To many residents of Pennsylvania it may seem that automobile recalls are in the news every day. Nonetheless, owners of the vehicles that have been recalled should pay attention. The failure to learn more about the defect could result in injuries that could be serious or even result in death.
In certain regions of the country, people who own a Jeep Liberty should be aware of a recent recall issued due to the possible corrosion to rear suspensions on the vehicles. The vehicles affected are model years 2004 and 2005, sold or registered in states defined as being part of the "salt belt." A total of 20 states and the District of Columbia are included in the list of "salt belt states." Over 260,000 vehicles are included in that recall.
Because Pennsylvania is one of the 20 salt belt states, owners of the SUVs living there should take note.
The corrosion problem is reportedly due to the lower control arm of the rear suspension being exposed to salt over the winter months when it is used to keep the roads from being too slippery. Should the arm fracture, the stability of the suspension is decreased, potentially leading to an accident.
Though Chrysler has learned of 83 incidents of the control arm fracturing, thus far, it indicated that no accidents or injuries had resulted.
Should someone find themselves injured as the result of a defect in a car that has been recalled, that person may be able to recoup financial compensation via a product liability lawsuit. Products liability lawsuits involving automobiles are often very complex.
Source: International Business Times, "Jeep Liberty Recall: Chrysler Recalls Over 260,000 Jeep Liberties," Benjamin Reeves, March 7, 2012