2008 Jeep Patriot 4X4

I HAVE A 2008 JEEP PATRIOT WITH APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 3 CONTROL ARMS SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO. MOST OF THE MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE IS HIGHWAY DRIVING AND I DO NOT SUBJECT THE VEHICLE TO HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. I FIND IT ALARMING THAT I'VE REPLACE 3 OF THE SAME COMPONENT AND SUSPICIOUS THAT THERE IS A RECENT RECALL ON CONTROL ARMS ON THE LIBERTY MODEL. BESIDES THE MONETARY INCONVENIENCE, I HAVE 2 SMALL CHILDREN AND AM QUITE CONCERNED THAT A COMPONENT THAT CAN AFFECT THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE CONTINUALLY MALFUNCTIONS. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, (THIS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION SINCE BOUGHT) THEY BASICALLY TELL ME THAT IT NEEDS TO COMPLETELY FAIL BEFORE THEY WILL DO SOMETHING. THEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY THAT THEY CAN REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINES BECAUSE THEY MIGHT BE LEAKING FOR $410.00. AND THEY ALSO SAY THAT MY FRONT RIGHT AND LEFT CONTROL ARMS ARE BAD WHICH OF COURSE THEY CAN BE REPLACED FOR $845.00. SO FOR A PROBLEM THAT WAS UNDER WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT FIX BUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO FIX OTHER ISSUES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE BAD FOR A PRICE.......VERY DISAPPOINTED IN DODGE. THIS MAY CAUSE ME TO DEFECT FROM CHRYSLER AND BUY FORD. *TR

BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS AND TIE RODS FAILED AT 30,000 MILES AND UNDER. I JUST FAILED MY ANNUAL PA STATE SAFETY INSPECTION FOR THE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YEARS. THIS YEAR IT WAS THE LEFT LOWER CONTROL ARM AND OUTER TIE ROD. LAST YEAR, WHEN IT FAILED THE SAFETY INSPECTION, IT WAS THE OPPOSITE SIDE COMPONENTS. MY ODOMETER READ 30379 MILES AT THE SERVICE DATE. THIS IS LISTED ON THE CURRENT INVOICE FROM A REPUTABLE CHRYSLER SERVICE CENTER / DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD THE WORK DONE. LAST YEAR'S SAFETY INSPECTION FAILURE WAS AT ABOUT 23000 MILES. I AM OBVIOUSLY UPSET THAT I HAVE HAD TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON THIS SAFETY ISSUE SO EARLY IN THE LIFE OF THIS VEHICLE. I AM ALSO VERY CONCERNED FOR THE WELFARE OF OTHER OWNERS WHICH MAY NOT HAVE REQUIRED STATE INSPECTIONS LIKE I HAVE WHERE I LIVE. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE INSPECTIONS AND THE MECHANIC WHO RECOGNIZED THE ISSUE AND POSSIBLY SAVED ME FROM A FUTURE ACCIDENT. I STARTED DOING SOME HOMEWORK FINDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES. I FOUND THIS BY LOOKING AT MANY DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT JEEP OWNER WEBSITES, BLOGS, AND EVEN COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE. I DO NOT DRIVE AGGRESSIVELY, GO OFF-ROADING OR ANY OTHER THING LIKE THAT WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT CHRYSLER HAS NOT TAKEN ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SAFETY CONCERN TO DATE. IN FACT, WHEN I SENT AN EMAIL TO CHRYSLER I WAS GIVEN A STOCK REPLY AMOUNTING TO "WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR TROUBLE BUT WE CAN'T MAKE A DIAGNOSIS ON YOUR VEHICLE. PLEASE GO TO A LICENSED CHRYSLER SERVICE CENTER. PLEASE REPORT YOUR SAFETY CONCERN WITH NHTSA. HAVE A NICE DAY!" ...AND HERE I AM. I WONDER IF THEY EVEN READ MY EMAIL BECAUSE I ALREADY HAD THE WORK DONE. HOPEFULLY SOMEBODY WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT OR HAVE TO PAY OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR REPAIRING SAFETY ISSUES CHRYSLER SHOULD BE ADDRESSING. *TR

THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUED WITH THE 2008 JEEP PATRIOT. THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BALL JOINTS AND ARMS BREAKING. WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH THIS AUTO AND IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. WHEN I LOOKED INTO IT ONLINE I FOUND MANY BLOGS REGARDING THE 2008 JEEP PATRIOT WITH THIS PROBLEM. I THINK JEEP NEEDS TO STEP UP AND CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. I'VE NEVER HAD TO PUT MONEY INTO A 4 YEAR OLD CAR. *TR

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

WHEN PURCHASING NEW TIRES FOR MY 2008 JEEP PATRIOT LIMITED AWD, THE SHOP FOUND THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS WERE WORN OUT. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 30883 HIGHWAY MILES ON IT. THE JEEP DEALER STATES THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM AND THE DEMAND AT THIS TIME FOR THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS FROM CHRYSLER IS 930 PER WEEK. HAVING GROWN UP AROUND A FRONT END AND ALIGNMENT BUSINESS, I FIND THIS TO VERY VERY ABNORMAL. WHETHER IT IS A DESIGN FLAW OR INFERIOR PARTS, CHRYSLER CORP NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR REPAIRS TO THESE VEHICLES. SUSPENSION AND STEERING ARE NOT WHERE MANUFACTURES NEED TO BE CUTTING CORNERS WHEN BUILDING CARS! I WILL BE REPAIRING MY JEEP WITH THE BEST PARTS AVAILABLE, AND MAYBE THE PEOPLE AT JEEP SHOULD CONSIDER DOING THE SAME WHEN THEY BUILD THEIR PRODUCTS. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM, THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS, AND LET'S HOPE A BALL JOINT DOESN'T BREAK AND INJURE SOMEONE BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IT TOOK ME YEARS TO GET OVER THE CHRYSLER CORP JUNK OF THE 60'S AND 70'S AND I TRULY HOPE THEY ARE NOT REVERTING BACK TO THE PAST. *TR

BALL JOINT ON FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM (LCA) HAS GONE BAD AND NEEDS REPLACED. THE BALL JOINT IS INTEGRATED WITH THE LCA IN THE JEEP PATRIOT, SO THE ENTIRE LCA MUST BE REPLACED. FROM SPEAKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND OTHERS WHO OWN JEEP PATRIOTS (AND THE RELATED JEEP COMPASS AND DODGE CALIBER), IT SEEMS THAT FRONT SUSPENSION PROBLEMS ARE QUITE COMMON WITH THESE VEHICLES, EVEN AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE (30,000 MILES OR LESS). *TR

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP PATRIOT 4X4. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO TURN TO THE RIGHT UNINTENTIONALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS A 50,000. UPDATED 10/17/11 *BF UPDATED 10/21/11.