2008 Jeep Patriot 4X4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP PATRIOT THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY DETECTED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO ANOTHER MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE TIE ROD END AND LOWER BALL JOINT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,053. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO PULL TOWARD THE RIGHT. ALSO, THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE HEARD FROM OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT BOTH FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000. UPDATED 01/13/12*LJ THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND THE LEFT OUTER TIE ROD. UPDATED 02/06/12

ON 9/21/2011 THIS VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OUR DEALER FOR REGULAR SERVICE AT 30,979 MILES. IT WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE DEFECTIVE AND LOOSE LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND TIE ROD ENDS. THE DEALER INDICATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE FOR ANY EXTENDED MILES. THERE WAS AT LEAST 1/2" PLAY IN THE WHEELS. THE PARTS HAVE NOW BEEN REPLACED. PREVIOUS INSPECTION & TIRE ROTATION AT ABOUT 25,000 MILES AND 2 1/2 MONTHS AGO INDICATED NO SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THE ONLY CLUE TO THE PROBLEM WAS SOME 'CLUNKING' NOISE IN THE FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY BY THE SELLING DEALER, IS DRIVEN EXCLUSIVELY ON THE ROAD, AND HAS BEEN IN NO ACCIDENTS. UP UNTIL MAY 2011, IT WAS DRIVEN ONLY ABOUT 7,500 MILES ANNUALLY. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY FOR ONLY 40-DAYS. I AM INCREDULOUS THAT A WELL MAINTAINED 4WD VEHICLE WOULD HAVE A MAJOR SUSPENSION FAILURE WITH SUCH A RAPID ONSET AT SUCH LOW MILES. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS EXPERIENCE BY OTHER JEEP PATRIOT OWNERS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY BY THE MANUFACTURER THAN IT CURRENTLY IS. *TT

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2008 PATRIOT PURCHASED 03-10-08. WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY,I HEARD NOISES FROM THE FRONT END OF MY CAR. THEN I HAD A CALIPER LOCK UP ON MY BACK BRAKE AND I TOOK IT IN TO THE NEAREST MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC CHECKED OUT THE CAR THEY CALLED THE CAR DEALER BECAUSE I ONLY HAD 29,133 MILES ON THE CAR AND MY OUTSIDE FRONT CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS WHERE WORN OUT. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS ABNORMAL AND WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE DEALER. THE DEALER SAID I WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY OF 3 YEARS 36,000 MILES. THE DATE OF THIS REPAIR WAS 4-23-11. A LITTLE OVER 1 MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY. THREE WEEKS LATER THE TIE ROD WENT BAD WHILE I WAS ON A TRIP. THE COST OF THESE TWO PROBLEMS WAS OVER $1,000 IN REPAIRS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE WORN OUT WITH ONLY 29,000 MILES (THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE 2 TIRES I HAD TO REPLACE AND OTHER REPAIRS). THESE PARTS HAD TO HAVE BEEN BAD FOR A WHILE BEFORE I BECAME AWARE OF THE SERIOUS DANGER OF DRIVING WITH BAD BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD. *TR

2008 JEEP PATRIOT TIE ROD END FAILURE AT 50K MILES. GOOD THING I HAD A STATE INSPECTION AND THEY FOUND THIS. I'VE NOT HAD FRONT END PARTS GO BAD LIKE THIS IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE. I FOUND OUT THAT THEY ARE USING CHEAP FRONT END PARTS ON THESE VEHICLES, SOME FAIL AT UNDER 20K MILES. TIE ROD ENDS, BALL JOINTS, AND CONTROL ARMS SEEM TO BE DEFECTIVE. *TR