2008 Jeep Patriot 4X4

I HAVE READ MANY OTHER PEOPLE ON HERE WITH THE SAME ISSUE AND MY MECHANIC SAID MY MODEL JEEP WAS KNOWN FOR THIS, BUT AFTER HITTING A CURB MY WHEEL AND SUSPENSION PARTS HOLDING IT ON LET THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE, RIM AND ALL FALL COMPLETELY OFF. AFTER GETTING IT TO THE MECHANIC AND HAVING HIM PUTTING IT ON THE LIFT HE TOLD ME I COULDN'T DRIVE THE CAR EVEN AFTER THE FRONT RIGHT WAS FIXED B/C THE CAR WAS A DANGER TO MYSELF AND OTHERS. I WAS TOLD THE FRONT BALL JOINTS WHICH HOLD THE SUSPENSION TOGETHER AND KEEP THE WHEELS ON THE TIRES WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT AND THE TIRES COULD FALL OFF AT ANY MOMENT. HE TOLD ME HE HAD THIS ISSUE MANY TIMES WITH MY MODEL CAR AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. I BOUGHT THE CAR USED A YEAR AND HALF AGO WITH 45,000 MILES OR SO. ONCE THE MECHANIC DID CHANGE THE BALL JOINTS, HE TOLD ME SOMETHING EVEN WORSE... HE COULD TELL SINCE THEY WERE NOT FACTORY BALL JOINTS, THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THEREFORE, THE FACTORY SET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SOMETIME BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR, AND A YEAR OR SO AFTER THE REPLACEMENT BALL JOINTS (THE PARTS THAT HOLD YOU TIRES ON SO THEY DON'T FALL OFF DRIVING 60 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND KILL YOU AND OTHERS) WERE PUT ON, A NEW REPLACEMENT SET HAD TO BE ADDED. THIS IS A SERIOUS AND SCARY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED! *TR

I HAD BEEN HEARING GRINDING NOISES FROM THE FRONT OF MY JEEP; STILL UNDER 3/YR WARRANTY- I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. AT FIRST THEY DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANY CONCERNS AND STATED THE NOISE WAS MY TIRES. OF COURSE IT WAS SUGGESTED TO GET MY TIRES REPLACED ESPECIALLY MY FRONT RIGHT DUE TO THE UNEVEN WEAR. SO I DID, SOUND CONTINUED TO BECOME MORE CONSISTENT- I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND MY CONTROL ARMS, AND BALL JOINTS TO BE BAD. SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURRING AGAIN- TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER- THEY DID NOT SEE/HEAR ANY PROBLEMS AND NOW I HAVE A CLUNKING NOISE LOUDER THAN THE GRINDING NOISE. I'M CONCERNED THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN- NOT TO MENTION I FEEL I'VE ALREADY PAID FOR THIS PROBLEM ONCE TO BE FIXED. *TR

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE TIRES. MECHANICS FROM 2 DIFFERENT SHOPS TOLD ME THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS ON THIS VEHICLE WERE COMPLETELY WORN ON BOTH SIDES, THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT THE BALL JOINTS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SHOT FOR THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF THE CAR. I HAD THEM REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. I THEN CHECKED ONLINE TO SEE IF OTHER OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE THAT MANY MANY PEOPLE HAD COMPLAINED OF BALL JOINTS GOING PREMATURELY BAD ON THIS VEHICLE. HAD I NOT BEEN REPLACING MY TIRES, I MIGHT NEVER HAVE DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM AND IT CLEARLY WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPECTED. MY DAUGHTER IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER AND DOES A LOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. HAD THE BALL JOINTS FAILED, SHE MIGHT EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I CONTACTED JEEP AND THEY SAID THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR BALL JOINT FAILURE FOR THE 2005-2006 MODEL YEARS. I STRONGLY FEEL A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED FOR THE 2008 MODEL YEAR AS WELL BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. *TR

HAD VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD BE DEALER THAT BOTH LOWER BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ENDS WERE "WORE OUT" AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. OH AND THE BALL JOINTS ARE "BUILT IN TO THE LOWER CONTROL ARM, SO BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS NEED TO BE REPLACED" THIS IS ON A VEHICLE THAT HAS ONLY 43,500 MILES ON IT! HOW CAN THIS BE! THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO A HUGE NUMBER OF JEEP PATRIOT OWNERS AND THESE PART SHOULD LAST WAY LONGER THEN 43,000 MILES. THIS IS POOR QUALITY PARTS! THE OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO REPLACE THESE MAJOR SUSPENSION PART EVER 40,000 TO 45,000 MILES! THE COST OF THIS IS OVER $1,000.00. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND DEFINITELY MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE. *TR

IN DECEMBER I HAD TAKEN MY JEEP IN FOR NEW BRAKES AS THEY WENT BAD AND WAS TOLD MY FRONT CONTROL ARMS WERE BAD AND GOING TO NEED REPLACED. I COULDN'T AFFORD IT AT THE TIME AND IT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING OK. IN MAY IT WAS RUNNING TERRIBLE, VERY SHAKY AND BUMPY. WHEN I TOOK IT IN I WAS TOLD FRONT CONTROL ARMS AND BUSHINGS AND ONE BACK CONTROL ARM AND BUSHINGS WERE ALL BAD/BROKEN. AS A RESULT OF THAT I ALSO RUINED MY TIRES AND HAD TO REPLACE THOSE AS WELL. AT THE REPAIR TIME ONLY HAD ABOUT 56000 MILES ON IT. THIS WAS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR AS WELL. (OVER 1600 DOLLARS TOTAL AND THAT IS WITH A DISCOUNT I GET). *TR

MY JEEP PATRIOT NEEDED FRONT BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS REPLACED AT 32,000 MILES. IT HAS NEVER BEEN DRIVEN RECKLESSLY OR EVEN OFF ROAD. IT WAS A $1,045.00 REPAIR JOB. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS A HAZARD TO DRIVE. THE JEEP FORUMS ARE ALIVE WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE EXACT SAME REPAIR EARLY ON. THIS IS AN EXCESSIVE REPAIR AND A DANGER. HTTP://WWW.JEEPPATRIOT.COM/FORUM/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=37926&PAGE=4. *TR

FRONT END SUSPENSION PARTS WERE WORN AND ABOUT TO FAIL. REPLACED LEFT AND RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARMS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS, SWAY BAR LINKS,BUSHING SWAY ELIMINATOR. FURTHER DRIVING WOULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF FRONT END. *TR I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY, WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF SUSPENSION ISSUES THE PATRIOTS HAVE NOT BEEN RECALLED. ALL OF THE FAILURES ARE OCCURING AT VERY LOW MILEAGES AND BOTH FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION ELEMENTS ARE FAILING. ALL SUGGESTING DEFECTIVE PARTS USED IN ORIGINAL MANUFACTURE.