NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Engineering Analysis EA06-008: FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINT SEPARATION
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Engineering Analysis EA06-008 on May 31, 2006, the day it closed Preliminary Evaluation PE06-004, whose summary cites it, and closed it on August 24, 2006. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2006 Jeep Liberty for it and links recall 06V-288 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- EA06-008 (also written EA06008)
- Investigation type
- Engineering Analysis A more detailed stage of a defect investigation, opened when NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation decides an issue merits further review, often after a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query; it can include vehicle testing, surveys and further information requests.
- Status
- Closed August 24, 2006
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Component
- Suspension — Front — Control Arm — Lower Ball Joint
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 06V-288: FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2002–2006 Jeep Liberty
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Engineering Analysis EA06-008.
ON JANUARY 6, 2006, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONIN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES.ODI SENT A LETTER TO THE MANUFACTURER ON FEBRUARY 7, 2006 REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND OTHER JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES.CONSEQUENTLY, THE INVESTIGATION WAS UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS ON MAY 31, 2006 AND THE RANGE OF SUBJECT VEHICLES UNDER INVESTIGATION WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL MY 2002-2006 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES.ODI IS AWARE OF 566 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING INVOLUNTARY FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINT SEPARATION IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI IS ALSO AWARE OF ONE NON-INJURY CRASH AND THREE ALLEGED INJURY INCIDENTS (TWO CRASH INCIDENTS AND ONE NON-CRASH INCIDENT) RELATED TO THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES.THE COMPLAINT COUNTS REPORTED ABOVE ONLY INCLUDE THOSE MY 2002-03 LIBERTY VEHICLES WHERE THE ALLEGED BALL JOINT SEPARATION OCCURRED AFTER PRIOR RECALL REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED (SEE BELOW) OR IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRIOR RECALL.THE MANUFACTURER CONDUCTED A PRIOR SAFETY RECALL (03V-460) TO ADDRESS THE SUBJECT ISSUE IN CERTAIN MY 2002-03 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES.ACCORDING TO DAIMLERCHRYSLER?S NOVEMBER 4, 2003, DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT (SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 49 CFR PART 573), ?THE CONSTANT TENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF LUBRICATION WHICH CAN LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR AND POSSIBLY SEPARATION FROM THE STEERING KNUCKLE.A CONSTANT TENSION BALL JOINT WHICH HAS SEPARATED FROM THE KNUCKLE MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WITH MINIMAL ADVANCED WARNING.?HOWEVER, EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT SOME VEHICLES SERVICED UNDER RECALL 03V-460 CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE INVOLUNTARY BALL JOINT SEPARATIONS.THE MANUFACTURER HAS MADE NUMEROUS CHANGES IN THE DESIGN, MATERIAL COMPOSITION, MANUFACTURE, QUALITY CONTROL, SUPPLY, AND INSTALLATION OF THE SUBJECT BALL JOINTS SINCE THE PRIOR SAFETY RECALL WAS INITIATED IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE WITH RESPECT TO SEALING, LUBRICATION, AND JOINT RETENTION CAPABILITY.BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 1, 2006, DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION HAS NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS IN APPROXIMATELY 826,687 MODEL YEAR 2002-2006 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 2, 2001 AND MARCH 15, 2006, INCLUDINGALL VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THE PRIOR RECALL.THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THIS RECALL IS 06V-288 (DAIMLERCHRYSLER RECALL CAMPAIGN F23).
DAIMLERCHRYSLER WILL REPLACE BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS WITH IMPROVED COMPONENTS FREE OF CHARGE.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Engineering Analysis EA06-008. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Jeep VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for EA06-008
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.