Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions

paisan

In 245-70-16:

Yokohama
Geolandar H/T Y816

Michelin
Cross Terrain SUV

In 255-65-16:
Pirelli
Scorpion S/T

Michelin
Cross Terrain SUV

Michelin
LTX M/S

Dunlop
Grandtrek TG35

geck066

okay, I have spent over 2 hrs reading this board from the beginning. I am so close to trading in my 2001 civic ex for a 2003 4x4 Lib sport. I have owned 4x4's is the past (suzuki sidekick 4dr, and a crv...which the crv isnt really an offroad toy) anyway after reading the board, I am a little scared. I have never bought american before and even had the dealer price me with an extended protection plan. for 5yr or 100,000 miles. this option costs 1200.00...that's how concerned I am about this purchase. I test drove the Liberty and found it to be fun to drive and it felt solid. Most of all it's a nice rugged looking vehicle. I am not worried about the "tip over" issue because I have owned a suzuki so I know how to handle that. What I am worried about is the skidding that people have moaned about. The vehicle I drove today had 235/70/16 goodyear tires on it...I think they were wranglers sr-a's. I have been in an accident where the weather was wet and hydroplaned and lost control. Should I get ABS to help with hydroplaning? Other issues that I read were the electrical, and the tranny. I am wondering if the 2003 modles have improved on these issues...I have had my 2001 civic for 46000 miles and never once was it in the shop other than oil changes and tire rotation, but I so want a Liberty. I appreciate any feedback. and I am very sorry if there are type-o's :-)

mad0865

I personally haven't had any electrical or transmission problems. As for driving in wet weather, I usually throw it in 4x4full time, haven't had a problem with it. But if tires are your biggest concern, I'm sure you can get an upgrade or just trade them in after purchase. A lot of tire places will give you what you paid for those Goodyears. Personally, I have seen them slip in wet conditions when I don't have 4x4full turned on.
Good luck.

geck066

I had the dealer price the car with abs and selec-trac, and it wasnt too bad. just an extra 850 for both. I think that's the way to go. I will certainly look into the tire trade as well. Thanks.

mad0865

Think those Pirelli's or the Yokohama's are going to be my next purchase. Have 26k on the Goodyears, and they've been ok. Like I said, when in 4x4Full, you don't slip or slide (ABS helps too). I tried in the snow and rain, and nothing. 4x4full or AWD is the way to go in bad weather. NP on the advice, it's free :>

jrs7

I've had a Liberty sport for over a year has 22,000 miles already--quality is excellent (a lot of daimler has crept in): No problems and continues to run nicely. I do have ABS with the goodyear tires and I think it has helped alot--this is a 2 ton vehicle much more solid than other small suvs but also heavier and takes a little longer to stop--abs has been very useful

geck066

This gives me a piece of mind to here your comments. The dealer has located a Liberty with abs and select trac, it also has the OWL tire pkg, sunroof and the rest of the toys in the b group. They have to drive from NH (I live in RI)
And I hear I can take it home Monday night! I am really excited. Thanks again for the input.

paddler23

I have a 2003 Sport with just 2500 km without ABS. The all round disk brakes on the 2003 models are excellent and a huge improvement over the 2002 rear drums. I believe a lot of the difficulties that owners had with the Goodyear tires on the 2002 model was the result of locking the rear drum brakes.

tbunder1

it's true. your stock goodyears are junk. i have a 2002 4x4 sport with drums. ill take them any day over discs. basically no maintenance at all, cheaper to maintain, and less costs if damage occurs. show me stopping distance advantages for the '03's. ive driven both, couldn't notice any difference. replace the stock crapyears with some BFG at's or something, and you'll have a different driving vehicle. end of story.

vin_weasel

I'm actually hoping to find some prices on '03 Liberty rear disk brakes to swap onto my drummed Cherokee. 4-wheel disks are better at stopping, heat dissipation and for clearing mud.

jim_n_calif

Hi All I have had my Liberty 2x4 for just over an year now. With 14,000 miles. I have been enjoying my Liberty.
So far I have had only two problems with it. One, the back door lock with not unlock most of time. The dealer did some up dating to the Computer. The problem still there. My alarm remote does the unlocking now.
The second problem started after the they did my computer up dating,
now my headlights, side marker & taillights are on all the time. After
I start up my liberty. While the light switch is in the off position. ( inside dash lights are off ) If I turn the lighting switch to the parking light setting the headlights go off. It's like having daylite running lights. (GM vehicles)
The dealer said, It's your alarm system that is doing this. So I disconnected the alarm system, lights still remain on. When I turn off the engine the lights go off. Has anyone else had a problem like this ?

div2

I'll take your rear drums; I'll put 'em on the front of my Liberty. Drum brakes are SO superior to those over-rated discs... Oh, and I've got some ocean-front property in Kansas you might be interested in as well...;)

vin_weasel

Every Jeep tech board I read on a regular basis has questions from people trying to swap drums for brakes for the reasons I'd mentioned. There are pre-packaged kits to do swaps on alot of the different axles available on Jeeps (and other drummed vehicles) over the years. The problem is they are expensive.

Why do you think that almost all vehicles have disks on the front and many have on all 4 wheels? Why are so many trucks and SUVs moving to disks on the rear? Why are drums better?

div2

Just joking; I agree with you 100%. In the past 21 years I've only bought two vehicles with rear drums: a 1984 T-Bird(bought used for a work beater only)and my 1999 TJ. I'll take discs at all four corners any day.

vin_weasel

Couldn't see the sarcasm for the trees.

div2

No problem, I was way to subtle for my own good...:)

firstjeep

Reply to earlier posts on 5 speed and chirping sounds

I have a V6 5M and I do have a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. Not sure what to do about it. I have 3500 miles on the car, I guess I'll wait till it goes in for the first service.

I also hear a chirping sound under the hood when the engine is cold and running idle. This sound disappears when I push down the clutch. What could this be and do you think it's a serious problem or can it wait another 1500 miles or so?
It started after the first 1000 miles.

psktrucker

I had my Lib in the shop for an oil change and for them to check my hard shifting from 2nd to 3rd. I also have 3500 miles on mine.

This dealership claims there is no problem even after I took one of there techs out on a test drive. He had a problem and even went into 5th instead of 3rd. He still claimed there was no problem.

This dealership service department (Annapolis,MD) I found to be somewhat rude and unhelpful. I wish I knew this before I bought there. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to go back to the sales department a take another 5 speed out for a test drive and get the service manager involved.

I hope you have better luck. If you find a solution please post it....

Thanks.

steeves

I am a dedicated Jeep person. Since 1982 I have had 7 jeeps-CJ-7,4 Cherokees,1 grand and 1 YJ.
The 96 cherokee had a vibration and I lost in arbitration.
I am now in the process of getting an 03 liberty sport, V-6 auto. I took it home for the weekend and noticed a vibration at highway speeds and a slight pulling to the right. That was 2 weeks ago. I told the dealer I would not sign for the vehicle until these problems were rectified fully.
They havd balanced the tires with a balancer that loads the tire and most of the vibration is gone but it is still noticable. I can also detect a slight pull to the right. They are still working on the problem. Does anybody have any suggestions I can point out to them?

lcwos

Maybe it's the tires themselves.... Just to compare, I would test drive another Sport they have on the lot, down the SAME ROADS..... see if that one vibrates and pulls. If not, then maybe they will swap the tires for you. Once I had a Ford that seemed to vibrate and pull.......then I found the blacktop I was driving on was sloped to the right and it's surface was scored, causing these problems. Naturally, this was the road I traveled everyday to and from work. I tried a different road and the vibration and pull/drift to the right stopped.
I'm probably way off base, but hey, you never know.

kittel

I have a '02 Liberty Limited, purchased in Dec. of '01. Except for the mileage this has been a joy to own and to drive. I have two things that may or may not be problems, but they seem to be getting worse. The first is when driving in the cold, along with wind, the windshield will sound like there is sand or small pebbles constantly hitting it. If you turn away and drive with the wind, the noise will go away. This isn't sand or pebbles because if it was the windshield and front of the Jeep would show damage. The second thing is as the Jeep is getting older and have more mileage. As you go into drive ways or drive off road there seems to be body squeak and groan. This wasn't there when it was new but has started to show up over the last 4 to 5 months. Anyone else experiencing any of these things?

steeves

I tried out another 03 Liberty with different tires and rims and it also had a vibration at highway speeds.(reference massage 589)

sc0rpi0

Vibration is usually connected to tires. It is possible it is coming from the driveshaft, but unlikely.
As far as pull goes:
Roads are usually not horizontal, and right side of the road is lower than center, so that water can drain out. Also, some manufacturers setup the steering in such a way that it pulls to the right when centered, so that if you fall asleep, car runs off the road safely. It could also be that steering wheel is misaligned from the factory. And the most obvious one: check the tire pressure.

steeves

Re 592: Each Liberty I tried had different tires and rims. I checked the tire pressure with a digital gauge and all were 31 psi. As for the car being set up to pull right; I've been driving for 34 years and have never come across a vehicle set up that way (I suppose they pull to the left in England!!)
I also think the local dealer would know about this and would have told me instead of trying to rectify the vibration and pulling so I would buy the vehicle.
I am presently driving a 02 Dodge Dakota 4.7 Liter automatic 4x4 .
On the same piece of highway I am using for testing; it has no vibration and does not pull to the left or right.

lcwos

Then it has to be the tires or could the front end somehow be out of alignment? But you say you test drove another sport and it did the same thing. So, what is left? maybe finding a sport with 17" tires and test driving that.
As for service departments, they only do what you tell to suggest for them to do. They could care less about finding out what "the problem" is. Sure, every now and then you'll find an "old timer" who still prides himself in diagnosis and resolution of a customer's complaint.......but it's rare. Did you test drive a Limited or Renegade to see if they had the same vibration and what tires were on those cars? Just a thought.

tidester

I suppose they pull to the left in England!!

No, that just happens in the Southern Hemisphere! ;-)

tidester, host

steeves

Re 594: they checked the alignment and said it was good. there are no Libertys with 17" tires at the lot. there is a 5 speed sport ; I did not try it but the salesman did and said it had vibrations too. Maybe the dealership got a bad batch; i don't know. I do know that after having the problems with the 96 Cherokee; I will accept nothing less than 100% perfect.

tbunder1

if you won't accept 'nothing but 100% perfection' from a vehicle, don't buy anything but maybe a lexus. (i haven't owned a lexus, just going from what i've read and heard about them.)there's no one more anal than me and i think pretty highly or the liberty. extremely tight and quiet. powerful and solidly built.

i can offer you this:
the stock liberty tires are JUNK! the liberty is very sensitive in the steering dept. it has a rack and pinion setup and is extremely hard to get aligned perfectly since the vehicle is so sensitive with it's short wheelbase. when i bought mine, i traded my stock crapyears for some BFG all-terrains. i then immediately complained to the dealer about my alignment (it had 108 miles on it) just so i could get my jeep lined up perfectly to make my new tires wear as long as possible. it wasn't pulling or nothing, i just made it up to get an alignment for the new BFG's. when they did this alignment, the tech told me that the liberty was an extremely tight vehicle and hard to get perfect. however, it can be done. that said, it makes it very sensitive for roads that aren't perfectly flat.

our buddy scorpio (the nosy person that he is, he owns a tacoma and regularly dogs the liberty when i talk about it) does have a point with the road unevenness issue. that along with tire pressure will make the lib pull. but i don't believe in a minute that it is setup to go to the right automatically. that's absurd. no way tire manufacturers would let car makers do this, too much stress on their tires to withstand this. my lib does not pull at all, at least not that i can notice. i run 32 lbs of pressure. if i get on a road with a crown, sure the steering wheel isn't straight, but if i go to the other side, the wheel goes that way too. it's just natural on all vehix, but short rack and pinioned ones are more obvious. as far as your vibrations are concerned, i would guarantee it's those cheap stock tires. get some LT rated tires and call it a day. there is an issue right now concerning a 50 mph harmonic vibe that DC can't find the culprit to. mine use to do it faintly, but has since gotten quiet as i put more miles on it. remember, the lib is a truck based suv and it will not ride like an escape. that being said, mine rides as well as my mother's Mark VIII. smooth as silk. but of course, i have very good tires compared to the oem BS they put on.

kittel- as far as your 'creaking' sounds, i had it too when i backed into my driveway. or anytime i made a turn at slow speeds. kind of sounds like dry metal rubbing. well, i learned about a tsb concerning the front end and creaks. turns out that they can insert more rivets in the front bumper crossmember and make it more rigid. i had it done and problem solved perfectly. now it's quiet when i back it into my garage or driveway. check that one out. i dont have the number for it, but go to www.nhtsa.org and click on tsb's. good luck

mclewis

How many of these problems were taken care of with the '03?

tbunder1

what problems are you talking about? i wouldn't consider tires being a problem, every manufacturer equips their vehix with the cheapest rubber available unless it's a specialty vehicle like the FX4 Level II Ranger 4x4 or cobra or something. other than that, it's the nature of the beast to be so tight and to respond to roads the way it does. the creaking is probably fixed, but it really wasn't that big of a deal. only anal ocd's like myself noticed it. my wife hasn't complained about our jeep once, it's all me and my quest to make it absolutely perfect which won't ever happen. the '03's sit lower than the '02's, which imo, look like escapes and the other rav4 type vehix. i have an '02 that actually looks like it was lifted at the factory because it sits up so high. i put on some BFG all-terrain tires and it's a very nice looking 4x4. i wouldn't trade it for an '03 any day. they just sit too low for my tastes.

mclewis

Is there an advantage to having the '03s sit lower? Is it to decrease roll-overs? Or some other reason?

ozone1

Lowering the '03 (actually they started lowering '02s in May of 2002, I think) was mostly a PR move than anything. There was one article that claimed the Liberty was susceptible to a rollover based on a slalom test. It is referenced in this Edmunds follow up test.

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2002/jeep/liberty/100003377/roadtestar- ticle.html?articleId=51592

There was lots of debate which followed regarding the legitimacy of the test and whatnot. But the bottom line is, lowering it, however many centimeters, did nothing, just makes it look a little shorter. Our '02 is a non-lowered Liberty and I personally like the look better. Oh...and I haven't rolled it...not once. :-P

martin44

I posted this in the general Liberty discussion board too. Anyone else experiencing unusually poor mileage with their Liberty's? I got 12.5 to 13 mpg on last fill up. I am assuming it is the cold weather because I am not a lead foot. However, most of my driving is in town.

ibang1

2002 Jeep Liberty 30k. Went in today to get an oil changed. Mechanic noticed a brown foam on the oil cap and down pour spout. Mechanic informed me that it was antifreeze leaking into the engine and that I have a gasket damage. I checked the radiator resevoir and check to see if the fluid was low but cant be sure. I also checked exhuast and noticed no smoke or excessive amount of steam ( not sure if I would see anything but its really cold outside today)I plan on taking the car in tommorrow to the dealership and have it checked out. Ive tried searching for anyone with the same problems but cant find anyone. Will let everyone know how it goes. Thinking I should just trade in this car and get another.

terrilt

I've had my 2002 Liberty Limited since January 2002. At approx. 14,500 miles I noticed a "chirping" under the hood. It was the belt fraying away. The dealership diagnosed that a defective idler pulley was the problem and replaced pulley and belt.

About a month ago, an annoying rattle developed. I've pinpointed that it's coming from the headliner area in the back seat on the passenger side. It has yet to be diagnosed.

Yesterday (at 17,500 miles) I noticed an idling noise, kind of like "knocking." At the same time, the steering began to make a horrible moaning sound. That problem has now been diagnosed as a defective power steering pump.

I'm becoming very concerned with all these problems surfacing on such a new vehicle. Comments from anyone with these same problems who wishes to share would be appreciated.

tbunder1

sorry to hear your troubles. i too have an '02 liberty. i have had my share of shortcomings with the vehicle. at 250 miles, the fuel pump failed. and i have had other minor inconveniences with it. it is a new vehicle therefore it will have problems on the first few years of production. im not making excuses for the KJ. it's kind of like a young girl or boy going through those years. they almost always make mistakes until they learn. just be glad that your liberty is under warranty and that it is an easy problem to fix and not one that you can't find. take the bad with the good. remember, it's not a lexus. but darn close if you ask me. i love mine. it's as solid as a rock.

terrilt

Tbunder1, I do love my "Libby" and you're right, there's just going to be an adjustment period with new production vehicles. I only hope we get all the "adjusting" done on mine while it's still under warranty.

As far as the enjoyment level, the quality (aside from the problems I've had) and the value for your money, I have nothing but high marks to give.

By the way, for anyone who has a sunroof and a headliner rattle, my problem was diagnosed as being in the sunroof motor mechanism. It was corrected and the mechanism insulated. So far, the rattle hasn't returned.

checknshorts

I purchased my Jeep in 11-01, a 2002. After a few mos. All the dashboard controls, went out. Speedometer was going crazy. Dealer said a chip had to be replaced. Works fine now. Took the car for a 1st oil change and there was light brown gunk on the cap that couldnt be explained.
Then during the summer it started smelling so bad in the car when the air conditioner was on that it smelled like a moldy, urine subway stink. Or bad locker room smell. I had fridgie freeze put in and that didnt help. Dealer said it was the evaporator and they put a special coating of some mold resistant stuff but couldnt guarantee the smell wont come back. Well it still smelled a little. I'm afraid the smell will be back in the summer. Also the dealer said I should run the heat for a min or so, (IN THE SUMMER) before I turn off the car so it could dry out the evaporator, if I dont want the smell to come back. WHAT AN INCONVIENCE!
Now theres a bad noise like metal scraping in the front end. Dealer said bad bushings.
The lock on my driver side sometimes doesnt open, I even had to get in on the passenger side to open a few times. Getting that replace now.
I really like this truck. It looks great and is solid. Love the room in this truck. Its my first American Vehicle. I have 26,000 miles on it so I drive alot Buts whats with all these problems?
Also it slides like crazy in snow and rain. Even with the 4wheel drive on.
The only thing I can say is the service dept. treats me great and we are on a first name basis. (Unfortunately) IF it wasnt for the service dept I would prob never buy another Jeep!
Anyone else having these problems?
What will I do when the warantee runs out? Im afraid!

stever

Original equipment tires from most manufacturers often leave lots to be desired. I bet you'd enjoy the ride even more with new shoes on it.

Check out this message for some AC ideas - maybe there's something in it you can use in your Liberty:

wwest "Mazda Tribute/ Ford Escape problems" Aug 8, 2002 12:55pm

Steve, Host

marty32753

OK, I HAVE DONE TONS OF REASARCH, EMAILED MANY SO CALLED PRO'S WHO NEVER EMAIL BACK. HERE IS MY QUESTIONN. SO FAR I LIKE THE JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED THE BEST. I AM NOT AN OFF ROADER, I TEST DROVE IT AND IT WAS FINE. I AM LOOKING FOR SAFTEY ( NO ROLL OVER PROBS) AND LONGEVITY ( CANT AFFORD TO BUY ANOTHER CAR IN THE NEXT 10 YRS). I HAVE LOOKED AT ALMOST EVERY ONE IN THE 19 TO 24K PRICE RANGE. HAVE I SETTLED ON A GOOD ITEM, IS THE JEEP LIBERTY LIMITED A GOOD INVESTMENT. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY I AM DIZZY. WHAT WOULD YOU ALL SUGGEST. PLESE EMAIL ME AT MARTY327@HOTMAIL.COM

stever

I'd suggest turning off the caps lock since it's hard to read your question. And the point of a community forum is to share information, not just exchange email addresses, so stick around for responses.

And welcome to Town Hall!

Steve, Host

checknshorts

I am checking into getting new tires.. Thought the goodyear tires I had on my Liberty were decent but guess not. Do you know of a few tires I should check into? I was hoping to keep this truck for a long time but my mind is changing. I almost got a Subaru outback but Im trying to buy american. Hope I didnt make the wrong decision. Also I read on the evaporator prob. Thanks.

stever

Try Tire Rack, whose ad is linked on the left, for ideas and ratings. And in addition to any comments you get in here, you may want to ask in the Tires, tires, tires discussion.

Steve, Host

div2

IMHO, Goodyear tires are at the bottom of the heap for just about any application you care to name-including SUVs. My Sahara TJ came fitted with the wretched things and I cannot wait until they are worn out. I really like the Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts that I put on my Pathfinder. I'd also look at offerings from BFG, Dunlop, and Michelin. Kuhmo Tire is trying to break into the hot SUV/off-road market, and their usual strategy is to offer a tire with 95% of the capability of the best tire in the segment at 50% of the cost-e.g. the Ecsta 712 in the track/W-rated speed category. The Kuhmos would likely give you a lot of tire for the money.

rward85737

Have a 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 3.7 liter 4x4 with 6000 miles. Car has no issues since purchase except one. There is a noise/vibration that occures at a steady 50 miles an hour when on a smooth road with foot on the gas peddle Noise goes away when accelerating or when you take foot off gas pedal. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I noticed one mention on page 30 of the postings. Am afraid to take to dealer without some understanding of what the problem might be.
Thanks.

dgmdvm

My 02 Liberty had the same problem. Some people say the vibration stems from the design of the rear drive shaft where it meets the transfer case. I'm no engineer and can't dsecribe it any better than that; others have described it- check the Jeeps unlimited forums for more details. I had 2 different drive shafts placed on mine, each one changed the nature of the vibration but didn't totally eliminate it. Finally the dealer had a local machine shop balance the shaft. Now the vibration is barely perceptible.

mailjeep

my liberty (2002) with 23k miles has a terrible idling problem, dealer tells me to use fuel injector cleaner to solve problem, i say bologna, i drove a 99 cherokee for two and a half yrs. before this one, no problems at all, gas mileage is absolutely terrible. love to drive this vehicle, but want a grand cherokee after my lease.
any one else having these kinds of problems.?

div2

Why not throw in a large bottle of Techron or BG44K-what have you got to lose? It may even work...

aldan93

Just to let you know do not buy Goodyears, they last about 20K if that!

driverbern

We bought a Liberty in October. It now has 4k miles on it. I checked the mileage 6 times and we get between 13 and 14mpg. This is not highway driving but also not stop and go. Is this normal?