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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  Jeep: Everything else is a substitute. - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By tferguso - January 2 - 10:00 am

  This was not my first choice. My wife convinced me that anything other then a JEEP, as a 4x4, is nothing more then a substitute. SHE WAS RIGHT. This is a Truck. For those of you that want to drive a TALL car with 4x4 capabilities, try a RAV4. The Liberty is VALUE for the money. You get a Liberated "feeling" driving it. Hard to explain until you experience the JEEP heritage in your hands.

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  Give me death or give me Liberty - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By samdog - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Nice little car...Jeep seems to be a good value for the money. Been back because of some bad engineering...other than that no complaints.

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  This Jeep looks timid, but its not - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Walsh - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Just bought my 2004 Liberty and I can say I am not disappointed. My wife drives a Ford Expedition and the Liberty looks like it could fit in the back seat. However, the interior is bigger that I imagined. I am 65" and weigh 260 lbs and I have plenty of room and power with this new SUV as any of the others that I test drove.

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  Windows - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By Dan - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Just like everyone else I have window problems as well, bought the Jeep 1 year old with 33k, front drivers window broke at 35,500, lucky it didnt wait another week or two or it wouldnt have been covered under warranty. Have around 54k right now and drivers rear window is broken, Have to put cardboard between seal and window to keep it up. This window was never used. Use the two front window very rarely as I can tell they are just about to break when they go up, oh and the front drivers window regulator was replace a year and a half ago and breaking again? high quality. Plan on calling Chrysler to see if they will pay due to lack of recall for some reason.

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  They are all lemons - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By guest00021 - December 28 - 11:10 am

  Replaced 3 regulators under warranty, and 1 after warranty. Because they changed the design (yet, they didnt improve it), it requires the window to be replaced too. Total bill is about $800 per incident, and its a repair that has to be repeated every once in a while for each window. Im up to my 6th regulator being broken, 3 under warranty, 1 at my cost, and 2 that I decided not to fix (a stick was placed inside the door to keep the window from falling). Ive only got 4 years and 65000 miles on it. Interior is very plain. Dont expect storage space. The manufacturers manual doesnt even fit in the very small glove box. I cant believed I got taken that way.

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  A Real Combination of SUV/Car Like Feel - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By JVG - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Great looks, comfort, fun to drive. I test drove several mini-SUVs and this was the best one on the market, with the exception of gas mileage. The Liberty handles well and glides down the rode. The interior styling is innovative and unique with the two tone color, white instrument panel and chrome accents. Adequate storage with the exception of sun glass holder. The overhead console is nice, but outside temperature reading is 5 degrees high all the time. On my old Grand Cherokee it was always accurate.

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  My First SUV! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Lindabird - December 21 - 2:00 am

  Always being a "small car" person, I was really nervous about buying a SUV because they all seemed to be way too much vehicle to handle. But not the case with my Liberty.. it is roomy and comfortable and drives like a limousine! My first, but definitely not, my last Jeep Liberty. I also get many compliments on how cute it is (I have the Sport model), which makes me feel even better when Im out on the roads competing with all the much higher priced, but not better-looking or better-riding SUVs.

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  This car could be better. - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By the_nme - December 20 - 7:39 pm

  Although, you cant go wrong with a Jeep, this Jeep can seriously be better. First off, how does a small Liberty waste as much gas as a Grand Cherokee? You would expect such a small car to waste so little, but its a gas guzzler. The radio can use improvement. No MP3 input whatsoever. The sound system can also sound a little better. It also wouldnt hurt to make easier cleaning seats. Once stained, good luck cleaning it off. The one thing I do love about this car though, is the way it handles. It maneuvers so smoothly! Oh, and I havent had a problem with the windows.. ever, as I see this is a main issue here.

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  Big disappointment - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Rick - December 19 - 10:50 pm

  The rear hatch latch had to be repaired 3 separate time. Now the A/C compressor clutch has gone out after only 40,000 miles. After markets dont even carry the part because they said it should not have failed already. Jeep customer service has been no help in either case. I wont buy another DaimlerChrysler product based on how they treat their customers. Two wheel drive in the snow is terrible. The windows make an awful noise when all are down, it sounds like a helicopter inside the Jeep. The luggage rack makes a whistling sound when crossbars are on. Exterior is a poor design and interior does not have enough room.

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  Cool looking 4x4 - 2010 Jeep Liberty
  By davewilde77 - December 18 - 8:06 pm

  I like the look and ride of the new jeep liberty. I would of not even looked at the old style liberty. I have only had the liberty for about 4 weeks, but have had fun driving it. Plenty of room and well worth the price.