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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE07-062: UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-062 on December 17, 2007 and closed it on April 18, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Jeep Liberty for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE07-062 (also written PE07062)
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status
Closed April 18, 2008
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Components
Suspension; Suspension — Front — Control Arm — Upper Ball Joint
Vehicles and equipment
2002–2003 Jeep Liberty

A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-062.

ODI HAS RECEIVED 22 COMPLAINTS OF UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION ON MODEL YEAR 2002 AND 2003 JEEP LIBERTY 4X4 VEHICLES.THE SEPARATION OF AN UPPER BALL JOINT ON EITHER OF THE FRONT WHEELS CAN RESULT IN THE AFFECTED FRONT WHEEL COLLAPSING, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN VEHICLE DISABLEMENT AND CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.THERE IS ONE COMPLAINT OF A FAILURE AT 75 MPH, 1 FAILURE AT 60 MPH, 3 FAILURES AT 40 MPH, 2 FAILURES AT 25 MPH, 7 FAILURES OCCURRING WHILE THE DRIVER WAS PULLING INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND 2 FAILURES THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE DRIVER WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ACROSS THE FLOW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC.ONE COMPLAINANT ALLEGED ALMOST BEING HIT BY AN ONCOMING TRUCK AS A RESULT OF THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEING DISABLED IN THE FLOW OF CROSSING TRAFFIC.ANOTHER REPORTED THE COLLAPSE OF THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT, AS A RESULT OF WHICH THE VEHICLE ENDED UP IN A DITCH JUST MISSING A COLLISION WITH A TELEPHONE POLE.CHRYSLER LLC., IS CONTINUING TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.ODI HAS UPGRADED THE INVESTIGATION TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA08-008) TO CONTINUE TO ASSES THE SCOPE, FREQUENCY AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-062. 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.

Jeep

All Jeep recalls

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 PE07-062

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.