2002 Jeep Liberty: tire blowout or tread separation

Filed Sep 26, 2024 · Suspension · CA

At approximately 6:30 am 9/25/2024, I was transporting a friend to her home in a neighboring city. After ten minutes of travel, I exited a four lane bridge. As I slowed and set up for traffic negotiations, We heard a bang, like maybe tire blowout, I initiated a full stop to safety, disembarked vehicle to find that; THE RIGHT FRONT BALL JOINT HAD EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE! Thus, the tire was sliced the tire mount rim was deeply grooved. Had vehicle towed to my home. It is in the condition left by the towing company. So, I called my neighborhood dodge boys and wàs assured that "they were not obligated not interested in repairing this near calamity, for the "RECALLED LOWER BALL JOINT COMPONENTS WERE DEALT WITH IN 2006.. TOO MANY YEARS HAVE PASSED FOR THIS EVENT TO BE REPAIRED BY RECALL OR WARRANTY". OK THEN, HOW ABOUT THE AIRBAG OPEN RECALL AT THE STEERING WHEEL.. REPLY, NO. NOTHING MISSED OR ELIGIBLE. Well, that's it.. Thanks for the venting space. And seriously, thank you for what you do.

Filed Mar 3, 2020 · Airbags · 184,000 miles · AZ · crash

After a tire failure at 45mph on a parkway vehicle driver lost control and the vehicle rolled 1 complete time. No airbags deployed.

Filed Jan 14, 2013 · Suspension · 180,000 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. The contact stated that while the driver was parking, the front passenger tire separated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home and was inspected by a private mechanic. The technician stated that the front passenger upper ball joint fractured due to corrosion and caused the tire to separate. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 180,000. Updated 04/02/2013

Filed Jul 8, 2010 · Tires · 42,000 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty sport equipped with goodyear eagle rs-a tires. While driving approximately 77 MPH the contact could see debris flying from the rear passenger side wheel well. The vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and the entire rear passenger side fender was missing as well as various other pieces of the wheel well. After driving approximately 50 MPH for another mile more debris was coming from the same wheel well. When the contact drove onto the emergency lane a second time, he observed that the rear quarter panel was torn. Upon examining the vehicle the contact noticed that the rear passenger side tire was completely shredded of all its rubber. The tire was examined by an independent mechanic who stated that the failure tread separation. The failure and current mileages were 42,000.

Filed May 4, 2010 · Tires · 62,000 miles · FL

On may 2nd ,2010, my wife and son heard an explosion outside in our driveway. When they went out to see what it was , they found the spare tire on the back of our 2002 jeep liberty had blown up. It is a goodyear wrangler tire made in 2002. It has only been used once for a couple hundred miles which brings me to the other reason for my complaint. Last fall while driving to a marlins game in miami as I was accelerating on an on ramp getting on to I 95 the left rear tire exploded through the sidewall and ripped apart. This tire was less than a year old as we had bought a complete set of 4. This tire again was a goodyear wrangler. My wife is now afraid to drive the car and I have a 15 year old about to get his license. I reported this tire failure to your website when it happened. Other than a notice that it was received I really didn't learn anything else. I would like to know if there is an on going problem with these tires as I fear they seem to explode at will for no good reason. Could someone respond.

Filed Oct 20, 2009 · Suspension · 106,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. While driving 25 MPH the vehicle began to shimmy. After driving the vehicle to the side of the road the front passenger side ball joint had fractured, and then the tire separated from the vehicle. Two years prior an identical failure occurred on the driver-side. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership. The current and failure mileages were 106000.

Filed Jan 18, 2009 · Transmission · 75,000 miles · NY

On dec 8, 2008 I picked up my jeep liberty from my mechanic, he had replaced the transmission oil pan that rusted out and drained all the transmission oil out. On january 6, 2009 on my way to work early in the morning the transmission blew out totally, I was able to get back home and once again the mechanic has the liberty replacing the transmission. I feel the transmission oil pan rusting out and leaking caused the transmission blowout a month later. The check engine light did come on in december and I had an appointment to have the engine looked at when the whole pan blew out. The transmission totally dropping in january could have caused a major accident if I were driving later, and I feel this could cause major accidents on the roadways across the nation. I have complained via the webpage at jeep to no avail, this should be at least a recall on these vehicles.

Filed Sep 3, 2008 · Tires · 52,563 miles · FL

My son and a couple of his friends and I were traveling to a marlins game ,about a 2 hr. Drive from our house. I had made a visual ck. Of tires while fueling car before getting on I-95. All looked fine. About 3-4 miles as I was getting on I-95 the left rear tire blew out. I pulled off to a safe area and changed tire. Something seemed odd to me so the next day I inspected the tire to see if I could find any reason for the blow out. Tires are not that old and they appeared to have plenty of tread [3/8"]. To the untrained eye all seemed normal as I could find nothing on the tread area that would indicate any damage to that part of tire. The outer sidewall was shredded as I had to drive about a 1/4 mile to get off the on ramp to a safe area to change tire , inner sidewall showed little damage. I recall hitting or running over nothing that would have caused any damage to tire. My concern is that I have these tires on the other wheels as well as spare tire .this is my wife's car and I want to be sure she and my son will be safe. I've had tires go flat before but after making a point of checking them prior to our trip and the odd way they went flat I became suspicious that maybe something is wrong here. I'll have to take them back to dealer for replacement I'll see if they'll allow me to keep tire if you would like to inspect it . Thank you jim dirks *tr ..

Filed Aug 6, 2007 · Suspension · 90,000 miles · WA · crash

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. While driving 60 MPH the right side of the vehicle dropped and there was a blow out on the tire. The contact felt that the front lower ball joint caused the failure. There is a recall for the front lower ball joint (the federal safety agency campaign id #06v288000). The contact stated that the manufacturer wanted to charge to repair the tire and the wheel. He felt the front lower ball joint caused the damage. The current and failure mileages were 90,000.

Filed Jul 10, 2007 · Suspension · 82,000 miles · MI

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. While driving 15 MPH, the driver side front tire blew out. The contact then heard a noise and the vehicle dropped down. The vehicle was towed to a chrysler dealer and diagnosed as needing the lower ball joints replaced. The contact stated that the lower ball joints were replaced in 2003. The vehicle has been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 82,000.

Filed May 24, 2006 · Suspension · 22,377 miles · 00

We were returning home to canada from a holiday in california through the redwood forest and several other mountainous/cliff side highways. While driving on the highway in washington state we heard a thump and then the left front tire blew out. The truck was very difficult to steer off the road. When we tried to jack up the truck, to change the tire, we realized it was something far more serious. The left ball joint stem was stuck through the aluminum rim. The control arm was also broken. There was over 200 feet of rubber laid while trying to stop and corkscrews of aluminum from the wheel all over the highway. This all happened with 22,377km driven. The ball joints were then replaced again with the recall in nov/2003. On may 4/06 the ball joint separated again while pulling onto the street from a parking lot. This time we are out of warranty @145,534km. The repairs/towing amounted to approx. $700. The bills have been forwarded to daimler chrysler canada for reimbursement. This is an obvious manufacturing defect this truck has never been driven off road.

Filed May 15, 2006 · Suspension · 83,000 miles · NJ

2002 jeep liberty limited traveling at 50 MPH heard a loud bang and vehicle appeared to have a blow out on the front passenger side tire. Maintained control of the vehicle and pulled off road. When attempting to replace wheel, it was discovered that the lower ball joint was broken. The vehicle was towed to a near jeep dealer, the full damage was identified including new wheel, tire, seals and mechanical parts. Total cost estimated at $ 1400 the lower ball joints were previously replaced under a factory recall aug 27, 2004, 20 months and approximately 29000 miles earlier than this incident judging by the number of similar repeat failures posted with the federal safety agency, this appears to be a generic issue with the replacement parts used during the recall or the design. The dealer, not our normal service dealer, will not repair under warranty, even though the ball joints were replaced during the recall. Attempting to get daimler chrysler jeep customer assistance to accept responsibility for the repeat failure and repair under warranty but not successful yet. In the interim, have personally approved repairs as need vehicle.