NHTSA Complaint #11099103 — 2008 JEEP PATRIOT

IN AUGUST 2017, THE VEHICLE UNDERWENT MAINTENANCE WITH NO REPORTED PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS. IN MAY 2018, DRIVING FELT UNSTABLE. NEW TIRES WERE NEEDED, SO AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE ALONG WITH AN ALIGNMENT TO COVER BASES. THE MECHANIC CALLED AND REPORTED THAT TIRES COULD NOT SAFELY BE PUT ON, DUE TO CORROSION ALONG THE CAR'S SUBFRAME (AKA CROSSMEMBER); THE MECHANIC DEMONSTRATED BY SHOWING HOW EASILY PERFORATION OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO A DEALERSHIP; WHILE THE SUBFRAME WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY, THE CORROSION WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT BALDING TIRES COULD NOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT EXTENSIVE PARTS REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN FROM ONE GARAGE TO ANOTHER, IN VARIOUS CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN ON SEVERAL DIRT ROADS ROUGHLY TWO YEARS AGO, BUT MAJORITY OF DRIVING WAS ON HIGHWAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2016. SPECIFIC OCCURRENCE AND ONSET OF CORROSION TO SUBFRAME NOT KNOWN.