Jeep Liberty

tiredofmanual

My sister tells me that the Liberty looks "cute" and it looks like "it is smiling at you." That is probably why some people would think that it is a woman's car. Then again, I think that the new Trailblazer has somewhat of a menacing look to it, and I have only seen women driving it around.

funkyjingles

I have heard that buying a car towards the end of December is best time to buy a car. If this is true, I imagine dealerships are trying to get their numbers up for the end of year totals. In any case, since I will probably have to order my car (due to wanting very specific options) would I get a better deal ordering my car in December as opposed to ordering it in about a month. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated.

winbro

I had my liberty to the dealer yesterday for oil change & warranty stuff (2700 miles). the fog light issue (they did work up until 3 weeks ago then they stopped - others have also reported this as well). I will quote from the service order "customer states fog lights dont work. Inspected and found broken wire by the right front fender. repaired wire & rerouted. rechecked fog light operation - good"

and they worked this morning as well. hopefully this will do it.

basepro09

Have you guys seen the latest edition of four wheeler magazine? It's got a comparison test with the Liberty and the 2002 xterra. There's some pretty interesting stuff in there.

I'm finally going to buy one this month! I just gotta find the best deal, I thought this time would never come. Then I can talk about how my Liberty handles and performs along with the other owners.

Matt

Lisel

I own a Liberty Limited with CD/cassette and steering-wheel-mounted controls. I'd like to purchase an aftermarket CD changer. Which will work? I fancy the Sony Xplod ES models. (I might consider changing the head unit to one with an MP3 CD player down the line -- if I wouldn't lose the steering wheel controls.)

Thanks for the help,
Lisel

rmk17

I posted last week that I was taking my Liberty in because my engine light had come on. This is a follow up in case anyone is interested. The engine light was on for two days and then went off the day I took it in. Service guys hoooked it up to the computer and got a transmission code that they had not seen before (i.e. haven't done too much service work on Libertys yet). They actually called the Chrysler engineers in Detroit, who assured the delership guys it was not a "driveability" problem. The dealership adjusted a few things per Detroit's instructions and the light didn't come back on in a short test drive. To summarize, they gave it back to me without really doing anything. I've put on 150 miles since then with no problems. Unless this happens again, I think I can only chalk this up to a computer glitch. Has anyone else experienced anything similar?

Ryan

dotcom

Just picked up my custom ordered Liberty LTD and I am very satisfied. I put the order in July 6 and received it Sept. 25 (I live in NJ). It has the G27 pkg., moon roof and antilock brakes. My final price ($100. over invoice) was $25,625 (not including tax). I was not charged an "ad fee" as some other postings mentioned. So far I have NO problems and was happy with the dealership and the salesperson.

cheryl3038

Wow, I ordered my Liberty on July 31st and it was at the dealer on Sept. 8th. I didn't pick it up till Sept. 25th though cause I was gone on vacation the week after it came in. I've had it for two weeks now and everything is great. I only have about 750 miles on it, but plan on taking some long trips in the next few weekends to break it in more. My favorite thing is driving at night! I had it more than a week before I had a chance to drive it at night, and after I did....I loved the Liberty even more.

cheryl3038

I also wanted to let new owners know about www.jparts.com. I ordered the rubber floor mats from them on a Sunday and had them by Wed. I highly reccomend them.

stever

"For a freshman vehicle, the Liberty shined."

Check out the link in the Additional Resources box in the left sidebar.

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

gkarg

Just drove my Aunt's new Liberty Limited (only 137 miles on the odometer) -Stone White with white leather/on black carpet. With the aluminum accents inside... it is one sharp vehicle! It rode great and those heated seats felt great!

I'm still warming up to the looks on the outside... I guess the back-end is a little plain for my tastes and the front is "cute." (sorry male owners...)

It has good pickup and is nice and quiet on the road at 60 mph. After that short drive... I would highly recommend it to anyone in doubt!

johndal21

I bought my Silver Liberty Limited back in June and have about 4500 miles on it and of course love it. Went to the State Fair earlier this week (Monday) and decided to walk through the Automobile Exhibits and just had to grin. As I walked through the entire building was bustling with people. I of course had to walk over to see the Jeep portion so steered myself and my girlfriend in that direction. We both started to laugh as we got closer. They had 3 Liberty's on the floor plus a Limited with a cool American Flag Graphic on each side. (I was tempted to ask if this was an aftermarket option) The reason we were laughing is because there was several hundred people crawling in over, under, around each of the Liberty's. It looked like a swarm of ants. I couldnt help but smile as I walked past it all and caught bits and pieces of everyones opinions and thoughts.

djasonw

I read Edmunds comparison of the small utes. Like most other publications, the journalists favored the car like qualities of the Escape and rated it first. The Liberty was tied for 2nd. These folks don't get it! If we want a car, we'll buy a car! I want a truck and thats why I bought a Liberty. Granted that Jeep hasn't had their fair share of successful launches, but I bet the Liberty is better in EVERY respect to the plasticy, boring Escape. Let's face it, the Escape has already had FIVE recalls already. It's noisey, tinny, uncapable of rock crawling, and I can go on and on.

basepro09

I talked to a dealer today in the internet sales department and he told me his cost for a Liberty Sport 2wd 27b with abs, cc and cd was $19,700. He told me he'd give it to me for $19,900. I thought this was a great deal, so he's checking to see if he has one or can find one with these options so I don't have to order. What do you guys think?

Matt

rsholland

It sounds like you don't need or want 4WD. While the price is tempting, I think you're going to take a real hit when you go to trade it several years down the road. It will be much harder to finder a buyer (if you sell it yourself), or your trade-in value will be much lower than you had hoped for.

When people think "Jeep" they think 4WD, not 2WD. Maybe if you live in the deep south, it will be less of an issue. I live in Maryland (not exactly the snow belt), but 2WD Jeeps here are extremely rare.

Bob

winbro

I think you you said it all: Edmunds favors the escape cause of it's lower sticker price. well you get what you pay for and the escape/tribute interior is about the cheapest I've seen.

basepro09

I talked to a dealer today in the internet sales department and he told me his cost for a Liberty Sport 2wd 27b with abs, cc and cd was $19,700. He told me he'd give it to me for $19,900. I thought this was a great deal, so he's checking to see if he has one or can find one with these options so I don't have to order. What do you guys think?

Matt

tkevinblanc

I doubt you'll find a 2WD on a dealer's lot yet.

I have found that www.fitzmall.com (Fitzgerald Automotive) has competitive, clearly stated prices (lower than Edmund's TMV). I'd start by looking at their internet price as a comparison. They list the price out the door minus only taxes, tags and title (no additional advertising, etc.).

Use that as a guide. You might be able get a better deal. Whatever you do, get the dealer to tell you the final price, all inclusive before you decide.

huck6

I live in Northern Arizona at 7000 ft. with plenty of snow and dirt to play in. Easily half of the wranglers, silverados and surburbans that I see are driven by young women. Those are hardly "cute" trucks. Most of the old CJs and Land Cruisers are still driven by guys. It seems more an issue of an individual's tastes. I would not let the M or F question deter you, get what you like and enjoy it.

drew_

...at 6-7pm Pacific/9-10 pm Eastern tonight. Hope to see you there!


http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/jeepchat.html

justintx

I ordered my Salsa Red Lmtd 4x4 (tow, off-road, sunroof) on Aug 27th. When I checked last Friday, it had NOT be scheduled but the dealer told me an estimated delivery data of Nov 8th "or so"... not sure how he had a date if had not even been scheduled?? Anyway, I was going to be stuck without a car for a while if I had to wait that long, so I decided to call some other dealers around town. I found one exactly like the one I ordered plus the heated seats and 6 disc changer for only $300 more than the deal I had worked out with the other dealer. This one was Patriot Blue and $100 over invoice... needless to say, I canceled my order on Monday and picked up my Patriot Blue baby that night! It had 1 mile on it when I test drove it. I love it so far, and it does drive different than my 98 Cherokee... and feels a bit more solid as well. I hope this feeling lasts! Good luck to people with orders!

basepro09

I couldn't find the Liberty I wanted with the options I wanted, so I think I'm going to just order it and save some money by not getting one with more options and paying $1000 more than I wanted to in the first place. Does anyone know what info I should get from the dealer when he sends the order in, like a vin# or something so I can check out the order via phone. If anyone would respond I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

Matt

hotcoffee

I've been here before to check in.

I must say, give the Xterra a run, if you are uncertain of the looks on the Liberty.

I agonized for months, and after careful thought, I went with an Xterra and added aftermarket leather- I couldn't be happier.

ABS standard, 3rd year of production- very high customer satisfaction, great customer service, Nissan build quality- the list goes on.

If you are "just not sure" try the X.

Certainly no offense to the Liberty as I almost bought one. Either way, you should be happy.

My main reservation was that after 2 jeeps and mediocre dependability, I had to switch brands- but the Liberty could prove a new step for Jeep, being a completely new operation under Daimler Chrysler.

Good luck- enjoy.

lindag47

I just placed my second order for a Liberty and I learned a lot dealing with the first order. The dealership told me it would take a week to give me a vehicle order number. I checked around and found that the number is generated at the same time the order is placed. After 4 days I threatened to cancel the order if I did not get a number. They gave me the number the next day and I checked it out and it was in the system - BX - edited and available for scheduling.

I checked again 3 days later and found that the order was on hold due to "dealer allocation". This means the dealer had too many vehicles on the lot and couldn't receive any more until they sold some. DC told me it could be on hold for an indefinite period of time. I cancelled the order and placed it with a dealer who did not have an allocation problem. DC said they are not obligated to tell you if they have an allocation problem - so you might want to ask them.

To check on your order, call 1-800-992-1997 and follow the instructions. Good luck.

cheryl3038

"The dealership told me it would take a week to give me a vehicle order number"

That's crap....I had mine when I walked out on the day I odered. Sounds like it was a good thing you went to another dealer. I shopped around dealers also. I went to four before I made my choice. GOOD LUCK. I hope that you love your Liberty as much as I love mine!

cpintucson

In the Edmunds 2001 Mini-SUV Comparison Test, Top 10 Features, Edmunds claims the Liberty back seats fold flat. Either Edmunds is wrong, or the salesman that showed me the car did not know how to fold them flat?

Not having a flat cargo area was the deciding factor for me not buying the Liberty (I guess the rear drum brakes cop-out, too).

Liberty owners - do they or do they not fold flat?

Thank you.

djasonw

Don't believe everything you read. The cargo compartment does NOT require you to remove the headrests as the comparison suggests. Just pull the handle back and swing the back seat forward. It takes all of ten seconds. Just make sure the front seats aren't positioned too far rear. It is NOT completely flat but that does not hinder using the space. For my use it makes no difference if it is NOT completely flat. Overall, a great truck and built like a tank. It could use about 20 more ponies.

lovethosesuvs

I test-drove the Liberty as well and tried folding the back seats flat and they didn't. I thought, criminetly, how could they overlook this very important detail? With all that I've read about Jeep's mediocre reliability, that just reinforced it for me--another sub-par feature that many Jeep owners have learned to accept (sorry Jeep folks!). I'm with you, that was one factor that turned me away from the Lib, along with the mileage, the spare on the outside back, the ride, and the back gate opening side to side.

Now, the Escape is no luxury vehicle either, but had more of what I was looking for, and I bought late enough in the model year so that the kinks were worked out by then. I have 3000 miles on it and am very pleased with it.

Perhaps when Jeep gets its act together I will consider them in the future. I've always admired the styling on the Grand Cherokee, but can't say I'm as enamored of the looks of the Lib. It seems that Jeep is, however, is doing a lot better with the Lib for quality than with its previous vehicles--the Lib is solid and overall well-built. I will be keeping my eye on Jeep.

cpintucson

The fact that the back seats don't fold flat seems to indicate that JEEP left the Utility out of Sport Utility Vehicle. They put a lot of Sport into it.

I think I've narrowed my choice down to the Pathfinder or 4Runner. Can't go wrong with Japanese reliability.

ladyliberty

Has anyone heard of D.C. making a Military Rebate of 500- off ANY NEW Jeep? Yes, including the Liberty. I just found out from a dealer in my area. If you are in the Military, reserves or a veteran you are able to get a 500- off rebate.
I was just quoted 22500- for a Limited 4X4 with security grp,tow pkg,heated mirrors & tinted glass. This rebate is good until the end of the year! God Bless America!

djasonw

The mere fact that the seat tilts up and is not completely flat does not take the utility out of the Liberty. I have already transported a dining room set, maytag dryer and numerous other items without any problem. The height is really wonderful. The Japanese sport utes are reliable but BORING! In my case, money was not a factor. I drove all of 'em and decided on the Liberty. I have absolutely no buyer's remorse.

ladyliberty

Also wanted to ad if you are retired Military you also qualify for this rebate!

mad0865

Correct. The seats do not fold 100% flat. They fold about 97-98% flat. Personally, that's not that big of a deal. The vehicle has an awesome drive, great visibility, solid build quality (from my own experience) and handles nicely. That's why I purchased one. It's a buyers market out there, get whatever makes you happy. For me, the Liberty does it, and does it well.

-mad

basepro09

I finally bought my Liberty. : ) It's a flame red sport with cc, tint and fog lights. I got it for $20,500 plus tt&l. I also got the 84 month warranty and the anti-theft device. Does anyone know about any restrictions on the extended warranty? Did I get a good deal? It's also got the 235's on it with the auto v6 27b package. I've just passed 100 miles on it and it's great so far. Still got a long road to go though, but it's gonna be a fun road!

Matt

ritz21

No they don't and my salesperson pointed this out when showing us the car. Edmunds is wrong.

hotcoffee

If they folded flat and the rear deck was an inch higher, no one would be complaining. But there would LESS cargo room.

I see this as a non-issue. A ton of stuff will still fit back there. And if your cargo is secured properly, the question of cargo rolling around due to slight elevation is also a non-issue.

mtngal

Actually, the seats going flat is an issue to me. My Golden Retriever wouldn't like trying to balance on a tilted seatback, and I don't think there would be enough room in the back without the seats folded down. He's used to having the back of a pickup or riding in the Wrangler without the back seat in it. Have just about decided against the Liberty because of this, even though I otherwise love the interior. I may just wait until Jeep comes out with one that does lie flat...

vin_weasel

Buy a Cherokee...

hotcoffee

I too had dogs and a Wrangler. One thing is true- dogs adapt, and yours would not mind a slight slope after a very short time, also, too much space for the dog in the back of the vehicle allows a lot of "throw" in a sudden stop, increasing potential injury to the dog. He/she should have enough roon to stand, sit, lay down- for best safety. But get what you want- I chose against a Liberty myself.

Check out the Xterra- if you had the back seats out of the Wrangler, pulling the lower seat cushion out and folding the seats flat would be great for you- also, you can get a 5 speed. It is the closest thing to my Wrangler that I have had.

mad0865

My Yellow lab loves it back there. More than enough room for her to stretch out (with the seats down), or stick her head out of one of the windows. Usually though, she just hangs out in the back and sleeps when she gets bored on those long trips. It doesn't seem to be an issue with the seats not fully flat though.

-mad

mtngal

Thanks to all the dog people out there! The Liberty just went higher on my list of possibles. I'm also trying to deal with the idea of comfort vs. economy, and being on the wrong side of a loan. The trade in value on my hated Tacoma is dropping much faster than the loan. Oh well, I can always dream!

hotcoffee

Jeep owners please don't pounce on me here...

MTNGAL, in all likelihood, your Tacoma problems were probably very rare. As much as I liked my Jeeps- there is no doubt that I had to deal with more mechanical issues and poor customer service with Jeep, than I EVER had to with my Nissans. As much as I like the Liberty, I will never buy another Jeep product. The Liberty might be an exception to Jeep's mediocre quality, but I wouldn't risk a "first-model-year" on a brand with an only "okay" track record.

Just My 2¢ worth.

djasonw

I too was a bit reluctant to go for the Liberty, but after test driving it three times I couldn't resist. The SUVs it competes with are totally outclassed. I would stay away from the lethargic crude pickup truck based Xterra with all its plastic and horrible ride. As far as the Escape goes, well if you want a car trying to be a sport ute, then that may be a choice too.

I've had my Liberty for nearly three months and now that it is broken in, the motor is smooth as silk, the ride is great and it's as tight as a drum.

Off note here but did anyone hear of the pull contest between a Liberty and the Xterra? The Liberty trounced the Xterra.

mad0865

No, I haven't heard of the pull contest, but would be interested in a URL if you have one. I have to agree with djasonw. After driving the Lib for about a month now, it just keeps getting better and better. Real smooth engine, now getting better fuel mileage, and the seats are very comfortable. When I test drove the Xterra, I felt that the drivers seat was to low, and needed to be raised about 2inches. Also, a lot of plastic, and average pickup swayed us to the Liberty, and we haven't looked back since.

It's all personal choice. If you enjoy the Xterra ride, go for it. It's a solid truck. But I find the Liberty a step better.

-mad

hotcoffee

I agree, the Liberty drives more like a car- but MTNGAL had a Wrangler and I figured that maybe she didn't WANT a car.

Secondly, I don't doubt that the Liberty could outpull the Xterra. But it (the X) does have a 5000# towing rating with auto, and 3500# with 5sp.

My comments were related primarily to maintenance track record- which I suggested the Liberty could be an exception.

I have no stake in what MTNGAL buys- but I was in the same buying situation and shared my experience... so go enjoy your Jeep Liberty- it's a really cute truck that is tough as nails...and hopefully more dependable than my Grand Cherokee or my Wrangler was.

Personally- when I buy a truck, I don't mind that that's what I get.

hotcoffee

PS- I noticed the"JEEP LIBERTY PROBLEMS" is only 14 spots behind the "JEEP LIBERTY" --- better either slow the problem posts, or increase the praise posts- wouldn't want "problems" board to catch the "Liberty" forum. I'm sure all the problems will fix themselves.

winbro

the # of problem posts is 101 (since may or so) and the regular liberty posts are 1954. compare the 101 to the mazda/escape problems and the liberty comes out like a star.

djasonw

It happens all the time... appears that HOTCOFFEE regrets buying his Xterra. Hence his frequent visits to our wonderful forum. Gotta LOVE MY LIBERTY.

basepro09

Has anyone tried to put a car seat in the back row middle seat? I've had a little bit of a roominess problem. It seems that in order to put the car seat base in the middle, I have to push down the middle seat belt connector below the seat and buckle it into the left back seat connector. Hence, no one can sit on that side of the Lib when the baby's in the back. I guess I didn't realize it was that narrow in the middle.

Matt

hotcoffee

The Escape and Liberty have been out for 2 years- the Liberty for 4 months.

Yes- my checking into other forums must be proof of my regret for not buying a Liberty.

Hmmm- I must regret not getting an Aztek too, since I have also visited that forum.

I am surprised you haven't broadened your knowledge and horizons by doing the same.