Jeep Liberty

rsholland · June 2002

You may even want to consider an Outback, as it has much more room than a Forester. Either will get through snow just fine.

Unless you opt for a Liberty with Select Trac (full-time 4WD), and not Command Trac (part-time 4WD), the Subies will also have an edge in the rain department.

Bob

chow3 · June 2002

I just picked up my first new jeep since my 1984 cj-7. Living in south Florida I purchased a sport-2wd- all power and steering wheel package at invoice. Could not find anyone with the tow package. Anyone research after market class 3's or this vehicle. Also does anyone know what cooling additions the tow package offers??

mad0865 · June 2002

Congrats on the new purchase. Good to see some of those die-hard CJ owners driving around in a Liberty.

I believe the towing package also includes a Tranny/Engine oil cooler, plus the connection for lights for trailers. I know, I too am kicking myself for not getting that, but I did read on another Jeep specific website that aftermarket tranny coolers aren't that expensive.

jefferson1964 · June 2002

I went looking today at the liberty but the dealership i was shopping said their was not much mark-up and so are selling at sticker, BS! They were taking 21K liberty sports and putting pin strips and adding $400 for this feature and $1,000 for interior cloth protection, so i walked was dissapointed in the no dealing part when i read people on this thread buying at invoice....

binka · June 2002

interior cloth protection for $1,000 did the dealer tell you that with a straight face? you certainly did the right thing by walking, maybe should have ran. Any of those types of add on's are a waste of money. Good luck in your Liberty search there are good dealers out there just got to find them

mrgallup · June 2002

I am torn between a Liberty v. a Highlander. I know the truck based / car based argument - not an issue - I am looking for a solid vehicle that I can use to get to work in Nebraska. I will be driving 100 miles a day round trip. I know that neither is the most economical from a gas milage standpoint but I am prepared for either - as long as I can get ~19 I can live with the costs. Here are my questions:

1. I am concerned about the higher profile of the Liberty - re: wind noise, highway handling etc. Any comments?

2. Curious about seat comfort over the long haul. Will be getting the Limited - probably with leather.

3. 2WD v. 4WD - not a lot of discussion about this on the board (that I have found anyway) I won't be going off-road but will be dealing with NE's winters. Considering the 2WD w/ limited slip differential. I figure I can go 2WD and add some options (leather, sunroof) or 4WD and go a little more plain. Any 2WD owners with snow experience care to comment? I was also surprised that there is no difference in gas milage numbers between the 2 and the 4WD - I assume that's because the 4WD system is more or less part time and so it never kicked in during the EPA testing.

I'll obviously road test the heck out of both (as much as the dealer will let me) but I welcome any comments from owners re: ride comfort etc. The Liberty is a little cheaper, a lot cooler looking, and has a better warranty than the Highlander - but I know Toyota's quality reputation and it is a little less thirsty - although over 100,000 miles assuming $2.00/gal (hopefully never) the gas cost difference is $2,000 so that really is a wash.

Thanks for any comments!

mrgallup · June 2002

I have seen some comments, news stories etc regarding Jeep doing a limited test of the Diesel Liberty in the U.S. Just wondering if there is any more word about that - and if it will be happening in 2003?

Thanks

nmchop · June 2002

MrGallup...I was going to buy a Liberty, the dealer was nice enough to let me take the Liberty over the weekend and I took it on a road trip (it was a program vehicle, so it had miles).

It happened to be a windy day and I really did not like the way the Liberty handled in the wind. I think I might've got used to it but didn't want to live with that. Having said that, I think you'll get that in any high profile vehicle. It's windy a lot around here.

I got 19 mpg on the way and 20 mpg on the way back (it wasn't as windy the 2nd day).

It was a real solid truck, I just found out that it wasn't for me. It rode pretty nice minus a shudder at 70 mph plus (my anlysis was this unit needed to have it's wheels balanced, not a problem for every liberty out there), There wasn't anything overly shocking about it. I was getting it mainly for highway travel and I found I wanted more mpg and a more carlike ride. So I changed my mind based on that but your willing to live with that and that's good.

So that's my experience, I was grateful the dealer let me have it that long to check it out. I also didn't find the seats that comfortable, again, might've adjusted to that in time. And I'm not much of an off roader and I don't run into much bad weather around here, so this truck didn't make sense for me. But it was nice and I think it's a good bargain for the money!

Good luck with yours...you should wait for a windy day and then go test drive one and see if it bothers you. I was going from a car to the Liberty so I think it was a dramatic difference for me.

luca1 · June 2002

Last weekend I took a trip from Mission Viejo CA to Sonoma CA, about 900 miles round trip. The winds were pretty intense I felt I had to stay on top of the steering for most of it, but I believe this would have been the case no matter what I was driving. I did not, however feel unsafe. I just watched my speed and didn't worry about it. It did make a lot of noise, but again, I think that would have been the case no matter. I have to admit that after a while, the seats were uncomfortable. The bottom didn't seem long enough and it was hard to find just the right comfort level. When everything calmed down, I found my ride was very smooth and satisfying. I was also very happy to have had my radar detector because I was surprised at how smooth the ride was in excess of 75. All in all, I am very happy with my Liberty. I will be taking her back up north in a couple of weeks. Good luck with whatever your choice is.

wendy

binka · July 2002

I also commute 100 plus miles per day 80% interstate 20% city average about 19 MPG but do not drive hard. I find my Liberty Limited smooth and quite, as mentioned by others there is some wind noise on days when the winds are high but this is noticeable in my other vehicle as well, haven't been bothered with adverse handling due to winds. Seat is tricky for me to get just right my wife also drives it and of course moves it from where i like it. It has the 6 way power seat (leather) so i find myself doing a lot of adjusting but once i find the right spot its fine for some reason the Liberty seems a little short on thigh support and that takes some getting used to.Did battle with Northern Illinois winter the 4WD is absolutely fantastic i have no experience with the 2WD but for me i will never be without 4WD. 10,000 mile no squeaks, rattles, or problems of any kind just fun to drive

npgmbr · July 2002

By any chance does anyone know of Diamler-Chrysler offering a Hybrid or Electrick version of the Liberty in the future?

Thinking of purchasing a Liberty or a Saturn VUE but I really don't like the fuel mileage the Liberty gets.

If any of you know of any links to info please let me know.

Thanks

huckhill · July 2002

Some rumours that I have read are that the diesel is not an option in the US until we get a different type of diesel fuel. The article said that when DC tests its diesel engines, it actually imports European diesel.

I also read about plans for an '04 Liberty hybrid. I think I saw it somehwhere on Edmunds, but could not find it a second time.

klbrmb · July 2002

Well, July 2nd marked my first full yr of having my limited liberty. To my dismay the problems have started.
1. The wheels all have corrosion around the Jeep logo.
2. The front passenger side carpet was soaking wet when I went to clean it this past weekend. It has been 90 degrees over the past two weeks like the rest of the country and we have not had any rain so I can only assume something with the a/c.
3. I know this is minor but it is irritating. The drivers side visor has totally separated. It was like it was never glued correctly.

Has anyone else experienced these problems? I hope this is not a sign of what is to come. I guess I should be glad I only leased the thing.

znail25 · July 2002

I've had my Liberty Limited with those nice "Mechanica Cast" wheels for about a year now and I to have the corrosion around the center of the Jeep logo on the rim. Why can't Jeep make wheels that don't do this.. I live in Cleveland and we just had one of the most mild winters in recent history. I can see if I drove around for five months with salt packed in the wheels. Sorry, I had to vent...

This is what I did about the wheels. I went to the "Five Star" dealer where the jeep was purchased and pointed out the problem. The first thing the service manager said was, "What did you try to pry the center logo out with" I felt like David Banner when he started changing into the Incredible Hulk.. I guess the service manager picked up on my reaction. I was expecting this shifting of fault to me and asked him if there was a service bulletin issued about this problem. He tried to play it off as if he didn't know what I was talking about. Then I handed him the service bulletin addressing this problem. Boy did his attitude change! I now have an appointment to deal with this problem.

OK, first things first. Go to the NHTSA-National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations web site http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/ and you can find any recalls or service bulletins that have been issued for any car including the Jeep Liberty. There are only a few recalls but, there are a lot of these service bulletins for the liberty and they also might address your other problems.

Hope this helps.

Knowledge is Power!!!

klbrmb · July 2002

Thanks for the advice. I am in Medina county (25 minutes south of Cleveland), so I can definately agree with you re: our past winter. I guess I find it more irritating than anything else.

Thanks again!

ozone1 · July 2002

My wife and I just leased a loaded Silver Jeep Liberty Limited (27G Package, ABS, Heated Seats, Tow Package, Side Air bags, Sunroof and CD-Changer). I browsed through a lot the postings and was curious what kind of deals others may have gotten on a lease. We negotiated a Cap Cost of $27200 on a 36 month lease. We put down $5000 which put our monthly payment at $361 including tax. We live in Northern California and love our new vehicle. We looked at the Freelander and the Xterra, but we preferred the Liberty. The Freelander S interior seemed a little plain and there is no headroom for the rear seated passengers. The Xterra was nice, but my wife preferred the look and road feel of the Liberty. Anybody know when Jeep began lowering the ride height? I saw the press release was dated in April, but our car's "Born On" date was March 2002.

djasonw · July 2002

The price you capped at seems a little on the high side. I would NEVER put $5,000 intitially into a lease. That's INSANE. What happens if the car is totalled or stolen during the first year? You should have just purchased the car. Your situation may be different since it's possible you have a business and are writing off the vehicle. At any rate, I think the payment seems a little high. Enjoy the vehicle. Mine's great.

ozone1 · July 2002

That's right, it is a write off for us, so the down payment wasn't a big deal. I'd be interested to hear what others have negotiated for their Cap cost. The sticker on the vehicle we purchased was $28800 and change. I actually didn't think our Cap Cost was too bad. According to Edmunds, our vehicle has an invoice price with our options included of $26,918. Still want to hear what other deals people got.

ronmac1 · July 2002

My wife has an '02 Jeep Liberty Limited (2 wheel drive) and no problems to report at just over 13,000 miles. We've been on 3 long road trips and just got back from Colorado where it ran great at 11,200 feet in elevation. Mileage is 16mpg in town and 21-24mpg on the highway. The ride is solid with no rattles and it's great sitting up high with a good view.

We've always bought GM products and just recently decided to give Chrysler/Jeep a run (I also own an '02 Concorde LXI).

RCM

rsholland · July 2002

These are now on dealer's lots. Boy are they ugly!

Bob

vin_weasel · July 2002

Bob, I just happened to see one this weekend. I didn't mind it too much (flares were ugly but the integrated light rack was neat). My biggest problem was that this particular vehicle had stock tires and really low hanging running boards. It looked like a minivan.

rsholland · July 2002

It looked like a "Midnight Cowboy." The pseudo fender-flare rivets were a huge turn-off.

Bob

thecobles3 · July 2002

Posted awhile back (#2826 on 5/26) re: a check engine light that came on. Well, it wasn't the gas cap...

The idle motor (AIC) went bad and also took with it the main computer. Had that fixed and less than one month later THE SAME THING HAPPENED! This time we were on vacation in the Texas Hill Country... had to leave our Jeep at the local 5 Star dealer and give-up on any off-roading expeditions until it was fixed (how nice that it was fixed just as we ended our vacation so we could at least drive it home!). Again, the idle control motor was replaced.

Sure enough... two weeks later, right after my husband put gas in the car (always starts then...), the Jeep stalled in a bizarre way: would start but then, when he took his foot off of the gas pedal and let it IDLE (hmmm... seeing a pattern here), it died. Finally got it home. The check OIL light had come on this time, but when we took it to the dealer it was off. Also, it wasn't stalling anymore. They found NOTHING, so they updated our computer.

That was one week ago. Now, it is in the shop AGAIN for the same thing... stalling. After two days of running tests, the dealer cannot seem to find the problem... and it isn't stalling anymore again.

Quite frankly, we are at a loss of what to do. Should we just wait for it to do this again... perhaps while we are driving from Texas to Virginia in 3 WEEKS when we MOVE with our 3 year-old daughter and cats in the vehicle?!

Anyone have ANY IDEA what the H**L is going on? Please reply soon... we are running out of time!

thanks -- sarah

znail25 · July 2002

Does anyone know were they measure ground clearance from?
Thanks

graphicguy · July 2002

Sounds like the dealership is systematically going through all the things it "could" be.

They updated the computer module in the vehicle. You already did the "tighten gas cap" fix.

Those are the easy, cheap fixes. The rest are a bit more difficult. You might want to ask the dealer to replace the gas filter. I've seen even newly pumped gas to have contaminants in it. If this is the case and the fuel filter did its job, then the fuel filter could be clogged. This will cause intermitent stalling (depending on the severity of the clog).

If you're buying gas from the same place, then they obviously have an underground tank full of dirty gas.

More often than not, the "check engine" light refers to some sort of pollution control system failure. If the computer codes that the dealer has access to check out "OK", then try these other things to check:

--fouled spark plugs
--cracked ignition wires
--dirty air filter
--check for obstructions in the exhaust system (including the CAT converter)

Short of dropping your gas tank and looking inside for "garbage" in it, these are the most common areas to check.

Good Luck...let us know how things turn out.

hammurabi7 · July 2002

I'm lost, in prices, comparing these two favorites. Can anyone help me with some good info about the Liberty vs the Forrester?
Thanks, tons,
Hammurabi8

rsholland · July 2002

They're like comparing apples and oranges.

 Liberty is a rough-n-tough trucklet, whereas the Forester is car-based. It's built on a modified Impreza chassis.

 The Liberty is better off-road and for towing. It's tall, and has a relatively high center of gravity.

 The Forester is better on-road, and gets better mileage. Its boxer engine affords a much lower center of gravity, thus is much less likely to roll in extreme handling situations.

 The Liberty has much less useful "standard" content than the Forester. The Forester has ABS, full-time AWD, cargo cover, side-airbags, standard. All these features are optional on (most) Libertys.

 Unless you need excellent off-road capability or high towing capability, the Forester is a much better daily driver.

Bob

mad0865 · July 2002

Edmunds has the ability to view side by side (I believe it's up to five or six vehicles) in the "new"section of it's site. Great tool, you should check it out.

shill3 · July 2002

I wanted so badly to like the Liberty Renegade, but so help me, it just looks phony. I looks like it belongs less on a trail than an MTV Rap video. I'm sorry, but it suffers a bit from Xterra-envy if you ask me. Bigger tires would help. I think I will save a few $'s and stick with the sport.

How have folks found the Liberty's behavior off-road? Has the -1.8" hurt the performance any?

mad0865 · July 2002

Agree on the Renegade look; not impressed with it at all. I stuck with the sport version, and am very happy with it, on and Off road. But I don't understand what the -1.8" hurt the performance any means? What -1.8?

firstjeep · July 2002

I couldn't tell you, I'm still waiting for mine. It's at the dealer in VA but still has to be shipped across the atlantic....

My old car just finally died.

shill3 · July 2002

Sorry for the confusion. firstjeep is right, I was wondering if anyone has noticed any problems off-road with the lowered Liberty.

mad0865, you said that you have enjoyed your KJ off-road. Did you go for the off-road package? I am looking forward to do quite a bit of exploring here in N. AZ, but I am concerned with the KJ's drop in clearance. Bigger tires can help judging by the stance of the Xterra which, even before the Liberty's drop had more clearance.

I plan to order my Liberty in a week or so. Decided to take the Renegade pictures home to study. I slept on it and woke up with an upset stomach.

mad0865 · July 2002

Ok, for the record; I got mine in Oct2001, so it wasn't pre-lowered. As for the offroad package, no. I didn't order the Offroad pkg because at the time I was more interested in getting the vehicle than spending the extra $$ on stuff that I could add myself. I ordered it, so I put on stuff that I wanted, like the selectrac, abs, etc.

Haven't had a problem with off roading, highly recommend getting the front tow-hooks, and perhaps the rear tow hitch for those just in case emergencies (something that is on my todo list).

I think the lowered Lib's are only something like 1/2" in the rear, and 3/4" in the front? (guessing really). So it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Rusty's sells a lift kit if you're interested that'll raise it about 2 1/2", then you can get somewhat bigger tires to boot. Good luck in your decision.

-Mad

vin_weasel · July 2002

It still seems like the initial lifts being put out by a few companies are having problems. Things seem to still be in the testing stages. Liberty owners should be happy that there are quite a few companies who literally jumped on making modifications as soon as the vehicle came out.

ARB (in Australia) has apparently just picked up a Liberty to do development of new products.

isit1 · July 2002

My dealer has suggested the purchase of Jeep brush guards for my new (black) Liberty. Does this make sense for a city dweller to protect against cars backing into front of parked Liberty? Any other reason?
Thanks for your help.

shill3 · July 2002

Most brush guards are cosmetic and will add nothing to your vehicle re:protection (except for pushing aside a bit of brush). If you like the look, go for it, otherwise you may be able to find an aftermarket push bar that might do something for added protection. Seems to me that most of these guards will just crush into the front and could even cause more damage.

Just a guess.

soulfinger · July 2002

I agree with shill3. Brush guards are more for looks than anything else. Save your money. I've never looked under the skin on the front of my Liberty, but I've seen several posts elsewhere that have shown that it's difficult or impossible to solidly attach anything that requires real strength - a winch mount, brush guard, etc. - to the stock front bumper. Lots of plastic, little else.

cookie6602 · July 2002

I am wanting to purchase a Liberty, but want a 2003, anyone know when they will be available?

mysticliberty · August 2002

I just brought my 2002 Liberty home yesterday, and the dealer told me the 2003's will be available late September.

mjpinmd · August 2002

Hello All,
I don't post often, but love the board. I bought my '02 Limited in Oct of '01, 8,000 miles, no problems. However, I have noticed my serpentine belt squeaks. I know I could add a belt spray, but is that the best move? I assume a belt should not squeak with only 8,000 miles on it. Thanks for any help.

mad0865 · August 2002

I believe the warranty will cover wearable parts (belts, brakes, etc.) in the 1st 10,000 miles, but am not 100% sure. Check with your dealer. Serpentine belts wear out, it happens. Should get checked out soon though. Good luck.

-mad

mrgallup · August 2002

The information is probably right in front of me - but I can't seem to find it. Can someone please post a detailed explanation of these 2 transmission types - the pluses and minuses - and experiences with each and recommendations?

I am looking at a Libby LTD - will use primarily on pavement - but I live in Nebraska - so we do get snow, and I may do a little off-road camping (saw the Liberty Tents on ebay - that attach to the back of the hatch - cool! but I digress...)

Anyway - I am just curious which I should get - and what the differences are? I spent last week driving my brothers 2000 Grand Cherokee - which had a 4x4 with a lever for 2WD, 4WD Lo and Hi - which version is that and is it the same as on the Liberty? I liked the idea of having an option which would be 2WD for gas milage, wear and tear savings.

Any help or comments, explanations would be appreciated.

Thanks!

mad0865 · August 2002

The selectrac has the option for Fulltime 4x4, the commandtrac doesn't. Selectrac is useful in rain, snow, etc. Provides full time traction.

Is it worth it? I use it everytime it rains and snows, but for the heavy stuff I'll throw it in 4hi, and once in a while when going off the beaten path I'll use 4lo. Hope that helps.

ozone1 · August 2002

This article was posted today on CNN's web site on the main Business page. Take a look.

http://money.cnn.com/2002/08/07/pf/autos/suv_types.krt/index.htm

huck6 · August 2002

Has anyone seen or bought a dark garnet red Liberty? I am planning on ordering a sport and I like the pictures of the dark garnet, but was curious if any of you had seen one.

Thanks.

mad0865 · August 2002

Is an awesome looking Liberty color. Saw one one the lot the other day while at the dealership getting a new stereo put in (other one just started acting weird, so they replaced it). It was a Limited with the light color leather interior. Very sharp. Haven't seen one in a Sport version tho'. Good luck.

mjpinmd · August 2002

I took my Liberty into today and they replaced the belt in about an hour. It was under warranty and I saw it would have cost $51, $40 for the belt. Thanks for your help, mad0865...

mad0865 · August 2002

Awesome! Unfortunately, if I have to get that done I'll probably have to pay, being that I'm just shy of 20,000 miles. Good luck.

shill3 · August 2002

I did finally see a real live dark garnet red Liberty. I may be weak with my colors, but I think simply calling it purple would be honest. It does look nice.

I saw some '03's this weekend and could not tell that anything was very different. The roof rails seem to be standard as is, I've heard, the single CD player. I did notice that all of them were missing the spare tire cover.

tbunder1 · August 2002

they all have 4-wheel disc brakes standard. other than that, it's all decontenting that's different. the '02's come with more standard stuff. ill take a cassette deck that controls a changer anyday over just a single cd player.

i just picked up a 2002 silver sport friday. it stickered for $22100 even. has everything i need- power windows, locks, mirrors, keyless. automatic, air, preferred customer package options, spare tire cover, black interior (which looks awesome) and best of all, the dealer threw in some BFG all-terrain tires. it looks tough to say the least. especially with the spare matching. it has 100 miles so far and i love it. most solid vehicle ive ever had. built in january '01 so it's a non-lowered liberty. maybe one doesn't want all those options on limited's, ive heard nothing but bad stuff on decked out liberty's. seems like everything craps out on them. thank god for base liberty's with the essentials. and kudos to DC for keeping it cheaper than my two previous rangers and S10's. did i mention this has a back seat? hehe. i hope its the start of a fantastic relationship.

Jeep Liberty

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