the transmission/clunks when starting, wile climbing hill wont engage loud crack when turning out of driveway right mirror wont engage when car is near the warning or the beeping wont go off climate control door wont move backup camera goes out / electrical system bugs also, repaired suspension system axle assembly front steering rack penion motor mount left side suspension control arm tpms sensor
Jeep Grand Cherokee ball joint problems
123 of the 29,174 owner complaints about the Jeep Grand Cherokee describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 123
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 73,360
Is there a fix? There are 7 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Pulling 9Grinding brakes 5Power steering loss 4Harsh shifting 4Wipers 3Tire blowout 3Stalling 2Hesitation 2
What owners say
The contact rented a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH or higher, the steering wheel shook violently. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the front left tie rod, brake assembly, gear shifter, tires, and several electrical components required replacement or repair. As instructed, the vehicle was returned to the rental business. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there were abnormal sounds coming from underneath the front and rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed the vehicle with suspension failure of the ball joints, control arms, and steering knuckle. Additionally, the steering wheel was constantly pulling to the left while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was 22,000.
On 5/18/26 at 6:45 am Eastern Time While driving, both left and right sides of the rear lower control arms completely detached from the vehicle due to severe internal rust perforation of the rear subframe/cradle assembly. The structural mounting bracket on the subframe snapped off entirely, causing a catastrophic suspension failure and a sudden, total loss of vehicle control. This is a severe structural safety hazard that occurred without warning due to the subframe rotting from the inside out.the entire cross member detached from the back of the frame dis lodging the drive shaft as well.the picture I am attaching below is one side both sides of the rear look the same .
Vehicle: 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD Purchase Date: [XXX] Mileage at Purchase: ~54,900 miles Dealer: Cherry Hill Jeep Chrysler Dodge, Cherry Hill, NJ I am filing this complaint because I am currently being required to drive a vehicle with a severe wheel misalignment that is visually observable, while the selling dealership has deemed it 'drivable' and has not completed the necessary repairs. On [XXX], I was involved in an accident in which I struck a curb after sliding on black ice. The damage included a bent lower control arm and a cracked subframe. I brought the vehicle to Cherry Hill Jeep Chrysler Dodge for repairs, which took approximately three weeks. I took delivery of the repaired vehicle on March 13, 2026. Upon taking delivery, I immediately noticed a severe misalignment. The wheel misalignment is so pronounced it is visually apparent while driving. I returned the vehicle to the dealership and they acknowledged the alignment issue. They have since told me there are additional parts needed to complete the repair, and that those parts have not yet arrived. As of today, April 10, 2026, the dealership has confirmed they still do not know when the parts will arrive. Despite the unresolved alignment issue, the dealership has deemed the vehicle 'drivable' and I have been left with no choice but to continue driving it. My daily commute is approximately 60 miles per day, 6 days per week. I have driven hundreds of miles in this condition. Driving a vehicle with severe wheel misalignment poses serious safety risks, including unpredictable handling, accelerated and uneven tire wear leading to potential tire failure, and reduced ability to maintain control in emergency situations — particularly concerning given that this vehicle's incident originated on icy roads. I am requesting that the federal safety agency investigate the dealership's decision to return this vehicle to me in an unsafe condition and require me to continue operating it without a timeline INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)
I bought the 4xe trailhawk in 12/2023 at 2,000 miles it started making a clicking noise when i hit a bump & sometimes when i steer the truck to the right, moving forward the said it was the detachable sway bar it fixed the problem temporary for about 2 weeks i didn’t have any sound, moving forward I’ve replaced 3 sway bars, front control arms, brackets, rear suspension, front airbag suspension etc. just got my truck back from the david jeep in glen mills still same sounds, the dealership is great. I have reported to jeep this been going on close to 3yrs now
Event 1 – Abnormal Tire Wear / Stability Concern Date: January 6, 2026 Within approximately 3,000 miles of operation, the vehicle developed severe and abnormal tire tread wear rendering the tires unsafe for continued highway use. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership. Intermittent vehicle electrical issues also noted. Independent tire inspections indicated the tread pattern was irregular and consistent with possible suspension or front-end control arm failure . Photographic documentation is preserved. Prior written notice of suspension related safety concerns had been delivered to the manufacturer on October 2025. This was later confirmed by an internal report that list the previous buyback history and the current conditions that align perfectly. The report is available for view. Safety ConcernPrimary concerns include: Unexpected propulsion loss at highway speed. Total electrical system breakdown causing a red turtle event during motion. Reduced braking and steering control during stall. Non restart condition in traffic. Video captures moment Severe abnormal tire wear potentially indicating suspension instability.
On January 3, 2026, I test drove a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee (VIN [XXX] ) from a franchised Jeep dealership in Lewiston, Idaho. After the test drive, the vehicle was placed on a lift and it was discovered that the front driver-side lower ball joint was missing a retaining bolt, allowing separation from the lower control arm. This condition created an immediate risk of suspension failure and loss of control while driving on public roads. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the contact heard the lower control arm detach from the suspension. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the curb, where the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that no air bags deployed in his vehicle. No injury was sustained, and medical attention was not required. There was no Police report filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.
Both control arm bolts broke at same time, as no stress was put on them causing vehicle to go out of control.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4XE vehicles. The rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.
- Risk
- Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear coil spring lower isolators, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 29, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 89D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on on September 9, 2026. This recall replaces the federal safety agency recall numbers 26V051 and 23V413. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 26V562000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.
- Risk
- Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the rear coil spring assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 12, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in March 2026. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 20D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on January 30, 2026. This recall replaces the federal safety agency recall number 23V413. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 26V051000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: upper ball joint
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The upper control arm ball joint and steering knuckle may separate and cause the wheel to fall outward, resulting in a loss of vehicle control.
- Risk
- A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the upper control arm pinch bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 2, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA's number for this recall is 10B.
Recall number 24V132000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear: springs: coil springs
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The rear coil springs may have been incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.
- Risk
- Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and if necessary, repair the rear coil spring assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 64A. This recall is replaced by the federal safety agency recall 26V051. All vehicles will need to have the new recall remedy performed.
Recall number 23V413000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured June 12, 2015, to June 20, 2015. The affected vehicles may be equipped with rear lower control arms that may have been incorrectly heat treated. This may cause the rear lower control arm to fracture.
- Risk
- If the rear lower control arm fractures it may result in a change in ride height, loss of rear end stability, and reduced braking capabilities, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began July 29, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R38. Note: This supersedes Recall No. 15V‑407.
Recall number 15V469000 · Recall details
Suspension: front
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: multi-purpose vehicles equipped with "quadra-trac" transfer case, temporary spare tire, and any of 225/70r16, 225/75r16 or 245/70r15 road tires. When the temporary spare tire is in use, the front axle can overheat.
- Risk
- An overheated axle can force axle fluid out of the seals, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the temporary spare tire with a full sized tire and wheel.
Recall number 98V006000 · Recall details
Suspension: front
- What is wrong
- The eccentric cam adjuster bolts in both front lower suspension arm-to-front axle bracket attachments may fail due to assembly misalignment.
- Risk
- Cam bolt failures cause the vehicle to pull to oneside when the brakes are applied, resulting in a possible loss of vehiclecontrol and an accident.
- Remedy
- Replace the front suspension cam bolts, cam washers, and nuts with components of a different design.
Recall number 93V051000 · Recall details
Questions about the Jeep Grand Cherokee ball joint
Which Jeep Grand Cherokee years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (12 complaints), 2004 (11 complaints) and 1996 (7 complaints).
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