Warning about "rough road" driving

[imspace2]

I was driving a dirt road a few weeks ago up near Georgetown, CO and hit a few pot holes in my '09 GT. It took me a few weeks to notice that my rear driver side door has bent, sticking out and no longer flush with the rest of the car. I just out this out as a warning bc its going to cost me almost $300 for a body shop to fix it back up.

[BlueCrush]

WOW! They must have been some Craters!!

[lowincash]

wow thanks for the warning. how big was the crater you hit? i hit a few pot holes before and felt hard when i hit it but seems like everything is ok. but this makes me a bit more careful now lol

[Caretaker]

I think you ran over one of those escaped convicts from the state prison outside Stapleton!! And in front of the "No Picking Up Hitchhiker" sign too!!.....geez!!

[Sublimewind]

You sure you didn't hit something like this.. ??lol....

[djb383]

When you drive too fast on a dirt road, it's hard to judge how big the holes are. Ouch, lesson learned, the hard way.

[Whelan]

You don't own a Jeep. It's a Vibe

[kunkstyle]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »You don't own a Jeep. It's a VibeYou shouldn't need a jeep to drive on a grid road How fast were you going when you hit said potholes?

[Whelan]

dirt road = grid road? What is a grid road, I'm from CT, new word for me.Most roads are not worthy enough to have a Jeep drive on them.

[northvibe]

man..come to Duluth, MN you dont need dirt roads to have craters! I think my ms3's struts are already blown at 30k miles

[renate]

If I have to go somewhere on a dirt road,I go in someone else's car!!

[NascarXprt]

well at least its not swimming in water.

[kunkstyle]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »dirt road = grid road?Correct.

[Raven]

There is no way in the world that driving on a bumpy dirt road could bend a door. There would have to be major suspension damage before the body would give way. Tire and wheel would be toasted as well. Do you mean a rock somehow flew up and dented the door?

[imspace2]

dude is was just a grid road I think. Sort of a purposely bumpy road so that kit cars like the vibe can make it up a mountain road. I really wasn't even going above 10mph either. Needless to say I am very disappointed

[imspace2]

no its seems as though the "garbage" door flared out above and below the latching mechanism. Again I was not speeding up this thing, just felt a large bump and there we have it.

[Raven]

Warranty issue, no?

[ChuckstrPT]

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »You don't own a Jeep. It's a VibeI've got both....problem is the Jeep is also a unibody....added "chassis Stiffeners" before I lifted it to attempt to prevent "body torsion." Unfortunately, some 3 years later, and lots of twisting....the doors don't quite line up as they did when I got it!

[2002sportside]

I still want to see pics of the damage...

[imspace2]

I'll post pics when I get back to Denver guys and no I didnt even think about it being a warranty issue. Its compact "Japusa" what are we supposed to expect?

[vibolista]

Northern drivers have experience with rough, pot holed roads on a yearly basis. Maine Winters are really destructive, creating huge waves of heaves and deep holes. We have to drive to get to work, etc... and I have yet to bend any of my vehicles. And talk about cheap, from 92 to 2001, my commuter skate (and sacrificial anode to the salt Gods of Winter) was a super cheap Suzuki Swift. If anything cheap will bend, that little vehicle should have. It would seem to me that you either have a legitimate fault/defect with your car, or you hit the rough patch with enough speed to deform the car. Any car will bend if it encounters enough asymmetrical force. Were you carrying passengers or a heavier than normal load? Have you checked the inside edges of your door to see if it might have been forced. Maybe someone tried to break into your car.On the way home today, I saw a new Focus with a broken drivers side front suspension. The wheel was pointed 90 deg to the left. A tad more than normal max lock. Stuff happens. You have to pay attention to the surface ahead, or you might break something. And you really don't have to be going too fast to do that kind of damage in the first place. I just hope it's doesn't turn out to be a common structural flaw in the 09. Take it to the dealer and have it checked out. Don't know if it could turn out to be a warranty issue or not. Good luck.

[Whelan]

Now THATS a JEEP!! WHOOP!!!!!We had a 96 Classic Cherokee, a 99 Sport, and now my parents own an 03 Grand Laredo. GF has an 05 Liberty Limited. I still want a new Liberty Limited (white with sky roof).