Upon arriving home from work I backed the vehicle into my driveway and found the vehicle would not move and the passenger side front tire was rubbing against the undercarriage. Investigation after removing the tire found the outer tie rod ball joint had separated and collapsed. Inspection of the part found no apparent lubrication and rust appeared on the ball section. Vehicle was towed to my mechanics shop and the part removed and replaced with a new unit. I asked if the drivers side tie rod was also in need of replacement but inspection by my mechanic apparently found the unit to be intact. The removed part was discarded unfortunately but the mechanic indicated he's seen the same failure on other vehicles of the same manufacturer [chrysler corp]
1997 Plymouth Breeze: ball joint or control arm failure
15 of the 155 complaints about the 1997 Plymouth Breeze describe ball joint or control arm failure.
- owner complaints
- 15
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- recalls
- 1
Ball joint or control arm failure by model year
What owners say
The tie rod on the driver side of the vehicle broke and the passenger side tire rod is loose.
Engine: canshaft oil seal fell out, ruined engine, required rebuilding engine. Chrysler refused to pay. I found a tsb that provides a retainer to keep oil seal from falling out. Engine has severe vibration at idle. Can not find cause. Front suspension: loud clunk near drivers footwell, many rattles. Found failed front lower control arm rear bushing. While repairing also found both outer tie rod ends worn and left side inner tie rod end worn. Sway bar link was also worn. No help from chrysler at all. Rear wheel bearing loose. Tightened retainer nut to specified 185 ft lbs. Which corrected problem.
Vehicle was reversing, heard a tomping noise, inner tie rod broke. Couldn't move vehicle. Contacted dealer.this was a common problem.
97 v 201 000/while pulling into a parking lot right front lower ball joint broke. Dealer contacted. Feel free to provide any further information.
Lower ball joint disconnected while driving at 25-30 MPH. Dealer contacted. Feel free to provide any further information.
Left front tie rod end broke while shifting vehicle into reverse. Dealer and manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak.
Consumer was making a slow right turn at 5 MPH when she heard something popping. She pulled over, and saw front left tire turned right, and front right tire turned left. Dealer replaced front tie rod. For about 1 year prior to this, consumer heard a popping sound every now and then when making turns. Dealer assured her at that time there was nothing wrong with vehicle.
Lower control arm is making a popping sound. Also, headgasket blew.
Ongoing problem with tie rod and ball joint failures. Dealer had replaced both tie rod and ball joint three times each, and problem appeared to be reoccurring. Dealership denied recall 97v201 stating that all parts were okay, the initial problem was an ongoing front end noise and vibration. Seeking help from the federal safety agency in this matter. Vehicle also experiencing an oil leaking problem, the head gasket has been replaced 4 times. A chipped drive chain caused motor vibration. *ak
Wheels sounded like they were going to fall off whenever consumer hit a bump. Engine check light was coming on, and consumer was constantly putting oil in vehicle. Took vehicle to dealer, and they said vehicle was burning oil and making a knocking noise. Left and right tie rods needed to be replaced.
Noise in the front was reported to dealer on april 27, 2000. Car was put up on rack, but no defect was found by mechanic at that time. While turning onto main road from side road, tie rod broke. Repairing mechanic ( not dealer) noted excessive wear of tie rods, for mileage on vehicle, and replaced both sides. Had I been up to speed I could have been involved in a serious accident. Dealer of vehicle supposedly did a safety check before we took delivery.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The lower control arm ball joint can separate due to loss of lubrication.
- Risk
- Separation of the ball joint could cause a loss of steering control increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the ball joint end housing cover seal for leakage with a high pressure air tester and the rubber boot will be visually inspected for damage. If the cover seal leaks or the boot is damaged, the lower control arm will be replaced.
Recall number 97V201000 · Recall details
Questions about the 1997 Plymouth Breeze ball joint
Is ball joint or control arm failure a common problem on the 1997 Plymouth Breeze?
15 of 155 owner complaints about the 1997 Plymouth Breeze (10%) mention ball joint or control arm failure. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 1997 Plymouth Breeze?
There is 1 recall and 3 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 1997 Plymouth Breeze
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