2007 Jeep Compass

CLICKING NOISE FROM SUSPENSION AREA WHEN DRIVING. VEHICLE ONLY DRIVEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS AS IT'S VEHICLE MY DAUGHTER DRIVES TO SCHOOL. I TOOK TO MECHANIC AND HE SAID THE FRAME IS BADLY RUSTED AND JUST TOUCHING IT TO SHOW ME THE FRAME WAS BREAKING. VEHICLE HAS TO HAVE THE FRAME REPLACED TO SAFELY DRIVE VEHICLE AGAIN. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN TO A CAR OF THIS AGE.

INSPECTION AFTER CLUNKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE REVEALED SEVERE ROT AND CORROSION OF THE SUBFRAME WITH THE MOUNTING FOR THE ANTI-ROLL BAR COMPLETED BROKEN AWAY FROM THE SUBFRAME. ALSO SEVERE CORROSION AROUND THE LOWER CONTROL ARM MOUNTING APPEARED TO BE CLOSE TO THE FAILURE POINT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE JEEP DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE 10 YEAR EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THAT I SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. FOUND FCA INTERNAL WARRANTY DOCUMENT ID-14-02 FOR THE SUBFRAME CORROSION ISSUE DATED 5/19/14 WHICH REFERS TO FCA SERVICE BULLETIN 23-012-14 AND STATES THAT ALL DEALER PERSONNEL ARE TO BE MADE AWARE OF THIS BULLETIN. I HAVE A RECEIPT FOR OTHER REPAIRS FROM AN FCA DEALER DATED 7/28/14, 2 MONTHS AFTER THE WARRANTY BULLETIN DATE AND THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION GIVEN ABOUT THE INSPECTION MANDATED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND NOTHING NOTED ON THE RECEIPT. THUS THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO KNOW ABOUT THIS WARANTY AND SAFETY ISSUE WHICH I AM NOW TOLD HAS EXPIRED FOR MY VEHICLE. PER DEALER INSTRUCTION, I CALLED FCA CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS ALSO TOLD THE WARRANTY FOR MY VEHICLE HAD EXPIRED AND MY ONLY CHOICE WAS TO PAY FOR REPAIRS MYSELF. IN SCROLLING THROUGH THE COMPLAINTS ALREADY NOTED IN THE NHTSA SITE, I SEE NUMEROUS MENTIONS OF THIS PROBLEM WITH MANY INDICATING COMPLETE SUBFRAME AND SUSPENSION FAILURE WITH INJURY ONLY BEING PREVENTED BY THE SLOW OPERATING SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THIS PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHERE IMPROPER MATERIALS AND/OR COATINGS WERE USED BY FCA ON THESE COMPONENTS. FOR REFERENCE MY 1998 DODGE NEON HAS NO SUCH PROBLEM AFTER 21 YEARS AS IT USED GALVANIZED COATING ON THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT. FCA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND PAY ALL ASSOCIATED COSTS FOR THIS SAFETY RELATED ISSUE AND BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES RESULTING FROM THESE FAILURES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 JEEP COMPASS. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AUTONATION TOYOTA FORT MYERS (2555 COLONIAL BLVD, FORT MYERS, FL 33907, (239) 321-5413) FOR ENGINE REPAIRS, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. THE CROSSMEMBER WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. *TR

REAR DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION RUSTED AWAY FROM FRAME. SUB FRAME EXTREMELY RUSTED NEEDS REPLACED PER JEEP DEALER CAR WANDERS NOW AND ROLLOVER FEAR. CONTACTED FIAT CHRYSLER CUSTOMER SERVICE. DENY ISSUE IS THERE'S SINCE OUT OF WARRANTY. INTERNAL MEMO ALLOWED FIXING OF ISSUE UNTIL FEB 21, 2017. BUT SINCE I WAS UNAWARE THERE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE UNTIL FAILURE HAPPENED APPRX MID AUGUST 2018.

WHILE COMING TO A STOP, AT A LIGHT IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, UPON APPLYING THE BRAKES FELT SHARP JERK IN STEERING WITH A LOUD SNAP NOISE. NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS WHEN LIGHT CHANGED AND I PROCEEDED FORWARD APROX. 2-3FT WHEN CAR CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP JERKING TO THE LEFT. IMMEADIATELY PLACED CAR IN PARK AND LOOKED OUT DRIVER SIDE WINDOW TO SEE FRONT LEFT WHEEL ANGLED BACK APROX 35 DEGREES AND JAMED INTO FENDER WELL. CALLED TOW COMPANY AND POLICE ARRIVED TO DIRECT AND DIVERT TRAFFIC, NO POLICE REPORT MADE BY POLICE BECAUSE NO INJURIES OR OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED. TOW TRUCK DRIVER & POLICE BOTH STATED I WAS FORTUNATE, BECAUSE HAD I BEEN GOING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN IT HAPPEND IT COULD BEEN VERY SERIOUS AND/OR FATAL TO NOT ONLY ME BUT OTHERS AS WELL. CAR TOWED TO NEAREST REPAIR SHOP WERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY HAD ACTUALLY RUSTED/ROTTED THROUGH ON LEFT FRONT END OF VEHICLE AND BROKE WITH EVERYTHING ATTACHED TO IT (STEERING LINKAGE, LEFT AXLE, TIE ROD, ETC.) COMING LOOSE. RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND THERE HAND BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN 23-012-14 ISSUED FOR FRONT AND REAR CROSSMEMBER CORROSION AND LOOKING AT OTHER FORUMS (IE MYJEEPCOMPASS.COM) AND SAFECAR.GOV AS WELL. CONTACTED JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE GIVEN CASE #34535927.HAD TO PAY TO HAVE CAR TOWED AGAIN, THIS TIME TO A JEEP DEALER TO INSPECT AND CONFIRM SUBFRAME FAILED. WHEN I ASKED WHY THERE WASN'T A RECALL INSTEAD OF JUST A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT NOBODY SEES EXCEPT THE DEALER I COULD NOT GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER. JEEP DID AGREE TO COVER CROSSMEMBER REPLACEMENT AFTER CONFIRMED, BUT NOT TO PAY FOR THE PARTS THAT WERE DAMAGED FROM THE FAILURE OF THE CROSSMEMBER WHICH CAME TO $844.81 I HAD TO PAY. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SMALL PRICE FOR THEM TO PAY IN LIGHT OF WHAT THE COST COULD AND WOULD HAVE BEEN TO THEM FOR SERIOUS INJURIES AND/OR FATALITY RELATED TO THEIR KNOWN DEFECT. NOW I GET STUCK PAYING FOR THEIR DEFECT.

REAR CROSS BAR AXLE IS DEFECTIVE. THE WHEEL SUSPENSION IS DETERIATED TO THE POINT THAT THE WHEELS PROTRUDE OUWARD FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING EXTREME WEAR ON THE INSIDE PART OF THE REAR TIRES TO THE POINT OF WIRES ON RADIAL TIRES ARE EXPOSED. THE OUTSIDE PART OF THE TIRES SHOW MINIMUM WEAR. MECHANICS SAY THIS CROSS BAR AXLE IS POOR QUALITY STEEL OR STEEL THAT WASN'T CURED AND FINISHED PROPERLY. THE CROSS BAR AXLE IS LITERALLY ERODING WITH HOLES OCCURRING RIGHT THROUGH THE AXLE ITSELF. FEAR IS THE CAR IS BECOMING TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE WITHOUT FEAR THAT UPON HITTING A BUMP THE REAR WHEELS WILL SPREAD APART AND THE CAR FALL TO THE GROUND.