2008 Jeep Patriot 4X4

BALL JOINT REPAIR AT 40K? I JUST TURNED THE 40K MARK ON MY JEEP PATRIOT 2008 WHEN LAST WEEK I BEGAN TO HEAR A NOISE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. IT WAS WORSE WITH THE A/C SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. UPON OIL CHANGE, MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT'S THE BALL JOINTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE NO WOBBLING OF MY STEERING, BUT HE STATES IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. NOW I READ THAT IT'S A 3 YR 36,000 MILE WARRANTEE SO I FALL OUTSIDE OF THAT. BAD JEEP, BAD! I HAVE HAD MORE BAD LUCK WITH THIS VEHICLE THAN MY COMMANDER WHICH I LOVED. FIX THIS ISSUE! *TT

JEEP PATRIOT (2008) LOWER BALL JOINTS FAILED ON BOTH SIDES. PROBLEM STARTED AT 37,000 MILES. CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, TOLD TO ROTATE TIRES (NO MENTION OF BALL JOINTS). FAILED INSPECTION 3 MONTHS LATER DUE TO BALL JOINTS AND LOWER CONTROL ARMS. COST TO REPAIR OVER $1,000. CAR MUST BE FIXED, BUT JEEP DOES NOT INSURE THAT THE PART WILL NOT FAIL AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION! *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM THE SHOW ROOM WITH LESS THAN 5 MILES HEARD A CLUNK AND GRINDING SOUND FROM FRONT END. BROUGHT IT BACK TO DEALER AND FOUND BOTH FRONT ROTORS WARPED, CLUNKING CONTINUED. @ AROUND 7,000 MILES CLUNKING INCREASED FROM FRONT END OF VEHICLE. BROUGHT IT TO JEEP DEALER, FOUND NOTHING. NOISE CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. BROUGHT IT BACK TO JEEP AND AGAIN FOUND NOTHING. CLUNKING BECAME NERVE RACKING, @ 65,000 MILES BROUGHT IT TO MY PERSONAL MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT BOTH CONTROL ARMS, BUSHINGS, AND STRUTS NEED TO BE REPLACED. AND OF COURSE THE MANUFACTURES WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED! *TR

IN MARCH 2011, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND BASIC INSPECTION OF THE TIRES. EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT FINE. I ASKED HIM HOW THE BRAKES LOOKED, HE DID AN INSPECTION AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE. IN MAY, I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A WOBBLING OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN I NEARED 65 MPH AND WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES COMING TO A STOP. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC ON MAY 27, 2011 ESPECIALLY WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR A CLANK/CLUNK/LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OCCURRING WHEN THE CAR ENCOUNTERED A BUMP OR IN MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND ENCOUNTERING A BUMP AT THE SAME TIME. THIS NOISE WAS IN ADDITION TO THE WOBBLING NOW. UPON INSPECTION THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT I NEEDED BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE ROTORS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THIS MAINTENANCE WAS DONE BUT THE WOBBLING AND LOUD NOISE PERSISTED OCCURRING AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH INSTEAD OF STARTING AT 65 MPH. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR ANOTHER INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS ON THE FRONT END WERE BAD, THE RIGHT BEING MUCH WORSE THAN THE LEFT. BASICALLY THE BALL JOINTS LOOKED LIKE THEY HAD BEEN ON A CAR WITH 100K MILES ON IT WHEN MY VEHICLE HAS 41K AND IS UNDER 3 YEARS OLD. HE STATED THAT THE FAULTY BALL JOINTS SEEMED TO HAVE CAUSED THE SUDDEN DAMAGE TO THE BRAKES AND ROTORS ESPECIALLY SINCE HE HAD JUST INSPECTED THE BRAKES IN MID MARCH. I SPENT $800 ON BRAKES AND ROTORS AND WILL BE PAYING AN ADDITIONAL $800 FOR THE BALL JOINTS AND CONTROL ARMS TO BE REPLACED ON THE FRONT END. *TR

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