Jeep Suspension: Lower Ball Joint

Jeep is recalling about 336,000 vehicles over a problem with the suspension. A ball joint thathas separated from the knuckle could result in loss of vehicle directional control and could result in a crash.

Campaign
03V460000
Manufacturer
DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
Reported
10 November 2003
Vehicles
336,000
Built between
Jan 2001 – Mar 2003
Models
1
Recall type
Vehicle
Initiated by
Manufacturer
Owners notified
15 December 2003
Repaired
Not reported
Unrepaired
Not reported

Does this affect my vehicle?

This recall covers vehicles built between January 2001 and March 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.

  • 2002-2003 Jeep LibertyBuilt January 2001 to March 2003

What the defect is

On certain sport utility vehicles, the lower control arm ball joints can experience a loss of lubrication that can lead to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation from the steering knuckle.

What could happen

A ball joint thathas separated from the knuckle could result in loss of vehicle directional control and could result in a crash.

What gets fixed

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS WITH MODIFIED ASSEMBLIES AND HEAT SHIELDS ON VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 2, 2001 AND OCTOBER 4, 2002. ON VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN OCTOBER 5, 2002 AND MARCH 26, 2003, DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLIES (AND REPLACE THEM AS NECESSARY) AND INSTALL HEAT SHIELDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON DECEMBER 15, 2003.

Timeline

  1. Vehicles builtJanuary 2001 to March 2003
  2. Recall reported to NHTSA10 November 2003
  3. Owners notified15 December 2003

Your rights

A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.

That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 10 November 2003.

To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.

Manufacturer contact

Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-992-1997.

Official source

Manufacturer's recall number
C36
Recalling manufacturer
DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION
Recall initiated by
MFR

Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Additional notes

Daimlerchrysler recall no. C36.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Check your own vehicle

This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.

A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.

Same component

Same brand