2008 Jeep Liberty

mdennis01

I was driving home tonight during a bad thunder storm and suddenly, while doing 65 on the highway, the "Gate" warning light came on as if the tail gate was open, and all the lights came on in the Jeep. Since it was storming, I kept driving home. Once I got home, I opened the tail gate and slammed it shut to make sure it was closed. The warning light and interior lights stayed on though. And I've tried opening the rear glass with both the button on the tail gate, as well as the clicker on the key, and neither will open the window. We have checked all relevant fuses that we could think of and I tried re-screwing on the gas cap as I had seen in older Jeep Liberties that sometimes this caused an electrical malfunction. Any suggestions? It is a 2008 Jeep Liberty Manual 4WD. I'm suppose to leave in the morning for a road trip but I'm hesitant to go --I don't think it will effect the driving, but I don't want to drive in the dark with all my interior lights on!

carbuff81

There could be a good chance that your Jeep was stuck by lightning. Lightning stuck my friends Ford F150 pickup through the antenna, the lightning melted the antenna, and all of the idiot lights lit up on the dashboard, they had to take it to their local mechanic to fix the problem. I would take it back to Jeep, the problem has to be covered under warranty, the Jeep is still new. Whatever is wrong with it should be taken care of free of charge. Good luck.

scjeeper2

It is caused by water shorting out the circuit that tells the computer the door/hatch/gate is closed. Somehow the moisture/rain gets in the back gate and shorts it out sometimes. I also have this problem when it rains. Doesn't happen every time it rains, but it happens. I also have problems with my lock/unlock button on the driver side door. I think it's also caused by moisture. By the way, 2008 Liberty here, have owned for 7-8 months. I took it to the dealership for repair, and they have yet to fix it, or agree that it is messed up. Actually took it twice for the rear gate, and once for the driver side door locks. They keep saying it's not messed up when they go to work on it, but it magically messes up again right when I leave the lot. I think they unplug the battery or something to reset it, but then it starts doing it again within minutes, just a temporary fix. I love the vehicle, but I hate the BS that I have to put up with. Purchased it for the lifetime warranty, but they don't fix the POS when it messes up so what is the lifetime warranty for? This is definitely the first and last Jeep Liberty I will ever own. I also purchased a 2007 Honda Fit. Not one problem that hasn't been easily taken care of. Maybe this is a good example of why Jeep is going out of business.

Eric

South Carolina

vicville

I knoticed my liberty makes a popping noise when turning from lock to lock, just at a certain place. anyone with similar problems....

r8derfan83

I just picked up a 4x4 sport model week ago. The day i went to pick it up it was raining hard and there was a puddle on the driverside floor. They kept it a day and promised me it(a sunroof leak) was fixed. When i got it home it also rained that night. That am there was over an inch of water on driverside front and rear floors! 4 days later finds me sitting at home w/ a loaner car waiting for some guy from chrysler to access the rust I found while soaking up water. I pray it leaks agian :lemon: :lemon: The newest idea seems to be a leak from the cowl area...... i'll post back when i get things fixed, and i will

ginger0123

I purchased my 2008 Liberty and also have had problems from the start. The day I puchased it I drove it on an 800 mile road trip. I notice that when I would get close to 70 miles per hour there was a vibration. I also notice that from time to time it would shift really hard going in to second gear. For example when I was slowing down to stop say at a red light and the light would change so I would just accelerate and sometimes it would shift really hard. I have had it in the 4 times now for both issues. The first time they replaced all 4 tires because there was some type of know issue with the tires. Needless to say this did not fix the vibration. They also said that they upgraded the software and that should fix the hard shift issue. It did not. I took it back a second time and they said they did not notice and could not duplicate the vibration. This time as far as the hard shift issue that said that they reset the computer because it has an error code that it had at some point gotten stuck in overdrive. Again neither one of their solutions fix either problem. So now I just took it to the shop again and was first told that the hard shif was normal because when I was slowing down the accelerate without stoppping that it confused the compute. (do I need to expain that I am a female and they thougt I would just accept that poor excuse). well I did not accept it and ask that they please look into it. Also discussed with the service writer that I was still have the vibration issue and that it was almost like a motor mount was loose. I also added 2 new problems to my list of issues. One the turn signal does not work correctly and the Skyslider now has a lot of wind noise that it did not have when I purchased it. The next day I receive a call from the service writer telling me that they were ordering parts for the skyslider and that my tires needed to be balanced and that the hard shift was not a transmission issue, it was normal under the example I gave and that they could not duplicate was I discribing. My jeep was to be ready for pickup today but I received another call from the service writer to tell me that it would not be ready. He found a service notice about a known issue with the tork converter and that they would need to open the transmission to replace it. He said that this problem is probably what was causing the hard shift and the vibratioin. They had to order parts so I will be taking it back in next with to have the tranmission worked on and the skyslider repaired. To date they are aware of the turn signal issue but there is not a solution for that yet. I was wondering if anyone else has had any transmission issues with the 2008 Liberty (2wheel dirve, automatic). I will post the final outcome once the service is completed.

vicville

my 2008 2wd liberty limited does the shift thing too. just everyonce in a while when i come to a stop and dont stop, it shifts hard. but i just have dealt with it.... i have 22k miles now and the major problem i had was the steering colum had to be replaced... it kept making a popping noise when turning.. i als have the vibration somtimes. but i think the tires are not the best.... otherwise i love my jeep...its been pretty good....

p100

I am looking at a new leftover 2008 4X4 6 speed manual Jeep Liberty. ?What problems should I be aware of? Is this transmission and the clutch reliable? This Liberty does not have a sunroof or skyslider. What is the realistic mileage I can expect with a manual transmission? The axle ratio is 3.21 on a manual vs 3.73 on an automatic. This should save some fuel.

Do 2008 models have any specific problems that were resolved for the 2009 model year, like water leaks and electrical issues, for example?

jpeters1970

It is funny you mention the vibration issue at 70mph. I used to own a 2002 Jeep Liberty Limited and I really loved it. I had to get rid of it because they never were able to remedy this vibration I had between 65-70. It wasn't the tires needing a balance. I tried so many things and I just gave up.

I hear they are giving fantastic deals on the 09 Liberty. My friend told me one of his patients got a nicely loaded Liberty for 20k and 0% interest. Does that sound possible??

philsjeep

I am going though this right now and i found the point where the water is getting in today and to my surprise it was the sunroof !! I put some rags around the point where I saw the water dripping in and so far no more dripping water in the rear drivers side head liner trim ( plastic trim across the rear near the hatch ) do not know how the water made it all the way back there ? So do not rule out any entry points and my dealer is calling in a company called WATER DOCTORS all they do
is find and repair water and air leaks

heberg21

Were you aware that when you buy a new car with a new engine, you are not supposed to take it over 50-55MPH for the first 500 miles? If you do you will severely cause engine wear and overheating that will shorten the life of your engine (and car for that matter). I think even the Owners Manual says that. I have a 2008 4x4 Liberty and followed this advise from the manufacturer and I already have put 30000+ miles on it and have had no problems at all.

dragonfairy83

I bought my 2008 Liberty used in January after my other car was totaled. It seems to be one problem after another. I too have the shifting issue you described, but I have no warranty to cover anything. Anyone know of a fix for the hard shifting? Was it the torque converter? Also, I'll have to reseal the windshield, as wind (and probably water) come through on the edges. Lastly, my "service 4x4" light comes on randomly. I took it to Jeep and they reconfigured the computers so things would "talk" properly. Yesterday the light came back on...back to Jeep for another reconfigure...today it comes on again. Now they are going to take my Liberty for a whole day tomorrow and see what they can come up with. Anyone heard of this? :mad:

nyhug

This kind of problems have happened to my 2008 4x4 liberty several times. I had Jeep dealer service check it up but they did not detect any problem. Did anybody else experience this kind of problem?

worried4mom

I'm very concerned about the fact my new father-in-law insisted my mother get rid of her Buick and drive his 2008 Jeep Liberty because he already had a $40,000 King Ranch pickup. He's alienated her son from her and won't allow anyone but his own people to work on the Jeep. So, a few days ago, Mom was at work, Jeep wouldn't start, she had it towed to repair shop and the mechanic got under the Jeep after noticing a loose cable. The Jeep was turned off, it's an automatic transmission and was in park. Before he even touched anything, the Jeep turned on, RAN OVER THE MECHANIC, through the wall and crashed into a concrete barrier. Has anyone heard of anything even remotely like this happening? I'm worried about mom and that this man she married after meeting online and getting married one year to the day from their first date, might be a lunatic trying to harm her. He's very mean and cruel. I just want to know it's a problem known with the Jeep and nothing else. :confuse:

kolctor

Does anybody know the right way to open the driver side dash under the steering wheel? 2008 Liberty

pcat111

I purchased a used 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited still under warranty. I too had problems with a hard shift. they said it was totally normal. They didn't even try to repair it. It also had a leak at the truck hatch they never could find and today it started leaking, I am guessing from the sunroof. I have had it for about 2 years and never had the sunroof leak but did notice some leak stains up above my sun visor and at the door frame...
When I make a right turn with my blinker on and then straighten out my left blinker comes on... There are lots of rattles in the doors as well. I tried to have them tighten up the panels but it did not work. I also had to have the motor block secured. And, there was also a valve leak and the gas tank had to be replaced. Everytime I filled the tank it would overflow on me... Don't think I will buy another Jeep. Its sad because I had a 2002 Liberty and loved it. Had no problems with it... they have gone way downhill. I am just too weak to fight with the dealership anymore.....

bshu

Did you ever find an answer to this question. I have searched everywhere and and can't find the answer and I hope that you did. Please respond. Thanks!!!!