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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  Horrible design - who thunk this one up? - 2011 Jeep Liberty
  By tcars1 - December 9 - 12:08 pm

  First I am 510" male and weight about 185 pounds, pretty average. We have this SUV as a rental for 1 week, it had 4980 miles on it and now has about 5200 miles. It is a 2011 and I am still stuck with it for 3 more days. Never again. Sit back as I tell you every reason not to buy this car. Opening the door and you are greeted with 1980s push button door handles. Uncomfortable to use, ugly, large and seem to be completely made of plastic. Sitting in the car and you are instantly ingested in plastic. Everything is plastic. There is no upper dashboard and the windshield is about 2 feet from your face. There is almost no were to put anything in the car. We found the seats hard to adjust and

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  DONT EVER BUY ONE!!! - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By kandi wollenzein - September 7 - 5:42 am

  i bought this car for my son it seemed to be perfect but once i got it off the dealer it started going down hill quickly. first it was the gas cap ok no problem than not more than a month the water pump went out now wait for this....... brakes, battery, window repairs, re wiring the whole car, brake lights new tires and having to replace engine that only had 137,000 on it! replace the engine and two weeks later we find out the car came out of the factory bad!!! this new engine is already giving us problems!! stalls and dies and it takes two to three times to get it started again!! this is unacceptable!!! so for the love of god do not purchase a 2007 jeep liberty sport!! now i have to pay 150.00 a month for an extended warranty so my son is safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Weak Automatic Transmission - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Mike_L - April 28 - 11:33 pm

  This trail-rated 4WD minivan is absolutely horrible offroad. Beginning in 2003 Jeep replaced the 45RFE transmission with the 42RLE in a cost-cutting move. The 42RLE was originally designed for front-wheel drive cars and minivans. It is way too little tranny for too much Jeep. It runs way too hot - and heat KILLS automatic transmissions. The TRANS TEMP light comes on predictably under high altitude moderate climbing conditions. Jeeps answer - use low- range at all times while offroad! Ridiculous. If all you want to do is get groceries and go to soccer practice, this is the vehicle for you. If you want offroad performance, steer way clear of any Jeep Liberty 2003 and above.

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  Windows all have now broken - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By ebrooks - March 20 - 8:33 pm

  Yes, you read it right. Another stinking Jeep Liberty whose windows have broken due to an obvious flaw of the manufacturer. Will they pay for it? Absolutely not! So then why should I ever want to deal with these morons ever again? They dont even stand behind their product. All I can say is dont ever buy a Jeep period. I sure the heck wont. If you insist on buying one, even though you have been warned, dont dare try and roll down the damn window or you will be out a lot of money.

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  Noisy and Cheaply Made - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By DevilWolf - October 11 - 2:50 am

  WE bought a Liberty after reading many rave reviews. 4 Months later, we traded it on a Grand Cherokee. The reason for the trade was the Liberty had been into the dealer repair shop 8 time for various things. The rear end suspension had to be replaced and then the controller arm, and so on and so on. It never cost us a dime, but the hassel of having to take it in was enough!! Wouldnt recommend it to my least favorite person!! Save your money.

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  HORRIBLE - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By magichat101 - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I HATE THIS CAR!!! I AM SELLING IT AND GETTING A PRIUS! I ALMOST GOT KILLED IN THIS CAR SEVERAL TIMES! I WOULD NOT RECOMEND IT! IT ALWAYS SKIDS! ALMOST FLIPPED OVER ON ME SEVERAL TIMES! I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE THIS CAR! I JUST FEEL REALLY UNSAFE IN IT!! IT IS VERY UNSTABLE!

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  Please stay away from this vehicle - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Andrew - December 13 - 4:13 pm

  I felt obligated to write a review when I saw the average rating for this vehicle was 8.2. At best this is a below average vehicle. At worst this ranks as one of the worst vehicles of all time. I feel I can provide an honest assessment since this is a company car and I am not tied to it financially. This was obviously an ill conceived car. I am 5’11”. On long trips my right leg cramps because the transmission housing protrudes too far laterally into the foot space. I get 20 mpg, which is bad for a small slow vehicle. The seats stain with water, seriously. There have been several recalls. Also, an odd "clicking" noise emanates from the from airbag area (dealer says this is normal).

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  Its a Lemon... - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By clwoolst - November 11 - 2:56 am

  Purchased 2005 Jeep Liberty Sport 4x4 on 6/30/05 with 14 miles on it. Has been in the shop with a known transmission defect (but apparently undisclosed by manufacturer) for over a month. The release date for the repair has come and gone, but it is now on back order. Chrysler/Jeep will not stand behind product. Told me to sue them under lemon law. Think twice before you buy! At the very least verify that the vehicle you purchase was manufactured after April 2005.

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  Car is a Death Trap - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By LibertyDeathTrap - August 30 - 2:00 am

  This car was the worse purchase ever. 3 months after driving it, the Steering gave out and it flipped me into a ditch. Dont buy unless you wanna risk death, and the fuel economy will put a hurting on your wallet.