Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions

tbunder1

i kind of experienced what you are, but on a smaler basis. when my '02 liberty only had like 150 miles on it, the fuel pump went out. it wouldn't run at all. it was a sad sight to see my brand new jeep carted away on a hauler to the local jeep dealer. they fixed it, and give me a liberty loner, but it's just the idea of it being new. i love my liberty, but i have had to work some things out of it. nothing serious though. it's one of the most solid vehicles i have ever been in or owned. it is simply a joy to drive. i upgraded to BFG all-terrain tires and it practically drives itself and goes practically anywhere as well. the stock tires are junk- plain and simple. good luck.

litlgin

Sorry, statboys, I have to disagree with you on replacing the whole Liberty. As much as it might suck, most problems (small and major) will happen within the first thousand miles of the vehicle's life. That's when all the kinks get worked out. Yes, the transmission going out was a large problem. If it's going to happen, though, wouldn't you want it to happen early on, when your warranty will still be able to cover any problems that may occur long after the fact? There are no guarantees that the tranny won't go out on another new Jeep, either (what were the odds it would go out on the first one?). I have heard of a similar experience happening in a Grand Cherokee (transmission, as well), where the owners pushed for a new Jeep that they didn't receive. This made them more unhappy instead of just enjoying the new vehicle they had purchased. Bottom line is, I think you'll stress yourself out more trying to get something that probably won't happen. Either way, though, Good luck!

statboysffl

Since I complained during my frustration, I thought it fair to praise now that it's over. Long story-short, the dealer made it right by giving me a new vehicle. I can't say enough nice things about them as they went above and beyond the call of duty and got me a new Liberty! I love the car, and they have a customer for life. Thanks to all who offered opinions and help, much appreciated!!!

tbunder1

that's great. im sincerely happy for you. i hope you enjoy it. there's honestly nothing like the liberty on the road today. it is a jack of all trades.

smokeriser

We just test drove the 2003 Jeep Liberty, 6 cylinder. The ride was nice, but we found that there was alot of engine noise. Has anyone else noticed this.

bmw323is

I also noticed the engine noise on my test drive. It wasn't bad, just a little loud. Either they are trying to make it a bit louder to appeal to the sportier crowd or they didn't do very well in sound deadening material on the undercarrige. It all depends on what you like. At first I liked the exhaust sound, but I'm sure it would get tiring on a long highway trip.

jondavid

My Ltd. 02 is very quiet - it has sound insulation in the hood, on the firewall, continuing on to the undercarriage past the transmission and transfer case and stops around the front of the rear drive shaft. Was it a sport or limited model? If it was a limited, could be either a different exhaust tuning or they are looking for cost reduction on the 03's. I never drove a sport - don't know what they sound like.

colorado1974

What is loud to one person is quiet to another.

This engine is a truck engine with the heavy duty construction a truck engine will have. Because of that, there will be more noise than a 4 cylinder Rav-4 or CR-V with DOHC.

The obvious by product is more hp, torque and capability.

jregen7243

I have an '03 Ltd. I think the engine is extremely quiet. I came from an '00 Outback with the 2.5 4 cyl. What a difference.

The exhaust note is great. It reminds me of a Z28 I had in the early 90's. It's not too loud, but it definitely lets you know when you hit the gas.

jeepfl

I would appreciate anyone's help in trying to figure this out..I bought a 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited (automatic)..I have about 450 miles on it..and when I reach between 45mph and 50 mph, I can here (and feel) the gear changing, a small thump sound. Is this normal? The engine already has a sound like its humming and/or grinding. I love my Jeep but I would love it even more if I had some answers to these question. This is my 4th Jeep and I'm hoping the best!! Again, I appreciate any answers to these question. Take care all!

deuskid

I am considering buying a Liberty w/ a diesel engine when they become available.

My question is this [knowing that gas engine problems are not a concern] would you buy a Liberty if you had it to do over again?

thx

soulfinger

That doesn't sound normal to me. If I read your post correctly, jeepfl, you're feeling this thump on the upshift, while you're accelerating? That and the grinding noise you report seem like something worth having the dealer check out, though it's not easy to diagnose noises over the Internet.

Many people have complained about a thump when downshifting. This happens to me occasionally just before I come to an abrupt stop. That thump is certainly common if not "normal." But my transmission is smooth as silk on the upshift, although I think I may have a different model in my 2002 than you have in your 2003.

colorado1974

The downshift thump is the adaptive transmission finding the best second gear to better slow you down with. This tranny has 2 second gears and finds the best one to accommodate both the upshifts and downshifts.

rock1

Which transmission do you have?
The new Liberties, built after February 2003, have the four speed, not the five speed transmission.
Does anyone know why Chrysler switched back to the four speed?

p100

If you have a factory tow hitch, you can buy a draw bar/hook that fits into your hitch receiver. I have one of those and use it with my Nissan truck frame hitch. It gives you convenience of a rear hook when you need it. The bar is solid steel 2 inches square bar with a heavy hook welded at the end. It weighs about 8 lbs. It looks just like a regular hitch ball draw bar, except is is solid, not hollow, and has a hook on the end, instead of a hole for the ball. I ordered this from some specialty auto accessories catalog., I think Pep Boys catalog offers it as well.

howley

Hi everyone. I am considering buying A liberty but am out off a bit by claims of 12 - 13 mpg in the 3.7L. Also, I noted from the several dozen messages I have read that while many Liberty owners love their trcuks, there are a lot of complaints. Also, JD Power gave it 2 out of 5 for 90 days ownership in the mechanical aspect. Any advice on the gas consumption question and other comments appreciated.

I really like this truck, you see. It will haul my 4,000 boat and trailer (automatioc only, which is a shame, becuase I would prefer the std tranny), and is a great winter and country road vehicle. I am repacing a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 4X4 (black, Sport edition, beautiful) and the Liberty is the first such one I thought could be a real winner replacement.

Like to hear your thoughts (really appreciate it).
-Howley

colorado1974

I get 24 on the why with my 3.7 Limited and have never had a problem, squeek, rattle or leak after 18,000 hard miles towing, 3 feet of water, jumping over sand dunes. This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Listen to the me and the fact that this Liberty outsold every other competitor for the last 1.3 years by over 10,000 units.

stever

People tend to post about their problems on bulletin boards and often don't take the time to report that everything is working as expected. So take that into consideration as you read through this problems board. Check the Jeep Liberty board if you haven't already for some more positive messages.

The JD Power report is a concern, but it's just not mechanical problems that people respond to in that survey. Design elements, like poorly placed cupholders, also figure into the ratings.

And in the interest of full disclosure, Colorado1974 is a Jeep dealer :-)

Steve, Host

howley

Thanks for the prompt feedback. Will be checking in for more.
Later. :-)

colorado1974

There is a 99.99999999% chance that the Liberty will not be purchased from me therefore I am relaying my personal experience to help him make the right choice, not trying to persuade a potential customer.

stever

We all are, but it may help some people to know that the brand you are recommending happens to be one that you sell. For example, my personal experience from my recent Outback purchase is that TMV is much closer to real life than Kelley :-)

Steve, Host

colorado1974

No offense but banks don't even know who or what edmunds TMV is. Since they are the ones loaning money for cars, I will listen to Kelly or Nada and ignore whatever prices you guys can come up with.

stever

Is that banks aren't for consumers. Edmunds is.

Naturally I have a link for you :-)

What is the "Kelley Blue Book" Price?

I just got a used OB from a retired banker friend of mine. When we opened negotiations, she called the bank and got a NAPA price. I showed her TMV and then Terry over in Real-World Trade-In Values came within $100 of TMV, which happened to be a grand less than NAPA, and that's the price we decided on. ymmv....

Steve, Host

colorado1974

Napa is an country-wide auto parts chain.

stever

NADA...

You know, the "yellow" blue book, not to be confused with the other blue and black books out there.

Steve, Host

colorado1974

When a bank asks for the TMV or what ever you call it then I guess that I will start believing you. Until then you are just another faceless unreliable internet source that thinks they have have the answers when they don't.

ohmike1

I have an '03 Liberty Ltd. and the vehicle has been flawless....until the other day. At 6600 miles and without warning, it suddenly lost power, jerked violently and the engine raced (over 4500rpm) even though I couldn't go over 35mph. My local dealer says the transmission needs to be replaced. I'd appreciate any thoughts/suggestions. In particular, would a major repair like this in a new vehicle effect resale? Thanks in advance.

john325

In an earlier post (#695) you say to our host, Steve, "No offense, but..."; and then you go on to call him a "faceless unreliable internet source that thinks they have the answers when they don't". Sounds pretty offensive to me.

I think that speaks volumes about you and your "biased" opinions. For those of us who've been using Edmunds for years, we know the value here. Contrary to your belief, Edmunds is a very "reliable" internet source.

And yes, people often differ in their view points here at Edmunds, but they "normally" don't resort to nasty name calling as you have... Oh yes, you are a car salesman; I understand now.

colorado1974

My point was as soon as any bank or financial source that I deal with relates to any reference to value by wanting a tmv, then I will pay attention to what this site says.

paisan

The TMV is really off-base on some vehicles here on edmunds. I'm not sure how the calc it but I know it's off for a lot of vehilces.

-mike

jeepfl

Well, I'm back from my business trip and I'm finally taking the car to the dealer so they can look at it. I'm not taking my car out of the dealership until they have fixed this problem. Meanwhile, I've tested other family and friends with Jeep Libertys and none of them has heard or felt the THUMP as you are accelerating between 40-45..this is drving me crazy. THANKS TO ALL who replied to my original post and recommended to go back to the dealership. I'll keep you posted and hopefully the next person doesn't need to go through the hassel.

Take care all!

stever

and didn't take it personally. Especially since it's my money and I don't have to let it go :-)

I do enjoy the "books" talk. Sometimes they seem right on and some times they are in left field. But I think you can say the same thing about the weekly auctions; prices can change pretty wildly in a week.

The other interesting thing is to look at the different ways the banks and insurance companies use NADA, Galves, etc. Most banks will only loan 90% of the "wholesale" value of your car. But they make money loaning money, so it's in their interest to use a book that's a bit "high" so they can loan more money.

An insurance company would likely shop for a book that "lowballs" and you often see people recommending getting alternate pricing info (even want ads) when negotiating with an adjuster when you have to total a car.

I don't know how Paisan and others can justify ragging on TMV so much - we may use different algorithms, but the raw data comes from real sales and people in the field who are hitting the weekly auctions. Plus we have plenty of testimonials around here (not just my experiment) that shows that TMV is spot on for lots of people.

Live by the books, die by the books :-)

Steve, Host

paisan

I'm not sure how "auctions" would factor into new car prices, but for instance the TMV seems much lower than what I know people have bought cars for. They are within $1000 but that's a pretty big range IMHO. Personally my buying philosophy is this:

Dealer Cost + ~$1000 = Price I'll pay

Dealer Cost = Invoice + Delivery - Holdback - Incentives

On a 20-30K car it's fair to give the dealer a $1000 profit, heck that's like 3-5% Gross Profit, out of that they have to pay advertising, utlities, salaries, etc.

-mike

stever

Learn More About TMV

Steve, Host

soulfinger

Hi, Howley. I've got 37,000 miles on my 2002 Limited, about 70 percent of that on the highway, with the rest a mix of city and offroad driving. I've averaged 18 mpg over the life of the vehicle. A lot depends on your driving style, of course. You probably WILL get 12 or 13 mpg (or maybe less) with a 4,000 pound trailer on the back. But in normal driving, unless you've got a very heavy foot, that doesn't jibe with my experience. As far as problems go, I've had nothing that I'd consider serious. I had the serpentine belt replaced under warranty (squealed when the engine was cold) and a radiator hose clamp worked loose and caused a minor coolant leak. Mechanically it has been solid as a rock. It continues to amaze me with every passing mile. If you're shopping for a sport UTILITY in this size and price range, in my opinion there is nothing that compares. It is not a car and doesn't drive like one or get the gas mileage of a car. It's built like a tank, and if that's what you want, you won't go wrong. (And I don't sell Jeeps or anything else for a living).

colorado1974

After purchasing my 2002 Limited a year and a half ago, I installed a MOPAR/Borla dual exhaust. Doing that plus installing a K&N filter plus using synthetic 10/30 Quaker State I get 24 on the highway and 20 over the life of the car.

Like you, I am amazed on almost a daily basis.

Also...

For those of you with a 2002 and feel a slight "hiccup" at highway speed:
that is the torque converter locking in at around 60. The first tranny put behind the 3.7 was the 45RFE out of the higher horsepower Dakotas/Rams/Durangos/Grand Cherokees. This transmission is absolutely bullet proof but since it is meant for much more powerful engines, they had to adapt the shift points for the weaker 3.7.

That combined with this tranny having 2 second gears makes for a different shifting tranny than everyone is used to.

the trade off is that nothing will ever happen to it (that is why for 2002 Chrysler had the 7 yr/100,000 mile warranty on the Powertrain.)

john325

Okay, it "clunks or jerks" when you slow down because there are two 2nd gears, and it "hiccups" when the torque converter locks-in at around 60 mph. So, yeah, it sounds different alright. As you say, it's "different.. than what everyone is used to."

I guess you don't have to worry, but you might have to wait while your car is being "serviced" by Dodge/Chrysler. - The reason they've extended their warranty so long is Dodge/Chrysler has a terrible record at transmission related prolems.

I'd opt for a "normal shifting tranny" myself. Just my .02.

colorado1974

The clunks or jerks on downshifting is the transmission adapting to the way you drive. The jerking is an indication that it is using a more aggressive 2nd gear to best match your driving pattern. A grandma (for example) would most likely use the higher gear in downshifting resulting in a much more smooth shift.

The trade off is a bullet proof transmission.

In all honesty, they used this transmission in the 2002 because the new 42RLE wouldn't be ready for production until 2003. Instead of holding up production, they used an existing tranny off the shelf.

The occurances mentioned are not duplicated in the Rams/Durangos/Dakotas because they have much more powerful V8's.

Believe me when I say though that this 45RFE is the most trouble free tranny in the entire truck segment.

paisan

Is the one that was puking it's guts in the Dakotas and Durangos? I remember them having lots of problems, especially towing up long grades and overheating and then boom bye-bye tranny. Not sure which ATF that was though.

-mike

colorado1974

that was the older 98-1999 trannys behind the 318, 3.9L and 360 engines.

paisan

I see. Thanks for the info.

-mike

tbunder1

reason I'm glad I have an '02.

1. hasn't been decontented
2. best tranny
3. hasn't been lowered

colorado1974

I am in complete agreement with you.

Although what people don't realize about the 1 inch lowering is that it doesn't affect ground clearance. The distance from the axle housing to the ground can only be affected with tire and wheel size.

Another thing I love about mine is that I purchased it without incentives and recieved the 100,000 mile warranty instead of the 70,000 version offered later on.

paisan

You are correct, but under the same assumption, they measure "ground" clearance on the Explorer to the rear diffy, which is tucked way up under the chassis.

Basically the lowering by 1" lowers all that "other" stuff that will get caught up on brush, rocks and other such items offroad.

Also since the front is independent suspension, by lowering the front 1" then you really do lower it, in the front, the rear being solid axle will only be effected by the tires.

-mike

tbunder1

i think you are incorrect. the liberty has been lowered 1" yes. this means that everything came down an inch but the rear pumpkin like you said. but it also means that the front suspension was dropped big time. just ask guys who are trying to get every bit of GC out of their lib. I have 8.5 inches from my lower control arms to ground with stock sized BFG all-terrains. I plan on puttin on some 245/70 sized tires next to gain another 1/2" of GC. others are lucky to get 7.5" from LCA to ground after the lowering. my jeep actually looks like it has been lifted when sitting next to a lowered one with stock tires. the whole body came down 1", which includes exhaust, tranny, etc. everything that comes into the equation when off-roading is now more vulnerable. so if yours is lowered, you may want to look up some early liberty springs to put on your rig. because that is all they did was put on different/lower/shorter springs.
I too bought mine with no incentives and got the 7/70K warranty. I run mobil1 and anticipate no problems either. I just wish the gas mileage would improve a little.

libertyinct

Hello All. From reading the posts on this board I see that some of you have had the same kinda problems and noticed the same kinda "quirks" I have with my Jeep Liberty. I have a 2002 Liberty Limited with just over 30,000 miles on it. I've been getting about 18 mpg regularly.
The following is a list of the problems I've had;

1)At delivery noticed white talc like powder coming from the vents on the top of the dashboard
(Dealer cleaned it, gave me a lame excuse about what it was)

2)At 20,000 miles while doing a routine fluid check under the hood I noticed that the serpentine belt was cracked right through. Thank God it didn't break!

3)At about 25,000 miles I noticed that my power steering fluid was extremely low. Has anyone else had power steering/fluid level problems?

4)The latest thing is the alignment. The Liberty's now pulling to the left.

tbcass

There are no internal connections between the Transmission and the Engine. There should be no problem.

div2

FWIW, I've seen information from some serpentine belt manufacturers that state that cracks which are perpendicular to the belt ribs do not effect the longevity of the belt. Of course, if the crack you found was very large and/or deep you were wise to replace the belt. I usually replace serpentine belts at @60000 as a precaution-it beats being stranded on the side of the road.

montsue

I also found my steering fluid quite low (at around 60K miles). I was suprised since I can't recall ever having to add any substantial amount of steering fluid to any of my previous cars.

libertyinct

The cracks were large. I even took some close up pictures of them. Large enough to get fingers through. I was just shocked to see it happen this early.