I have read many other people on here with the same issue and my mechanic said my model jeep was known for this, but after hitting a curb my wheel and suspension parts holding it on let the front right tire, rim and all fall completely off. After getting it to the mechanic and having him putting it on the lift he told me I couldn't drive the car even after the front right was fixed b/c the car was a danger to myself and others. I was told the front ball joints which hold the suspension together and keep the wheels on the tires were completely worn out and the tires could fall off at any moment. He told me he had this issue many times with my model car and didn't understand it. I bought the car used a year and half ago with 45,000 miles or so. Once the mechanic did change the ball joints, he told me something even worse... He could tell since they were not factory ball joints, that they had already been replaced by the previous owner. Therefore, the factory set needed to be replaced sometime before I bought the car, and a year or so after the replacement ball joints (the parts that hold you tires on so they don't fall off driving 60 MPH down the highway and kill you and others) were put on, a new replacement set had to be added. This is a serious and scary issue that needs to be addressed!
2008 Jeep Patriot 4x4 suspension complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 49, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I had been hearing grinding noises from the front of my jeep; still under 3/yr warranty- I brought it in to the dealership. At first they did not hear or see any concerns and stated the noise was my tires. Of course it was suggested to get my tires replaced especially my front right due to the uneven wear. So I did, sound continued to become more consistent- I took it back to the dealer and they found my control arms, and ball joints to be bad. Same problem is occurring again- took it back to dealer- they did not see/hear any problems and now I have a clunking noise louder than the grinding noise. I'm concerned this is a safety problem and I do not have the money to take to dealership again- not to mention I feel I've already paid for this problem once to be fixed.
I took my car to the shop to replace the tires. Mechanics from 2 different shops told me that the lower ball joints on this vehicle were completely worn on both sides, that the car was unsafe to drive and that the ball joints should not have been shot for the age and mileage of the car. I had them replaced immediately. I then checked online to see if other owners of this vehicle had the same problem and was astonished to see that many many people had complained of ball joints going prematurely bad on this vehicle. Had I not been replacing my tires, I might never have discovered the problem and it clearly was not something that would have been expected. My daughter is the primary driver and does a lot of highway driving. Had the ball joints failed, she might easily have been killed. This is an accident waiting to happen. I contacted jeep and they said there had been a recall for ball joint failure for the 2005-2006 model years. I strongly feel a recall should be issued for the 2008 model year as well before someone dies.
Severe vibration when braking in front end of vehicle, worse when braking downhill. Had to have both front control arm/ball joint assemblies replaced, along with the left outer tie rod end. Checked the jeep customer web site and found many similar incidents reported by other owners.
Had vehicle in for oil change and was told be dealer that both lower ball joints and tie rod ends were "wore out" and would need to be replaced. Oh and the ball joints are "built in to the lower control arm, so both lower control arms need to be replaced" this is on a vehicle that has only 43,500 miles on it! How can this be! There should be a recall on this because it seems to me that this is happening to a huge number of jeep patriot owners and these part should last way longer then 43,000 miles. This is poor quality parts! The owners of these vehicles should not be expected to replace these major suspension part ever 40,000 to 45,000 miles! The cost of this is over $1,000.00. This is a very dangerous issue and definitely makes the vehicle unsafe.
In december I had taken my jeep in for new brakes as they went bad and was told my front control arms were bad and going to need replaced. I couldn't afford it at the time and it seemed to be running ok. In may it was running terrible, very shaky and bumpy. When I took it in I was told front control arms and bushings and one back control arm and bushings were all bad/broken. As a result of that I also ruined my tires and had to replace those as well. At the repair time only had about 56000 miles on it. This was a very costly repair as well. (over 1600 dollars total and that is with a discount I get).
My jeep patriot needed front ball joints and control arms replaced at 32,000 miles. It has never been driven recklessly or even off road. It was a $1,045.00 repair job. The mechanic said it was a hazard to drive. The jeep forums are alive with complaints about the exact same repair early on. This is an excessive repair and a danger. Http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37926&page=4.
Front end suspension parts were worn and about to fail. Replaced left and right lower control arms, sway bar bushings, sway bar links,bushing sway eliminator. Further driving would have caused catastrophic failure of front end. *tr I don't understand why, with the large number of suspension issues the patriots have not been recalled. All of the failures are occuring at very low mileages and both front and rear suspension elements are failing. All suggesting defective parts used in original manufacture.
Driver side, front lower control arm and ball joint badly worn. Was told by car dealer the problem is very common with jeep patriots. The dealer sees this manufacturing defect so often. They keep several driver side lca/balljoint assemblies in stock.
Took our car in for an oil change and dealer stated that driver side controller arm has play and will need to be replaced. Also told this isn't something that happens with car with only 35,000 miles.
I have a 2008 jeep patriot with approximately 80,000 miles. I have had to replace 3 control arms since I purchased the vehicle approximately 3 years ago. Most of the mileage on my vehicle is highway driving and I do not subject the vehicle to hazardous driving conditions. I find it alarming that I've replace 3 of the same component and suspicious that there is a recent recall on control arms on the liberty model. Besides the monetary inconvenience, I have 2 small children and am quite concerned that a component that can affect the ability to steer the vehicle continually malfunctions.
Took vehicle in for transmission problems, (this the second transmission since bought) they basically tell me that it needs to completely fail before they will do something. Then they come back and say that they can replace the transmission cooler lines because they might be leaking for $410.00. And they also say that my front right and left control arms are bad which of course they can be replaced for $845.00. So for a problem that was under warranty they would not fix but they would like to fix other issues that may or may not be bad for a price.......very disappointed in dodge. This may cause me to defect from chrysler and buy ford.
Both lower control arms and tie rods failed at 30,000 miles and under. I just failed my annual pa state safety inspection for the for the second time in 2 years. This year it was the left lower control arm and outer tie rod. Last year, when it failed the safety inspection, it was the opposite side components. My odometer read 30379 miles at the service date. This is listed on the current invoice from a reputable chrysler service center / dealership where I had the work done. Last year's safety inspection failure was at about 23000 miles. I am obviously upset that I have had to spend so much money on this safety issue so early in the life of this vehicle. I am also very concerned for the welfare of other owners which may not have required state inspections like I have where I live. I am thankful for the inspections and the mechanic who recognized the issue and possibly saved me from a future accident. I started doing some homework finding that this is a common problem on these vehicles. I found this by looking at many different independent jeep owner websites, blogs, and even complaints found on the federal safety agency website. I do not drive aggressively, go off-roading or any other thing like that which may have contributed to this problem. I am very disappointed that chrysler has not taken any responsibility for this safety concern to date. In fact, when I sent an email to chrysler I was given a stock reply amounting to "we are sorry for your trouble but we can't make a diagnosis on your vehicle. Please go to a licensed chrysler service center. Please report your safety concern with the federal safety agency. Have a nice day!" ...and here I am. I wonder if they even read my email because I already had the work done. Hopefully somebody will take care of this before people get hurt or have to pay over a thousand dollars for repairing safety issues chrysler should be addressing.
This is a safety issued with the 2008 jeep patriot. These vehicles have a problem with ball joints and arms breaking. Was told by the mechanic that this is a common defect with this auto and is a very dangerous problem. When I looked into it online I found many blogs regarding the 2008 jeep patriot with this problem. I think jeep needs to step up and correct this problem. I've never had to put money into a 4 year old car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep patriot the contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic for inspection where they detected that the front passenger's side lower ball joint was faulty. The vehicle was then taken to another mechanic for a second opinion who informed the contact that the front passenger's side tie rod end and lower ball joint would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 37,053. Updated 03/14/12
When purchasing new tires for my 2008 jeep patriot limited awd, the shop found that the lower ball joints were worn out. The vehicle has only 30883 highway miles on it. The jeep dealer states that this has been a common problem and the demand at this time for the lower control arms from chrysler is 930 per week. Having grown up around a front end and alignment business, I find this to very very abnormal. Whether it is a design flaw or inferior parts, chrysler corp needs to be held accountable for repairs to these vehicles. Suspension and steering are not where manufactures need to be cutting corners when building cars! I will be repairing my jeep with the best parts available, and maybe the people at jeep should consider doing the same when they build their products. I am not the only one having this problem, the internet is full of complaints, and let's hope a ball joint doesn't break and injure someone before they decide to address the problem. It took me years to get over the chrysler corp junk of the 60's and 70's and I truly hope they are not reverting back to the past.
Ball joint on front driver's side lower control arm (lca) has gone bad and needs replaced. The ball joint is integrated with the lca in the jeep patriot, so the entire lca must be replaced. From speaking with the dealership and others who own jeep patriots (and the related jeep compass and dodge caliber), it seems that front suspension problems are quite common with these vehicles, even at relatively low mileage (30,000 miles or less).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep patriot 4x4. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle began to pull toward the right. Also, there was a loud clunking noise heard from outside of the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that both front lower ball joints were defective. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the repair was performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. Updated 01/13/12*lj the dealer replaced both front lower control arms and the left outer tie rod. Updated 02/06/12
On 9/21/2011 this vehicle was taken to our dealer for regular service at 30,979 miles. It was discovered to have defective and loose lower control arms and tie rod ends. The dealer indicated the vehicle was not safe to drive for any extended miles. There was at least 1/2" play in the wheels. The parts have now been replaced. Previous inspection & tire rotation at about 25,000 miles and 2 1/2 months ago indicated no suspension problems. The only clue to the problem was some 'clunking' noise in the front end when going over bumps. This vehicle was purchased new, has been serviced regularly by the selling dealer, is driven exclusively on the road, and has been in no accidents. Up until may 2011, it was driven only about 7,500 miles annually. It was out of warranty for only 40-days. I am incredulous that a well maintained 4wd vehicle would have a major suspension failure with such a rapid onset at such low miles. Research on the internet indicates this is a common and potentially dangerous experience by other jeep patriot owners that should be taken more seriously by the manufacturer than it currently is.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 jeep patriot 4x4. While the contact was driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began to turn to the right unintentionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated the front passenger and driver side lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect and they were unable to provide further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was a 50,000. Updated 10/17/11 *bf updated 10/21/11.
We have had out jeep for 3 years took it to the shop to get a tire fixed...and they let us know that the tie rods and ball joints were bad. That is also the reason out new tires are wearing out fast. This seems to be a problem with this model jeep.
Experienced shaking of steering wheel, and overall handling problems.
When having new tires installed,I was told that there was looseness and play in the front balljoints. This seams to be a problem thats not uncommon with this vehicle. I feel that this should be looked into.
Both outer tie rod ends, right lower control arm both failed at 45,000 miles not covered on extended warranty because it was not towed to the dealership. Was unsafe to drive at the time. Never buy a extended warranty it covers nothing it is a complete and total ripoff. Cost $599.18 for a problem that they knew about.
Ball joint repair at 40k? I just turned the 40k mark on my jeep patriot 2008 when last week I began to hear a noise in the front passenger side. It was worse with the A/C so I thought that was the problem. Upon oil change, my mechanic told me it's the ball joints that needed to be replaced. I have no wobbling of my steering, but he states it is a dangerous situation. Now I read that it's a 3 yr 36,000 mile warrantee so I fall outside of that. Bad jeep, bad! I have had more bad luck with this vehicle than my commander which I loved. Fix this issue!
2008 jeep patriot front lower ball joints and outer tie rods were bad after 45k miles (99.9% highway miles). The lower arms and outer tie rods were replaced. The defective parts are still available.
Jeep patriot (2008) lower ball joints failed on both sides. Problem started at 37,000 miles. Car was taken to dealer, told to rotate tires (no mention of ball joints). Failed inspection 3 months later due to ball joints and lower control arms. Cost to repair over $1,000. Car must be fixed, but jeep does not insure that the part will not fail again. Very dangerous situation!
Driving home from the show room with less than 5 miles heard a clunk and grinding sound from front end. Brought it back to dealer and found both front rotors warped, clunking continued. @ around 7,000 miles clunking increased from front end of vehicle. Brought it to jeep dealer, found nothing. Noise continued to get worse. Brought it back to jeep and again found nothing. Clunking became nerve racking, @ 65,000 miles brought it to my personal mechanic and found that both control arms, bushings, and struts need to be replaced. And of course the manufactures warranty has expired!
In march 2011, I brought my car to my regular mechanic for an oil change and basic inspection of the tires. Everything checked out fine. I asked him how the brakes looked, he did an inspection and found that they were in really good shape. In may, I noticed that there was a wobbling of the steering wheel when I neared 65 MPH and when I applied the brakes coming to a stop. I brought my car back to the mechanic on may 27, 2011 especially when I started to hear a clank/clunk/loud noise coming from the front passenger side occurring when the car encountered a bump or in making a right turn and encountering a bump at the same time. This noise was in addition to the wobbling now. Upon inspection the mechanic found that I needed brakes and rotors. The rotors were completely destroyed. This maintenance was done but the wobbling and loud noise persisted occurring at a speed of 50 MPH instead of starting at 65 MPH. I brought the car in again for another inspection and the mechanic found that the ball joints and control arms on the front end were bad, the right being much worse than the left. Basically the ball joints looked like they had been on a car with 100k miles on it when my vehicle has 41k and is under 3 years old. He stated that the faulty ball joints seemed to have caused the sudden damage to the brakes and rotors especially since he had just inspected the brakes in mid march. I spent $800 on brakes and rotors and will be paying an additional $800 for the ball joints and control arms to be replaced on the front end.
I am the original owner of a 2008 patriot purchased 03-10-08. While on the highway,I heard noises from the front end of my car. Then I had a caliper lock up on my back brake and I took it in to the nearest mechanic. When the mechanic checked out the car they called the car dealer because I only had 29,133 miles on the car and my outside front control arm ball joints where worn out. The mechanic said this is abnormal and with such low mileage and should be covered by the dealer. The dealer said I was not covered under the warranty of 3 years 36,000 miles. The date of this repair was 4-23-11. A little over 1 month out of warranty. Three weeks later the tie rod went bad while I was on a trip. The cost of these two problems was over $1,000 in repairs that should not have worn out with only 29,000 miles (this does not include 2 tires I had to replace and other repairs). These parts had to have been bad for a while before I became aware of the serious danger of driving with bad ball joints and tie rod.
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