Totally P*ssed off - LBJ recall!!

Robby_T · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 7:49 pm

Heh guys,

I've got a little tale to tell and I'd like your opinion about what to do next.

I heard about the LBJ recall at the beginning of August on LOST so rang my local Jeep dealer to ask about it. They knew nothing about it and checked my VIN on their system and I was told that the only recall listed was the 2004 one for the LBJ heat shields (which I had done at the time!). Booked my KJ in for a service and MOT (yearly check of road worthiness in the UK which you have to have to legally drive on the road - not sure what the equivalent is in the US?) on the 16th August at my local 4x4 shop (cheap compared to the stealership and a great bunch of guys...totally cool with mods and fabbing stuff).

Got a call from them to say that my LBJ's were shot and that the vehicle would fail it's MOT! So I called the Jeep dealership again...told them the problem...and was told that they now knew about the recall which was coming in September but that they didn't think it would affect all years of KJ. They checked their system again and again said that no recall was listed for my Jeep. They even gave me the number for customer services at headquarters Jeep UK to double check. So I did! Head office also told me that there was no recall for my KJ! So I gave my garage the go ahead to fit 'new' LBJ's (the old type...as the Jeep dealership were waiting for stock of the new ones) which I bought and paid for....£75 + labour (about $150 + labour????).

Checked Jeep.com tonight...put in my VIN...guess what...yep I need new LBJ's as part of the recall!! WTF?

What do I do now? (that's legal...)

Rob T :evil:

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:04 pm

GEt them Replaced again w/ NEw ones Or ask the dealer if they will reimburse for the previous replacements.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:06 pm

Thats legal? Ive heard some people say that if we had balljoint replaced under out own funds, jeep would pay for it if we could provide receipts/proof. Since this whoel balljoint thing just started, Ive yet to hear of this happening. Im going to try and get some money this weekend.

Edit: I would make them pay and give you upgraded balljoints...

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:41 pm

The bottom of the recall should have info about how to get reimbursed if you already fixed them.

I sent a copy of my receipt and a nice polite letter to the address provided on the recall about 2 weeks ago. I'll post if/when I ever get a check.

waddy whiteguts · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:09 pm

I see you're in the UK. I wonder if the recall is a US only thing?

fast1 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:30 pm

no its a liberty thing im from Saskatchewan mines booked to go in at 8:00am tomorrow mounin for the recall fix

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:35 pm

Mine still isn't in the list as needing the fix.
Anyone else w/an '03 get a notice when checking your vin?

corwyyn · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:01 am

Cacher123 wrote:

Mine still isn't in the list as needing the fix.
Anyone else w/an '03 get a notice when checking your vin?

Yep:
Here are your results
VIN Number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Vehicle Description: JEEP LIBERTY SPORT 4X4 SPORT UTILITY 4-DR Model Year: 2003

Recall and Customer Satisfaction Notification Information:
Click on description to view document
Description_____________Type_____Issue Date_____Status
LOWER BALL JOINTS____SAFETY____09/06/2006___INCOMPLETE

Still can't access the PDF of the actual notice, but it is showing.

Rob, concerning your LBJs, if you had the original recall work done then they should have replaced them gratis if they were failing (pretty sure it would work the same over in the UK as it does here). I would contact the DC rep or dealer and politely but firmly go after a reimbursement, and keep bucking up the chain until they say 'YES'. Do not accept 'NO' for an answer!

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:33 am

My 03 is there. Called my dealer about getting reimbursed and they said to contact dc. Did that yesterday and we'll see what happens.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:40 am

My '03 gets an INCOMPLETE result on jeep.com too. In the meantime, I'm not letting my wife shuttle the kids around in the KJ until the recall is performed. She's more than happy to drive our new Mazda6 S 5-Door. FUN car, and get's way better gas mileage than the KJ anyway.

Robby_T · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:58 pm

Spoke to Jeep today. At first they didn't want to know...going on about the fact that the recall is only effective from 6th Sept on so any failures before weren't covered. As soon as I mentioned calling in the lawyers she went off the phone to speak to someone...and came back saying they would refund me all my costs 'as a gesture of goodwill'. Have sent my invoice to them so I guess I'll wait to see if and when a cheque arrives!

Incidently the recall is now live in the UK...and there are no new LBJ's in the whole of europe! All on back-order and no one know's when they will arrive! At least I know I have 3 week old 'old style' ones so I should be ok!

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:06 pm

Robby_T wrote:

Spoke to Jeep today. At first they didn't want to know...going on about the fact that the recall is only effective from 6th Sept on so any failures before weren't covered. As soon as I mentioned calling in the lawyers she went off the phone to speak to someone...and came back saying they would refund me all my costs 'as a gesture of goodwill'. Have sent my invoice to them so I guess I'll wait to see if and when a cheque arrives!

Incidently the recall is now live in the UK...and there are no new LBJ's in the whole of europe! All on back-order and no one know's when they will arrive! At least I know I have 3 week old 'old style' ones so I should be ok!

Good job! Glad you got it all taken care of! :wink:

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:12 pm

I hope you didn't send the original invoice.

cerich · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:07 am

Robby_T wrote:

Spoke to Jeep today. At first they didn't want to know...going on about the fact that the recall is only effective from 6th Sept on so any failures before weren't covered. As soon as I mentioned calling in the lawyers she went off the phone to speak to someone...and came back saying they would refund me all my costs 'as a gesture of goodwill'. Have sent my invoice to them so I guess I'll wait to see if and when a cheque arrives!

Incidently the recall is now live in the UK...and there are no new LBJ's in the whole of europe! All on back-order and no one know's when they will arrive! At least I know I have 3 week old 'old style' ones so I should be ok!

If you got the pre recall part then DC will still have to change them to the new design part. Did you get the LBJ's from a jeep dealer?

Robby_T · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:19 am

Tokyojoe wrote:

I hope you didn't send the original invoice.

Nope..that would be too stupid wouldn't it?

Robby_T · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:20 am

cerich wrote:

Robby_T wrote:

Spoke to Jeep today. At first they didn't want to know...going on about the fact that the recall is only effective from 6th Sept on so any failures before weren't covered. As soon as I mentioned calling in the lawyers she went off the phone to speak to someone...and came back saying they would refund me all my costs 'as a gesture of goodwill'. Have sent my invoice to them so I guess I'll wait to see if and when a cheque arrives!

Incidently the recall is now live in the UK...and there are no new LBJ's in the whole of europe! All on back-order and no one know's when they will arrive! At least I know I have 3 week old 'old style' ones so I should be ok!

If you got the pre recall part then DC will still have to change them to the new design part. Did you get the LBJ's from a jeep dealer?

Yep from a dealer...and am booked in for a change to the 'new' new ones

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:22 pm

JJsKJ wrote:

GEt them Replaced again w/ NEw ones Or ask the dealer if they will reimburse for the previous replacements.

If that were me, I'd make sure I got BOTH. New ones replaced as the recall and reimbursed for the labor + parts charges from when they installed them right before the recall. It's not your fault that they didn't know about the recall, they should have done a little research themselves before trying to pull that stunt on you. Anything less than a full refund and new recall balljoints deserves a complaint.

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 6:52 pm

I will be having mine done tomorrow morning. My passenger side is pretty bad.

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:45 pm

I had pretty good service today. The best that I have ever had at a dealership. While I was at the counter waiting for the service manager to check me in, he was on the phone talking to another Liberty owner that had brake problems. At the end of his conversation with the Liberty owner he says, "I noticed that you haven't had the LBJ recall done, would you like us to do it?".

Well, about my service... They drove me home about 15 miles and ask twice if they needed to pick me up when it is done. They called me when they started working on it and called me when it was done. Of course they tried to sell me extra service, but I declined it.

I do notice a difference in driving with the new LBJs. A lot less play, not as much clank when hitting a pot hole.

Totally P*ssed off - LBJ recall!!

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