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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  Ticked Off! - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By Just Plain Ticked!!! - September 18 - 10:00 am

  As soon as I drove it off the lot, a sensor light came on. I turned around and brought it back. The dealer fixed it without any problems. A few hours later, the same problem happend. The sensor light came on. I took it in and the dealer fixed it. The next day I started to have suspension problems. I took it back to the dealership and they fixed it. Three hours later. By the end of the following week, it would not start. I had it towed to the dealership and they said it was the spark plugs. Ten days, 342 miles and 4 trips back to the dealer, I drove across the street to the Ford dealership and traded my Liberty for an Escape.

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  10k in 6 months and still amazed! - 2003 Jeep Liberty
  By Chris - September 17 - 5:40 pm

  I bought my Liberty in the beginning of January, so far I have put 10,000 miles on it. I upgraded from a Geo Tracker, and Ill tell you what...Jeep are spectacular. The only issue Ive had in 10,000m miles is that I had to replace the right rear brake caliper. The room inside is amazing. I am 62 and there is probably another 5 of room between my head and the roof. The only quirky thing about the liberty is the power winder controls for the front and rear passengers are all located on the center console. Its awkward but Ive grown to love it.

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  LOVE MY JEEP!! - 2007 Jeep Liberty
  By jamey Smith - September 16 - 12:48 am

  Love my jeep! Ive owned my Jeep for about 4 years now and havent had any big or pricey issues. Ive ran this car into a lot of things (my bad) and it bounces right back! I love the full size spare and how much I can get into this SUV. Mid-sized but holds a lot!!

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  A Sport Utility Vehicle big on Sporty. - 2002 Jeep Liberty
  By pagodacook - September 15 - 10:00 am

  We bought one of the first Jeep Libertys available in July 2001 and have been pretty happy with it ever since. We love it for its size and stylish design. Only serious complaint is the fact that ours did not come with antilock brakes and it has slid on barely wet roads and in the snow even in 4WD. Once slid through an entire intersection on a road that could maybe pass for damp...luckily no one else was intersecting at the time. Gas mileage is what finally set us back and we have decided to trade it in.

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  the best suv - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By willy144 - September 15 - 10:00 am

  I absolutly love my liberty. in the 8 months I have had it I have never had one problem.(yet) it handles the snow we get here in new york very well the best way to describe it is sure footed. keep in mind too that it realy does ride like a jeep and not one of those toy suvs. I happen to like that kind of feel when driving esp on the beach.

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  My Jeep - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By Muneca - September 14 - 2:00 am

  The Jeep Liberty is an exclent veh. It handles very well and is very comfortable. The Liberty loves the snow and rugh terian. The more the better. Great for sking and camping. Youll be the only one bot stuck. The ONLY drawback it that the Liberty runs very very rich. That is that it doesnt come near the sticker est. of driving milage. Other than that it is a dream. With the slect a track option it runs a little better but not by much.

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  Wonderful Automobile! - 2004 Jeep Liberty
  By ericalg - September 14 - 2:00 am

  I have always driven a sports car, so I was a bit concerned about purchasing an SUV. I needed something to take me into the mountains and carry all my gear, but wasnt going to take a huge chunk out of my pocket. After doing all the research, the Liberty Renegade was by far the best choice! Ive had it for a few months and absolutely love it! Gas mileage was a bit shocking at first because I was so used to getting 33 miles/gallon, but its completely worth it, and still gets decent gas mileage for an SUV! I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. Its sporty, has enough horsepower to go fast up mountain hills, does great in the snow. I love my Jeep.

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  CRD - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By Van - September 13 - 9:33 pm

  So far so good; the window controls seem to be a universal complaint. It would be nice if all the little extras were included: dead pedal, fog lights, storage, etc. Foreign makers seem to include these as a matter of course. The diesel mileage is OK (not spectacular) at 2000 miles. The inclusion of ABS, steering control, etc. is great. Diesel is a little noisy (not like past diesels); so far no smoke or smell. One recall for steering.

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  Windows Regulators - 2006 Jeep Liberty
  By jimenez - September 4 - 11:40 pm

  I purchased this vehicle for my mother June of 2006. Since having purchased this vehicle my husband has replaced the window regulators on 3 of the 4 windows 3 times already. Recently the driver side window regulator went out, and he went to the dealership to purchase another one and was told that he would not only have to purchase the regulator but a new window due to a new design that Chrysler came up to prevent this from happening. It went from being $75.00 to now $300.00 to replace this part. This is ridiculous, you either buy groceries or fix the window. And the gas mileage isnt great either for a 3.7 Liter small vehicle. Not to mention the noise that it makes when driving on the HWY.

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  Jeep Libby Diesel - 2005 Jeep Liberty
  By Geoff Clayton - September 4 - 1:03 pm

  EGR problems; DC replaced under warranty. Tires of poor traction quality.