Original right side lower ball joint broke at 59,000 miles.
2004 Jeep Liberty: ball joint or control arm failure
371 of the 1,101 complaints about the 2004 Jeep Liberty describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 371
- of this car's complaints
- 34%
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,100
- typical mileage
- 50,000
- 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
Rt passenger lower ball joint broke. Found out it was an older recall for this when I didn't own the jeep. Want to know if the recall could still be good
I was going around a corner when it felt like a cinder block was under it. I stopped and looked but it wouldn't go and the driver's wheel was slumped where you couldn't drive it. I called the tow truck and had it towed to get it fixed. The Lower Ball Joint and control arm had to be replaced on both sides in the front. It was going to happen on the passenger side also. If I would have been on the freeway my car would have flipped and I wouldn't have survived. The back tires had a recall on them that I had done. Also the upper Ball joints had to be replaced.
[XXX] My son’s 2004 jeep liberty with 90k miles was towed to Andy Mohr Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram4505 W 96th St Indianapolis, IN 46268 by Cooks. I requested the vehicle be towed bc at approximately 530am i was driving the vehicle in the parking lot and turned right out of the parking lot in order to pull to a stop sign. Shortly after turning the wheel to the right I heard grinding that got progressively worse as I continued to coast to the stop sign. Then i heard a loud noise a and couldn’t move the vehicle. The tire fell off and I got out and fluid was leaking from vehicle. I researched recall for this vehicle and there were several regarding ball joints and knuckles rusting and breaking. I called the dealership days after it was towed and Spoke with Landon (sales) @935am he noted there was a Recall on ball joints 9/12/2006 and he said he would print the document he will review notes pass to Corey (service) and I should get a call back the following Monday. I never heard back. I called the dealership to follow up on status of recall and repairs. I never received an any confirmation that any research was done on the recall but I did approve the repairs. However I continue to find so much information on problems with this issue . I would like to be reimbursed for the repairs. The car was a gift from my son’s grandmother and was in immaculate condition despite being older vehicle she rarely drove it as the mileage reflected. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 06V288000 (Suspension), 13V252000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Structure), and 18V278000 (Suspension). The contact scheduled a recall repair appointment, and after arriving at the dealer, was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The dealer suggested that the appointment be rescheduled. The appointment was rescheduled. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ball joints fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle for almost a month before the contact was advised that the recall repairs could not be completed due to other vehicle failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,674. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that after making a left turn, the front driver-side wheel detached and no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower ball joints, the upper control arms, and the axle had to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 85,439.
Was turning into a parking spot at a convenient store and my driver front lower ball joint snapped at the base it is a clean break you can hold part in back to gather without gaps. Only if I could glue it back together it would look unbroken. Just joking but yeah at least I wasn’t driving down the road
Control arm just instantly broke while I was driving down the highway. I didn't know about the recall till I seen it on web site so no authorities were contacted.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. The contact was approaching a stop sign at 3 MPH, when the front passenger's side ball joint fractured. The rim and the frame lowered and the wheel detached. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated he saw online that his vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v278000 (suspension) and informed beck chrysler dodge jeep ram (256 us-17, palatka, fl 32177) of the failure and recall however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was already repaired under recall several years ago. A VIN search was performed and the result showed that the recall repair was not performed. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 204,038.
I had just gotten off the highway and took the wrong turn so in the middle of the street I tried to whip a uturn and when I turned my wheel to the left I heard a loud crack and my vehicle was unlevel so I asked my passenger to see if we had blown a tire and he said it looked fine but I got out and looked and saw that the whole entire wheel assembly fell off. I had brake fluid draining in the street and there was the piece (control arm) that was snapped in half leaving my car stuck and broken .
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep liberty. The contact stated that there was corrosion on the rear lower control arm. The contact associated the federal safety agency campaign number: 18v278000 (suspension) with the failure. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Two issues as follows; 1) the lower front ball joints had deteriorated and make a loud popping and clunking noise when turning at low speeds. Our mechanic says the lower front ball joints have completely failed, creating a very dangerous safety issue. 2) the airbag light stays on, does not turn off.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The rear suspension lower control arms can fracture due to excessive corrosion, causing a loss of vehicle control.
- Risk
- A fractured control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U38. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 12V‑085. Vehicles included in that campaign are not included in this recall.
Recall number 18V278000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- In june 2012, chrysler expanded this recall to include model year 2006 and 2007 jeep liberty vehicles, representing an additional 137,176 vehicles. This recall now concerns certain my 2004-2007 jeep liberty vehicles. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 346,900. These vehicles were manufactured from july 3, 2003 through june 29, 2007. The recall addresses those vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Some vehicles may be equipped with rear lower control arms that can experience a rear suspension lower control arm fracture due to excessive corrosion due to application of road salts during winter weather conditions.
- Risk
- A fracture of the rear lower control arm may result in a loss of vehicle control and may lead to a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lower control arms on all affected vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 26, 2012. Owners may contact chrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 12V085000 · 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
Questions about the 2004 Jeep Liberty ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 2004 Jeep Liberty?
371 of 1,101 owner complaints about the 2004 Jeep Liberty (34%) 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 2004 Jeep Liberty?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 14 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 2004 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 2004 Jeep Liberty
Power windows 98Grinding brakes 38Fire or smoke 37Headlights 33No deployment 25Check engine light 23Power steering loss 23Door locks 20Stalling 17Pulling 16Jerking 11Seat belt 11Tire blowout 10Won't start 10Fuel leak 8Harsh shifting 8Sudden acceleration 8Overheating 7Engine failure 6Steering noise 6Hesitation 5Loss of power 5
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