Over 800,000 Jeep Liberty SUVs Recalled

By Amy Teeple

Published on August 02, 2006

The voluntary recall was prompted by over 100 complaints and three injury reports concerning the front suspension of the Liberty SUV. It appears that the lower ball joint located in the front suspension can become loose and separate due to excessive wear. The separation could potentially cause a loss of steering control.

In many of the complaints, the separation of the ball joint caused the Liberty’s front end to drop onto one or both of the vehicle's front tires.

According to an investigation conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the alleged ball joint separations occurred in vehicles that had between 25,000 and 68,000 miles.

Newer models of the Jeep Liberty have been redesigned, and Chrysler Group believes the ball joint problems have been corrected.

Current owners of the affected Jeep Liberty models will receive notices about the recall in September. The ball joints will be replaced at no cost to the owners.

This is not the first Jeep Liberty recall related to the front suspension ball joint. In November 2003, 300,000 Liberty SUVs were recalled due to ball joints that were damaged during their shipment or installation.

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