THIS PART SHOULD NORMALLY BE DUE FOR INSPECTION. WE FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A PARTS RECALL BY CHRYSLER. WE SOLELY WISH TO FORWARD ON OUR SAFETY CONCERN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR FURTHER REVIEW. WE SUSPECT THAT THIS ISSUE MIGHT BE A TREND AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR CONCERN IS VOICED; MAINLY IN ORDER TO PREVENT A FUTURE INCIDENT IN WHICH A FAMILY IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEIR WHEEL SEPARATES FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING A SERIOUS COLLISION OR POSSIBLY A DEATH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR