NHTSA Complaint #10669437 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4

2008 JEEP PATRIOT BEGAN MAKING CLUNKING/CRACKING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES. TOOK INTO LOCAL JEEP DEALER AND THEY STATED THE BALL JOINTS WERE IN VERY POOR CONDITION AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED VIA FRONT END LOWER CONTROL ARMS. AFTER SEEING WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE, TOOK TO AN ALIGNMENT SHOP. WHILE DRIVING TO THIS SHOP, BRAKES BEGAN GRINDING. BALL JOINT FAILURE CAUSED BRAKES AND CALIPER TO BE MISALIGNED ON THE ROTOR CAUSING THE ROTORS TO BE DAMAGED. MECHANIC PRESSED IN MOOG BALL JOINTS THEY SAID WOULD BE SUPERIOR TO OEM PARTS AND THAT THEY REPLACE BALL JOINTS ON PATRIOT, COMPASS AND CALIBER OFTEN. AFTER GETTING BALL JOINTS REPLACED, THE JEEP BEGAN HANDLING POORLY IN SNOW PACKED ROAD CONDITIONS, WHERE THE FRONT OF THE JEEP FEELS UNCONTROLLABLE AND WOULD SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE, ALL WHILE HAVING TOTAL CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. TOOK BACK TO JEEP, THEY SAID IT WAS A BALL JOINT ISSUE ONCE AGAIN AND THAT THE INNER TIE RODS WERE LOOSE, BUT DIDN'T THINK THAT A SLIGHTLY LOOSE TIE ROD WOULD CAUSE THE JEEP TO GO FROM SIDE TO SIDE. PURCHASED NEW TIRES, THINKING IT WAS AGING TIRES. NO LUCK AND VEHICLE OVER TIME HAS BECOME UNSAFE TO DRIVE ON ROAD, EVEN ON REGULAR DRIVING CONDITIONS. TOOK TO GMC DEALER WHERE A WELL KNOWN JEEP MECHANIC WORKS. CONFIRMED TIE RODS ARE LOOSE AND STRUT IS LEAKING. I UNDERSTAND WEAR AND TEAR ON VEHICLES, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING JEEP PATRIOT REVIEWS/PROBLEMS, I CAME ACROSS AN EVEN MORE ALARMING TRENDS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION AND OTHER HTTP://WWW.JEEPPATRIOT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=97871 HTTP://WWW.JEEPPATRIOT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=34529 HTTP://WWW.JEEPPATRIOT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=41396 HTTP://WWW.JEEPPATRIOT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=15863 HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/JEEP/PATRIOT/2008/SUV/CONSUMER-REVIEWS/ HTTP://WWW.CARS.COM/JEEP/PATRIOT/2008/CONSUMER-REVIEWS/ *JS