2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 3.7 V6 from North America

Summary:

First and last FWD SUV, which gets us where we need to go

Faults:

Brakes rubbed before we got off the dealer lot. Replaced pads twice, and they still rub when cold.

Ball joint recall - replaced, but never was an issue.

Rear window regulators, BOTH went bad. 1st one under warranty. 2nd one cost $375 to replace. Both have since gone bad AGAIN, but we just glued the windows shut.

Gas mileage pig, but at over 4000 pounds empty, what do you expect?

General Comments:

My wife won this car (cost us tax and plates) and since we are a one car family, she does not drive, we got rid of my eight year old T-bird.

We just reached 5 years of ownership. It is a very hard ride for us. Lots of speed bumps in parking lots here, and it doesn't like them.

The gas mileage sucks.

The window regulator issue is just dumb. If they break that easily, Mopar should have replaced them with better parts.

I read about the seats staining easily, so we avoided eating in it. No kids, so that is not an issue.

Overall it's reliable transportation, and even though we have the 4 wheel drive and towing package, we've never been off road to try it out.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th February, 2010

17th Feb 2010, 19:10

The Jeep Liberty is not FWD (which by the way stands for front wheel drive).

10th Aug 2010, 09:21

I'm not sure where you're getting your information from, but the Liberty is in fact FWD.

10th Aug 2010, 10:01

I was incorrect on that last comment. The Liberty is not FWD, I was mistaken.

16th Aug 2010, 16:19

Complaining about a recalled balljoint that never gave you a problem... seems pointless. And they're Rear Wheel Drive (when not 4x4).

2005 Jeep Liberty Sport ? from North America

Summary:

I love this car and would recommend it to friends!

Faults:

My back passengers lock went bad. It was covered under warranty and promptly fixed.

General Comments:

Love it! Great for a mom on the go! Great for long trips. Great for TALL people.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th November, 2008

2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 3.7 from North America

Summary:

Proof positive American cars are junk

Faults:

Steering wheel leather wore out at 30k miles.

3 ball joint recalls.

Rear hatch refuses to open at will.

Windows grind wobble and squeak as they go up and down.

Raindrops leave stains on seats.

One transmission recall.

Harsh cheap engine.

Transmission and axles have lots of slop.

General Comments:

With ABS and 4x4, the car is unbeatable in snowy climates.

I love the way the car looks. I have actually taken it off road about 10 times in the three years I have bought it, and it's unstoppable in off road trails, the two speed transfer case, and high ground clearance make it an unstoppable combination.

Unfortunately, in day to day use it sucks. The car is a tad bit too high to lift heavy things into the hatch. The seats were obviously designed to make short women feel like they are on top of the world. I'm 5'11 and I wish I could lower the seat down a little...I can't see the traffic lights if I'm the first in line...the seat is too tall. The butt cushion is too short, and the seat feels like its too damn far from the pedals in any position.

It snowed for the first time yesterday, and I said YES, 4WD and ABS to the rescue!!! Then while cruising down the road, I signaled to make a right turn, and the interior lights started flashing with the turn signal!!!! HAHAHAHA. The leather on the steering wheel wore out at 30k miles (I had a 2001 Chrysler Sebring that did the same thing).

The entire driveline, the axles, the trans have a lot of freeplay, if you are backing up, and then shift forward, it KLUNKS hard as you take up all the slop.

The windows sometimes make a horrible nails on a chalk board squeak as they go up and down.

This is the only car I've ever had where a rain drop will leave a stain on the upholstery.

I will say the A/C and heat work incredibly well.

The radio pulls in weak stations other cars wont.

The engine is peppy, but terribly harsh, and noisy in a bad way. It gets terrible fuel economy, but I blame that on the excess bulk of the car.

The ride can be harsh and choppy on the highway, but it's a capable off roader, so that isn't a detriment.

My car is for sale, but there isn't a big market for overweight, small SUVs that are cheap and harsh, and get terrible gas mileage.

Unless you are driving off road everyday, this car is a pass. When I drive it I can tell why Chrysler is on the brink of collapse... they have made crap for too long, and expected people to buy it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 11th November, 2008

12th Nov 2008, 19:05

I don't think you can condemn all American cars, based on your experience with one Liberty.

13th Nov 2008, 11:17

It seems like most of the complaints would have been obvious on a test drive.

25th Feb 2009, 09:45

Your steering wheel problems are most likely from sweaty hands, not a Chrysler defect, especially since you said it happened to another vehicle. Let me ask you, did you ever clean the steering wheel?...probably not. Other cars that you may have had must have had non-leather wrapped steering wheels. I see this in all cars with leather steering wheels, it's a problem with the owner and lack of care for the vehicle.