NHTSA Complaint #10448981 — 2005 JEEP LIBERTY

LATE NIGHT I HAD STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND HAD BEGUN TO MOVE WHEN I HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK END OF THE JEEP. I WAS THEN DRIVING AT ABOUT 30 - 35 MPH WHEN THE BACKEND STARTED TO "SLIDE" OUT LIKE I WAS ON ICE. SINCE THERE WAS NO ICE I PULLED OVER TO CHECK IT OUT WITH A FLASHLIGHT. I CHECKED THE WHEELS, PUT THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON, AND SINCE I WAS PRETTY CLOSE TO HOME I DROVE BETWEEN 10 - 15 MPH. TODAY I FOUND OUT THE ONE OF THE CONTROL ARMS WAS SO RUSTED THAT IT BROKE AND THE OTHER WAS RUSTED BADLY WHERE IT WAS WELDED. NOTHING ELSE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE JEEP LOOKED SO RUSTED AND I TAKE GOOD CARE TO GET THE UNDER BODY WASHED OFTEN IN THE WINTER. THE ARMS LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD BEEN SITTING IN A JUNK YARD FOR 20 YEARS OR SO, THEY WERE THAT BAD! WE CALLED THE LOCAL JEEP DEALER TO ASK ABOUT A WARRANTY OR EVEN A RECALL BUT WERE INFORMED THERE WAS NEITHER. SHE GAVE US A NUMBER TO CALL AT CHRYSLER WHICH WE DID IMMEDIATELY. WE WERE TOLD THE SAME THING THERE BUT THEY GAVE US A CASE NUMBER. I DID FIND AN ARTICLE ON THE INTERNET FROM SEPT. 20, 2011 THAT SAID THERE WERE AT LEAST 11 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH THAT I WASN'T DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY 70 + MPH SINCE I USUALLY LEAVE FOR ARIZONA THIS WEEK. SINCE THERE MAY BE OTHER JEEP OWNERS OUT THERE UNAWARE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN, I DECIDED TO MAKE THIS COMPLAINT. I THINK THAT THIS IS EXCESSIVE RUST ON A VEHICLE ONLY 7 YEARS OLD. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR A DEATH, PLEASE TAKE THIS COMPLAINT SERIOUSLY. I DO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD PICTURES OF THE PARTS BEFORE THEY WERE REMOVED FROM THE JEEP IF YOU NEED THEM. *TR