I was backing up in a yard and the front passenger wheel folded up underneath the vehicle. I went to look and noticed that the ball joint had completely separated from the joint. This caused damage to my front passenger panel and fender.
2003 Jeep Liberty: ball joint or control arm failure
377 of the 1,353 complaints about the 2003 Jeep Liberty describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 377
- of this car's complaints
- 28%
- typical repair cost reported
- $500
- typical mileage
- 56,923
- recalls
- 3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
What owners say
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that moments after exiting the freeway, the front end of the vehicle began to shake and vibrate. While driving approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that suddenly the wheels would not turn, and the vehicle became undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and later examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the driver's side ball joint arm had fractured. The independent mechanic replaced the driver's side ball joint assembly and the lower control arm, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 189,000.
The contact owns a owns 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH there was an abnormal noise like squeaking or chirping coming from both front wheel wells. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact had stated that he related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 06V288000 (Suspension) completed in November 2006 on his vehicle. The contact felt that the repair parts for the recall were the same sourced OEM parts and that was why the ball joints failed. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
The ball joint and cv axle broke making me wreck. I had no control of the steering.
The contact's husband owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the front driver's side suspension of the vehicle inadvertently lowered, and the tire became flat. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side lower ball joint had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 06V288000 (Suspension). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower ball joints failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that there was no recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Lower passenger front ball joint corroded and broke in half. Luckily this happened backing out of a parking space . Somehow this vin does not show on the F23 RECALL???
Front lower control arm ball joints are worn on both sides an it's only the bottom ones. No Safety hazard yet but I'm sure if it fails it will be scary. Multiple other vehicles made prior to the moth this one was manufactured had a recall on the lower ball joints. I believe this vehicle is also affected by faulty front lower control arm ball joints. No warnings an I've had excessive play in the ball joints for about about as long as I have had the vehicle but as I said it's only the lower front all other joints remain intact an in working order
On 7/10 I'm driving down the road towards the freeway. I hear a very loud pop that startles me. I pull over & discover lower ball joint has separated causing the lower control arm to slip out of socket into the wheel & than separate from wheel. I mean its still attached to the vehicle but vehicle is completely disabled. It caused significant damage to the right front wheel and somewhat minor damage to the right front fender. Theres literally metal shaving all over the road from it carving the metal out of my wheel. Get home and my boyfriend tells me that he's discovered 3 safety recalls. So we call FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) they said they would have it towed to the dealership no problem but they needed a $103 for the tow that they would reimburse later. They told us to pick any dealership. So FCA has it towed from my driveway on 7/13 at 8:45pm to Lithia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Portland Dealership. Safety recall F23 was replaced by the dealership but the manufacturer (FCA) has not fixed the damage and is denying responsibility. FCA calls on 9/16 to finally tell us that a certified inspector has determined the damage to the wheel and fender is not from the recall. Which is a lie and I can take it to a mechanic and have that verified. They also go on to state they are not going to reimburse the $103 for the tow. So we go to the dealership to pick up the car the next day. I speak with Will in the service department and ask to see a copy of the inspection that the FCA is talking about. Will tells me that FCA never sent an inspector out and there is no inspection report stating that the damage is not from the recall. I have lots of photos of everything. Please contact me
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. The contact stated that the ball joint and control arm detached while driving. The vehicle was taken to martin swanty chrysler dodge jeep ram (2640 e. Andy devine ave, kingman, az 86401) to be diagnosed. The contact was unaware of the results from the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where the tie rod, ball joint, upper control arms and cv axles were replaced however, the failure recurred a third time. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired again. The contact mentioned that the ball joint was replaced four times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 jeep liberty. The contact stated that while reversing out of a parking space, a loud booming sound was heard. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front driver's side suspension had failed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front driver's side upper and lower ball joints had failed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer bob moore jeep located at 4627 s memorial dr, tulsa, ok 74145, and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency campaign number: 06v288000 (suspension). The failure mileage was 200,000. *bf
The front lower ball joints on the vehicle has been recalled and replaced before. Both front lower ball joints are bad again. Will they be covered to be replaced again due to recall issues before and still are bad
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm
- What is wrong
- Chrysler is recalling 42,469 my 2002-2003 jeep liberty vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in salt belt states of connecticut, delaware, iowa, illinois, indiana, kentucky, massachusetts, maine, maryland, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia , wisconsin and the district of columbia. The front suspension upper control arm ball joint may experience a loss of lubrication which could lead to corrosion, accelerated wear, and possible separation while driving.
- Risk
- Failure of the ball joint could result in a loss of steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front upper control arm assemblies free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about april 24, 2010. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 09V119000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks, the constant tension front lower ball joints may experience contamination. If the vehicle is operated for an extended period with this condition, the ball joint may eventually experience wear and looseness.
- Risk
- When the driver continues to operate the vehicle with this condition, the contamination can lead to corrosion, accelerated wear and possibly separation from the steering knuckle causing a loss of vehicle steering control increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on september 11, 2006. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 06V288000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- A ball joint thathas separated from the knuckle could result in loss of vehicle directional control and could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- 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. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑992‑1997.
Recall number 03V460000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Jeep Liberty ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
377 of 1,353 owner complaints about the 2003 Jeep Liberty (28%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 17 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
There are 3 recalls and 0 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Jeep Liberty
Airbag light 107No deployment 61Power windows 58Stalling 40Grinding brakes 30Check engine light 27Headlights 21Power steering loss 20Engine failure 19Jerking 14Fire or smoke 13Seat belt 13Pulling 11Sudden acceleration 11Tire blowout 11Harsh shifting 10Loss of power 9Won't start 9Fuel leak 8Slipping 8Door locks 7Knocking 6Fuel pump 5Steering lock-up 5Steering noise 5
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