Questions and Answers

Jeep Liberty Accident Recall Related? Q. Dear Vincent, I own a 2003 Jeep Liberty, manufactured in 2002. Last week I had an accident with my vehicle. I’ve been driving for 35 years. I have an excellent driving record, no tickets, I’ve only been involved in one other accident before, it was very minor, and I was found not to be at fault.

The location of my accident was a rural country road, which I’ve driven hundreds of times; the road and visibility conditions were excellent. I was traveling within the speed limit.

I was coming around a mild bend in the road and straightening out, but the car continued to go in the direction of the curve. I turned the wheel to correct the direction and the car seemed to "overcorrect" and put me into the oncoming traffic lane. I turned the wheel again to correct the direction and get the car going straight.

I had applied the brakes to slow the vehicle but the car was out of control. My right front wheel went into a gully on the side of the road and hit a stump. The right front wheel was broken, the right rear wheel also needs replacement and apparently there is some damage to the suspension, the control arm, and the steering knuckle.

Afterwards, I was pretty shaken up and kept going over the accident in my mind trying to explain how it could have happened. I questioned all sorts of scenarios, including maybe I’d hit a gravel patch, but when I went back to look at the road surface, it was absolutely clean.

I called the dealer, my salesman, to ask if they had any explanation and they told me they knew of no problems with the car.

Then my husband went out on the internet, and found that in fact there was a recall on my vehicle for a problem with "The Lower Control Arm Ball Joints".

When I called the dealer/salesman back with this specific information, he said, "Oh yeah, the ball joint problem, we know about that." Then he said he "Sees a lot of recalls and doesn’t pay too much attention to them!"

The recall was issued 12/15/03. On 12/16/03 I took my Jeep in for regular maintenance and the dealer service rep never told me about the recall. The only service they did was to change the oil. I have not received any notification about the recall from Daimler Chrysler.

The auto repair shop where my Jeep is now tells me that the ball joint isn’t broken and the insurance company is saying I’m at fault.

Can you tell me if the ball joint problem for which the recall was issued could lead to loss of directional control if it didn’t "break"? In other words, could loss of lubrication or wear cause the steering to jam or lock or perform improperly? Is there an "expert" in this field whom you could recommend I talk to?

Any advice you can provide would be helpful. I’ve called Daimler Chrysler to file a complaint, but they tell me that it could be four weeks before anybody even calls me back. And I have the feeling that they won’t be motivated to objectively determine if the defect did/did not lead to this accident.

A. First off, don't waste your time with your salesman. As far as he's concerned he's sold you the car and that's it for him. He is a horse with blinders on, he's just interested in one thing, his next commission check.

The same goes for the Dealership in general. Look in the sales contract, they sold you the car "As is". Even though it's a new car, they don't back up the warranty, Chrysler does. So that means in a case like this, your fight is with Chrysler.

The most important thing you have to do is document the cause of the accident. If it was a separated ball joint, you will need pictures of the ball joint and control arm to document this. You will also need documentation that your vehicle is one of the vehicles covered by the recall.

If your insurance company inspected the vehicle, they will have pictures of it. Your insurance company will help you, not because they are nice guys and like you a lot, but so they can get Chrysler to pay for the damage, not them.

Some pictures of the accident site would be very helpful as well. Any witnesses should be contacted and their statements obtained. One you collect all this documentation, call Chrysler and request a meeting with the Chrysler Factory Representative. He visits all the dealerships in his area on a regular schedule, once every two weeks or so, and show him your documentation.

Chances are, if your evidence is convincing enough, he will ask you to bring the vehicle to the dealership for warranty repairs. Be firm but polite and he will be more inclined to help you.

If the ball joint did indeed separate from the lower control arm, the wheel would kick out and the vehicle would drop. From what you describe, the problem would seem to be more of a steering problem than a ball joint problem. It is possible that a lack of lubrication could cause the ball joint to lock up and pop free if enough pressure is applied.

What you would need ia an Automotive Forensic Investigator to inspect the vehicle and determine the exact cause.