Problems with 2002 Jeep Liberty ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Ignition key will not turn in a 2002 jeep liberty it has been doing this on and off for a year, now getting worse. *tr

My 2002 jeep liberty limited's ignition will not turn with the key in place. first occurrence, i was able to jiggle the key and get it to finally turn to start, 2nd time it took me bout 10 mins of jiggling the key and it finally turned and started. 3rd time, same situation. now the 4th time and it's sitting in our garage, will not turn to start. *tr

Headlights switch off without intermittently, without command, at random intervals when driving. appears to occur in conjunction with, or shortly after, using the turn signal. nothing has yet been done to correct the failure, though i am told the problem is caused by a defective multifunction turn stalk. *tr

2002 jeep liberty. key difficult to turn and engage starter. once started key can easily fall out of ignition with car moving down the road! by searching the internet i see this is a very common problem with jeep ignitions. where is the recall?? obviously a manufacturing defect and dangerous safety item! this occurs almost on a daily basis. am waiting for the time when even fiddling with key 20 minutes and it still won't start or turn. *tr

Abs light comes on & off intermittently. no deployment & car has never been in a crash. this has been going on for about two years. time for a recall based on all of the complaints listed here. *tr

Speedometer stopped working. have spend >$1750 trying to find the source of the problem. replaced speed sensors, and some wiring. had vehicle in to jeep dealer as well as other mechanics.... no solution. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty ltd edition. the contact stated that the driver was on a dirt road driving approximately 15 mph when she crossed over a creek. the vehicle came to a complete stop; however, the engine was still on. there were 3 people in the vehicle and one of the passengers in the back seat noticed that sparks were coming from underneath the vehicle. the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. the failure and current mileages were 78,000. updated 02/07/11 *bf updated 02/11/11

2002 jeep liberty will not start when turning key in ignition. from what i've read online, this is a widespread problem. i'm trying to find a place to repair; first service department said that they cannot do it because a dealership will need to reprogram the key to the mechanics of the steering column. this problem has been happening several times in the last week. very problematic since we live in ohio and have a 15 month old. cannot afford to be stranded with a toddler in frigid weather. *tr

The ignition key of my 2002 jeep liberty will not turn. 8 to 10 times in the past 6 months. has corrected itself after a few hours in the past. as of today we have been without a car for 3 days. *tr

Speedometer stops working mid-trip, all warning lights come on (engine, abs etc) -- sometimes engine dies while on the road. "speed sensor" or some other computer-related issue has been talked about, but 3 different mechanics including the dealer have been unable to repair. speed sensor was replaced but problem remains. *tr

2002 jeep liberty speed sensor failure causes speedometer to stop working, engine to die while driving, loss of powersteering, loss of brakes, steering wheel locks up. *tr

The lights on my jeep liberty turn completely off while driving. the driver must turn on and off the lights to get them to come back on. there is a clicking sound when the problem occurs as if the lights are turning off based on a timer or something. hard to reproduce this issue, therefore its been hard to diagnose.

2002 jeep liberty sport reaching 92,000 mi repeatedly stalls (turns off) while driving. *tr

A wiring harness in my 2002 jeep liberty fails every year or so - this disables the abs brakes and causes the speedometer to wander and be inaccurate. the dealership has replaced the harness 3 times (out of warranty) at a cost of about $200 each time. my abs system is disabled from the time the harness fails until i get it fixed. the abs light and brake light illuminate on the dash when it fails - and stays on until the repair is done. *tr

Passenger side rear window regulator failed, causing window to slide down into door. *kb

The speedometer suddenly stops working and,when you press the brake the vehicle comes to a grinding halt. then happens every year once, i brought this vehicle in 2002 and so far it has happened 6 times. suddenly the vehicle will start behaving like this, where the speedometer will move to zero and then from then until i service where they replace the whole speed sensor unit the speedometer doesn't work. unfortunately during this time the vehicle can stop anywhere when ever brake is applied. *tr

While towing our 2002 jeep liberty le behind an rv, with key in the first click position, the keys have twice fallen out of the ignition switch and caused the front wheels to lock in an other than straight-ahead position. this means the switch has rotated, on its own, to the off position. in the first instance, in 2004, there was no damage other than some scuffing on the edges of the tires - due to the wheels becoming locked in an angled state. in the second instance, in 2008, there was approximately $2,300.00 damage to the right front of the jeep. chrysler has been contacted, twice in 2008, but stated that the problem was caused by the tire manufacturer, rather than by the wheels locking. i will be sending the two letters which i sent to chrysler, along with a cover letter to your office, with photos showing the damage to the jeep liberty. you may decide whether the wheels locked or the 3 tires just destroyed themselves. naturally, chrysler corporation has only contacted me by phone, so there is no paper trail, save my few notes when speaking with some person i can barely understand. thank you for your time! *tr updated 02/19/10 updated 10/04/10

I bought a 2002 jeep liberty limited edition jan. 2008. after about 7 months it started stalling everytime i hit the breaks, or turned a corner. the check engine light is on and the speedometer quit. i have taken it to four mechanics and no one can figure it out. they hooked it up to a computer and said it doesn't read anything is wrong. i have nearly been rear ended several times turning due to it stalling. some days it will be fine and then the next it will stall everytime i stop or turn. it seems to stall more when i am turning. i don't know where to take it to get fixed since no one can determine the problem. i am afraid to drive it or have my kids in it. i have noticed on websites that jeep have been having major problems with this issue. i just want it repaired and there seem to be no recalls on my vehicle although jeep is all over the internet having the same problems. someone is going to get killed before this problem is fixed. i would just like to know the problem and how to get it fixed!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact was driving 50 mph when the vehicle exhibited an unusual clicking noise. the dashboard lights and headlights would shut off and re-illuminate sporadically. the contact had to utilize the high beams in order to see the road ahead. two years later, the exact same failure occurred with the high beam lights. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic at least three times for the failure yet they were unable to duplicate the failure. the alternator was replaced by an independent mechanic. the contact stated that the clicking noise persisted following repairs. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 63,000 and the current mileage was 64,000.

I have had the jeep liberty since 02. right before the vehicle reached 100,000 the rear passenger side lock began to make odd noise when using auto locked to unlock. then after arriving to 100,000 my speedometer when hay wire (when im going 60mph it says im going 0). now beneath the glove compartment its falling apart...its makes me wonder...is that why there warranty is only up to 100,000? *tr

Jeep liberty 2002 has vibration in the steering wheel that makes controlling the jeep very difficult at speeds over 60 miles an hour. then i was on the freeway and i had a total loss off power all most causing accidents the dealership said that the engine needs to be torn apart and inspected and a recall of ball joints done the work took them over a year and the problem still continues their is no warranty and i was charged for the recall repair work i asked for the inspection report showing the work on the engine heads and recall work done when i picked up my jeep they gave me an invoice that showed battery and sparkplug for $2085.00 failing to present me with reports i asked for they said all work is warranted for 1yr 12,000 miles i drove the jeep liberty back to service dept after having another facility look at the engine to confirm if work had been done it had not been touched reported the mechanic and i am now scared to drive or own this vehicle . *tr

Emergency brake cable was to close to speed sensor cable and rubbed through causing cruise to surge & speedometer to 0 mechanic told me it was poorly designed. it was acting up for about 2 weeks before it failed completely. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 55 mph in wet conditions, the headlights, interior lights, windshield wipers, door locks, and speedometer all stopped operating. however, the vehicle was still running at the time of failure. the vehicle was inspected by a mechanic who stated that the computer module chip was faulty. the current and failure mileages were 42,000.

While driving vehicle shut off! no power.steering, no power brakes! nothing. first time fixed at dealer, problem was told to be a speed sensor. vehicle now sits at another dealer 40 miles from owner's home awaiting to here what now. this needs to be resolved soon before an accident happens. 2002 jeep liberty. *ak

Without warning the body control module shorts out draining the battery and damaging the multi-control switch on the steering column. causing the headlights, interiorlights, running lights, windshield wipers, factory electric door locks, and dashboard lights to fail. this can cause a fire resulting in a total vehicle loss or loss of lighting at night while driving causing the driver to loose sight of the road. in rain conditions loss of wipers during driving would cause loss of visibility creating a dangerous driver on the road. *tr

While driving my jeep on the interstate with the lights on -- my abs light and brake light illuminated, this was followed by my speedometer waving up and down (for example i stopped and the speedometer was bouncing from 0 to 100 mph), followed by the check engine light illuminating and then sometime in there i realized the odometer, both in the dashboard instrument panel and in the overhead instrument panel stopped working. i have done research on this issue via the internet and this seems to be a fairly popular issue due to wire shorts. i have already replaced the speed sensor under the rear axle just to have the jeep do it again in about 10 minutes of in city driving with just one person in the vehicle, and now the jeep is headed to the shop. i am unsure if the abs system is working properly during this time which is hazardous, not to mention the odometer isn't running which is illegal. *jb

2002 jeep liberty. consumer started to smell fumes he pulled over onto the left berm and the vehicle caught on fire. *mc the consumer stated 3 weeks prior he had new brakes and a starter installed. (ohio traffic crash report) *jb

This problem occurred while driving on the freeway. first the speedometer started going back and forth between 0 and 60 then all electrical power starting shutting down. headlights, interior lights and all meters stopped working. then the vehicle started stalling. the vehicle is not that old and it was the computer that needed to be replaced. i have heard many people complaining of this and thought i should make someone aware of it. *nm

Ignition key will not turn once it is in the ignition. because of this the car cannot be started. the gear shifter cannot be moved into neutral. the key, rocking the car, turning the steering wheel, working the gear shifter, changing the tilt of the steering column, have no affect on the situation. will not release the steering column. there have been variations of this happening over the last year and after a few jiggles it worked just fine, but now the ignition will not turn. *tr

Tl* - the contact received recall 06v288000 for the 2002 jeep liberty concerning lower ball joints. the contact complained about the effect that the ball joint had on the tires. the contact stated that no matter what speed she was driving at, but usually at about 15 mph she felt and heard the suspension in the car shifting whenever she hit a bump. the contacts complaint was that after one and a half years the tires were completely bald. the contact stated that this was directly related to the safety recalls on the ball joints. also, the contact stated that on 11/2005 she lost control of the vehicle after making a turn. after taking the vehicle for service, the contact learned from the dealer that all of the steering fluid leaked out, and the power steering belt split in half. the contact would like to have the tires replaced under the recall as well.*ak updated 2/7/2007 - the consumer's vehicle experience extended crank time to start. the dealer replaced eh fuel pump and fuel pump reservoir. the lap belt in the rear seat became twisted. when the vehicle was put into reverse the consumer hear a noise. the dealer made repairs to the transmission. the lighter was inoperative. *nm

The ignition switch failed (broke). took to authorized dealer. they replaced switch,which broke again,during their testing process. i am now advised that there is something with the steering column that is breaking the switch, dealer says complete steering column has been replaced. they can not or will not explain what in the column is breaking the ignition switch. there is no way of knowing if this will even fix the problem. where this is something internal, there is now way for the owner/operator to know there is a problem. if the switch were to break during vehicle operation, who knows what the outcome would be. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on a city street, the engine stalled, and all four doors locked and unlocked without warning. afterwards, the engine restarted. the vehicle was inspected by an independent repair shop who determined the wheel and speed sensor of the brakes needed to be replaced. afterward, the problems persisted. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for further inspection who determined there was a rainwater leak along the driver side door and the rear hatch that corroded the electrical wiring harness. the wiring harness was replaced as well as a new rear hatch seal to prevent further leaking. the manufacturer was alerted. *ak

Speedometer again became erratic and then inop. cruise control inop and engine light came on. took car to dealer and just made it when engine cut out completely sensor replaced again second time was charged $91.44!!!! *nm

I bought my 2002 jeep liberty in 2006. several weeks after i purchased it i noticed that if i placed heavy objects in the trunk, or went over a large bump, the speedometer would flick down to zero, and in some cases, stay at zero until i removed the items from the trunk. i didn't pay much attention to it as i generally don't put heavy things in the trunk and after a while i forgot about it. several months later i noticed it again, and the speedometer and tachometer flicked down to zero, even when driving 70. this time i mentioned it to some friends and they suggested that if these things don't work then the correct number of miles driven is not recorded on the odometer. i took it to the caryard where i purchased it to get advice, but seeing as though i didn't buy it from a jeep dealer they weren't helpful and were expecting several hundred dollars just to figure out what the problem was. i took it to a jeep dealer and they were also not much help and wanted a few hundred dollars just to determine the problem. so basically, i don't know how to proceed as either way it's going to cost me at least several hundred dollars (on what was a 4 year old vehicle when the problem first happened) to get the thing fixed. *tr

I was driving my 02 jeep liberty down the interstate passing a 18 wheeler at 75 mph when my headlights, speedometer, and interior lights turned off. i ended up slamming on my brakes and moving my car to the side. i then had to drive 50 miles while holding my brights in, and my flashers on. after the fact, i replaced a few fuses, and that worked for about a month. then, once a gain, the same thing happened, and this time there was nothing wrong with the fuses. to this day, my car is parked. *jb

Interior lights come on at various times. sometimes when blinker is engaged, sometimes when put into gear, sometimes , just while driving down the road. and even when i open the windows or moonroof. electrical in nature it is scary to have interior lights come on at night... *nm

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 libertys. thank you for your time. *tr

2002 liberty sport solenoid assembly had to be replaced. *ts

Speedometer sensor wiring was found rubbed into by the emergency brake cable at the rear differential. this was first indicated by an erratic speedometer indication and then total loss of indication. problem repaired by owner including relocation of cable relative to brake cable location. *nm

Dt: the speedometer quit and the engine shut down. this happened while driving. the consumer has taken vehicle to the dealer multiple times for this problem. they have replaced the rear out put sensor at least ten times. the most recent time this occurred was on 8-8-05. the problem occurred at a variety of speeds. there are no other known problems with the vehicle at this time. *ak during the last repair the dealer replaced the rear wheel speed sensor in the wiring harness. *nm

2002 jeep liberty was being towed behind motor home, alerted by passing motorists i pulled over and got out of the rv. smoke was poring out of the liberty fire trucks arrived just as flames were shooting out of engine compartment..they managed to free the jeep from the motor home and used fire hoses on the jeep..jeep is a total loss..as yet no explanation for cause of fire. *nm

Jeep liberty pulls to right, will stop dead in its tracks while in drive, hard to control, thumping noise, metal to metal grinding from front end, seat belts do not work properly, hard to start, front seat covers rippled, paint peeled on hood, tailgate, breaks only work some of the time, shakes and hard to control on speed above 35 mph, all interior weather stripping came off. same complaints from 1/7/03 ball joints replaced on recall on 1/10/03 still had pulling to right problems, shaking,. weather stripping all fell off on interior of car, acts like wheels are binding. 3/4/03 same complaints pulling to right, stops dead in its track, hard to control, wheels bind, dealer could not duplicate complaints (did not write up work order) 3/27/03 dealer installed interior weather stripping, same complaints as 1/10/03,3/4/03. again on 6/2/03 took jeep liberty to dealer took a test drive could not verify complaints. did not write up a work order. 1/16/04 jeep liberty hard to start, pulls to right, jeep shakes & vibrates hard to control, seat belts do not work, seat rippling, car stops dead it its tracks, dealer fixed lower ball joints again on 2/13/04 at 23,850 miles. 2-13-04 picked up car from dealer still had same problems" dealer stated " this is how jeeps drive" they are nuts! 11-04 dealer took test drive was still having problems claimed everything okay. did not right up a work order. 5/27/05 had massive problems brakes would go to the floor, sometime would work and other time not. took to nearest brake place pads, okay, but wheel cylinder leaked. claim it could be a intermittent failure of master cylinder, called dealer ship no part available. 7/5/05 took to dealer again with same problems,r they had not even looked at it. removed jeep and took to private auto placed,ut with intermittent problems you could replace most of the parts on the car & you may not cure the problems. *jb

The vehicle failed to start after being driven and parked for a few minutes. the vehicle got a jump start. the panel lights started flickering. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, who indicated that the alternator failed and drained battery. this occurred without any warning. the dealership replaced the alternator with an upgraded. this indicated that there was a defect in the original alternator. *ak *sc *jb

While driving check engine light illuminated. vehicle completely shut down. the odometer stopped working. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told the o-2 sensor had to be replaced, and they replaced them, which did not fix the problem. consumer took the vehicle back, dealer then replaced the computer. however, the problem recurred. *ak

Major electrical problems....dash went dead, wipers dead, power door locks dead, tail gate latch released, no headlights, no speedometer, all shut off while driving in the rain at night at 65 mph.*ak

the consumer was unable to start the vehicle. the consumer lifted up the hood and noticed that the battery acid was leaking from the battery. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection and the mechanic determined that the battery needed to be replaced. *ak *jb

The key became stuck in the ignition. the key sometimes has to be left in the vehicle. *jb

My 2002 jeep liberty has had numerous electrical failures. it just dies... the speedometer ground went, the locks played havoc, i have returned the vehicle 6 times to get fixed and they cannot find the problem. daimler chrysler even sent a "technician" to fix the problem... my jeep still sits dead in the driveway at least once every three weeks. i then found out that there were electrical problems before i purchased this very same vehicle, brand new. conclusion, daimler chrysler cannot and or will not help me with this, everyone is constantly on vacation and cannot give me any answers. they drug their feet with me bringing in the jeep leaving it for days at a time, and now i can't even do lemon law. since my time expired 9 nine days ago and daimler chrysler drug their feet, saying that they would fix the problem. *la

Dealer replaced the front tires twice, and vehicle vibrated while driving at any speed. also, headlights/ horn/windshield wipers, and the speedometer failed while driving the vehicle. *ak *nm

While my dealer was test driving my jeep liberty the dash went dead. this had not happened before. i did have a multi-function arm replaced last year because the dashboard lights were flickering and no problems since then. the truck has also pulled to the right since i bought it. the dealer performed multiple alignments at that time and it is still not fixed.