NHTSA Investigation EA08008

UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION

ON APRIL 7, 2009, CHRYSLER LLC SUBMITTED TO ODI A DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT INDICATING THAT IT WOULD RECALL APPROXIMATELY 42,469 MODEL YEAR 2002 THROUGH 2003 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES TO REMEDY A DEFECT THAT CAN RESULT IN UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING (09V-119).THE AFFECTED VEHICLES WERE BUILT FROM MAY 2002 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2002 AND ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, KENTUCKY, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA AND WISCONSIN.ACCORDING TO CHRYSLER, THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF LUBRICATION WHICH CAN LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR, AND POSSIBLE SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING. CHRYSLER'S RECALL PROCEDURE INSTRUCTS DEALERS TO REPLACE THE FRONT UPPER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLIES ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. ALTHOUGH THE SPECIFIC CAUSE FOR THE DEFECT IN THE RECALLED PRODUCTION RANGE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, ODI'S ANALYSIS OF UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONS BY VEHICLE BUILD DATE SHOWS A CLEARLY DEFINED AND SIGNIFICANT SPIKE IN THE RATE OF SEPARATION DURING THE FIVE MONTH PRODUCTION RANGE COVERED BY 09V-119, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 11 PERCENT OF SUBJECT VEHICLE PRODUCTION BUT APPROXIMATELY 70 PERCENT OF SEPARATION INCIDENTS.SEVENTY-FOUR (74) OF THE UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATION INCIDENTS IDENTIFIED BY ODI OCCURRED IN VEHICLES PRODUCED IN THE RECALL MONTHS, RESULTING IN A SEPARATION RATE OF 174 PER 100,000 VEHICLES.THE SEPARATION RATE IN THE REMAINING SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER, AT 9 INCIDENTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES.AT THIS TIME, THE DATA DO NOT SHOW A DEFECT TREND IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT OUTSIDE THE RECALL RANGE AFTER APPROXIMATELY 6-8 YEARS IN SERVICE. THIS ENGINEERING ANALYSIS IS CLOSED.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.