Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions

trucked

i had the problem described as "hesitation" not to mention sudden unprompted downshifts resulting in unwanted acceleration. in addition to this , the 04 liberty w/ auto tranny and 3.7l eng, would continue to drive along at the last speed it was at , even though my foot was off the gas. this would happen regularly and went unnoticed for some time until i noticed that when i got off the pedal approaching a toll booth, i would have to hit the brakes after a long period in which no coasting, or deceleration would occur. i have recently visited the second jeep service at 6000 mi (the dealer at which i purchased the jeep) the 3000

mi check was done at a local dealer who knows i did not purchase it there, and was downright hostile when i showed up again there for the 6000 mi check up , and again complained of my tranny/ accelertion woes. he refused to include my second complaint on the work order and stated " it was on the first one wasn't it"? when i complained that i need a record of my tendering my complaints, if i am to get any resolution from jeep.. anyhooooo, healey chrysler jeep did try to convince me that i was delusional re my symptoms and stated taht i was the only one they have ever had in there with my complaints.. to make a long story short, the mechanic said he had rec'd a bulletin re my problem so he "flashed " my computer and apparently with new software, was able to adjust my setting so that i now do not have the orig problems . i can feel them as they are about to act as they did in the past but are now milder versions of the "hesiatation" that only surfsces if i am on a hill, but with a bit more downward pedal travel i accelerate more predictably but do still fall off speed if i do not accelerate a bit morte prior to mid hill. it no longer zooms off unprompted but when shifting from park to drive, when cold , i have to wair aprox 3 second before it engages otherwise it will thud if i try to drive off.. the service mngr was way too defensive instead of curious for me to have been the oly problem of this type presented to him.. they still have homework to do.. look ahead on this forum to an entry by someone who has a pine tree logo as he has a really good engineering example of whats what.. good luck

tidester

You might want to Ask Connor at The Tire Rack who is resident right here on edmunds.com!

tidester, host

trucked

thanks so much for your info re my troubles. met with a very defensive service mngr last week and the mechanic of course said he did not find any of what i was complaining about. the svce mngr said i was the only, only person with a liberty that acts up soooo why was he so defensive instead of curious and helpful? the mechanic said he had a bulletin re my problem and then went and "flashed" my cars computer which was some software download that reset my tranny settings.y problems are solved but when i called to thank the svce mngr he did not want to attribute my fix to anything that his mechanic did for me.. " i don't see how he was able to fix anything for you , you had a temperture problem." i guess they do not want the word to get out that libertys have any problems at all which means not acknowledging a fix if they do one, because that would admit that you indeed came with a legit problem. he went on and on with me trying to tell me how i do not what to expect when i push a gas pedal or what should happen when it is released.. my jeep would go up to a half mi under pwr several minuts after taking foot off gas. well its all fixed for now so there is ope.. p.s they were not the least bit interested in reading the engineers theory re the sensors that you spoke of..happy motoring and thanks again.

howl

Yes, I've had them on my '02 Liberty since last fall and have about 8,000 miles on them. Terrific tires all year round. Took the Liberty to the outerbanks a few weeks ago and ran it on the beach at Corolla. Tires do great in snow, sand, rain with minimal road noise on the highway. Highly recommend spending the extra money for these tires.

caribou1

Thanks for the info. I'm actually shopping to get the complete set before winter comes. I'll have to pay around USD750 for the 5 tires. I'm testing the K&N air filter #33-2233 that fits the 2.8L CRD. It's the same one that goes on the 3.7L gasser. I have the impression there is a bit more efficiency in the low revs, before the turbo gets to it's operating pressure. I refueled and got just below 10 liters/100 km including city driving. Seems promissing before going bio...

howl

The driver's side electric seat in my 2002 Liberty intermittently will not move forward or backward. Nothing happens when you push the switch. It does continue to operate the seat to move it up and down. The dealership charged $60 to ID the problem & wants approx $470 to replace the motor, etc. Anyone had this happen?

trucked

finally got a svc ctr at jeep in beacon ny to fix my problems. mechanic located a svce bulletin and with the application of new software, "flashed" my liberty's computer which in effect cahned tranny settings and voila! i now run with the problem free libbys, like yours.. p.s the svce mngr was soooo defensive about my problem as he insisted i was the only one he has evr met with such a vehicle! told me that all my woes were perhaps the "way the car was meant to drive" how could that be if i was the "only one" with this problem. when i called him on my way home to thank him for the fix, he denied that what the mechanic did , was in fact responsible for my remedy. to accept that his mechanic "fixed" my libby is to acknowledge that i had a legit problem in the first place!! happy and safe motoring..its a great vehicle when it runs right..

trucked

i visited my dealer a week or so ago and to make a long defensive story short..the mechanic "flashed" my liberty's computer an yusing a service bulletin as a guide, downloaded new setting which have fixed my tranny/hesitation and run away problems. the svce mnger would not accept my thanks when i reached him on my way home on my cell. bottom line was that he would not acknowledge that they fixed my problem because he spent a great deal of time trying to convince me that i was delusional and one really crazy idea he ran at me was, "maybe the liberty is supposed to run this way?" so to accept my thnks he had to acknowledge that i had a "problem " at all.. he also was not interested in any of the posts in edmunds and did not want to read the one that actually solved my problem which came from foum from a guy quoting an engineer who felt that the sensors are too sensitive and when one goes out of sync., the tranny goes into default mode which is downshift an heck the car then takes off. all is fixed now and now i can finally feel safe just as we have gotted our first bout of sleet here in n.y. good luck and have them chck their bulletins and "flash " your cars computer..

trucked

forget the wgt vs pwr references. the expedition outweighs the libby by 2000lbs and has a v8 but dribves like a sports car. have your dealers check their svce bulletins, download some new improved software onto your libby's computer (termed "flasing " your cars computer) and this will reset the tranny to a more realistic setting that in my case, cure three ills..1) staying at hway speed long after removing foot from gas on a flat road, refused to coast and stayed under pwr, 2)sudden, unwanted downshifts at predictable mph resulting in bursts of speed, 3) no more unresponsive seconds when trying to coax car gradually up to 5mphs more due to slight uphill encountered. my 2004 libby renegade is now safe and predictable and as enjoyable to drive as the two i had rented prior to my purchase..don't expect the dealer to acknowledge your problems but as in my case they fixed and then denied that they indeed did so..have a great year and safe motoring.

caribou1

I think it's due time for users to access this computer logic. Many of us are knowledgeable in electronics, whilst salesmen are not as competent in automation as they are in their domain. We unfortunately have the same type of salesmen on this side of the ocean.

jrsy1971

Ok, I have an 02 Liberty Sport V6,love it, hate it, have had problems with brakes, and stopping. Sliding in the rain or snow at low rates of speed, no ABS! The Jeep itself is indestructable, I have had 3 minor accidents, once a little, lowered Honda rolled underneath me at a traffic light, I couldn't even see the car, and when the light turned green I went, the honda was crunched. I had minimal damage to the Jeep. Then I was broadsided while making a left turn in the passenger side, the Jeep took a nice hit, the other "Honda" had major damage, hood crinkled, radiator, grille, lamps ect... Had to be towed away! The Liberty remained in tack. Not a scratch or dent, the only thing was on impact the fender flare became unattached. So this where I get my love hate relationship with my 02 liberty. I have been watching my gas pedal, and making sure not to be to heavy with foot, but just last week I got 13 miles to the gallon. I normally average 15, which I think is ridiculous. Does anybody else have such poor gas mileage? What can be done about it? Because, if I can't get better mileage, I may have to turn my Jeep in for the Ford Escape Hybrid... I don't want to, but I feel 13 miles to the gallon is unbelievable. Its not my driving, because, I can get in anyone else car and get decent mileage!

rreidt

I have an '03 liberty limited-3.7 M y combined city/highway driving averages 17 miles per gallon, also very lousy. As all mfg's do they lie about this and hide behind their current methods of computing this on their sticker price info, however, the U.S. gov't said they are looking in to this practice-I'll believe it when I see some action is taken. I do enjoy my Liberty, though.

jayrider

By trading in for a Ford Escape you do three things:

1. Get much better mileage.

2. Lose mucho money on your depreciated Jeep.

3. Lose mucho money when you drive off the lot with your Ford.

Relax.... gas costs pale in comparison with depreciation. Revel in the fact that you love your Liberty.

cosmos321

I have a 2003 Liberty with 24k miles. On a recent cross country trip, the speedometer started going haywire. The tachometer kept jumping up and down wildly, the odometer quit, and finally the speedometer quit and engine light came on. A Jeep dealer in Illinois looked at and replaced speed sensor. An hour down the road, same things happened, and cruise control quit. Reached destination in Castle Rock, Co. Dealer there advised main computer needed replaced and had to get permission from Jeep to replace. Had car 2 1/2 weeks, replaced computer,it worked about two weeks, then same problems. Returned to dealer, advised another computer needed replaced. Replaced this second computer and said "this fixed it, we are sure we won't be seeing you again." Wanna bet. 1 month later, speedometer quit, cruise quit, engine light on. Couldn't get in shop for a week, advised them maybe I should invoke lemon law. They said let us try again. But on 7th day, started car, and engine light off, and all working. They won't look at it though since appears to be working! HELP! Any ideas what the problem could be?

caribou1

I think that from your description of the symptoms, especially the tachometer and speedometer, you have a broken 'reference voltage' wire or connection in your wiring harness. What worries me is that the throttle control on my CRD is dependent from this harness. This is worse than the lemon law, since it's a deliberate choice from DC.

rreidt

I have an '03 Limited with Goodyear SA Eagle tires. These are not good tires at all- at approx 10,000 miles it was slipping and sliding all over and tread wear is lousy( I now have just under 20,000)-I am not a fast driver nor hit the accelerator quickly. I understand the also stock tire Wranglers are about the same. Anyone got any advice on what tires to buy next time? I live in a 4 season climate.-Thx for any help.

jayrider

BFG Traction T/A's. Enjoy.

rreidt

I have heard that D.C. will be announcing shortly that all Limited 3.7's with Selectrac should NOT drive on a dry pavement--could cause damage to transfer case.If this is true--what about those who have done this alot??--Kind of scary.

Anyone else come across this?

jlb1

I have an '03,5m 3.7 that does a bit better on the mileage, 19-20 town, 23-24 on highway if you keep it at 65 mph. Crusing at 75-80 on I-80 drops it to 19 mpg. For you 5m owners, it really helps to skip shift. 1st-3rd-5th works well and you don't need to rev it that hard in 1st, just be patient with the 1 to 3 shift so you don't burn the clutch.

 

My only pet peeve is hesitation on some shifts, I wonder if a re-flash of the computer would help. The engine doesn't like certain rev changes when shifting.

jlb1

Thanks for the tip. I will talk to the dealer on Monday. I take pride in smooth shifts but it can be darn difficult with unexpected hesitations

jlb1

Here is something new to consider that I've read in various car mags. To get the Low Emission Vehicle designation out of a two ton suv requires alot of algorithmic gerrymandering. Engine revs won't drop like a rock in a modern stick vehicle when you let off the gas in neutral. It floats down per CPU program. Usually this improves at warmup. Most vehicles have the A/C tied into the CPU so idle speed can be adjusted. My 5m Jeep has a different character with A/C on and it is not about the small amount of drag created by the compressor.

 

The electronics can and does get in the way of the "natural feel" of a pre smog vehicle but you do get cleaner exhaust, better economy and longer maintenance intervals.

 

I would say that the JEEP algorithims aren't quite at optimum. I wouldn't be surprised if the same engine software is used in both stick and auto, even though they are different beasts. It is no surprise DC is reluctant to admit anything, but that is true of any business with accountants.

 

I am keeping after my dealer, who is pretty good, about any reflash software for the Liberty. It will be one of those quiet changes you have to ask for. My '03 has been very reliable, with apparently better than many mpg, no moans, no off center pulls, and no rattles yet at 28,000 miles. It has never been in the shop. The rotors do go off true more often than most, but I fixed that myself.

jnaut

17 would be about right, actually. My highest mileage was almost 21 (high end of what sticker reported) and that was after pure highway driving. Normal city driving I'm around 17 (low end of what sticker reported. Serious city driving in heavy traffic jams with < 5mph creeping for 1/2 hour, my mileage can start dropping under 16. No dealers don't lie about gas mileage because those numbers come from the Federal Govt through independent tests. If' you're getting less than sticker ratings, it's likely your conditions are more severe. But, let me warn! I found my wife drove all over the place with the environment setting of window-defog/floor setting. THE AIR-CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR IS ON WITH THIS SETTING. Many people DO NOT realize this. If you don't need any interior defogging, or once properly defogged, switch to normal heat ASAP. The compressor will turn off. This is very often the cause of 'mysteriously low' gas milage. Paul

jnaut

Unfortunately, I would think that the computer would need to be replaced... but if it keeps happening, something is either frying the computer, or they're not really replacing the computer, they're just reflashing the firmware and telling you they're 'replacing the computer'.

bandslane

We had our 2003 Jeep Liberty in for an oil change yesterday. Our vehicle has just under 28,000 miles and we purchased it in used condition during July 2004. We go to a reputable Express Lube in our area for our oil changes. The service technician there discovered a substantial amount of a yellowish white substance around the inside of the oil cap and the opening around it. He showed it to us and he advised us to get our vehicle into the dealer as soon as possible because, according to him, water is getting into the oil and forming this residue. He said it is an indication of major problems and that the engine may already be damaged. My husband and I also noticed the fluid in the coolant reservoir is now rusty looking. Neither one of these issues was apparent at our previous oil change. We are wondering if these problems are related. Has anyone else out there had either one or both of these problems? Is this an indication that we should consider getting rid of the vehicle? We have set up a service appointment with our dealer to investigate this further and would like to know what we should expect them to do. Does anyone have information or insight to offer? Thanks!

frank58

Sounds like a head gasket. take to the dealer the truck has the 7/70 and you are also under 3/36.

 

 They will fix with no cost. I would bring all your receipts to prove you had the oil changes done.

flyhi152

We bought a Liberty Limited about 5 weeks ago and found out pretty soon that the product we bought does not correspond to what Jeep and their salespeople tried to make us believe:

 

1.: As almost everybody else we found out that the fuel consumption on the sticker is far away from reality. (17/22 is what the car should burn, what we are getting is an average mileage of 14 mpg, with about 30% on the highway).

 

Hopefully one of these days there is going to be a class action lawsuit in regards to this issue. What is interesting is the fact, that the trip computer, which Chrysler products have had for decades, does not reveal the "instant fuel consumption" anymore. The "instant fuel mileage" displays the mpg value at any moment, so that the driver can actually see how much fuel the car is burning at a certain constant speed. This feature was very important for us, the trip computer is only available on the $ 4,000 more expensive Limited and Renegade versions. Older Limited models still show the "instant mileage" value- what we believe is that too many customers were able to tell the dealer how much fuel the car was burning exactly at a constant speed on the highway, and complain about it...

 

2.: Besides the trip computer, we paid an extra $ 4,000 for "luxury leather". Some parts of the "leather" seat surface felt a little bit strange and we asked the dealer, if that was really leather. He confirmed and said: "this is a special, very expensive leather imported from Europe." After having bought the car, we found out that about 50% of the rear seat surface, and the back are covered with vinyl and about 30% of the front seat surface. (I am not talking about the back of the seats or the sides, which usually is vinyl in other cars with leather seats). We know people who have older "Liberty Limiteds" and have verified that the previous years still had the entire seat covered with leather (from edge to edge). In order to increase the profits, Jeep sells larger amounts of Vinyl to people who believe that they are paying for leather. Obviously there are no laws telling the manufacturers how much leather they have to use in order to advertise it as having "leather seats". If Jeep finds it profitable and consumers don't complain, the 2006 "Limited" model will only have 10 square inches of real leather and the rest will be vinyl.

dbh_jeep

  

I'm on my third tank of gas with my 2005 3.7 and my latest mileage was 17.16 MPG, around town. Anyway, the fuel numbers on the sticker are not Jeep's - they are the

EPA's!  Read the fine print on your sticker.

  

 http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-08-17-fuel-econ-cover_x.- - - htm

   

No false advertising - No class action is possible.

   

As for the seats - they've always been stated as "leather trimmed".

Here's a web page for a 2002:

  

http://www.carprices.net/Cars/Jeep/Liberty/4_door_Renegade/2002/o- ptions.html&target=_parent

   

look under "LUXURY GROUP":

 

>>>-inc: mini-overhead console, deluxe door trim panel, universal garage door

opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, pwr heated folding exterior mirrors, pwr

premium leather trimmed bucket seats, mini-trip computer, vehicle

information center.<<<

  

Now as for the 2005, the leather trimmed seats are part of the G package.

Check your window sticker - it  says "leather trimmed".  No

false advertising.

  

As for the $4K, if there are things you just can't do without - you'll pay

for it.




 

 

dbh_jeep

I had another thought - you stated that you knew other Liberty owners - didn't you ever discuss gas mileage with them?

russla

I agree with one aspect of Fly Hi's issues,

 

DMC has been taking cool features out of their products, it happens in Jeeps and Dodges and Chryslers.

 

my '04 loaded grand caravan, doesn't have the cool heated front windscreen defrosters or the instant milage on the computer.

 

the '02 JGC also had some cool features that were "missing' from the 03 model

 

regards

div2

As dbh_jeep clearly stated, your "actual mileage"vs."EPA Estimated Mileage" complaint will go nowhere; the EPA came up with their own mileage test as a response to numerous automakers-Ford and General Morons in particular-that advertised fuel consumption figures which were rarely-if ever-obtainable in the real world. There are any number of reasons why Jeep may have eliminated the instantaneous fuel consumption readout. That said, I doubt that your "conspiracy theory" is the reason. If continuous monitoring of real-time fuel consumption is a critical concern, you may want to consider a BMW; over 90% of BMWs built since 1982 have been fitted with a true fuel economy gauge. I've never found the gauge to be particularly useful, probably because my driving style tends to keep the needle under 10 MPG...

How did you wind up paying $4000(!) for the leather? According to Jeep.com and Edmunds, the 28G Quick Order Package only costs $1570. Hmmm...

jnaut

We bought a Liberty Limited about 5 weeks ago and found out pretty soon that the product we bought does not correspond to what Jeep and their salespeople tried to make us believe:

  

1.: As almost everybody else we found out that the fuel consumption on the sticker is far away from reality. (17/22 is what the car should burn, what we are getting is an average mileage of 14 mpg, with about 30% on the highway).

 

As previously stated, those numbers don't come from the dealer, they come from the Federal Govt.(EPA) so it's going to be tough to sue over that.

 

As far as the 'leather' question goes, that's between you and your dealer- and sure, you could sue over that. We paid about $1300 for a custom leather job (front and back). Yes, our leather seats are vinyl on the backs of the seats. I admit my dealer never told me that, and I only really noticed after the fact. I didn't get particularly persnickety about it, because I figured if I went back and made a stink about it, I probably would have found that they simply do things that way. Much of the world works that way, a lot of couches you buy are TOPPED with leather, but the undersides and back are often vinyl. Now... if I had paid $4000 for leather, then all bets are off. A $4000 leather job sounds like you were supposed to get somethin' mighty special.

 

Paul

jmazzdc

I don't know if this is a wide spread problem, but in Washington, DC, Chrysler products, and Liberty's in particular, have one of the highest rates of being stolen. the police tell me it's because the liberty's are so easy to steal (both getting into them and busting the ignition). More for joy riding then for parts. I strongly advise anyone getting a liberty buy the anti-theft system and/or the club, mine's been taken twice!

eugenethejeep

I purchased my Liberty in 2002 (1 of 3 to chose from here), and have had nothing go wrong since of late. Just before the warranty ran out, the drivers side mirror stopped working (replaced). I also complained of clicking under the dash on the drivers side... they could not duplicate. After 2 visits it was duplicated for their mechanic and they replaced a relay switch. That did not fix the problem, they have had it now 2 weeks replaced a computer chip, was test driven and found not to have the noise again. I picked it up, started to drive home and the clicking started, and then my Jeep just stopped running, speedometer stopped working after that and the engine light came on. Towed back to dealer, the computer chip was again replaced (defective?), I went to bring it home last night and it is still clicking (they have no idea). It is like you are turining on the headlights or the defrost button. Any ideas? Thanks!

dbh_jeep

Do you have any statistics to back up your high theft rate claim besides anecdotal evidence? My research finds no mention of Liberty&#146;s being easy to steal or of a high theft rate, even in DC. Just curious.

 

http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr101904.htm

bluefieldmh

I have a 2002 Jeep liberty. Its a very nice looking car, But is squeals it sounded like the fan belt. So I had the fan belt replace and tension replaced. It still did this squeal then I had the alternator replace. Still making this chirping Whistling sound. This time though not while I am at a stand till but while I am coasting. Does anyone have any Idea what this could be? Thanks

dbh_jeep

Have a machanic analyze it...

rreidt

My Liberty belt squeals only when it is cold when starting just when I turn the key, after that there is no noise. My dealer says the Liberty's have a tight belt and do not be concerned. I don't know, but that is what they say. If you hear a different story please post it.

caribou1

Many engines equipped with flat belts also squeal. When the engine crankshaft pulley starts to wear out on the sides of the multiple grooves, there is always enough radial tension but insufficient lateral grip. There is a remedy and it's expensive; if you don't change the whole set of pulleys and the belt, a new belt will not survive long. A cheaper solution would be to change or re-machine the engine pully alone in a periodical way before there is any sign of wear. This single pully drives all the other ones, but is hard to access. Once a pulley is worn, the belt will reciprocate the wear to the next most demanding pully, and so on, until you get irritated...

dbh_jeep

Sorry for this, but I'm curious... I haven&#146;t been around here that long, but I&#146;ve notice an odd pattern:

 

People set up an account &#150; post some horrific problems with their vehicle - ask for advice &#150; then never log in again. It seem troll-ish to me; or is it a characteristic of this type of forum?

stever

I guess some folks do that as a way to let off steam about their frustration with their car problems. They may return in guest mode and lurk to see the responses.

 

Steve, Host

caribou1

Ancient history reveals that even slaves could attend sophisticated discussions in the Agoras, and later become disciples. There is no black magic under the hood of a Jeep! I personnaly find it reassuring to pick up information, and later look for the shine of my dealer's gold tooth when HE explains something...

dbh_jeep

Yea, makes sense - I guess I'm used to more give and take. I do really enjoy the forums - lots of tid-bits!

 

Thanks!!

dbh_jeep

Yea. Okay... Thanks.

eugenethejeep

Problem solved... I posted here only because the dealership checked and no one else reported this problem. I just wanted to see if anyone else anywhere had same. Thanks!

eugenethejeep

If I could offer advise with regards to the Liberty be sure I would. I love my Jeep!

dbh_jeep

That's good news! So what was the source of the clicking?

johnzo

Hi. My wife is having the same problem. It is worse when it is cold out. She has an 02 Liberty w/ about 70k miles. Have you heard of a solution?

jayrider

My 03 with 9k miles just started to "chirp" a bit on start up. Just since the weather turned cold. Will keep an ear on it and have the belt checked during oil change next week.

dbh_jeep

I had to laugh when I read your profile... just the other day I was explaining to a co-worker how much money I've spent on cars in the last 35 years - it's as if I'm aiming for one of everything before I hit the last highway!

eugenethejeep

Problem was not completely solved, it is back. They have determined that the clicking (sounds like a relay switch), is actually the body moulding inside. It comes from around the heat ducts? They took apart my dash, added more cushioning and put it back together. Once the car warms up the noise goes away, however the first 15 minutes the clicking makes me crazy... not sure what the next step is going to be. My 2002 has 43,000 km.