Overview & Reviews

Sold from 2002-'12, the Jeep Liberty was the successor to one of America's original compact SUVs, the Cherokee (which returned in 2014). True to its tough, capable Jeep lineage, the Liberty has considerable off-road capability, thanks to steep approach and departure angles and exceptional suspension travel and articulation. The Liberty was also rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, a robust figure for its class. These are qualities not found in most other small utility vehicles from this time period, which saw the rise of crossover SUVs optimized for the suburban lifestyle.

Demerits for the Jeep Liberty include a weak engine lineup, with sluggish acceleration and dismal fuel economy from both the four-cylinder and V6 engines offered over the years (the first generation's briefly optional diesel engine is impressively fuel-efficient, however). Interior quality and comfort are also lacking, and by today's standards, the Liberty's general lack of refinement leaves much to be desired.

User Reviews:

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  Very Impressed! - 2009 Jeep Liberty
  By DayTriper - March 12 - 10:06 am

  All the way around, a perfect vehicle.I have an 1hr commute each way, so comfort and low noise was important to me. My sights were set on the Commander..but the price was high. I wanted professional yet sleek and I wanted the Skys the Limit package with an affordable payment. The Sirius/Nav touch screen plays SAT/AM/FM/CD/DVD..heated leather bucket seats, you warm up,transfer files to an internal 4GB HDD and then press UConnect and call home..its outstanding! I am still texting my bf..which btw..when I said I was getting the Liberty he laughed at me..Well the 2009 Liberty has two Driver memory profiles which stores seat and mirror settings..guess who just entered his Driver 2 setting??

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  Well Built? - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Disappointed - March 12 - 1:10 am

  Since buying the Jeep Liberty, Ive enjoyed certain qualities of the vehicle and have cringed at others. The engine is unrefined and sluggish when accelerating. Sometimes when accelerating, if I hit a bump in the road...the car feels like it hits a dead zone and misses. Very bizarre? As an off-road vehicle its great but the poor interior design, annoying squeaks from the dash and caveman engine, its really not an overall good experience. I purchase the vehicle for the wrong reasons which at the time was off-road capability and looks. Both of those qualities hold up over the time Ive owned the Jeep (3 years), but the poor fit & finish, squeaks and overall cheap build is disappointing.

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  LOVED OUR JEEP! - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By rili_ok - March 10 - 7:03 pm

  We recently sold our 2002 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 but only because we wanted to purchase a hybrid before gas prices rise again. We still miss it, especially when we see another one in town! The only mechanical work required besides regular maintenance and new tires occurred at the end of a vacation. It lost all power and wouldnt remain running, the locks were possessed, power steering gone, no radio, etc. It turns out it only needed a new battery! The only area that could use improvement is in highway handling (keeping it on the road). My husband had more difficulty with this than I did but sometimes it was exhausting to drive at 65 mph and above, especially if there was a crosswind.

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  How quickly can you get rid of a Jeep? - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Brunette - March 9 - 8:13 am

  I loved my Jeep up until about 6 months ago. It is the cutest small SUV out there and when I first saw it I just had to have it. Then about a couple of months ago a lot of things started going wrong. Taillight (although not a big deal), then the catalytic converter, then the window regulator in the rear passenger window broke, and finally the icing to the cake, the AC is now broken at the beginning of a hot summer. Ive also had the battery replaced because it became corroded. My outlets and rear wiper started not working and it revs for odd reasons that they "cant figure out". Total gas guzzler as well. Im trying to get rid of this thing fast, but no one is biting for the obvious reasons.

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  Just Bought This week - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By DJK - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I just bought my Jeep Liberty. This is my first SUV ever. I have wanted an SUV for a while and decided I really wanted a Liberty Renegade. I received a great deal with great financing, and the 1,000 customer cash back. My total with taxes and the incentive was 27,784.66. This has to be better than my Volvo was.

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  good suv - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By robert c - March 2 - 7:19 pm

  i have owned this liberty for about 3 years bought it used with about 37000 miles on it . live in a snow belt area so we get dumped on really good . never got stuck at all . it holds the road like you would not believe . has the power to get around people on the hiway . would really not say it floats down the road for a smooth ride but it is better than some . mpg isn’t to bad . maintance is low . just keep on the basic maintance and this will last a very long time

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  Nothing but problems - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Diane - March 2 - 2:10 pm

  Bought our Liberty new in 2003. After 2006, it has been nothing but maintenance problems. Issues with windows, door locks, blower motor, A/C compressor, Drive shaft. I could go on! This is only city and highway driving. I simply laugh when I see the TV commercials with a Jeep Liberty off road. Good luck with that! Cant wait to get rid of it.

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  Not meant for 4X4 - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By POS_Liberity - February 24 - 6:43 pm

  Dont ever drive the 6 speed manual in sand. I did twice and the bell housing got full of sand, lost the clutch on the way home and now have to pay big bucks to get fixed. I called corporate office and nothing can be done. Why buy a 4X4 you cant use. Jeep is no longer what it used to be. This thing is a big joke! My Tracker was a better 4X4 than this thing. Never had a problem and drove it on the beach all the time. Anybody want to buy my useless 4X4?

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  Confused Liberty Owner - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By Tom Vander Woude - February 24 - 1:33 pm

  Drove all mid-sized SUVs reported to be the best in class, Highlander, Outlander, CR-V, saw ads about lifetime warranty for Jeep products and decided to test drive the Liberty, could not believe how the Liberty handled, read Consumer Report review and was confused if they drove the same Liberty I did, have tried to find a good review on the Liberty with no luck, vehicle may lack refinement the others have but considering incentives and warranty this was a easy decision.

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  Great all-around small family SUV - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By kal13 - February 22 - 4:51 am

  Great little family SUV if you need real off-road performance. Bought it used with 50,000 miles and now three years later with 107,000 miles have had to do nothing but routine maintenance. Just drove it across country (3,600 miles in one week) with no issues going 80+ mph. I change the oil & filter every 6,000mi along with tire rotation and alignment; all other fluids every 30,000 miles and it still drives and runs like new. Has plenty of power and even more torque, no problem passing when needed. Have used it off-road almost everyweekend for three years and always gets me there and back. Handles 12+ inches of snow or mud with ease and has no issues in two feet of water.