Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions

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  • lcwoslcwos Member Posts: 35
    Thank you so very, very much paisan, mad, ozone,paddler,clever....... excellent responses. I really dont intend to ever take the Liberty Off Road. I just want a smaller, zippier vehicle with some style and comfort, but that can handle the occasional snow storm/rain showers and icy conditions I encounter. As I mentioned,I live in a rural, small town setting but there is a dealer just 21 miles away from me. I intend to go for a test drive on Saturday. I'll report back what my impressions are. Again, any other input is greatly appreciated. You guys are great.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    My best friend owns both a Trooper and a Liberty. His wife liked the liberty so he got it for her. So far he hasn't had any problems with it. I drove it and it is pretty zippy, and fit and finish is better than expected for an american car. I'd just be worried about long term reliability.

    As for mad0865 your buddy must have a weird one, since even Consumer Reports who HATES ISUZU admits they are quite reliable with the exception of the '98 Rodeos (first year of a new model). 1 example is not a good survey # at least in my book.

    -mike
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    I have a '99 Isuzu Rodeo in my garage...26K miles and hasn't had to go into the shop once. It will be going in for the 30K service, but aside from oil changes it hasn't required any maintenance whatsoever. I love the Liberty, but the Rodeo engine is superb, it is a car you can rev up and beat up on a daily basis.
  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Member Posts: 897
    I considered buying a Rodeo Sport, but noticed that suspension on it is way too soft. If I bought it I would have had to change the shocks right away, vehicle swayed and nose-dove easily. Do you notice anything like that?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    On the NA shipped isuzus they come with hydrolic shocks instead of the gas charged ones sold overseas. This is to make it nice and soft for the us public. For $250 you can get premium gas shocks for any SUV so that shouldn't be an issue, things like trannies, engines, 4wd units etc and long term reliability are more priorities for me personally.

    -mike
  • lcwoslcwos Member Posts: 35
    Well, I'm back to report I took the test drive in the Jeep Liberty Limited Saturday as I said I would. I and my husband was really impressed with the vehicle overall. Good handling, good pickup, quite, good suspension over the rural roads. Spacious feeling inside and good headroom ( we did not test drive one with a sun roof however) and good leg room. I liked the way the rear window automatically will open when you go to open the swing door. Easy to get into and out of. NOW THE PROBLEM........
    I have a loaded 2000 Infiniti QX4. It stickered for over $38,000. We put nothing down, got a 3 year lease with 15,000 miles per year instead of the 12,000. Our payment is $392.00 per month.....no rebates, etc. The Jeeps we test drove had a sticker of $27,600. and for a 3 year, nothing down and 15,000 miles they quoted $429.00 per month. I cant believe this........ We have no relation who works for Chrysler, no do we have any friends in the business. Is this what I am to expect to pay for a lease??? I mean, come on...... you have to be kidding me. It didnt even have a sun roof or ABS brakes or a towing package. If I add those I am looking at a payment of around $500.00 per month. I like the car but not at this price. Anyone have suggestions...Anyone else out there leasing a 2003 Liberty Limited without knowing someone???
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's an american car, and thus probably has horrible residual values. Ran into the same problem on leasing Isuzus, their residuals are horrible, which made lease payments much higher than "luxury" vehicles. You are probably better off purchasing a liberty than leasing one as far as residuals go.

    -mike
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    Icwos: Did that dealer assume the purchase price was going to be sticker? Also, when you switched gears from "lease" to "buy", did you try renegotiating the purchase price? If the dealer you visited hasn't already called you back to work a better deal, there is bound to be another willing to go below MSRP -- shop around and please keep us posted.
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    sc0rpi0 :
    Yes, I would agree, the suspension is a bit soft and it feels "tippy," but handles surprisingly well once you realize you aren't really going to tip over. My only real complaint is with the brakes. They can feel spongy on hard braking. It also feels like the ABS extends the stopping distance by a huge margin. But hey, it isn't a sports car. It is a no-frills everyday hauler, which is why I got it in the first place.

    Icwos:
    I left you a post on the other Jeep Liberty board as well. For the record the Capitalized Cost on our '02 Liberty Limited (completely loaded) was $27,000. Our monthly, with taxes, is $362 per month. Our out the door cost, which included the first month's payment was $2500. Our lease is for 3 years with 15k miles per year. We thought about purchasing the car instead, but my wife can write off most of the cost through work and we'd also rather just get a new car after the 3 years are up.
  • tbunder1tbunder1 Member Posts: 257
    why are you perusing the liberty boards? you're mr. diehard toyota man. bashing liberty's on the toyota tacoma vs ranger forum. this guy doesn't think the liberty can be taken off-road. furthermore, he hates anything american and thinks his tacoma was built by god. good grief. get a life. at least i use to have a ranger and still love the truck.
  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Member Posts: 897
    Whats your problem? You visit Tacoma problems forum to dig up more dirt so you can exaggerate them (Like when you said 4Runners have sludged up engines, while you know perfectly well it's the 3.0L from Sienna, not 3.4L), why can't I check out what your "state of the art" Liberty is worth?

    I've looked at other vehicles in the past, you know, and besides, who appointed you forum police?
    More specifically, I wasn't even talking about Liberty in my post here, so keep quiet.
  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Member Posts: 897
    Yes, tippy is the word I used to describe Rodeo when I testdrove it. One thing though: it's got one heck of an engine, I testdrove an automatic one, just pushed the pedal and seconds later it was going 80mph.
    It's a decent choice of an SUV, unfortunately I did not find a Rodeo Sport in the config I wanted, so I bought a truck instead.
  • anap1anap1 Member Posts: 1
    I have owned my jeep liberty '02 since April. And I have found that in the rain it does skid if you are making a turn or stopping. Please let me know how you have taken care of this issue.

    I also have had a problem with my engine light . I was told that I need to change the "plugs". I have done so and the light continues to shine.

    Now the belt that goes around the radiator, AC, ect... has frayed. I just do not know what to do??

    And these issues are just the few problems I have encountered.

    I have taken it to the dealer and they claim they are going to take care of the problem, but I am scared that this is the sign of things to come.

    Any advise or any similar problems??

    HELP ANY BODY!!
    Ana
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    anap1: The stock tires on Liberties are notoriously inferior in wet braking conditions (increasingly as the tread gradually wears down). Owners who have changed to better tires notice dramatic improvement in stopping, handling, noise levels, etc. If you're not ready to upgrade your tires yet, adjust your driving style accordingly.

    As with most vehicles, forgetting to tighten or replace a gas cap will cause the engine light to come on (temporary loss of vacuum). A loose or slipping engine belt can also cause that to happen. Also remember that driving any vehicle hard in stops and surges (like a sports car ripping through traffic) can increase strain on belts and other components, requiring more frequent maintenance.

    Otherwise, assuming that you drive smoothly even if you're a fast or frequent driver, the things that you mentioned sound like easy, regular maintenance fixes. Your dealer should have no problem adjusting things to your satisfaction. Let us know how it goes.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    It's a decent choice of an SUV, unfortunately I did not find a Rodeo Sport in the config I wanted, so I bought a truck instead.

    Not sure if that was a pun, but ALL ISUZUS are TRUCKs. Heck Isuzu's main business is making real trucks! Toyota is actually going to be putting Duramax Diesel Engines in their Pickups and SUVs in MY2004 or 2005.

    -mike
  • sc0rpi0sc0rpi0 Member Posts: 897
    No pun intended, I think Isuzus are SUVs.
    They do make good trucks, but Rodeo/Trooper/Axiom/VehiCross are SUVs, IMO.
    Did Isuzu discontinue VehiCross?
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    Not sure....it isn't on the Isuzu site anymore
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Truck frame, truck steering box, dunno that would make it a truck to me. Yes the Vehicross which was just a SWB Trooper with a different body and special suspension was always setup to be limited production, it had ceramic dies for the body panels and once they were used for a certain # of panels they had to be tossed.

    -mike
  • elmoblatch1elmoblatch1 Member Posts: 134
    Not sure if 2wd or 4wd.....interested in what current owners have to say...good, bad, suggestions.

    I see $3,000 rebates or 0% financing is available.

    Thanks in advance for your help.
  • tbunder1tbunder1 Member Posts: 257
    you have it wrong. ive never seen a $3000 rebate on a liberty. heck, i haven't even seen that on a ford ranger- king of rebates. and the 0% is only for a limited time. not 60 mos. at least not thru DC. if you do see this, assume you are taking it up the rear as far as retail price goes. you'll either pay more for the vehicle or get gouged somewhere else. pay without a trade, offer cash and demand to see invoice on vehicle. then offer them at most $100 over that price.
    get the sport 4x4 with V6.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I don't see any rebates on our Incentives page for the '02 Jeeps (which likely means our info needs to be updated). There is a $500 cash incentive to current or former military personnel that may help some of you fence sitters decide on buying that new Liberty.

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    For 2002s, $3000 off certain Grand Cherokees *or* 0%; choice of $1000 or 0% on Liberties and Wranglers.

    For 2003s, $1000 off Grand Cherokees; $500 off Wranglers. 0-4.9% financing available for all models if you don't choose cash incentives.

    Expires 10/31/02 (for now).
  • charleso1charleso1 Member Posts: 2
    I special-ordered a 6 cyl 5 speed manual transmission Jeep Liberty and have had it since last April. I had been very pleased with its design and the way it handled. Yesterday, however, as I was down-shifting on the highway, the clutch pedal gave out on me, and I found myself "dead in the water," unable to shift gears or go anywhere. I was flabbergasted, as I hadn't had a single problem with the car before then. The incident reminded me of an old VW Beetle I had where the clutch cable would break on me every so often. Could the Jeep Liberty have the same problem? I thought. I called DC's road assist number, and they got my car towed to the nearest Jeep dealer, where I learned that the Jeep Liberty doesn't have a clutch cable. It's equipped with a hydraulic clutch. Now I have to wait a week for the dealer to get the clutch part and repair my car. You can imagine how disappointed I feel, since I really do like this car.

    Was this just a fluke that happened to me, or has anyone else with a manual transmission Liberty had trouble with the clutch? I am now thinking about trading this car in for a Liberty with an automatic transmission. Those of you out there who know more about cars than I do, do you think this is a good idea?
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    charleso1: If it makes you feel any better, it does seem like you're experiencing a fluke (you may want to search the Jeep boards to verify). Those who have 5spds seem to be enjoying them much as you described. If you prefer a manual transmission to an automatic, it would be worth hanging on to the one you own once the faulty part is replaced. Otherwise, the V6 auto configuration is smooth and relatively quiet, although its mileage is a bit lower. Please keep us posted about your repair.
  • gvidogvido Member Posts: 8
    Has any one gotten an answer to a burning smell in the cabin at speeds over 55 mph.

    I bought my 2002 Libb a couple of month ago and just finished the breaking-in (according to the manual 1,000 miles) Now, finally, I can go faster than 55 mph. BUT... As soon as I reach 60-65 with auto overdrive on I get the burning smell in the cabin. The faster I go the more persistent it gets. As soon as I turn off the overdrive the smell goes away (of course my rpms jump to over 3,000 , I can imagine what is my fuel consumption at that point)

    I have seen this problem in previous messages but no one has had a clue to what was happening. I think it is a trany problem with overdrive mode, however after I stop the car, smell would come from the behind of the car (almost like it is coming from the rear deferential)

    Any clues or thought on this issue?
  • gvidogvido Member Posts: 8
    I used to drive 5 speed sedan and no auto trany could come close to it. I have tried many cars that are famouse for their trannies (honda, infiniti, acura) and still have not found the replacemet. I had to give in for an auto under the pressure of other members of the family who could not drive 5 speed.
    Hydraulic clustch is supposed to be a good thing. They used to put them only on 8 cylenders (dodge ram, dakota). It gives better performance and lasts longer. On my opinion 5 speed saves brakes, have a better control over the braking process and of course performance. I am not talking about the fact that no one realy knows what realy is going on inside of an auto transmision that adds an extra 300 - 500 lbs of weight to your car.

    Man, I am anvy you. I hope this problem is gonna be your last one. Good luck
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    gvido: The only references I've been able to find about burning smells after searching various SUV boards have to do with new car residue burning off at certain temperatures (now that you're able to drive faster, that could be it). If that's the problem, you should notice it diminishing increasingly over time. If you're seeing leaks anywhere, or if wires (stock or aftermarket) have been jostled or moved toward hot engine components, you may be smelling plastic (or so suggests boards for other SUVs). Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be any prior report of this issue with Liberties. If you can't see any visible explanation after inspecting your vehicle, play it safe and visit your dealer/service dept. and get them to check it out. Let us know how that goes.
  • charleso1charleso1 Member Posts: 2
    I got my Liberty Sport back from the dealer repair shop yesterday. (They were gracious enough to lend me a Dodge Intrepid to use while my car was in the shop.) They put in a new clutch assembly in my car and it seems to be working OK. It appears that the fluid leaked out of the original hydraulic clutch. I have decided to stick with this car for the time being, instead of trading it in for an automatic. I will, however, ask that the clutch assembly be examined for any leaks whenever I bring the car in for routine maintenance. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
  • thor8thor8 Member Posts: 303
    I am posting a couple of pics, from an off roading magazine in South America, they don't nurse their liberty's.


    http://www.rutas4wd.com.ve/imagenes/galeria/visitantes/f1135500.jpg

  • thor8thor8 Member Posts: 303
    Another pic.

    http://www.rutas4wd.com.ve/imagenes/galeria/visitantes/f2888750.jpg
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    charleso1: That's great that they put a whole new clutch assembly in for you and otherwise took good care of you. Did they mention anything special you should be keeping your eye on, or did they replace everything that could have contributed to the leak? My guess is that everything should be a-ok for the long haul now -- are you a happy again with the way your Liberty is running?

    thor8: Those are awesome pictures. You might also want to post your links in the "Jeep Liberty" forum so that everyone there can enjoy. Nice photography!
  • jwright703jwright703 Member Posts: 2
    i am the owner of a 2001 lib limited bought in dec 2001
    i too was untrusting of the jeep name as i only owned imports
    till now.. my jeep is loaded all options and sticker was 26,900
    i paid 25,415 the one problem i had was electrical in nature
    no console lights,radio,headlights,visor lights..the dealer tried
    twice to fix it said it was the fusebox.in mass the lemon law
    states the dealer gets three times ti fix it .. i was just about to call the bbb
    and on the third time the dealer found a short in the sun visor
    and replaced the whole visor, no more problems .
    the jeep has been great eversense.. i love it ..so people with electric
    problems check the visor lights....clicking when you put it in gear is
    electric controls in the tranny and is normal..stops great in wet and does have
    abs.if you want one buy it.... mercedes in a jeep.......
  • tbunder1tbunder1 Member Posts: 257
    liberty wasn't built with a 2001 model year moniker. they came out as a 2002 in 2001.
  • jwright703jwright703 Member Posts: 2
    yes tbunder1 you are right it is a 2002 i bought it in dec 2001 thou thxs for correcting
    my typo..........
  • oldntired1950oldntired1950 Member Posts: 151
    After 10.5K miles of trouble-free driving, having changed the oil at 1K miles and then every 3K miles, this evening the yellow engine problem dash light came on while driving a couple of miles from home. We parked, ran our errand, and restarted the Liberty. There was a great loss of power with the engine stumbling and almost stalling at lights. We drove the 3 miles home watching the yellow engine light start to flash. According to the manual this could be serious trouble. I'm having the truck flat-bedded to the dealer first thing in the morning. It's just my luck that I'm scheduled to leave town the next day to join my wife at a nursing seminar. Sure do hope that this is nothing serious and that I'll have it by evening to drive home.
    And yes, I did check the gas filler cap and my last tank full was from the same Hess station I've been using for years.
    Any observations are appreciated.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    CELs usually indicate a mis-fire condition. Which could mean anything from a bad batch of gas, to a bad spark plug wire (if the liberty has wires?). A steady CEL usually indicates a problem with the emissions system such as a non secure Gas Cap, etc.

    Hopefully it's nothing too bad.

    -mike
  • oldntired1950oldntired1950 Member Posts: 151
    Well, my poor Libby got the hook - towed back to the dealer this morning. The final diagnosis - bad coil pack and sparkplug on the no.3 cyl. Only problem was that it happened again just a mile out of the dealer's lot. Of course by the time I got it back into the service dept. it was running normally. Luckily the computer stored the problem, now on the no. 5 cyl. I heard the service techs talking about an 03 Liberty where all the coil packs and plugs on one side of the engine had to be replaced.... we'll see. I brought it home and will continue to monitor the problem. Luckily DC roadside service and the service dept at my dealership were both very responsive to my problem.
  • lcwoslcwos Member Posts: 35
    Here us a site for all the 2002/2001 liberty 4wd owners.....listing all the technical service bulletins issued for your jeep........ It is a nice site to know of before you go into the dealership with problems. You can refer them to the appropiate TSB and maybe get the thing fixed the "first" time. Anyway, this link has info on all years, makes and models..... this one is for the Jeep Liberty 4WD....but you can plug in your individual make, model and year of any vehicle, domestic and foreign. Here it is.....

    http://www.alldata.com/TSB/04/020443F1.html
  • rbkemprbkemp Member Posts: 3
    hello, i have a 2003 liberty limited 4x4 with the trailer and off road group packages, from the factory. i noticed the other day that there was no rear tow hook on it, though. i noticed because when i was at a jeep dealer recently i saw a liberty renegade model that had two hooks on the front and one on the rear, and it also had the trailer package. so, i wanted to take a poll to see what other owners have out there. please let me know what you have on yours. thanks.
  • tbunder1tbunder1 Member Posts: 257
    you can't have both in the back. either towhook or hitch. you must have been seeing things on the renegade. that, or the towhook was coming out of the receiver hitch. id take the hitch myself. i'd much rather attach a tow strap around a hitch assembly than a little towhook.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Just un-bolt the hitch and add a hook to the same bolts. Should take about 10 minutes with a good impact wrench.

    -mike
  • rbkemprbkemp Member Posts: 3
    Yeah, they probably added the left rear tow hook with longer bolts on the renegade so it would bolt up with a factory hitch. Strange thing is, though, I got conflicting information from Jeep’s website help, one person (live chat feature) told me two front and one rear hook should be on my jeep, another one (email help) said only two. I just wanted to make sure I got everything I was supposed to receive with the vehicle.
  • clever1clever1 Member Posts: 123
    Not so confusing, if you understand how to combine Liberty options.

    2002 - "Off road group" includes one rear and two front tow hooks. If the "trailer towing group" is added, the hitch replaces the rear hook and that package is discounted for deletion of redundant parts.

    2003 - "Off road group" is same as above, including the new "skid plate group", which likewise has two front and one rear tow hook. Once again, the "trailer towing group" is discounted to accomodate the deletion of the rear hook for the hitch and redundant heavy-duty cooling system and aux. transmission oil cooler. Combination of the skid plate group with the trailer tow group also deletes the rear hook for the hitch.

    The "trailer tow group" is vastly superior to the rear hook it replaces -- load equalization, cooling, weight rating, etc. Because DC usually discounts redundancies, all of these options are fairly priced.
  • psktruckerpsktrucker Member Posts: 18
    I would like to hear from other 5 speed owners on how smooth your transmission shifts. Mine does not fall into gears like I think it should. especially 2nd to 3rd takes some effort.

    I am taking it in this week to have it checked and was just looking to see if anyone had something to say.
  • paddler23paddler23 Member Posts: 10
    I have had my Liberty Sport 26B (5 speed) about two weeks (600 mi). Shifting is definitely more truck-like than sports car. 2nd to 3rd is a smooth shift, I find that 1st to 2nd is the 'stickiest'. I am assuming that this will smooth out as it 'wears' in similar to other 5 speed trannies that I have owned. Good luck with your dealer.
  • rayman1rayman1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi
    I am about to buy a Liberty and the only thing stopping me is the size of the tires. I want bigger tires, but since I am leasing, can't do modifications to the suspension. Would like to know your input on what is the "widest" tires I can put on the Liberty without any modifications. The stock size is: 235/70r16 ......Pics are appreciated too........
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Do you want just wider or wider and higher? What do you plan on using it for? Off-road? on-road? etc. We can give you a better suggestion once we know that.

    -mike
  • paddler23paddler23 Member Posts: 10
    There has been much discussion on 'other' jeep only web forums. (probably not 'politically correct' to give the link here). The consensus for non-raised Liberties is 245/70/16s can fit without rubbing. This size is not made by many manufacturers but I think BF Goodrich and Yokohama does. I have heard lots of complaints about stock tires, but my 235/70-16 Goodyear Wrangler SR/A (Made in Canada tires) seems good in rain... but the snow is coming!
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That is the stock size on Rodeos, Troopers, and Pathfinders. There are lots of companies, especially Bridgestone that make that size.

    -mike
  • rayman1rayman1 Member Posts: 2
    not off road, just regular driving on road.
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