Federal Regulators investigate LBJ failures in 02-06 Liberty

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:49 am

This was posted over at jeepkj.com:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2006/jeep_liberty_probe.html

That's right, they are looking into ALL jeep liberty years, including after the heat shield recalls were installed.

It sounds like this investigation is due to the number of complaints of LBJ failures, and I have to believe that a number of those complaints are due to the great people here at LOST informing the consumer how to check their balljoints and where to report it when they fail prematurely. Without a resource like this site, I have to believe that something like that would go unnoticed and be swept under the rug.

So thank you!

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:31 am

This is the best line...

"Chrysler has changed the design and material used in the Liberty’s suspension since the initial safety recall. "

Oh really? Then why are 02 through 06 KJ's failing? The recall on my 02 was issued in 03!

KJ_Dave · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 11:57 am

I thought that the only thing that was changed was the addition of a heat shield to the failing lbj. The way that they worded it in the article was that they did something drastic during the 1st recall. If they would just give us some greasable lbj, like the MOOG's, that would prpbably solve it.

mb818 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 12:13 pm

ours goes in for new LBJ's at the dealership tomorrow after the backordered units came in a few days ago... i'm going to ask the service tech if he thinks the new ones are any different than the originals... and if they are any different from those found in '02 - '03 years...

i have my own Moogs on standby in my own parts dept. (craftsman tool chest :lol:

) for when these new ones fail :roll:

Mark

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 1:30 pm

Good find.

I gotta check if my 03 was recalled and also see if the dealer did it before I bought it in early 04.

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 2:15 pm

I believe March 25, 2003 was the cutoff build day to be included in the recall.

PitViper · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 8:42 pm

My 05 with 16000 miles had a bad joint on the drivers side and the other one was starting to go bad. Both joints where bad on my dads 04 at 24k

We both got the moogs now

waddy whiteguts · **Posted:** Tue Jun 13, 2006 9:00 pm

My '02 has 40k on it, had the recall done, and the replacement driver side LBJ failed on me just recently. I had the Moog greasable joints installed last week. 40k and third set of LBJs is not cool, hopefully these bigger Moogs will hold up well.

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

Interesting little brochure about the MOOG ball joint in comparison to Jeeps

http://www.moogproblemsolver.com/downlo ... iberty.pdf

jeeplikens · **Posted:** Wed Jun 14, 2006 10:18 pm

Ok.. Since my 04 doesn't seem to be having any issues, how do you know if your LBJ is going bad? I do notice on some KJ's around my area that they have that "FORD" look, where the front tires seem to bow in at the top, like it's over loaded or something. No abnormal wear on the tires noticed but I'm getting up to 36k on mine and I want to take it in and have a couple of issues looked at, including the LBJ just to see if everything is ok.

jpzkj · **Posted:** Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:59 am

jeeplikens wrote:

Ok.. Since my 04 doesn't seem to be having any issues, how do you know if your LBJ is going bad? I do notice on some KJ's around my area that they have that "FORD" look, where the front tires seem to bow in at the top, like it's over loaded or something. No abnormal wear on the tires noticed but I'm getting up to 36k on mine and I want to take it in and have a couple of issues looked at, including the LBJ just to see if everything is ok.

Huge thread on this...

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4348

mb818 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:34 am

new ball joints are in, and both my wife and i noticed right away how much more solid i feels in the front while driving... old ones must have been really bad... now it's not as "squirrelly" feeling going down the road and over bumps.

i didn't get a chance to ask about the old vs. new ones... the service tech seemed kind of annoyed with the amount of dried mud packed in around the knuckle and brake caliper... lol... we told him it wasn't our fault... we said we got stuck leaving a cookout a few weeks prior... we just didn't tell him how much fun we had getting stuck

anyway, the new ones definately look packed with grease, so lets see how long these last...
got these on just in time, too... we're driving to denver on sunday

Mark

jeeplikens · **Posted:** Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:19 pm

jpzkj wrote:

jeeplikens wrote:

Ok.. Since my 04 doesn't seem to be having any issues, how do you know if your LBJ is going bad? I do notice on some KJ's around my area that they have that "FORD" look, where the front tires seem to bow in at the top, like it's over loaded or something. No abnormal wear on the tires noticed but I'm getting up to 36k on mine and I want to take it in and have a couple of issues looked at, including the LBJ just to see if everything is ok.

Huge thread on this...

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4348

Yeah, wouldn't you know it.. I just found it no sooner then then I posted this. :oops:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 15, 2006 9:36 pm

How come no one has started a class action suit yet? Seems like enough people on here have had enough failures to justify one.

RkyMtnKJ · **Posted:** Fri Jun 16, 2006 3:02 pm

yeah, go Erin Brokovich on their tails

Strikeagle · **Posted:** Tue Jun 20, 2006 12:36 am

Had my 03's ball joints checked after the first recall and they put those silly little shields in, like those will dissipate all the heat from the front rotor!!! Then last sept/oct. went to alJ and got frankenlifted, clint found one bad ball joint, took it right over to the dealer, they had me come back the next day and they ended up replacing both sides. NOw im worried after Moab, gonna have to check them again. :shock:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 6:05 pm

Got mine done today at 54k miles. Dlr told me since there was a recall, they are now covered for life!

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:19 pm

I started a LBJ failure poll at:
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=9743
Maybe I'll see if a lawyer I know knows about class action suits but I need some info to go to him with. So please hit the poll link.
Here's the link to file a complaint with the NHTSA:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/Consumer.cfm

Federal Regulators investigate LBJ failures in 02-06 Liberty

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