10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,735 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Jeep Liberty steering problems

steering problem

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2002 Jeep Liberty Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #57

Dec 292022

Liberty

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Well my 2002 jeep liberty has been messed up lately, it will just not crank so I thought it was the battery but it turned out to be the ignition switch also it did this off an on for about 6months, the heat went out when I bought it and it will act as if it is overheating but it won't do anything for while then all of my windows have problems with the motor s in them the suspension, control arms I've had to change, and the cruise control button will stick and keep going while you are driving it almost caused me to wreck on the interstate you have to turn the vehicle completely off once you get it to stop if you can get it to stop. out of all the vehicles I've had this is the first to take off by itself

- Meridian, MS, USA

problem #56

Feb 162021

Liberty

  • miles
My vehicle is a 6 yr old low mileage Chevy equinox the stabilitrak light came up as well as the service power streering. It has also lost power in the highway and stalls or won't accelerate at times which makes is very dangerous since I could get hit by someone in the highway. I have taken it to the dealership and they have replaced O then sensor which cost me $400 but not fixed I took it to another mechanic and they replaced some fuses and sensors another $500 still not fixed. The car is now bach at the dealership and it has been a few days. This seems to be. Very common problem with the equinox as I have spoken to a few people who own one and they just ended up trading their car. I don't want another car payment and for a 6 year old car with low mileage this is not normal

- Heber, UT, USA

problem #55

Aug 192017

Liberty

  • 144,000 miles
The lower ball joint sheared off causing the wheel to fall causing the bottom of the ball joint to land on the rim. Thus cutting the rim all the way around it off and puncturing the tire. Thus causing the vehicle to slide to a stop at 50 miles an hour with a skid mark. Thus having to call for a tow truck to pick it up. Luckily no one was hurt. The vehicle was on a off ramp of a freeway to a on ramp over pass of another freeway.

- La Mesa, CA, USA

problem #54

Nov 042016

Liberty

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I made an appointment two weeks ago to have my vehicle repaired for two recalls at mick's Chrysler Jeep. I dropped my Jeep off this morning for the appointment. I just got off the phone with the service department not even an hour later. They do not have the parts to repair my vehicle. I asked how that was possible since I made the appointment two weeks ago. The guy did not have an answer. So now I have to pick up vehicle, still needing repairs due to 2 recalls (lower ball joints and the airbag orc).

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #53

Aug 262016

Liberty

  • miles
Well where do I start. Since I have purchased this vehicle in may of 2016 I have replace multiple parts, but they weren't part of any recalls. But now my concern reviewing recalls for this vehicle and trying to address these numerous defects. I'm almost fed up. My main cover is the J17 recall for the upper control arm ball joint of which a Chrysler representative advideo my my vehicle was part of, which I clueless on how as the recall doesn't specify other than 2002 to 2003 Liberty vwhiles. Now I show that they were replaced in the past and now they since are worn in the same description they were recalled in. And Chrysler denies responsibility (?).. also other concerns with the catylic converter causing a sulfur smell when the vehicle is going up hill aso well as towing. One more thing is numerous online forum about the engine ticking being normal and unfixable other then to replace the engine. Now all this plus the multiple parts I have already replaced a vehicle less then 15 years on the market needed a in other words fully restoration is unacceptable. Especially when I have stock 1948 Jeep that need less repairs than this.

- Cold Brook, NY, USA

problem #52

May 182015

Liberty

  • miles
Front passenger side wheel is making a very loud noise everytime I turn the wheel, brought it to 3 different mechanic could not figure it out, my engine light was on because of the fuel tank as well as air bag sign.. called the Chrysler dealer they gave me a 2 months waiting period...

- Providence, RI, USA

problem #51

Dec 012015

Liberty

  • 73,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After an inspection it was found that my upper control arms & ball joints are no good from mostly corrosion.I have 73000 miles on this truck. Doing re search I find a recall for this exact same problem. The recall states that this problem is registration specific to salt belt usage. Again I qualify for that part as well.the recall is J 17 and in calling Jeep there telling me about the VIN but not about the salt belt state useage.the arms do not corrode in fla but they do in NY. The ball joint and arm need replacement this is clearly a manufacture defect of the part exposed to salt. Calling Jeep is worthless called nhsta same result

- Harrison, NY, USA

problem #50

Apr 152015

Liberty

  • 130,000 miles
Speedometer quit working, upon slowing down the vehicle stalled and I lost power steering and braking became difficult. I had to pull to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. I had to drive with my foot on the brake and throttle at the same time to prevent stalling. The problem was with the rear speed sensor on the rear differential. This is the 3rd time I have had this problem. Having to drive the vehicle in the manor described has caused the gears to break in the rear differential, which I had to replace and has caused excessive break pad and brake rotor wear. This problem causes a very unsafe condition which should be addressed by the manufacturer.

- Holtwood, PA, USA

problem #49

Oct 012013

Liberty

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the lower ball joints fractured and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, where the lower ball joints were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the steering knockers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #48

Nov 052012

Liberty 4WD 6-cyl

  • 119,000 miles
I moved to a small town. I have received three recall notices. The nearest dealership that can service my Jeep continues to tell me " those parts are not available ". after that, no one would bother to even return my emails. I realize they make no money performing a recall, but why am I to be punished" I found a dealership in medford Oregon, about 120 miles away, left my information and I am waiting for a response from them. The recall of my ball joints was fixed immediately. I lived in a large area. So now with three new recalls and no one to fix the issues, what can I do? do you have any influence over these dealerships to make them fix the problems" the way it stands now my steering will go out just as my airbag deploys, causing someone to rear end me, and with the new faulty gas tank recall, a collision will ensue thus blowing up my Jeep, me, the faulty air bag, and the recalled steering mechanism! I don't look good in " blown up". anything you can do would be helpful. Thank you!

- Crescent City, CA, USA

problem #47

Jul 232013

Liberty

  • 139,567 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In a parking lot, started to move forward, grinding sound. Discovered that the rf wheel was off. Chrysler dealer (begnal, kingston NY) discovered rf lower ball joint broke -- damaged rf wheel, brake hose, axle shaft and seal, lower control arm, rf sway bar end link, and rf fender flare. Inspected lf ball joint - discovered it was loose. Removed rf lower control arm and installed new control arm -- installed new rf and lf ball joints, installed new rf sway bar end link and rf axle shaft assembly and seal. Mounted and balanced one tire onto new rf wheel and installed and replaced rf fender. Performed 4 wheel alignment. Jeep customer service states that this is not a recall repair. Just wear and tear to recall repair completed in 2006.

- Kerhonkson, NY, USA

problem #46

Jan 022006

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 59,850 miles
I was driving on the highway with cruise control on doing about 60 mph when suddenly the Jeep Liberty started jerking and the RPM needle arm and the speedometer arm started going crazy up and down. The Liberty started to slow down so I had to press on the gas pedal to maintain speed. The speedometer quit working and so did the cruise control, the auto door locks also quit working. The motor also started to die whenever I slowed down or come to a stop at a stop sign or red lights. Where its dangerous is when I am slowing down to make a turn and going in to it or half way in to it the motor dies and I lose the power steering. It takes alot of strength to complete the turn safely. I took the Liberty to a repair shop where they hooked it to a analyze machine. It said the speed sensor was bad, I had it replaced but it didn't fix anything. I took it to the dealer where I bought it, they told me it could be hundreds of dollars just to try to find out what is wrong with it. Recently I checked in the internet and saw that there are hundreds of other 2002 Jeep Liberty owners having the same problem. Speedometer quits working, motor died when you slowdown, and replacing the speed sensor doesn't fix anything. Its dangerous because you can crash when making a turn and the motor dies and you lose your steering. I know I have had some close calls. I hope you will check in to this problem. Just check in the internet and you will see alot of people have it with there 2002 Jeep Liberty. Thank you for your time.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #45

Dec 192014

Liberty 4WD 6-cyl

  • 180,000 miles
My 2002 Jeep Liberty experienced a front control arm failure. Now im told that it is not covered on a recall that covered this problem on a recall covering other 2002 models. I can not find anyone to give me an answer why? if this would of happened while driving on the highway this couldof caused loss of steering and could of caused a crash. My main question is, if 43489 vehicles were recalled for the same problem, why isn't my vehicle covered.

- Noblesville, IN, USA

problem #44

Apr 012014

Liberty

  • miles
2002 Jeep Liberty steering went out of my car. Module knocked out because it kept climbing and dead battery. The consumer experienced electrical problems, which caused the battery to drain, on several occasions. The repair shop, pulled out a fuse in the door panel. The consumer also stated, the vehicle stalled.

- Williamsburg, PA, USA

problem #43

Nov 072014

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
Got a flat tire and noticed that my two front tires were wearing extremely unevenly (both tires looked fine on outside, really worn on inside). Been noticing some slipping in the steering wheel for about a month, getting worse throughout the month. Aaa came to fix the tire and said the ball joint looked bad and that they "see this all the time on these vehicles." I had already had F23 done on this car which was supposed to fix the lower ball joints but probably didn't and noticed there was a recall called J17 which covers the upper ball joints which for some reason didn't apply to my vehicle because it was built in May 2001 and the affected vehicles were built may-Sept 2002. I suspect my vehicle should have been part of that recall, especially after what aaa said and what they said at the repair shop, that they see faulty ball joints on these all the time. Why was my defective car not included" did Jeep really make the cars worse after May 2002 or is it more likely mine had the same problem" this omission has led to an extremely hazardous condition and unreliable steering. I have had nothing but problems with this car since we bought it a year ago. A/C evaporator went bad out of nowhere, hit a bump which caused one of my brakes to snap, something that's inexcusable with an SUV, it's just repair after repair.

- Palos Verdes Estates, CA, USA

problem #42

Oct 152014

Liberty

  • 130,000 miles
The front drive shaft and differential assembly locked up causing the car to shake violently and smoke from oil coming from the busted seal. Luckily the driver was able to stop immediately on a busy interstate. This is very uncommon according to 2 dealers and 3 repair garages, obviously a defective part. There had been no leakage in the past 2 months or shaking/swaying when driving at any speed checked and there has been a back order on this part from Dodge for the past 3-4 months so there seems to be a problem. We were lucky this defective part did not cause a terrible accident I called Chrysler they said this has not been recalled, but reiterated this was very uncommon.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #41

Aug 232014

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 166,000 miles
I was attempting to slowly reverse out of a parking space when I heard a really loud noise and my vehicle jolt. I stopped and placed the vehicle on park, I got out of my vehicle and check the outside and under the vehicle and did not see anything out of the norm. However, when I again put the car on drive, the noise became louder and my vehicle jolted. I proceeded to very slowly park the car again and turn off. When the tow trucker driver arrived and looked at the vehicle, he said that the ball joint had somehow had separated or broken off from its connection. He said that in order to tow it, he would have to slowly move it onto his truck and in doing so the tire will come off all together which would cause damage to the front end of the vehicle. As he said, the Jeep titled forward and cracked and broke the front end plastic tire cover. I proceeded to get the vehicle towed to my house, then researched recalls on Jeep and found out that my car had a recalls on it. I then got my vehicle towed to a Chrysler/Jeep dealer in downey ca, where we where told that they would fix the recalls but would not fix the damage on the outside of the vehicle. [xxx] the service employee, said that we should have taken the car to a dealership sooner to get fix, I let him know that yes I would have if I had known it had a recall. The damaged that happen to the front end of the vehicle was a direct result of the ball joint recall and it should be covered and fix by the Chrysler/Jeep dealership without charge. If the ball joint issue would of happened while in the street or the freeway, myself and others could have been seriously hurt or killed, so I don't understand why the dealership is not willing to cover the full damage of my vehicle when in reality it could have been far worse and they would have been held accountable. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Whittier, CA, USA

problem #40

Jul 042014

Liberty 4WD 6-cyl

  • 97,850 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, the power steering failed the vehicle was not taken to a independent mechanic. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,850. Updated 09/02/14

- Williamsburg, PA, USA

problem #39

May 212014

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 111,300 miles
Key gets stuck in the ignition system from time to time the keys are left in the ignition steering wheel gets locked unable to retrieve key. Electrical stability control defect since buying it in 2003, numerous suspension problems since 2003, spend thousands of dollars fixing defects.

- Belmont, MA, USA

problem #38

Dec 272013

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 116,078 miles
We were traveling southbound on I75 at a speed of only approximately 15mph due to a car accident ahead of us. All of sudden my car dropped and I heard a scrap of metal against asphalt. I slowly pulled car over to center median and got my children to the center of the guardrails to keep them safe. Upon expecting vehicle, I noticed that the wheel on the passenger front side of the vehicle was turned away from the car, the molding was detached and the metal that holds the wheel in place was sitting on the roadway. We had to wait for over 3 hours for a tow truck due to needing a tow truck that had a lift, not a flatbed. By the time the tow truck arrived, the dealership was closed and we had to be towed to a repair shop that could have the repairs completed for us by Saturday afternoon. It turned out to be the ball joint nut fell off of the bolt that holds it in place. The entire ball joint needed to be replaced as well as lubricated. The repair person checked the other side and suggested we take to have inspected, as it did not have a cotter pin to hold the nut onto the ball joint assembly. The total cost for the replacement was $240. Because of our speed, no one was hurt. Due to the facts known about the Jeep Liberty, I was thankful we were not traveling at the posted speed limit of 70mph or we would have had a vehicle turn over and possible injuries or death. I have photos as well as receipts showing this issue.

- Trenton, FL, USA

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