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Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions

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  • wgorillawgorilla Member Posts: 20
    My 1 year anniversary is today.

    My "problems" experiences:

    1.) I had one minor issue with a rear passenger door rattling when shutting it, but the dealer was able to fix it to my satisfaction.

    2.) The first month or so of ownership, I noticed the acceleration issue around 3rd/4th gear that others have noted. It would occasionally drop back into 3rd too easily and rev up to, if memory serves correclty, 3,000 rpms when I was getting on the highway. Either it got used to my acceleration habits or I got used to it. Either way, I seldom ever notice this anymore. I've noticed weird acceleration patterns when driving my wife's Honda Accord, so I'm starting to wonder if car manufacturers are making cars too smart for themselves these days. People complain about the power window controls being on the center console. I've gotten used to it...no complaints here.

    3.) My 17.5 to 18.5 MPG/city is pretty good compared to what I've seen others post, but it would be nice to get the low 20's for city and 25 highway. Maybe I'll look at a Liberty CRD in a few years, but I worry that the diesel engine option might be Jeep's myopia right now. Why don't they start designing a hybrid?

    Overall, its been very reliable and solid thus far. I could go on and on about what I like about it, but since this is a "problems" forum, I won't digress. I ditto what frankc58 said...I'd buy this car again.

    Scott
  • 2putter2putter Member Posts: 6
    We bought a new 04 Liberty after driving one for awhile while the insurance company was attempting to pay us for our other car that was destroyed in a wreck. No one was hurt and it wasn't our fault. Since buying the Liberty we have had no problems at all, it idles good , runs great and looks great. We love it and would buy another . As in all vehicles there are some that have issues and most can be worked out, also some people would not be satisfied with anything they own, do as I always do, dont listen to what others have to say check it out for yourself. LUV Our Liberty
  • truckedtrucked Member Posts: 9
    i will be taking my 2004 hesitation waltz liberty , in for a "second opinion" to the dealer where i purchased it. my local dealer, of course said he could not find anything wrong re hesitation or its tendency to downshift and accelerate whenever it hits 42mph or 52 mph, usually when i am not interested in accelerating. the hesitation and acceleration ws there from day one. i called about it to jeep and they say its up to the service dept to fix it. in believe any problem that is not fixed after 3 visits, qualifys for the lemon law. look it up on line. i believe they have all received memos from their head office telling them that the car is not right but that they must keep denying it despite what the customer knows is true. i believe it has made the top 10 on the years lemon list for a reason. for poor mileage alone we should press a class action suit for false advertising their mileage as 17 city and 21 hway. i have yet to do better than 16.3 even when on the hway. this is due to its penchant to fall off speed at 65 mph if a slight incline is met and then after dropping down to 55mph it downshifts after failed attempts to accelerate and zooms up to 70 , pulling strongly all the way. my liberty has just over 4000mi on it and i smell a rat and a major industry coverup re its short comings. i even researched whether or not the rear end gearing was too high and was putting a drag on the the acceration but was told they all have a 3.73 axle ratio. i have no faith that they can or will fix this problem. someone said in this forum that the tranny is a constantly variable one,(perhaps of the type that employs belts instead of gears) and therefore it is confused as to when it should shift and how fast.. all in all its a great dissapointment especially in the mpg dept as i would have bought an expedition if i wanted atrocious mileage but great accelarion. i rented two libertys before buying this one, they were fine. it is my only hope that they were not flukes and that the svc dept can fix us up. i'll keep you posted and know what you are experiencing , first hand..one lady was told she needed premium gas to solve her rough idle problem...just add sugar and stir..we've got lemonade!!
  • truckedtrucked Member Posts: 9
    very lucky you! i believe that yours will serve you well since it started out ok.. the rest of us are in for a rough time
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    Your assumptions are both valid and prophetic; I have a friend who used to work in DC powertrain development; off the record he told me some real horror stories about the Liberty tranny. He related that he transmission control unit depends on a phased array of twenty pulse width modulated heterodyne sensors. If just one sensor drops out of chronometric alignment it will cause the transmission unit to lose the synchronization lock with the vehicle LAN bus. The TCU will then default to a fail-safe algorithim that is unable to compensate for widely out of phase signals such as those generated by the throttle position sensor-unwanted downshifts are the usual result. DC is hoping that revised software will alleviate most such situations, but my friend thinks that nothing less than a complete redesign of the array will completely correct the problem.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm curious - was your friend's name Wesley Crusher?

    Steve, Host
    (slooow Sat. night here <g>)
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    I wouldn't push it - div2 did say it was off the record! We wouldn't want him to compromise his sources. ;-)

    Now where did I leave my transparent aluminum chassis??

    tidester, host
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    I think I saw your chassis lying near the first jeffries tube to the right of the Deck Four turbolift...
  • 2putter2putter Member Posts: 6
    Very Happy with our Liberty, we took in on a short trip about 600 miles round trip, cruised easy at 75/80 with no problems. Fuel averaged around 22/23 mph, very pleased. SO FAR
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    A few years ago 'Fuzzy Logic' was introduced in industrial controllers. Perhaps this denomination was considered too long, and DC got rid of the 'Logic'...
  • franziafranzia Member Posts: 18
    Can any one please tell me how to fit the owners manual in the glove box. I have an '04 Columbia Edition and it didn't come with an owners manual. So I ordered one from Chrysler. The new manual came yesterday along with the service book and the warranty information in the little vinyl case. Well when I tried to fit it in the glove box, it wouldn't go. I've owned other Chrysler products (Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler) and this is the first one that this has happened to. The vinyl case looks like all the others. Is the glove box that much smaller in the Liberty? Any help would be appreciated.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    It fits in a special slot just above the open drawer. I had the same problem so don't feel too alone---I'm sure there are others as well.
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    The slot is wider than the booklet, and this was a source of noise in sharp curves. I leave mine in the recess under the rear left passenger seat opposite to the jack. The dealership put my anti-theft wheel nut adapter in there as well. This quickly gets on peoples' nerves.
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    I have extra papers and receipts jammed into the booklet so its very snug in the slot. No noise. Thanks for the heads up on the nifty storage recess. Didn't realize it was there. It's already filled up with important stuff.
  • fcampbellfcampbell Member Posts: 2
    I have to agree with you. If the milage was better it would be a great SUV not just a good one.

    Frank
  • 2putter2putter Member Posts: 6
    Lucky so far, if it flops and dies, i will buy another Saturn L Series, they run for 100,000 ++ miles and then some with no problems, i have owned 2 the first one got totalled from running over a Ford, it had 60,000 never been in shop except for oil changes. Have a 2001 with 43,000 only problem with it is it needs new tires. Maybe Jeep should get with some of those Saturn folks and get help.
  • frankc58frankc58 Member Posts: 3
    I like the look of Fog Lights on the Liberty.

    Are they difficult to install? How much would a dealer charge.

    Thanks
    Frank
  • 2putter2putter Member Posts: 6
    we took another trip over the Labor Day weekend to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains. Drove total of 1378 miles, We averaged gas mileage on the interstate from Pensacola FL to Pigeon Forge as 22.3 mpg to 22.8 mpg at 75 mph with cruise control. Mountain driving average around 16 mpg at slow speed over the Mountains to and from Cherokee, NC and into Cades cove area. Liberty rode great and have yet to have rough idle. Transmission shifted normal with no mishaps, early or hard shifts. Very pleased with this vehicle. Must have just been lucky and got a good one. Sorry everyone else has problems but maybe they can be worked out.
  • stephster81stephster81 Member Posts: 1
    My Liberty is also 6 mos old and I have the same exact problems! I have a noise in the drivers side door that comes up sparatically, and the airbag light also comes on for no reason. Did you find out if the seat had a sensor? I didn't think that they did. My light started coming on right after I bought it but I haven't taken it back. It hasn't happened in probably 3 mos. I figured it would have submitted a code.
  • susan121susan121 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 04 sport but I would imagine it would be the same. Open the glove box and there is a small area on top of the box where the manual will slide right in. The salesman gave me this tip. Fits great!!
  • paul1957paul1957 Member Posts: 1
    I'm a new '04 Liberty owner. Great SUV - ugly mileage. I've been told (by the dealership) that I'll start seeing improved mileage when I approach 5,000 miles. Any truth to that? I have just 1,100 miles now. Hope gas prices keep going down!
    When my car was waxed at the dealership (the day I bought it), they got a good deal of the white polish on the plastic exterior parts. I can't seem to find anything to get it off! Any idea what is safe that can be used to clean the tire wells, door handles, etc.? I don't want to use anything too strong but I hate looking at those white streaks and blotches!
    Thanks!
  • laproflaprof Member Posts: 9
    Try peanut butter!!! Melt the creamy peanut butter for 20-30 seconds. Apply with a spoon or butter knife. Very carefully rinse. I got wax on the plastic and a tech at the jeep dealership let me in on this. Works like a charm!!
  • nels1nels1 Member Posts: 25
    This peanut butter solution is fine except if your jeep is alergic to peanuts.
    In order to determine if this is the case apply some to a small area then stand back and watch for any signs of shaking, fluid eruptions and power windows moving up and down without touching the switch.
  • monacof1monacof1 Member Posts: 6
    I have an '03 Liberty with a little over 3000 miles on it. I bought it as a year end model. Anyway, just recently when I put the car in reverse to take it out of the garage, it just sits there. It doesn not engage into reverse or it is already engaged and does not move. Anyone have the same problem? I know it will go to the dealer to check. but has anyone had the problem?

    Thanks!
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Don't have that problem with my 03 Liberty---7800 miles--- but have it with my 02 Concorde. Next time it happens, put it back in Park and turn off the engine. Restart and see if it engages. Mine always does. Will be taking it back soon for additional warranty work.
  • monacof1monacof1 Member Posts: 6
    Jayrider, Thanks I will try that out. It is a bit annoying to do it all the time though. I will still bring it back to the dealer.

    Thanks!
  • frankc55frankc55 Member Posts: 9
    I had the recall done for the rear switch. Now thye window will not close unless I open the window with the key FOB.

      Also a tapping sound from under the hood will have that checked also.
  • frankc55frankc55 Member Posts: 9
    I took the Jeep by the shop today. I thought I had a bad power steering pump with some knocking in it.

     The svc manager thinks it may be an engine rod.

    The Liberty is going in Weds. Symptoms include rough idle knocking sounds
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    The cause was a difference in tire pressure of less than 100 Grams (<1.6 Psi)! It's perfect again...
  • jnautjnaut Member Posts: 17
    Recently, I'd noticed a lot of posts on the forum about a mysterious 'hesitation' while driving the Jeep Liberty. Scant details were provided, such as current conditions (going up hills, automatic or standard transmission, what rpm's during hesitation or immediately after, what size engine) or what speed they're going, etc. Having just purchased a brand new 2004 Jeep Liberty Sport, these posts concern me-- especially when they all tend to report the same problem. Usually, when a consistent problem arises from peoples trouble reports, it often suggests a consistent design flaw exists in a product.

    I work in the computer industry, and a lot of my job is diagnosing reported problems from users who are usually unaware of design considerations, software, or have very little knowledge about how computers work in general. Often, these users will use terms which describe their perception of the problem, but might not accurately reflect what's actually going on. Or the language used can contain symantecal subtleties which might be perceived by a different user as something else.

    After reading enough reports, I began to believe that I have been affected by this same 'hesitation', but I am perceiving it as something slightly different- in my perception, I equate it to a temporary 'lack of power'. I'm going to continue to refer to it as a 'hesitation' because now that I think I'm on the same page as everyone else, I'm happy to continue to refer to it as thus. My aim in posting my perception and opinion on this hesitation is to help out those who have been seeing this problem, and possibly give them some peace of mind.

    The model that I own is the 3.7l , 6 cylinder automatic transmission Sport model. After owning it only a week, I noticed that when going up hill on a freeway at speeds of around 40-50mph and often trying to accelerate, the vehicle would begin to slow down or lose speed. I would give it more gas, and the vehicle would continue to slow down- which I believe can be perceived as the 'hesitation'. The vehicle doesn't immediately take off, or accelerate, it 'hesitates'. I would give it just a hair more gas, still no acceleration- vehicle continues to slow down. Finally I push the accelerator further (not to the floor by any means), the automatic transmission 'kicks down' to the next lower gear and takes off. This set of events could easily be perceived as 'hesitation'. At first I was concerned over this performance. But then I started really analyzing the problem, and continued to read professional reviews- and here's what I think the problem (if it can be called a problem) is:

    The Jeep Liberty has a curb weight of over 4100lbs. This vehicle is heavier than almost everything in its class (compact SUV). The engine is a 216 horsepower engine. For instance, the Nissan XTerra, which is a physically larger vehicle has a curb weight of 3800 lbs. And a reading of XTerra owner and professional reviews suggest that the XTerra's main flaw is that it's way underpowered, making the supercharged version a MINIMUM requirement, bringing the vehicle to what it should have been from the first place. In the case of the liberty- the engine is powerful- but it NEEDS that power because of the strength and weight of the chassis. The automatic transmission in the Liberty is indeed slightly sluggish. The vehicle is designed to drop into overdrive arguably too soon when combined with the vehicles wight and power. When the vehicle drops to overdrive and is in the 40-50mph range, the RPM's are barely at 1500. The Jeep liberty simply does not have the power (at the 4100lb weight) to accelerate itself uphill (even a slight incline)in overdrive and at 1500 RPM's. Pushing the gas far enough to force it to drop to the next lower gear will kick the RPM'S up over 2000, and then the vehicle has the power to start accelerating. But this 'waiting period' where the transmission is 'figuring this out' is a little sluggish- and I believe elicits the description of 'hesitation'. Also, I tend to not be an overly aggressive driver, so my personal problem was that I simply wasn't giving it enough gas to force the vehicle to drop to the lower gear and get the thing moving up the hill.

    To conclude, this is precisely why driver experiences will differ based on different driving styles. One recent post to this board indicated that she actually took the dealer out on a drive to PROVE that this occurred, and when he drove it, it never did, but as soon as she got behind the wheel, the hesitation was noticed. That's most likely because his driving style overcomes this tendency of the liberty to struggle through the 40-50mph range.

    My conclusion is that there is no physical problem with the Liberty. It's merely a design 'quirk' that exists because of the combination of vehicle weight, transmission design, and engine power. My guess is that the same engine and transmission on a considerably lighter vehicle would experience none of this described hesitation. This would probably also explain why the respective service departments are FAILING to find anything wrong- because there is nothing really wrong. In fact, a professional review I had read referred to this problem in the most subtle of ways. It spoke of the need for the powerful engine due to the weight of the vehicle and said: "Maintaining highway speeds can be difficult[...]". What I believe they were referring to in a roundabout way is the very thing I described above. That when driving on a flat road at say, 50mph (and I see it even at 60mph at times) that you'll 'lose speed' suddently when going up a grade.

    I'm anxious to talk to or exchange ideas with people and possibly run through some more 'scientific' tests- and record more variables such as RPM's, current speed, percentage incline (no matter how slight), number of passengers etc. My guess is that most of you can be rest assured that nothing serious is happening.

    Paul
    Seattle, WA
  • jnautjnaut Member Posts: 17
    There's a slot above the actual glove compartment when you open the drawer. Dealer pointed it out to me and said it was often overlooked by customers. Slides back into the dash. The 2004 model DEFINITELY has it, I'm not sure about 2002 or '03 models.
  • frank58frank58 Member Posts: 54
    I just got off the phone with the dealership.

    They hear the noise but cannot determine the source.

    As far as the rough idle it seems to be an issue with all 3.7.

    Looking for some feedback on both points.

    The engine has been a little rough since new, i have no issues if that is the way it runs.

    But the noise or knocking sound does concern me.

    Thanks
    Frank
  • jnautjnaut Member Posts: 17
    I would argue that my two week old LIberty idle's a bit rough. It seems to be the natural way of the engine. The knocking sound would concern me. When you say 'rough', describe what 'rough' means to you.
  • frank58frank58 Member Posts: 54
    Rough means I can feel it and when I look at the engine I can see it.

     They found a historical miss fire in cylinder 6. But nothing showed up that day
  • rreidtrreidt Member Posts: 16
    As far as the rough idle goes, the dealer told me it is due to stiff motor mounts-I have a 2003 3.7 limited.
  • jnautjnaut Member Posts: 17
    Mine too. I think it's just the nature of the engine. If I sit in mine while it idles, every few seconds, the whole jeep vibrates. Not dramatically, but you can feel it through the seat. If it were a cadillac, I might suspect a cylinder was misfiring. But the engine sounds ok, it just feels rough. All my acceleration and other things feel smooth.

    For those of you wondering, you can get engine/computer error codes in your jeep. The way you do this is while the engine is off, press and hold your Trip Reset button, then turn the key to the ON position. Don't turn the engine on, just put the key to 'on' so all the instruments and electronics go on. Your dash will light up, all of your gauges go into a kind of 'test mode' where they move the full range in unison- then your display computer will count from 9 to 0. Following this I believe that a software revision comes up, followed by the most recent error code in the engine. I was given a link to a list of error codes, but it didn't work for me, so finding what the error codes mean is up to you. Let me know what you find.
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    About the error codes:
    On my 2003 Liberty Diesel I get= 'code 1.4' after all the tests are done. I don't know what this stands for, since the truck is working fine. I haven't yet come across the diesel codes. Maybe we will get to know more about them when the CRDs will be on your roads...
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    Here is a link explaining the Lambda probe:
    http://home.flash.net/~lorint/lorin/fuel/lambda.htm
    It says that the onboard calculator can 'overcorrect' combustion at idle speed. This could be the cause of the recurrent engine jerk.
  • jnautjnaut Member Posts: 17
    On my 2003 Liberty Diesel I get= 'code 1.4' after all the tests are done. I don't know what this stands for, since the truck is working fine

    I believe that this is the software revision in your computer. I've heard that you can go to your dealer and get a new rev for your software- but I don't know if there are any restrictions on that.
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    The software upgrade was for the 2.5L CRD that had problems during cold starts. I have the 2.8L and it's really working like a charm. Besides a nasty turbo noise when the temperature dropped below 15 Celcius last fall and throughout the winter, I even forgot about riding my motorbike this summer. I'm just having a ball...
  • rreidtrreidt Member Posts: 16
    I have an '03 Limited. The headlights seem very yellow looking on dim or bright. Any one else notice this? I am thinking about buying the "bright white bulbs" to install. Any one tried this and what succes did you have? Are they difficult to install?--Thx
  • jayriderjayrider Member Posts: 3,602
    Just turned 8K on my 03 LTD. Fun to drive and the drivetrain is solid. Almost bought a CRV. Test drive was OK but uninspiring. Not much action on this post. People must be pretty happy with some exceptions. CRV problems post is hopping. Whatever.
  • odiodi Member Posts: 1
    Hi All
    I played a CD in my 2004 Liberty Sport this morning. When I stopped, and later restarted the Jeep, the CD player would not eject the disc nor would it let me skip forward or backward through the tracks. The radio still works fine though, when I change the play mode. Any advice on how to eject the disc or reset the CD mechanism will be much appreciated.
    Thanks
  • berg1berg1 Member Posts: 2
    go to your service mgr. and tell him to look up service bulletins from around june 10. there is a computer up grade that solves it
  • drockwelldrockwell Member Posts: 1
    I have replaced my van headlights with the Sylvania Silverstars. They are better, but the real problem lies in the headlight. On my Jeep, I replaced the headlight with a Hella Vision Plus that I bought from Quadratec. I then changed the lamps to a Piaa model. That made a HUGE difference. Most of which was probably the headlight. The bulb makes it whiter though. They have the least blue cast of any super whites I could find. Great upgrade!
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    I've read many good comments about the Bridgestone Dueler REVO. Does anyone out there already use these tires on a Liberty 4WD?
  • 2putter2putter Member Posts: 6
    I had same type wax marks on mine after it was detailed, spoke to a friend of mine who owns a Truck Stop Store and he said to use a small amount of Armour All Wipes, I did and it cleaned off all wax white marks and looks good. Have washed the car 4 times since and the white marks are still gone. Just dont use Armour All alot. It works good.
  • klbrmbklbrmb Member Posts: 41
    This is the second Liberty we have owned (2002 pre-lowered and 2003) and fourth Jeep overall so we are experienced with how top heavy the Jeep can be. I also know the OEM Goodyear tires on this thing (2003) are slick no matter how much water is on the road but we had one heck of spin this weekend with just a damp road (started a light mist less then 10 minutes before we started driving). My husband was entering the expressway via a circular on-ramp and came to the straightaway and accelerated to merge and the entire back end of the Jeep flew out from behind us. It took everything he could do to keep the thing from flipping and hitting the wall of the bridge we were passing under. Luckily for us when we finally came to a stop we missed the wall by inches and ended up in the berm. We had to drive against traffic to get turned around. I drove the Jeep today and noticed it is pulling to one side so it goes in for an alignment but we are also kicking around the idea for new tires. Any suggestions for tires that are good in Northern Ohio climate? Additionally, has anyone had handling difficulties when it comes to rain and snow. This is not the first time this jeep has acted up but the last time was in snow. All of our other jeeps have had more aggressive tires on them (aquatreds, etc.) so at the moment we are chalking it up to the tires. The service guys seem to think we can't drive a jeep correctly. Typical ignorance.
  • larry51klarry51k Member Posts: 35
    My wife's 2002 liberty only has speed 4 on the heater fan. Nothing on 1,2 or 3. Any suggestions on what might be wrong? Seems a blown fuse would have knocked out all the speeds.
  • caribou1caribou1 Member Posts: 1,354
    You can perhaps find a better SUV tire here:
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/
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