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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  05 Limited 4x4 - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Smitty1938 - May 2 - 10:10 pm

  This Jeep has been a great vehicle. It has been off road in the mountains and in the mud with out any problems. On the highway at 70 mph I am able to obtain 22 mpg. Around town it is about 17.5 mpg. No too bad for a vehicle that weighs almost 5000 lbs. The full time 4 wheel drive is great in the rain.

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  2002 Liberty Sport with 21,000 miles - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By clancyomal - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Purch. 7/01 and now have 21k miles on it. 18 years of driving a CJ-7 a change was in order but wanted to stay with Jeep name. I havent been disappointed. Reliabilty has been excellent. No signif. mech. problems. I have had squeaking/creaking which seemed to come from rear shocks. Dealer replaced them, and padded a few cables that were hitting the underside of the wheelwell. For the most part this solved problem. Too big of deal being made over location of window controls. You get used to it and they are fine. I have used it extensively in 4 wheel drive in the snow and it handles as good as any vehicle I have ever driven.

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  Dont buy a Liberty ! - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Mark - May 1 - 6:26 pm

  Bought used at 13k miles. Both rear windows have failed - window just falls into door when driving along. Its a massive safety issue. Dont buy this car if you have children or animals. Its just not safe. Chrysler want to wait for somebody to die before they think about doing something. Currently they charge $450+ to fix - even though the fix will just fail again. Its just a matter of time. If Chrysler had any small piece of care for their customers they would recall this design issue. But instead they are looking at it as a revenue stream. Im never buying another Chrysler.

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  2004 Liberty Renegade - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Michael F. McCarthy - April 28 - 5:03 pm

  My wife and I decided upon retirement that we didnt need the big, thirsty V-8 or space of our Grand Cherokee. But we like Jeeps so we reluctantly sold the GC to our son and leased the Liberty Renegade. We have never regretted that decision. It is spunky, fun to drive, and everyone asks about the lights on the roof. It stands out in a crowd. It is almost time to turn it in so we are going to start looking at colors and features early. My daughter liked it so much she traded her Grand Cherokee for a 2006 Liberty Limited. That has all the bells and whistles and is really very nice.

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  3rd and Best Jeep Ive had - 2008 Jeep Liberty
  By jnaper - April 28 - 7:17 am

  Weve owned a 97 Wrangler, 99 Cherokee and now this completely loaded Liberty. Loved them all and this one is the best. We just had a huge snowstorm here near Chicago. My wife and I went out for a drive before our streets were plowed. No one else could make it except for other jeeps or serious 4wd trucks. Our Liberty went through 19-20 inches pf snow without a hiccup. Comfortable, functional, and very capable in deep sand or snow.

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  Great value - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By rakessler - April 27 - 4:56 pm

  This is my first Jeep and my first SUV. It has been a pleasure to drive. I have only had one item that needed to be repaired and it was covered under warranty. The Liberty is a great highway cruiser, safe and steady, plus it can go off roading or up to the mountains without any chains or struggle.

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  beware jeep falling apart from day one - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By darlene11 - April 23 - 5:14 pm

  I purchased this jeep less than a year old. I have had to have the front end replaced three times within 5 years. The air conditioner breaks every single year, had the compressor replaced twice. There have been several recalls on this jeep. One of the recalls was for the windows and was only an extended warrante where you had to pay $100 to have your windows fix when they fell down and stopped working. So here I sit now with a window down and the Jeep dealer is telling me oh your too late for the extended warrante if you want your windows fixed it will be $400 a window. Well you know what I think? I think Chrysler is a junk company and should have stepped up from the beginning and fixed then

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  Best Vehicle Ever - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Computer Karl - April 21 - 10:00 am

  I have owned many vehicles, domestic and import, but the new Liberty is by far the best ever. There have been NO defects in over 6 months of driving. I have gotten up to 24MPG hwy and overall about 18MPG (more than I expected). Fit and finish rivals anything in its class. My wife had refused to drive it before I bought it, but now I cant get her out of it. AWD option delivers peace of mind on pavement.

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  Utah Road Trip - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By SDS - April 21 - 10:00 am

  On a summer off-road trip through scenic Utah with my wife, Libertys performance was flawless. Our 3.7- liter effortlessly crawled up rocks that had claimed a variety of paint chips from other vehicles before us. Throughout the entire tour over hot rocky terrain we remained comfortable in our well air-conditioned cockpit. I even caught my wife letting go of the "Oh My God" passenger handle up front several times. Most non-luxury SUV buyers want true off-road capability to be coupled with a coupe- like ride to work everyday. Jeep has finally addressed this dichotomy with the affordable Liberty.

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  Overpriced Vehicle - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Mel Kessler - April 17 - 11:33 pm

  For what you get, the vehicle is overpriced. No problems of any kind, using this vehicle off road not the best idea.