2007 Jeep Compass 4X4

THIS JEEP COMPASS WAS PURCHASED FOR OUR COLLEGE AGE DAUGHTER IN MARCH 2019, TODAY WHILE DRIVING, HER REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL MADE A LOUD NOISE THEN FELT LIKE IT 'DROPPED' AND UPON GETTING STOPPED, SHE DIDN'T WRECK THANK GOD, AS SHE WAS PULLING INTO OUR DRIVE. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HER REAR CROSSMEMBER HAD RUSTED INTO. I SEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD AT ONE TIME BEEN A RECALL ON THIS PARTICULAR PART DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST FROM THE SALT BELT STATES. WE ARE IN KY BUT WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IT WAS TITLED IN MICHIGAN, WHICH IS MOST DEFINITELY IN THAT SALT BELT. I AM NOT SURE WHY THIS RECALL WAS NOT COMPLETED BY THE FORMER OWNER BUT I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE CORRECTED NO MATTER THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED MY DAUGHTER TO BE IN A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. WE HAD NO INFORMATION ABOUT ANY RECALL THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN ISSUED.

DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 35 MPH AND BRAKING FOR A RED LIGHT THE JEEP FRONT END COLLAPSED AND THE VEHICLE SERVED TO THE LEFT. DEALER INSPECTION REVEALED THE FRONT CROSSMEMBER BROKE DUE TO CORROSION. THE REAR CROSSMEMBER WAS ALSO CORRODED. THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXCESSIVE & EXPENSIVE DAMAGED. CHRYSLER HAS NO RECALL ON THIS CORROSION PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT HAS ISSUED AN ACTION UNDER 23-012-14. CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION WOULD PREVENT ANY POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS AND UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE BUT NO SUCH NOTIFICATION IS IN EFFECT. A SERVICE VISIT ON 10/2016 WITH INSPECTION DID NOT ALERT THE OWNER OR DEALER TO THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION OF CORROSION OF A CRITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE.

MY WIFE'S 2007 JEEP COMPASS 4X4 LTD WAS TAKEN TO OUR LOCAL JEEP DEALERSHIP IN EDGEWOOD, MD FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. A MECHANIC ON DUTY NOTIFIED US THAT IN ADDITION TO THE OIL CHANGE, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BALL JOINT (LOWER) REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS "LOOSE". THE MECHANIC DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM AS SOMETHING SERIOUS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY SINCE THE WHEEL COULD FALL OFF IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. LESS EXTREME CONDITIONS WERE DESCRIBED TO US AS LEADING TO A POSSIBLE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE MECHANIC ALSO MENTIONED TO US THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE JEEP COMPASSES HE HAS WORKED ON. WE TOOK IMMEDIATE ACTION TO FIX THE CAR TO KEEP IT DRIVABLE BY HAVING THE DEALERSHIP REPLACE THE BALL JOINT THE FOLLOWING DAY - SAFETY WAS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN. WE TOOK STEPS TO CONTACT CHRYSLER'S CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS TO SEE IF THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THEY WOULD CONSIDER REPLACING SINCE OUR CAR WAS BEYOND WARRANTY (61,000 MILES) - THEY DISMISSED OUR CLAIM AND WOULD NOT REIMBURSE US FOR THE WORK DONE OR THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. HAVING DONE SOME RESEARCH, IT SEEMS MOST JEEP MODELS FROM 2007 THROUGH 2009 HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING BALL JOINT PROBLEMS LEADING TO RECALLS - THE COMPASS IS NOT YET ON THE RECALL LIST. A BALL JOINT FAILING AFTER 2 YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR AND ALL HIGHWAY MILES (NO OFF-ROADING, NO CITY DRIVING, NO BUMPY ROADS, ETC.) JUST SEEMS VERY ABSURD TO US. THIS SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT?S MORE OF AN ISSUE WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS PLACED IN THE COMPASS THAN AN ISSUE OF WEAR AND TEAR. THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FAILURE SUCH AS THIS WHILE MY PREGNANT WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. IF THE MECHANIC ON DUTY IS SEEING THIS PART FAILURE IN MORE THAN ONE COMPASS, IT COULD MEAN A BIGGER PROBLEM EXISTS, PRESENTING A DANGER TO MANY COMPASS OWNERS. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS! *TR