NHTSA Complaint #11181058 — 2006 JEEP LIBERTY

ON FRIDAY, 02/15/19, TRAVELING BACK FROM AUSTIN TO HOUSTON, TX, WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD SON FOR MY WEEKEND VISITATION, I HAD STOPPED AT THE ENTRANCE TO MY APT COMPLEX AND WAS WAITING FOR THE ACCESS GATE TO OPEN TO ENTER. TURNING RIGHT AND ELEVATING SLIGHTLY TO ENTER MY COMPLEX, I HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE AND FELT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF MY VEHICLE LOWER. I THOUGHT I HAD MANAGED TO RUN OVER THE CURB ALONG THE PUBLIC STREET AND TRIED TO REVERSE WHEN THE SAME LOUD GRINDING NOISE COULD BE HEARD. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED, PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, AND THEN GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT. I COULD SEE THAT THE WHEEL WAS FOLDED INWARD TOWARDS THE VEHICLE. LOOKING UNDER THE CAR I COULD ALSO SEE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NOW RESTING ON THE GROUND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I HAD ZERO IDEA WHAT COULD'VE CAUSED THIS BUT WAS EXTREMELY THANKFUL IT HAD NOT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH ON THE HWY WITH MY SON IN THE BACK SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL ON THE STREET IN FRONT OF THE BACK ENTRANCE TO MY APT COMPLEX AND A PASSERBY STOPPED TO SEE IF HE COULD HELP. HE RECOGNIZED THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THAT MY PASSENGER WHEEL HAD SEPARATED FROM THE BALL JOINT. HE MENTIONED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS HAPPEN TO NUMBER OF OTHER VEHICLES. A LOCAL HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND I CALLED MY STATE FARM INSURANCE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A NEARBY A NEARBY DEALERSHIP, AUTONATION JEEP/CHRYSLER. ON MONDAY, 02/18/19, I STOPPED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WHEEL SEPARATION HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO A NUMBER OF COMPONENTS. I BEGAN RESEARCHING ON-LINE AND FOUND OUT THAT A PREVIOUS NHTSA CAMPAIGN HAD BEEN OPENED IN 2006 THAT CENTERED AROUND THE EXACT PROBLEM MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCED; NHTSA CAMPAIGN#: 06V288000, DAIMLER/CHRYSLER RECALL#. F23. THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED & ADDITIONAL OWNERS NOTIFIED.