15th Jan 2009, 19:59
I have a 2002 Liberty with 110k miles on it. Never a problem until I just discovered an odd fluid in the oil. It's most likely coolant. This really sucks.
18th Feb 2009, 19:33
I bought a 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport in 2003 with 23,000..now have 156,000. We have had coolant, u-joint and ac issues, but always got it fixed. Last week the check engine light came on, and with loud vibrations, my wife called AAA. Towed to garage, where they found the right head cracked and 1 valve guide tower completed crumbled. 6 month wait for a new head!
Going to try a used engine with 105,000 miles.. and 6 month warranty for $3,000, or I see Power Source has a rebuilt 3.7/ 6 for $3,059..any advice.. or do I junk and buy Foreign?
29th May 2009, 19:06
I own a 2003 Jeep Liberty with 175,000 miles on it. The check engine light came on and started flashing and the engine was missing. Many people said it was the injectors or a bad plug. What happened was that it blew the head gasket (did not over heat) and coolant was leaking into the cylinder head causing it to miss. We are in the process of tearing the upper half of the engine down and replacing what we need to, this would be very costly for a dealer to do. At 175,000 miles, well, that's a lot for these little V-6's.
I think a lot of you guys got lemons for things to happen that early and such low miles. They can start to burn oil with lower miles, and engines don't just seize when they are properly maintained and have enough oil in them, I don't care what kind of car it is. Long story short, if you get the miles I got out of mine I would be pretty happy. We are going to fix it and sell it and buy a Toyota. :)
17th Nov 2009, 13:21
We own a 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport. Not a bad vehicle, 98000 miles. We did have the AC pump blow out, as other have stated. This was in the desert of California, pulling a trailer, in Summer, and on a Friday afternoon. Needless to say, the Jeep dealer laughed at us when we came in. Had to go to a shop in town to get the fix done. 2 year prior to that, we had a Body Module Control Unit go out. Basically the brains of the electrical system for the car. Luckily the car was purchased with the extended warranty. That saved us 3 grand, at least.
We got the lower ball joint replaced for the recall. We also faced the window problem others have mentioned as well. The AC unit needs to be recalled. While the problems we had were covered by warranty and extended warranty, I will never again by a newer model Jeep. Now I see that these problems I have experienced are not flukes.
18th Nov 2009, 07:28
I have a 2002 Liberty Sport with 160,000 miles. Bought it new in December of 2001. Have had the AC compressor replaced twice, and the AC system recharged numerous times. It's out again right now, just waiting till next spring to get that fixed again. Also, at around 50,000 miles had to have the transmission replaced.
I'm pretty good about having the oil changed, transmission flushed, etc and overall am satisfied with the vehicle. it's now my third vehicle only used in winter and really bad weather days.
I wouldn't buy one again, but I don't regret buying this one 8 years ago - WOW, it's been 8 years, where does time go?
15th Dec 2009, 11:11
I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport with 66,000 miles. With no warning it kept stalling, and then cut off when you put on brakes. I took the Jeep to the dealer, and after three days they said it was the compressor#3 and sent the cylinder head to be tested. I was charged $892.00 for labor and $295.00 for parts. I asked the manager why it took 9 hours of labor, and he said that they remove the engine. I know a little about cars, but is it necessary to remove the whole engine to take the cylinder head apart, and was I charged too much for labor?
11th Jan 2010, 12:51
My 18 year daughter wants a 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport. I've found a used one at a very reliable dealer who wants, $5,995.00 for it. The dealer told me the vehicle is currently at his mechanic getting the once over... (Road Worthy) After reading these comments, I am very hesitant on making the purchase.
13th Jan 2010, 16:46
I got my 2002 Liberty Sport in Dec 2002. It has 138,000 miles on it now. It was a inexpensive SUV (had a Range Rover before). I wanted to put miles on and be able to haul stuff. It has been a decent car, though I didn't expect it to last this long actually.
Did regular maintenance, and had the speedo go crazy around 80k. Speedo is crazy again and will just need a new harness or just fix with some wire.
The brake line is in a bad design spot and will eventually rub it through (doh). I had new battery (engine light thing) at 90k. Brakes replaced (still squeak on occasion, but rare).
I would say that the comfort of the vehicle, wonderful turning radius, and overall decent American car (5k less than the Rav4 I was looking at when I bought it.) It has been a good deal. It has had MUCH fewer problems that I figured it would and just runs fine. Probably make for a decent first used car for a teenager.
12th Jan 2009, 05:01
My 2002 Jeep Liberty had 105K miles on it when I bought it from a dealership! Two weeks after buying it I had it in the shop because of a busted coil pack and injector.
Everything seemed fine for a month or so when it then began to over heat. A second trip to the shop and I replaced the fan, serpentine belt, water pump, and radiator cap. A week later more problems began to crop up. I took it to my local auto parts store and was told that it was misfiring. Back to the mechanic I went where I was told that the heads were probably cracked!
I spent a lot of money just buying the car and hated to throw it all away so I decided to have the engine rebuilt. The car has been driving wonderfully for a month and a half now. A week ago the check engine light came on. Back to the mechanic she went. One injector and a coil pack later we're down the road again. This makes for a total of two coil packs and injectors since I bought the car 4 months ago.
Luckily I got the car inspected right after the engine rebuild and she passed with flying colors!
I've never been a big fan of Chrysler cars as this is only my second one. My first was a 1972 Plymouth Satellite! That was when they still made reliable vehicles. My Liberty has been the absolute WORST car I have ever owned! Had I done more research I could have avoided this nightmare!
After reading everyone's comments I'm not sure whether to ignore the check engine light or take it back yet again to my ever eager mechanic?
To be certain, the glorious day when I rid myself of this train wreck of a vehicle, code named Jeep Liberty, all will be happy and good in the life of an honest car buyer! ME!