Jeep Liberty

71charger

I'm 6'01" and have no problems. But then again I have a 35" inseam. Maybe you have a longer upper body.

stever

Tbunder1, try eBay. We frown on filling up the boards with buy/sell/trade posts. Thanks!

Steve, Host

hisierra1

thanks for the reply- i have a 32" inseam-40" waist if that matters

vin_weasel

I'm not sure what I'm incorrect about. I think the only "mistake" I might have made is that the np231 is now called the nv231 and the np242 is now called the nv242. NP stands for "New Process" while NV stands for "New Venture". Both are the name of the transfer case manufacturer.

If anyone is interested in the real technical specifications of these cases I suggest the chart at the bottom of:

http://www.newventuregear.com/tcases.html

BTW, the NV242HD AMG is the transfer case found in the Hummer H1. Kinda cool, especially if you could swap it into your Jeep.

lcwos

Were you in a Liberty that had a sunroof? That really lowers the head room by quite a bit. My hubby is 6' with a 33" inseam and 38" waist and has no problem in our 2003 Limited with leather. We noticed quite a bit of difference when he drove one with a sunroof. He specifically commented on the amount of head room he had in the Liberty without the sunroof. Just my 2cents worth.

hisierra1

thank you for your insight, icwos. the two '02 liberty's i tested were without the sunroof. i have heard that the sunroof makes the headroom even worse. appreciate your input

nels1

I'm About 6'1" with 32' inseam and a 42" waist and I weigh to damn much but have no problem seeing. Are you sure the sun visor was up??

martin44

I filled up today in my 2002 Liberty and got an astounding 12.5 mpg. I hope it is because of the cold weather here in Michigan. Could there be any other reason? I am not a hot-rodder, but most of my driving is in town.

tbunder1

get at least what the sticker says. id take it in. mine's not getting very good either. im thinking of taking it in. there is a thermostat issue with some of the earlier built ones that makes the 3.7 run rich, and get bad mileage. just what i've heard. i dont drive mine much, so im waiting. it's only got 5000 miles on it, so it's not broken in yet. ill wait a few more miles to take it in. but 12 mpg is unacceptable. V10 super-duty's get better than that. jeez

martin44

Thanks for the info tbunder1. I will call the dealer about it.

lcwos

Hey Martin44.....I live in Northern Michigan and my 2003 just turned 1000 miles. I drive country roads and 80% of my driving is in 25 mile round trips to town. In town, stop and go it gets 16.5, but do get longer distances & steady speeds I get 18.3
I did install one of those "remote starters", since mine is not garaged, and sits out in the elements. I start it up and let it run for 15 minutes before I head out. I doubt that makes a difference, but you never know. At least the inside is warmed up.....
All I know is that with the increase in gas prices, and more to come, mine will be doing a lot more sitting. I wonder if Jeep will introduce the Diesel any sooner because of the rise in gas prices and the current Anti SUV gas guzzling frenzy movement. Anyone Remember the 1970's when they did the same thing....bashing Cadillacs, Lincolns, T-birds etc as gas hogs and everyone rushed out to buy Toyota's, Honda's VW's, Volvo's... then came the 55mph highway speed limits, no air conditioning in office buildings, and Nixon asked us to turn our home thermostats down to 65 degrees to save heating oil.... and the gas lines.
Shades of things to come, I fear.

71charger

Gas mileage is lower in the winter in cold states as the gasoline is formulated differently. There really is a "winter gas." It is not as good as the warm weather fuel as far as specific power so you use a little more to do the same work. It's formulated that way to make for easier cold starts and, I think, to keep down emissions. Or so I've been told by a couple of mechanic buddies of mine.

vin_weasel

I don't want to jump on you or anything but your vehicle only needs 30 seconds for the oil in the engine to reach all the vital parts. It'll warm up much faster with you driving it than with it idling.

martin44

Yes, I remember the 70's. People did flee to smaller cars, many of them Japanese. As I remember the domestic companies were caught with their pants down and produced a lot of small cars in a hurry-a lot of them junk. Of course that situation doesn't exist now because there are many fine domestic cars.

proulo

I went out this morning and my Jeep Liberty Limited started right up without any problems (17 Degrees below Zero). The electric power was out for the entire town (busted transformer). It was restored after 3 hours. I drove to the next town to get breakfast. Jeep warmed up in no time.

jondavid

I put a set of Michelins Cross Terrains on the Liberty - it had the Wrangler SRA's before - and the difference is well worth the upgrade. The SRA's handled rain and snow without trouble, but after 15000 miles they developed an annoying drone at highway speeds. Since installing the MCT's the ride is very quiet, handles snow and ice better. Also, the steering tracks dead on now, doesn't drift left or right, which had started to occur on the SRA's. The difference in ride comfort and steering feel is amazing.

richardcoulson

We received our first real snow in Des Moines, Ia last Saturday. I also noticed last Friday that the 4wd selector switch light stopped working on my 2002 Chevy Trailblazer LTZ. I didn’t think too much about it until I turned it to 4hi and found out all I had was 2wd. You can image the thoughts going through my head as I fishtailed all the way home in the new snow. I have seen a few posts indicating some other trailblazer owners have experienced a faulty 4wd switch, which caused the 4wd from engaging. Chevy, what the #$@! is wrong with you? Why can’t you make something dependable enough to drive in adverse conditions? Do you think that installing a sub-par switch and saving twenty five cents is going to make people feel confident driving a GM product? I am glad I wasn’t in an emergency situation or out the middle of an off-road trail that required 4wd to get home. Based on my experience and the other experiences I have read on the web, I can’t see owning this vehicle beyond the 3 year warranty. If I could sell this vehicle without taking such a hit in my pocket book, I would.

Now for the good news! As soon as I got home, I jumped in my wife’s 2002 Jeep Liberty, pulled the 4wd lever and went for a ride. The 4wd worked flawlessly as it tracked through the snow with ease. My wife sat quietly next to me with a big smile on her face. I am thinking my next vehicle will be a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

By the way Chevrolet, I am also going to post this on the jeep forum as well. It is time for you to start taking ownership of these problems and get them fixed. If you knew about a faulty switch, why wasn’t there a recall? This is a safety issue.

tbunder1

do you really want to call 2" of snow real? i live in des moines as well, but we actually did get more snow a couple weeks ago. but i must agree with you about the lib and the snow. i myself live in the easter lake area and it never gets plowed until at least two days after (i live in a new cul-de-sac out in the boonies) and my jeep acted like it was on dry pavement. i have BFG all-terrains and it is awesome in the snow. too bad bud mulcahys jeep can't fix the problems ive had with it. im gonna give them one more chance before i take it somewhere else.

richardcoulson

Tbunder1, I know 2" of snow isn't that great for 4 wheeling, but it's the most I've been able drive in so far this year...
You should try taking your liberty to southtown at Indianola. I have had good luck with their service area. I have not heard anything good about bud's.

raz0r

Hi, I just wanted to see if anyone else experienced this. My wife was driving our new 2003 Liberty Limited 4x4 w/offroad package when the rear passenger tire failed (unexplained...she didn't hit anything and the tires had 1k miles on them). She tried to slow down in her lane (without using brakes) but the Jeep was very unstable and it rolled over.

She is ok (thank God) and the Jeep held up well in that regard. I can't stop wondering if anyone else has had a tire failure with a Liberty. Did the vehicle end up rolling?

bmw323is

raz0r - I am just shopping for a Liberty now, but I'd like to hear why the vehicle rolled from a flat tire?? I'm glad your wife is okay.

Can anyone else provide answers to a couple of my questions? I test drove a Liberty yesterday and the salesman had a terrible time getting the Jeep into and out of 4 wheel lo. Lots of yanking and pushing on the handle, lots of grinding. What gives? Did he just not know what he was doing? I'm used to the switch on the dash (no past ownereship of a Jeep)for changing in and out of 4 wheel drive, and the whole handle thing scared me. Also gas mileage seems to be horrible. Is anyone getting 20 mpg on the highway? Does a 5 speed manual help the mileage any?

TIA,
Dave

mellis

I lost the right rear tire on my 2002 Liberty in a blowout last summer. Ran over a piece of sharp metal that shredded the sidewall.

No rollover, truck was absolutely stable.

Mark

stever

The rap on the Explorer tires failing was that they would "alligator" and the tread would wrap around the rear axle, causing the SUV to roll. A good tire person might be able to look at the tire carcass from the Liberty and draw some conclusions about how and why it failed.

Glad to hear your wife is ok!

Steve, Host

ozone1

Not sure why your salesman was having so much trouble putting your test drive car into 4-Lo. Ours shifts in and out of 2 and 4 wheel Hi and Lo very smoothly. Was he trying to do it in Park? I remember our old Jeep Cherokee had to be in Neutral or Drive to shift into 4-Lo, if you were in Park you'd hear a noticeable grind, never tried it while in Park in our Liberty though

We just broke the 10k mark this week (2002 Liberty), and have had zero problems thus far. Even the gas mileage has gotten a bit better. We were averaging 13.5, now we're up to 16 even, still not 20, but definitely better than when we first bought the car.

tbunder1

verifies what i've always said. as soon as you buy your liberty, for your own safety, replace the things DC calls tires asap. the goodyear name now stands for cheap and inferior. i personally bought some BFG all-terrains before i cracked 100 miles, and i love them. i put them on every truck i own actually. the only tire goodyear makes that is any good is the new MT/R that comes on rubicon wranglers. and even with that, i'd replace them as soon as they wore out with BFG mud-terrains.

as far as the low-range issue- you can't do it in park. i believe the vehicle has to be in N to go into low range, but in any vehicle when shifting into and out of 4lo, it is almost always noisy and this is normal gear noise.

my lib is suffering too from poor mileage in which when it warms up i am going to take it in and make them fix it. that along with my noisy front struts that rattle over small bumps at slow speeds. don't forget the rear quarter along the pass. door that doesn't line up with the rest of the fender flare. and the coolant that mysteriously is low. there are rumors that some 3.7's are getting coolant in the engine somehow. i highly doubt i am, but just want to be sure. i use mobil1 and it still looks clear as a bell since my oil change. god how i love the liberty, solid as a rock in build quality and chassis, but seems like there is always some piddly thing i want fixed. maybe i should have bought a lexus to begin with. just kidding. they have nothing to compare with any jeep. i do love their cars though. good luck all.

oh yeah- to whoever is shopping, buy a liberty. you won't be disappointed.

jglackin

BMW323is, in case you want to try again, here is the process (it does sound like the sales person was doing it wrong). Already in 4HI (doesn't matter which one if you have Selec-Trac), slow to 5mph or less and shift the transmission into Neutral. Continue crawling about 2-3mph and pull quickly and firmly into 4LO. Some grinding can occur if you go to slow. Back into Drive. Same process for shifting out. Even though we go to lots of training sessions, some sales people still miss these key factors. Sorry.

bmw323is

Thanks to those with input on the 4 WD problems I had at the test drive. I am in the market for a small SUV as a second vehicle. I live in Colorado, so I want to have some ability for off-road (started to look at RAV4 and CRV, but discounted them for no off-road capability). I'm looking in the small SUV category because I thought they would be more economical to buy and drive. Although the Liberty is less expensive to buy than the mid sized SUV's(4 Runner), it doesn't seem more economical to drive (worse gas mileage, perhaps more problems and maintenance). I was also thinking of a used Liberty, but I'm finding one year old ones for only $3-4,000 less than new (after rebate, dealer discounts, etc.).

If anyone would like to give me advice, I would appreciate it. I'm undecided and can't pull the trigger on a purchase. I have a 95 Ford Ranger 4X4 truck now, and am thinking of trading it before it gives me problems.

marty32753

Anyway, i am stil in a quandry. The Liberty Limited, The Honda CRV. Can i get an opinion?. Is JD Powers the end all be all. The Liberty is not rated very high, while the CRV is rated excellent. I am not an offroader, but i do love the look of the liberty limited. Any suggestions.

klbrmb

I am an auditor and travel alot. When I am driving strictly freeway I get 20 mpg. However I also have about 22,000 on mine and didn't start getting good mpg until I had well over 10,000 miles on it. Since I live in Northern Ohio and it has been extremely cold with alot of snow lately my mpgs have been lower (approx. 16 to 18). Which I still don't consider bad since I have had it in 4 wheel drive which I thinks eats gas alot more. Just an FYI, I have found that my driving habits have a huge impact on my mpg. If I pay attention and keep it at 70 or below and use cruise alot I get the best mpg. If I speed and drive above 70 my mpg stink. It was the same way with my old 92 Cherokee though.

71charger

This Liberty flat kicked butt in the snowstorm that just ripped through Maryland. I took one of the girls at work home today as her neighborhood had not yet been plowed. Piece of cake. I even drove into snowbanks to let other vehicles pass and had no trouble pulling back out and getting going again. I didn't go up her side street though. It was drifted about 3.5' deep in the middle and no SUV is going through that. I followed a new FourRunner out. He was spinning and putting on quite a show. I was in 4 hi and 2 on the auto and just cruised along. It's nice to show up a much more expensive vehicle.

rock1

Up thru February 2003, Jeep was installing the 45RFE 5 speed automatic transmission in the Liberty. Effective for all new builds, the 45RFE is being replaced with the 42RLE, a four speed automatic transmission.
Does anyone know why?
Isn't the 4 speed automatic tranny the problem tranny from the 1999-2000 grand cherokee?

tbunder1

you're right-
i have read and heard that the old tranny, the 45rfe "5" speed is more heavy duty than the one they're putting in now. also, the new rubicon wrangler has the new 4-speed as well. it's nice to know my liberty's tranny is more heavy duty than even a rubicon's. i love my un-raped liberty sport. not lowered, not decontented, original tranny, and awesome black interior. they should've listened to the saying, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. they sure have messed the liberty up since mine was built in january of '02.

jimlockey

Yes the diesel engine will cost more. VW charges more for their diesels and GM, Ford and Dodge charge more for their diesels. I have had two diesel trucks: (Dodge cummins 2500 & Ford 350 diesel. In addition I drive a new Beetle diesel. All have had automtic transmssions because this is what my wife and I prefer. We had three Dodge mini vans with V6's prior to the diesel beetle. In the diesel beetle you can lock it in cruise control at 65 or 70 mph and it will not down shift out of overdrive, but the three mini vans (with V6's)would down shift on many of the hills. I had gas trucks before the last two diesels and even when pulling a 5th wheel the diesels do not down shift as often and get a steady 4 to 8 mpg while pulling. Solo driving I get 20 to 22 mpg. This is the Ford 350 single wheel. The new Beetle I get 33 mpg in the city and 38 to 43 mpg. Again these are all automatic transmission. When you talk of diesels, you talk of much extra torque. Why a Jeep Liberty? They have much more room for travel than a VW Beetle and the preventative maintence is less for a Jeep. What I would like, would be a Ford Escape with a diesel, but that will not happen. Could choose a VW Passat diesel!

purduealum91

I am currently driving a 5 speed 02 Golf TDI. I am avg 45 mpg! Last summer, on a 770 mile trip to NJ, cruising between 70-80 mph with the air on, 3 adults, and a full ahtch, I avg 48 mpg! Love this car. I dont know why more people are not buying them. I have had zero problems! People are protesting the war in the Middle East. Well, the fact is we need their oil. Stop buying SUV pigs and start buying more economical cars. End of rant

diegob1

I have purchased a liberty CRD limited edition. This is a 4wd 2.5 diesel engine 5 speed manual. Here in South Africa we have that choice. The car goes very well and cosumption is a 11,2 liters/100km (sorry you must convert to MPG)in town. The turbo lag is bad and nothig happens much below 1800 RPM. However the torque is fenominal 343 NM and 105 KW, so hills are a joke...

purduealum91

Wow thats only 20 mpg city! Not that great. I was hoping for at least 27. oh well. By the way, I own some South African Timeshares! Havent been there yet though. When is a good time to visit?

71charger

I saw in the DaimlerChrysler published Mopar magazine for March that the diesel Liberty has been officially announced as a 2004 model.

diegob1

Well the consumption is 11,2 lt/100km compared to the 3.7lt which is 17lt/100km so the diesel is substantially less. Now The 2.8 CRD has reached the show rooms with a 5 speed automatic tranny (Mercedes).
South Africa is having it's summer now and going to winter in June/July. but it never snows or rains in winter. At night temperatures are 5 C and in the day up to 26 C, so u see the winters are very mild... I hope it helps u

bmw323is

There doesn't seem to be much activity on this board, but maybe someone can shed some light. I'm shopping for a small to mid-size SUV with true off-road capability. I have a few Liberty questions. I've seen the Libery's weight shown from about 3,800 pounds to 4,500. Why is this? Anybody know the correct weight? I've heard real world gas mileage is something like 15 mpg. The 3.7L with auto is rated at 17/21. Is the mileage really only 15 in mixed driving? How about interior room? The rear seats don't fold flat. Does that compromise space in real world situations? I'm 6'2". While there is plenty of head room (w/o sunroof), front leg room seems a bit short. Any thoughts by taller folks on longer trips? Finally, any comments, good or bad, on off-roading. I know the Jeep is supposed to be excel at this, but I've heard some say poor things. Again, I value the advice of real owners.
Thanks.

diegob1

I have migrated from a Freelander to a liberty 4wd diesel and can help u with the following: On road the Freelander reigns supreme, off-road the Liberty wins (although Freelander is better in pavement snow driving & sand - due to traction control). The 3.7 lt with auto box will give you 16 mpg of mixed driving (my colleague has one & I have the 2.5 manual diesel - 21mpg in town). head room is ample & from leg room is fine for you. The seats do not fold flat & there is little oddments storage space (unlike the Freelander). Off road it's excellent (not extreme off road !) and it's way better that the other soft roaders. The Liberty 03 model is lower to the ground (better highway stability, worse off road clearance). The diesel would be a better choice (2.8 lt, 5 speed auto). I heard all owners complaining about the mpg of the 3.7 lt.
If you need rugged off road - Liberty. If you need occasional off road with an excellent highway cruising ability.. then Freelander.

ozone1

I test drove the Freelander while car shopping (ended up with a Liberty) and was extremely underwhelmed. They look great with all the exterior options you can put on, but pricey. The slimmed down stock Freelander (the S, I think) has a very mediocre interior and the engine is extremely tepid. I'm only 5'10", but I felt cramped inside. You just seem to get more for your money with the Liberty, in my opinion.

71charger

I'm 6'01" with a 35" inseam and am perfectly comfortable in the Liberty. I do, however, seem to whack my right knee on the dash getting in from time to time. But, then again, it's my wife's vehicle and I only drive it a few times a month.

purduealum91

in the Liberty diesel?

diegob1

No, the engine is a VM from Italy which is a company that belongs to Detroit Diesel. (web site available)...
It has all the same technology as the mercedes one (but jeep asked them to omit the variable vane turbo...cost reasons !)

bmw323is

I spent some time looking at several Liberty's at the auto show yesterday. On a 5 speed, I noticed there was no room to the left of the cluth pedal to rest your left foot. You would have to tuck it up under the pedal, which would be dangerous in a fast stop or spin situation. Anyone with a stick shift notice the same?

It also seemed like shoulder room was quite tight in the front. My left shoulder was almost rubbing on the B pillar in the drivers seat.

I'm still considering the Liberty against the more expensive 4Runner and the less expensive Sorento.

donsur

My only real complaint about my 2002 Liberty was the fact that the sun visors when used on the side windows don't extend. This was a big problem when driving since the sun was always just shining in the area not covered by the sun visors when used on the side window. Well problem solved. I bought some 2003 sun visors from the Jeep dealer parts department. They were less that $60 for the pair and a direct replacement for the 2002 type. The 2003 sun visors extend and now I can drive perfectly content with no sun problem. It took less that 15 minutes to remove and install the new visors. The old 2002 visors had two mirror lights and the new 2003 have only one. My wives Mercedes ML sun visors also have only one light per visor so I guess it is no big deal. If you are bugged like I was with the lack of extend ability in the 2002 sun visors, just order a pair of the 2003 visors and the problem is solved.

luca1

Is it difficult to transfer the new visors? I know that is a problem for me. Thanks for the info.

wendy

jeepster6

I was at Jay Wolfe Jeep in Lee's Summit, MO and was looking at a Limited. When I made a counter proposal and told the sales manager I got some of my information from Edmunds.com his response was "Edmunds is flat out wrong!!" I also told them I was paying cash. They told me cash means nothing - it's the same as credit. Anyone run into these problems with other dealers.

bmw323is

Frankly, dealers would much rather finance a vehicle - that adds to profit (if they do the financing). The old 'cash card' means nothing to them anymore. I don't tell them I'm paying cash until the final deal is done.

Here in Denver, the options as shown on the Liberty's sticker are not the same as the options as shown on Edmunds new car pricing page. So maybe that has something to do with what the dealer said. However, I've found the final difference to be minimal, if anything. Tell the dealer to show you their invoice if they insist your pricing is wrong. I bet they won't do it!

jglackin

has shown me that internet pricing is often inaccurate. Factory price increases, factory advertising charges, and delivery charges are sometimes left out of the final calculation as well. I can tell you that if you are sitting at my desk, and ask to see the invoice you will see it. The only problem we are normally confronted with are folks who insist our invoices are wrong, we print them ourselves, it's not the real invoice, etc. So it is not always a help.