TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END WAS EXHIBITING AN ABNORMAL SQUEAKING NOISE WHEN DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE AN INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE FRONT BALL JOINT HAD WORN PREMATURELY DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,700 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 10,500. UPDATED 12/4/13*CN THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BALL JOINTS AND TIE RODS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.
2012
ENGINE
THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT WITH JUST SHY OF 15000 MILES ON IT. TWO SEPARATE TWO TO THREE HOUR TRIPS WERE MADE IN THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE INCIDENT WITH NO PROBLEMS. ON THE TAIL END OF A TWO AND A HALF HOUR TRIP, AFTER CRUISING BETWEEN 70 TO 75 MPH ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE'S RPMS SHOT UP AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME NEARLY REAR ENDED ME. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER, PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. I THEN CRANKED THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUED DRIVING. THE SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN MILES FURTHER. I PULLED OVER, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, AND THEN TURNED IT BACK ON, ATTEMPTING TO REACH MY DESTINATION IF POSSIBLE. THIS INCIDENT THEN HAPPENED A THIRD TIME, APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MILES FURTHER, ONCE AGAIN ON THE SAME INTERSTATE, BUT THIS TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF CITY TRAFFIC. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED AND SENT TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY COULD NOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM. THE CPU DID NOT REPORT ANY ERROR CODES. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED, I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED AS I WAS CRUISING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING INSPECTED, BUT THE DEALERSHIPS CANNOT SEEM TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM BECAUSE I WILL BE MOVING ACROSS COUNTRY IN TWO MONTHS AND CANNOT RISK THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. THIS VEHICLE AS IT STANDS IS A DANGER NOT ONLY TO THE DRIVER BUT FOR OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD NEAR THE VEHICLE. *TR
