2008 Jeep Compass 4X4 Steering Problems

FRONT SUB FRAME RUSTED OUT.

NHTSA ID

11080805

Incident

Jan 15, 2018

Mileage

124,400 mi

THE CROSSMEMBER (SUBFRAME) IS ROTTING AWAY AND WHEN THIS PART FAILS A SERIOUS CRASH MAY RESULT. JEEP ISSUED A BULLETIN (23-012-14) FOR 2007 COMPASS FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM AUTHORIZING AN EXTENSION TO WARRANTY FOR 10 YEARS AND IF FOUND TO REPAIR WITHOUT COST TO OWNER. JUST CALL JEEP ABOUT MY 2008 COMPASS AND THEY TOLD ME SINCE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY HAS EXPERIED I WOULD BE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR COST. FIRST OFF, THE CROSSMEMBER SHOULD NOT ROT AWAY AFTER ONLKY 8 YRS, SECOND SINCE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE 2007 HAD A PROBLEM , MY 2008 SHOULD BE INCLUDED. MOST IMPORTANTLY, SINCE THE FAILURE OF THIS PART COULD RESULT IN LACK OF CONTROL AND MAY CAUSE A CRASH RESULTING IN INJURY OR DEATH THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR ALL JEEPS TO INSPECT AND REPLACE ANY PARTS SHOWING SEVERE RUST AND ROTTING.

NHTSA ID

10899254

Incident

Aug 27, 2016

Mileage

85,000 mi

THE CLOCK SPRING WAS GOING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. IT STARTED AS A CLICKING NOISE WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE AXLE SHAFT AND REPLACED IT AND STILL HAD THE SAME NOISE. I TOOK IT TO A GARAGE AND THEY FOUND THE CLOCK SPRING WAS BAD. HE SAID THAT WHEN THESE GO YOUR STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK UP. ALSO, UPON CALLING JEEP FOR THE PART HE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

10808717

Incident

Dec 7, 2015

Mileage

143,000 mi

39000 MILES AND SO MANY SUSPENSION PROBLEMS CONTROL ARMS,BALL JOINTS,TIE RODS,STRUTS HOPING MY FAMILY DOESN'T DIE IN THIS VEHICLE WHAT I SEE IN THE NEWS ABOUT CHRYSLER LATELY SCARES THE HELL OUT OF ME TRYING TO KEEP THIS VEHICLE OFF FREEWAY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN CHRYSLER SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM BUT GOING ON LINE THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR JEEPS I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY SAY THEY TELL ME IT'S 4000 MI OVER WARRANTY NOTHING CAN BE DONE I'M AFRAID THE WHEELS WILL FALL OFF WHAT THE $#%^ CAN I DO I DON'T HAVE THE L MONEY TO BUY A NEW CAR OR KEEP FIXING THIS ONE I THINK IT'S A FAULTY DESIGN AND SO DO NUMEROUS MECHANICS IN THE USA AND CANADA SOMETHING'S MESSED UP WHEN PARTS PREMATURELY GO BAD AND IF YOU LOOK INTO IT I'M SURE YOU WILL SEE A PATTERN I BABIED THIS CAR SINCE NEW HOPING IT WOULD LAST TWENTY YEARS DON'T KNOW IF ANY ONE HAS DIED BUT I THINK TO MYSELF ITS PROBABLE BEING SO MANY COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ ANY KIND OF HELP AVAILABLE THIS IS MY FORTH JEEP AND I NEVER HAVE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS WITH THE TEN OR SO CARS I HAVE OWNED HOPE YOU CAN HELP! BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS WHERE CAN I TURN DRIVING THIS IS FRIGHTENING AND I COULDN'T SELL THIS TO ANOTHER FAMILY AFTER WHAT MY MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME ABOUT THESE KIND OF JEEPS PLEASE HELP! WHAT WOULD YOU DO WHAT SHOULD I DO THANKS *TR

NHTSA ID

10595717

Incident

Jun 2, 2014

Mileage

39,000 mi

THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2010. WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET ONE OF THE TIRES REPLACED. THE AUTOMOTIVE MECHANICS FOUND MULTIPLE PROBLEMS IN THE CONTROL ARM AND THE BALL JOINT OF THE WHEEL. THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON TO JEEP COMPASS. I JUST WANT TO FILE A COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM IS NOT SUPPOSE TO OCCUR UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN ALL THE TIME OR ALWAYS DRIVEN TO VERY FAR DESTINATIONS. IN THIS CASE, IT IS NOT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM MIGHT BE CAUSE BY SOMETHING ELSE, LIKE BUMPS ON THE ROAD, OR A HEAVY OBJECT HIT ON THE ROAD. I DO NOT RECALL ANY INCIDENTS WITH MY JEEP COMPASS THAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW AND NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE THAT KIND OF PROBLEM THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HARM MY FAMILY AND MYSELF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10498265

Incident

Feb 14, 2013

Mileage

23,973 mi

LEFT FRONT TIE ROD FAILED WHILE TURNING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10454069

Incident

Dec 5, 2011

Mileage

99,512 mi

THE STEERING BEGAN TO PULL SHARPLY TO THE SIDE. WHEN THE JEEP WAS TAKEN TO THE SHOP, THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO GET THE PART IMMEDIATELY FROM THE DEALER BECAUSE THE PART WAS KEPT IN STOCK BECAUSE IT IS SO OFTEN REPLACED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT LOWER BALL JOINTS TYPICALLY LAST AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG AS THESE AND THAT CONTINUED DRIVING WITHOUT REPLACEMENT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN LOSING COMPLETE STEERING CONTROL. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS TO HAVE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. UPON RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, HAVING TO REPLACE THEIR LOWER BALL JOINTS WITH EVEN FEWER MILES AND MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE SHOULD AT LEAST BE A SAFETY NOTIFICATION SENT OUT TO ALERT OTHER DRIVERS OF THE DANGER CAUSED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW. WHEN I WROTE TO CHRYSLER, I RECEIVED A LETTER ASKING ME TO CALL TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. WHEN I CALLED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WAS UNWILLING TO ADMIT TO A FAULT IN THE PRODUCT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10442370

Incident

Nov 16, 2011

Mileage

50,000 mi

OUR 2008 JEEP COMPASS HAS BALL JOINT AND TIE ROD END FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10426985

Incident

Sep 14, 2011

Mileage

38,417 mi

I BOUGHT MY COMPASS NEW IN JUNE, 2008. I COMPLAINED ABOUT A CRACKING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT END THE 2ND DAY I HAD THE CAR. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER & THEY REPLACED THE R/F AXLE. IT STILL MADE THE SAME CRACKING NOISE. I TOOK IT BACK & THE DEALER SAID THE BOLTS ON THE CONTROL ARM WEREN'T TIGHTENED PROPERLY. STILL THE SAME NOISE, SO I WENT ON LINE LOOKING FOR ANY TSBS. I READ ABOUT FRONT END PROBLEMS WITH 2007 DODGE CALIBERS & 2007 JEEP COMPASSES & PATRIOTS PARTICULARLY WITH THE BALL JOINTS.TURNS OUT THAT UNDERSIZED BOLTS WERE INSTALLED IN THE CONTROL ARMS. BY NOW I FELT THAT THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE & WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER & THE SERVICE TECH SAID LET'S TAKE A TEST DRIVE, I REFUSED & TOLD HIM TO DRIVE IT HIMSELF, AS I WASN'T GOING TO GET BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL UNTIL THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM (REMINDING THEM OF THE LEMON LAW, AS THIS WAS THE 3RD TIME I WAS THERE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM). WHILE THE DEALER INSISTED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT ONE OF THE CARS LISTED IN THE TSB, THEY DID REPLACE THE CONTROL ARM BOLTS WITH NEW ONES & REPLACED THE STABILIZER LINKS. IN FEB. OF 2009 MY DAD PURCHASED A 2008 COMPASS & IT HAD THE SAME NOISE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER & THEY REPLACED THE CONTROL ARM BOLTS. SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS OR NOISES, ALTHOUGH MY JEEP ONLY HAS 17K MILES. DO YOUR HOMEWORK & CHECK OUT TSBS. YOU JUST MIGHT SOLVE YOUR OWN PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10425054

Incident

Jul 7, 2008

Mileage

100 mi

MY 2008 JEEP COMPASS, WITH APPROXIMATELY 32,000 MILES, REQUIRED THE LOWER BALL JOINTS TO BOTH BE REPLACED OR RISK A SERIOUS POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THESE PARTS SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST TWICE AS LONG AS THEY ACTUALLY DID AND THE TECHNICIAN AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP I SPOKE WITH SAID THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL OF JEEP WITH THIS SPECIFIC PART. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE IT INSPECTED BECAUSE IT WAS RIDING ROUGH. IF WE HAD NOT TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION AT THE TIME WE DID THEN THERE WAS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE PARTS FAILURE (LOWER BALL JOINTS) COULD HAVE CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT END RESULTING IN THE WHEEL AND TIRE SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN FOR ANY FAMILY WHO OWNS THIS MODEL OF JEEP. WE HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER DIRECTLY TO CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM AND TELLING THEM OF OUR DISSATISFACTION WITH THE PART BOTH NEEDING REPLACED WELL BEFORE THIS PART SHOULD NORMALLY BE DUE FOR INSPECTION. WE FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR A PARTS RECALL BY CHRYSLER. WE SOLELY WISH TO FORWARD ON OUR SAFETY CONCERN TO YOUR ORGANIZATION FOR FURTHER REVIEW. WE SUSPECT THAT THIS ISSUE MIGHT BE A TREND AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR CONCERN IS VOICED; MAINLY IN ORDER TO PREVENT A FUTURE INCIDENT IN WHICH A FAMILY IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THEIR WHEEL SEPARATES FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING A SERIOUS COLLISION OR POSSIBLY A DEATH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10421646

Incident

Aug 11, 2008

Mileage

32,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP COMPASS. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE IT STALLED AND A RED SYMBOL WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A RED LIGHT BULB ALSO ILLUMINATED ON THE LEFT HAND CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, HE WOULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. HE PERFORMED THE REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, APPROXIMATELY TWO DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SECOND DEALER WHO AWAITED INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND FILED A COMPLAINT ON THE CONTACTS BEHALF. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.

NHTSA ID

10399783

Incident

May 1, 2011

Mileage

53,000 mi