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Jeep Liberty: Problems & Solutions
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Comments
Has anyone else experienced what seems to be a rear brake sticking? When backing out of the garage or anywhere during cold weather my rear brake (s) make a screeching sound. Also, when cold I hear a "thump" when I apply the brake pedal while driving slowly. Any ideas?
-mike
If normal wear & tear gets one 100k plus on a torque converter/transmission w/ smooth shifting, what do you get w/ a thumper? Just curious...
198K
etc.
Most of my Isuzu friends have well over 150K miles. Ford trannies are lucky to reach 50-80K w/o problems. The Sorentos use Aisin trannies, same ones that go in Toyota trucks.
-mike
the Liberty 'thump' is just what someone described it to be. the tranny is built so tight that when it downshifts after initial start up, it downshifts tight. it doesn't thump as much as it is just a feeling. i personally haven't heard anything, it's just a feeling. and it just happens on the first downshift and not even all the time. i noticed when it was warm out it didn't do it at all.
if you're comparing kia's to the liberty, it sounds like you don't really know what you're looking at. the liberty is probably one of the most capable 4x4's offered right now. it climbs with authority and offers excellent ground clearance along with real axles and a real transfer case. that's not even mentioning it's rock solid chassis and excellent build quality.
As for the Sorento v. liberty...
if you're comparing kia's to the liberty, it sounds like you don't really know what you're looking at. the liberty is probably one of the most capable 4x4's offered right now. it climbs with authority and offers excellent ground clearance along with real axles and a real transfer case. that's not even mentioning it's rock solid chassis
Ground clearance on the liberty is very close to the Sorento.
The Sorento has REAL Axles (Solid rear, Indy front, just like the liberty) and Aisin Tranny (same as the 4-runner and Toyota 4x4s) and a REAL transfer case (Borg-Warner TOD unit) that provides low range).
Maybe you should get out and look around, think outside the marketing box that Jeep promotes. Not to say that the liberty is bad, my best friend owns a liberty and a trooper (he drives the trooper, his wife drives the liberty) The Sorento is a very capable vehicle and worth considering in the same price range as the liberty with similar characteristics.
-mike
the liberty has DANA axles. it has the same transfer case that the most capable 4x4 on the planet has- the Wrangler. just because a vehicle has a t/c doesn't mean it's capable. look at nissan vehicles. they have a t/c, but their low range has been dubbed as being way too high for any serious off-road excursions such as climbing. you also say the sorento has independent front suspension "like the liberty". i highly doubt the cheap korean made sorento has cast iron control arms or cast iron steering knuckle, or even a coil over shock suspension system. i dont know, but im assuming the sorento is torsion bar sprung. maybe the sorento is a capable vehicle if picking up your kids from soccer practice is what you're mission is and wished you could afford a 4-runner. but last time i checked, i didn't see car and driver hailing the sorento as a true off roader and taking it through creek beds and climbing steep inclines. as i said before, comparing any KIA to any JEEP is quite hilarious. what was the sorento ground clearance anyways?
Last time I was at Uwharrie, going up one of the steep rock climbs. There was a string of wranglers in front of us. Guess what? 2 of the wranglers BROKE their driveshafts, 1 of them broke a transfercase and 1 had to be towed up because it didn't have a rear LSD. 3 Troopers went up 1 with ATs and a 2" lift, no problems encountered, 1 with ST tires and no lift, no problems, and 1 with AT tires and no lift, no problems. They all took the same lines.
The Sorento has the same axles and transfer cases as the Trooper. And the Trooper has a front T-bar suspension as well.
So Yes I do know about offroading... And the Sorento will do just fine offroading.
-mike
http://isuzu-suvs.com
-mike
I'd give the advantage to the Aisin transmission over the Chryco garbage. Does the Sorrento have an AW4? If so, great tranny.
These vehicles are in the same class and should be cross-shopped. As for reliability, I'd say neither is going to be all that hot.
We have a friend who has a Liberty and she's pleased w/ it. But I'm sure it only see's city streets and shopping centers. Re: Kia however: I have a good friend who's a top mechanic in our area - he says the Kia's are junk and to avoid them. He see's and works on practically all cars. I'm sure he knows what he's talking about...
Okay guys, now for round "4"....
Most of the Jeeps you are talking about are HIGHLY modified jeeps, not stock ones. The Sorento has a full-box frame, skid plates, LSD.
Sorento:
Ground Clearanc: 8.2
Front Suspension: Double-wishbone coil spring w/gas strut damper, stabilizer bar
Std Tire Size: 245-70-16
Jeep:
Ground Clearance: 9.5
std Tire Size: 215-75-16
The Jeep has better angles of approach and departure and a rear mounted spare, with a rear mounted spare the Sorento will get an equivilent rear departure angle.
Bottom line is that yes the jeep has a slight advantage offroad, but to say they aren't in the same class is laughable!
Keep an open mind folks...
-mike
As for my comment on negative reliability for both the Liberty and Kia, it was only a guess. Neither of these vehicles have really been around long enough to tell.
vin- i do have an open mind, but when it comes to korean junk, it's very much closed. im just sorry to hear that toyota uses such cheap driveline components. when kia uses something you know it's cheap, but to hear toyota uses the same thing, what does that say about their quality? maybe that explains why the tacoma and tundra are both down in sales this year. ill stick with domestics.
as far as the liberty proving itself, comsumer reports has recommended it as a good used car. it also received the highest safety ratings in it's class by the nhtsa. for only being two years old, and now leading it's class in sales by a huge margin, that's pretty good proof.
paisan- a ladder frame isn't necessarily all good in an suv. the uni-frame under the liberty is made up of galvanized high strength tensile steel which makes it more rigid than many ladder framed vehicles. for example, i remember reading an article where an Xterra owner cracked his own windshield simply because the chassis wasn't solid enough and let the whole vehicle twist up. that won't happen on the KJ. it's all one piece and extremely solid.
Stock for stock the Sorento will do 95% of what a liberty will do offroad. Unfortunately I'm not an owner of a Sorento or I'd challeng you to an offroad competition.
Side note...In order to even get towhooks and skid plates on a jeep you need to buy the "offroad" package. On all 4x4 Kias you get skids and towhooks STANDARD.
-mike
-mike
-mike
And Consumer Reports (current issue) is not kind to the Liberty. It's rated dead last in crash test and accident avoidance scores for small SUV's. It's also rated second to last (only the Xterra is worse) in overall satisfaction. They do still give it a "recommended" rating however, because it has average reliability. There is no information for the Sorento in CR because it is too new.
Lastly, I've been posting to, and reading, Edmunds message boards for over 3 years. I value others opinions when they can back them up with factual data. I've learned more here than by reading the 4 car magazines I get monthly. But tbunder, your "Korean junk" comments hardly qualify as an "informed opinion." I've driven the Sorento and spent some time studying the details. While it really is too new to predict reliability, it is a compelling alternative to the Liberty and other small/midsize, less expensive SUV's.
-mike
Ground Clearance - at curb weight - Running Ground Clearance-9.50 in
and to whom it may concern, the liberty has the highest safety rating in its class. check out nhtsa.org to find out and stop posting false info for others to be mislead.
my KJ has 13" from ground to frame rail. anyone with any kia, i challenge you all. bring them all to iowa. this is getting ridiculous. i think the key word around here is "naive". and the people know who they are. the ones who claim kia's will do 95% of what a jeep will do. i wonder what a rubicon owner would think if a sportage owner said that to them? i can't stop laughing at some of you.
Once you get into mods, all bets are off. I see you don't have an answer as to why the jeeps at Uwharrie couldn't get up the same hill as stock troopers? If they are so almighty....
-mike
tbunder, I quoted directly from Consumer Reports about the Liberty because YOU said the Liberty was well spoken for in that magazine. "and stop posting false info for others to be mislead" LOL.
A Kia Sorrento will do 95% of what a Jeep Liberty can do if similarly outfitted, stock for stock. A Liberty or Sorrento won't do 95% of what a Rubicon can do.
paisan- so what you're saying is that since those two specific jeeps had problems, which could have been a number of things/factors, that all jeeps must bow down to isuzus? friend, you are the epitome of the words inexperienced and naive. isuzus suck. bottom line.
and to whom it concerns- my jeep is all stock and i have 13" from ground to frame rail. ill email you pics if you want to see the measurement. from ground to LCA, i have 9.0 inches. my jeep is not lowered. and it has stock sized tires.
the liberty has only been lowered once. and all they did was put softer springs on it. it can be easily raised if that's your objective. 31" tires will go right on with the $300 2.5 inch lift. but so far, i am happy with stock height on mine. it's been said that january of '02 built liberty's are the highest of all. this is right before the lowering started and to be honest with you, mine looks lifted just because it isn't lowered and the BFG tires.
I never said that there was a problem with Jeeps, all I said is that they aren't the BE-ALL-END-ALL of SUVs.
I'm glad you are happy with your Liberty though.
Happy Trails...
-mike
http://isuzu-suvs.com
Thank you for your recent email to the DaimlerChrysler Information Center
regarding the 2003 Jeep Liberty.
The ground clearance for the 2003 Jeep Liberty 4x2 is 9.5 inches. The 4x4 model
allows 8.9 inches.
thanks
Steve, Host
I bought a pre-owned certified 2002 Liberty on December 15, 2002. I have had it in the shop 5 times for the same repeated problem of not starting. They have dried a connector, changed a connector, changed a starter, rewired the wiring harness (something to do with the ground wire), and then last time, last week, changed the neutral safety switch. This time I got it back with mud all in my seats, scratches in the side, and barely any oil in it with a ton of oil leaking all under it!!!!!!! I am furious!!!!!!!!!! I am a single woman and not very mechanical, but I think I can safely say that this is too much to be tolerated!!!!! What do you guys think??
tidester, host
-mike
Good luck.