Problems with 2002 Jeep Liberty POWER TRAIN

On january 2, 2018, i submitted a report detailing the defects for an emissions control system to the u.s. attorney's office for the eastern district of michigan. that report also detailed safety defects. that was for vehicles manufactured by what is now fiat chrysler automobiles. circumstances related to the system allegedly being put into production were also explained to the aforementioned office. have they contacted your office? please let me know. i have not heard from them and thus do not know if any actions have been taken. i am the engineer who did the analysis on the emissions control system and prepared the report.

My engine failed like most people with a 2002 engine that i have spoken with. this was a bad year for these engines so i can not understand why they were not recalled. every mechanic knows these engines would fail for no reason.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving at any speed, the speedometer malfunctioned and failed to display the actual speed of the vehicle. the vehicle lost power and stalled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring for the sensor that was connected to the transmission became fractured when the emergency brake was applied. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 156,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while attempting to drive the vehicle, the gear selector failed to move into the drive position. the contact had to apply force to the gear lever in order to shift the vehicle into drive. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was was unknown.

The 2002 jeep liberty we bought for my wife back in 2010 from we thought was a very good honest car dealer will not name this person, but i ended up placing a brand new water pump within days of buying, then a new radio part from the dealer not cheap either, then the hood supports one was bad and the hood fell on my head so i bought 2 more not cheap all the oem- parts, not long after that had new suv tires the type it used, had to buy the book that goes with the jeep from dealer almost $100 just for the book. we still kept the jeep it was paid for, then i placed new brakes pads and turned the front rotors too, bought new chrome lug nuts the tire people messed up several of my lug nuts, had chrome lug nuts placed, then we-started getting these safety recalls in the mail hard for us to do without a way of going, but the drive shaft dropped out while my brother - in- law was test driving it to find out what was making a bad roaring sound from under the jeep, when he turned the jeep around to go back to his shop the drive-shaft dropped out on the ground, i was shocked as well as him too. and my wife what else is going to happen with that jeep.i never heard of so many recalls for one 2002 jeep liberty i have never seen or heard of what is next.? my wife now drives the jeep without the drive shaft that came loose and dropped out. now it's just a 2 wheel drive jeep not 4x4.i'm very upset with all that has go wrong with this jeep, we've had it almost 5 years and haven't put maybe 10 to 13,000 miles on the jeep during that time, she drives back and to - to work,please help us tell us what to do? if this drive-shaft would have came out while my wife was driving around 55mph it could have either killed or even caused very bad bodily harm to her, in the affected parts will not allow to place the part that you should look at_ front drive_shaft!!) *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician informed that the vehicle was operating as designed but the failure recurred. the contact also mentioned that another vehicle crashed into the rear of the vehicle. as a result the contact crashed into another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. there was a police report filed and no injuries sustained. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. the front end was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 2,000.

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. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the vehicle stalled with the illumination of the check engine light. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that when attempting to shift into four wheel drive, the shifter linkage cable separated from the transfer case. the rubber that was connected to the plastic housing also separated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the four wheel drive transfer shifter assembly and linkage cable. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 60,603. and the current mileage was 60,737....updated 08-24-12 *bf the consumer stated the old part is available and the manufaturer was contacted. updated 09/04/2012 *js

Driving through a school zone one morning and the car suddenly lost power steering and shut off, would not start again. towed it back to house and read check engine code about crankshaft position sensor. it melted in place because of where it is in relation to the exhaust, took 4-5 months to fully dig out the melted sensor and replace. had to put a heat shield over it myself and has since lasted 2+ years without trouble. very poor design and a hassle to fix. *tr

After lots of tries and no help from jeep, i am trying to find help with a problem with an speed sensor that is not working properly. apparently there is a problem with the routing of these wires causing them to rub, short out and it causes the sensor to quit, and anything options running off this sensor (example tranny shift points causing the torque converter to not unlock and causing stalling of vehicle). *tr

Car overheated, check engine light came on and steam poured out from under the hood on the highway. mechanic used a scan tool and determined that there was a cylinder 2 misfire. coolant was found in the cylinder and maybe the head gasket needed to be replaced. when the head was removed the gasket was ok but it was determined that the engine (long block) needed to be replaced. i have found other owners online who have had this same issue with the 2002 and 2003 jeep liberty's. i am over the 7 year 70,000 mile powertrain warranty. car was always maintained and regular oil changes were performed. no off-roading or towing done with this vehicle. *tr

While driving 30 mph the transmission failed without warning. the consumer is concerned that "the vehicle will be rear ended as a result to the failure". *tr

I was driving on the interstate at 55 mph in the right lane. i accelerated to pass the vehicle in front of me who was driving approximately 40 mph. when i accelerated, there was an extremely loud band that came from my car. i moved into the right lane and pulled over, off the road and stopped the car. the loud bang frightened and startled me for a moment and i could have lost control of the vehicle and crashed. up until then, i had no problems. when i drove the car home, i drove slowly and carefully. the car kept stopping, as if someone turned the engine off. i took it to the jeep dealer and was told i needed to replace the solenoid pack and fluid, had a broken clutch, and internal damage (transmission). after that incident, other issues started such as no hydraulic under front hood (have to hold hood up with one hand while using other). the first time it happened, the hood fell down on my head. the back hydraulics to keep the hatchback open sometimes work or not and my windshield wiper motor is broken. mind you this all started with low mileage between 72,880 - 74,000. now i am concerned about the latest recall for fuel tank explosion if hit in rear and the other recall about the air bags. *tr

Propeller shaft bearing was exposed causing grinding/rattling noise and possible failure. while driving i heard a loud click and rattling noise. i took the car to the mechanic and he said that he could see the bearing exposed for the propeller shaft and that it needed replacement. *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 speed sensor failure causes speedometer to stop working, engine to die while driving, loss of powersteering, loss of brakes, steering wheel locks up. *tr

On dec 8, 2008 i picked up my jeep liberty from my mechanic, he had replaced the transmission oil pan that rusted out and drained all the transmission oil out. on january 6, 2009 on my way to work early in the morning the transmission blew out totally, i was able to get back home and once again the mechanic has the liberty replacing the transmission. i feel the transmission oil pan rusting out and leaking caused the transmission blowout a month later. the check engine light did come on in december and i had an appointment to have the engine looked at when the whole pan blew out. the transmission totally dropping in january could have caused a major accident if i were driving later, and i feel this could cause major accidents on the roadways across the nation. i have complained via the webpage at jeep to no avail, this should be at least a recall on these vehicles. *tr

This is the letter i sent chrysler corporation. i have a major problem with the valve seat coming off and damaging my jeep liberty engine. we purchased the car new and have continually provided maintenance on the vehicle at your dealerships. in fact, we were one of the very first owners of the jeep liberty and was invited and participated in a focus group supporting this vehicle. what is upsetting is the lack of interest now from your customer relations department except for your local dealership who has been supportive, on what has occurred. this is a safety issue and this problem is a manufacturer defect . this incident could have caused my daughter to have an accident since she was driving this car as a high school senior. i will take every step possible and report this safety issue to all parties. i was told the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced and chrysler customer relations won't help. this is not a isolated incident as other data has been discovered on other similar engines reported same resulting problems. i have photos and there is additional information revealing other valve seat problems resulted in damage to other engines. *tr

August 2006 car was serviced for dealerships failure to check rear differential fluid during service. rear differential damaged and parts were replaced. total repair bill $1,800. september 2007 - traveling on interstate 95 when speedometer stopped working, car started to shake and check engine light came on. immediately changed direction and drove to dealership. i was told that the car needed a "whole new rear end" (axel, bearings, housing, gear kit, cup drive, cup differential, spacers, seals) and that it could have collapsed at any time and caused serious injury. total repair bill was $2,600. car is used for transportation to and from work - no "off-roading" or "towing". mileage at time of failure was 88,000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle would not shift into third gear. the dealer stated that the plate sheared the bolts off the transmission, which caused the metal to enter the transmission. the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. as of august 31, 2007, the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin and engine size were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 89,000.

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

Vehicle vibrates loudly from front driveline between 40 and 50 mph and over 70 mph, concerned this is a severe, unsafe, and common problem because of many other complaints of the same definition from other liberty owners. *jb

Driving the jeep around 20 mph. transmission went into neutral and would not go into any gear, but would go into park. i turned the jeep off, restarted it and it went into gear for about 30 feet, then went back into neutral again. it would move after a restart every time, then stop again very shortly after putting it into gear. had the jeep towed to the repair shop, they found no codes in the computer and are now saying the torque converter failed which caused the filter to clog. *jb

Rear differential was leaking and was fixed. approximately six months later it started leaking again. dealership states second set of new gaskets and seals were put in. all nuts and around gaskets appear to be sealed with some type of black shiny sealant. again, approximately six months later it is leaking again. *jb

While driving 30 mph, something in the front end differential broke. i have had numerous problems with this vehicle. i'm on my 3rd set of tires. the brakes have been replaced 3 times. it's in the shop more than it is out. *jb

Vehicle was purchased new. mileage as of this date, 11/13/2005, is 50,035. at some point between 45k and 50k miles noticed a clunk which can be felt and heard when vehicle is moving forward and downshifting to low gear. took vehicle to lincoln trail chrysler-jeep-dodge in marshall, il. mechanic who test drove vehicle admitted hearing and feeling hard downshift. service manager, nick corey, recommended transmission flush. also said problem could be caused by a sensor going bad. checked transmission computer for codes, none found. transmission flush did not alleviate problem. will return to dealer for further service. i feel daimler/chrysler should resolve and repair this problem before failure of the component(s) cause a crash and before the power train warranty expires. as noted from other complaints on this website, the problem has been experienced by numerous other jeep liberty owners of 2002, 2003 and 2004 models. at this point daimler/chrysler should be aware of the problem and solution. *nm

My 2002 jeep liberty was taken in for service because of oil leaking from the right side of the front differential and a torn boot on the left side. these items were repaired and the vehicle returned to me. one month later while backing out of a parking space i heard a loud snap and then felt the left front end of the vehicle drop to the ground. the front wheel was forced up under the wheel well damaging the fender and blowing the tire. the lower ball joint had separated letting the vehicle drop and wheel to move up into the wheel well. the ball joint recall had been completed on this vehicle 30,000 miles ago. this was very scary because i had my 4 year old grandson with me and had just been on the freeway traveling at 65 mph. the vehicle is still at the dealer and i am waiting to see what chrysler/jeep has to say. ld. *nm

Dt: the contact was traveling at 10 mph, when the upper ball joint broke. this caused the axle to break. the location was the front driver's side. the happened on 10-16-05. the vehicle was then towed to the jeep dealership. the dealership was repairing the vehicle. the cost would b e $2,000.00, the warranty on the vehicle expired in may 2005. there were no injuries reported. the vehicle is a 2002 jeep liberty. the manufacturer has not been contacted. *ak

Trans case on my 2002 liberty went with 37,000 miles on car called manufacturer who stated that since car was driven under 10 miles a day it was considered severe driving and since auto tran fluid not changed at 30000 it was a normal thing if i drove 50 miles a day on highway it was considered normal and based on their schedule the fluid never has to be changed chrysler refused to listen said it was my problem. *jb

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

Dt: consumer has a 2002 jeep liberty had the ball joint recall repaired. on sunday the ball joints became disconnected from the wheel. they couldn?t steer the vehicle, and the driver's side wheel tilted outward. consumer complained approximately 6 months after the repair s because she heard funny noises. she took the vehicle to be looked at, and was told there was nothing wrong. when she had the vehicle at dealer for the 60,000 mile check up she was told the vehicle was fine. she contacted the dealership and manufacturer and neither of them were willing to help her. the axle came out, and the dealership told her it was $800 worth of damage.*ak

2002 jeep liberty limited 4wd automatic transmission, loss of third gear due to breakage of valve body bolts in transmission accessible by removal of transmission pan. shop foreman at hertich jeep/nissan (dover, de) stated that the bolts were not of the correct strength, and that the new bolts supplied with the new valve body (still under warrantee) would be of the correct strength.*ak

While driving, the vehicle felt as if it was in neutral. upon getting up to 25 miles per hour, the consumer stated when she placed the vehicle in second gear she was able to go a little faster. the vehicle has 32000 miles on it. consumer contacted the dealer and the manufacturer however, they are not willing to help. please provide any further information. *jb....*ak

The rear control arm completely separated from weld site with the rear axle. consumer had the vehicle towed. this is what she was told by the mechanic. *ak rear axle housing broke away from control arm bracket and factory weld site. control arm and rear axle housing was replaced. manufacturer denied claim. *tt

Consumer stated transmission slipped. as a result, vehicle hesitated in oncoming traffic. *ak

First of all, i only have 39,100 miles on my jeep liberty. having said that, on the date listed below it was found that my jeep had a faulty valve spring in the 2nd cylinder. cost me quite a bit of money to repair. how in the world does this happen to a brand new car with only a little over 39,000 miles on it? sound like faulty parts to me.*ak

Consumer has had to replace shocks, drive shaft, brakes and all four tires since purchase. the tires were worn and the noisy were struts, a constant thumping sound was heard when the vehicle was in motion, creaking noise were coming from the front of the vehicle when going over bumps due to the front sway bar bushings, the regulator on the passenger door was noisy, the handle on the passenger door was loose, grinding noise on the front passenger side, the passenger front door's weather strip was coming off, loud noise coming from the rear differential bearings, excessive play in the front tie ends, water under the driver's side carpet, rattling in the speaker on the passenger side, when in 4th high and 4th low, the vehicle felt as if it were in neutral, the cigarette lighter was inoperative, the was a squeak in the steering wheel when turning, the engine idled loud, the vehicle would jump when shifting into gear, there was a delay when braking, the axle boot was leaking. *sc

Hard downshifting of transmission, shifts to hard. *jb

I was towing a 2002 jeep liberty using the blue ox tow system. i followed the manufacturer_x0019_s directions and put the car in neutral. the jeep engine caught fire and totaled the car. my insurance company adjusters said the jeep was in 4-wheel drive causing the transmission to overheat, leak transmission fluid, and start the fire. first of all, getting the jeep in 4-wheel drive requires some effort to engage, so i would have noticed had i done that. secondly, i wouldn't have done something so stupid. i have towed the jeep the two previous years the same way with no problems.*ak

When driving down the highway, the transmission would occasionally surge, even with the cruise on. on june 19 the transmission would shift from first to second properly, then when it shifted from second to third, it would act like it was in neutral. dealer says with 69000 miles on a 2002, it is not covered under warraty. vehicle has never been taken off road (like designed) and not overworked.*ak

while driving 40 mph the transmission failed without warning. the consumer is concerned that "the vehicle will be rear ended as a result to the failure". please provide additional information. *nm

Transmission disengages when in reverse. when vehicle is put into reverse, it will move a few feet and then disengage as if in neutral. i have to put it back in park or in neutral, then back into reverse, go a few feet, it disengages again. i repeat this stupid process until i get where i need to be and then shift into drive. dealership says they have no idea how to fix the problem, and chrysler is aware of problem and working on a fix. i have been dealing with this on a daily basis for over a month (at least 3 times each day i have to put the vehicle in reverse).

I have a 2002 jeep liberty with automatic transmission. when slowing down the transmission downshifts very hard. we have taken it to the jeep dealer (johny roberts-altus ok) and they cannot find the problem. i see the 2003's have this problem noted but not the 2002's.*ak

Vehicle kicks when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st gear. almost rear-ended a vehicle due to defect. car has been in shop repeatedly for this issue and no dealership can fix it. transmission has been replaced. computer has been reset and sensors have failed 3 times and replaced. vehicle left us stranded. *la

The first incident happened back when i first got my jeep right before the warranty was about to expire. it was running fine and had no indication that anything was wrong. it was around the 35,000 mile mark. i was driving to work and my jeep just stalled on me. i pulled off to the side of the road, tried to start it again, and nothing. so i called the dealership who told me to call the 800# for the tow truck (which took 2 hours at 20 degrees....no heat...not good). i found out that was actually a piston and a rocker-arm along with many other little parts that needed to be fixed in the engine.......so major engine repair. the jeep was in the shop for a couple of weeks. after it was fixed all was well.....until the breakdown from the recall....that is my next complaint....stay tuned!!! :) *tr

On 11/29, my transmission on my 2002 jeep liberty was not shifting after second gear. took the car to the dealership and was told that there was a "bad part" on the tranmission, that the piston retainer inside of the valve body was broken and it needed to be replaced. the car was purchased new in 2001 and mileage was past the 36,000 bumper to bumper warranty; however, any jeep vehicle purchased after 11/1/01 has the 7 year, 70,000 mile powertrain warranty. the part is bad and others might be experiencing the same thing. i ended up paying half when i should not have had to pay anything. very disappointed in a vehicle that initially i loved!*ak

While driving the transmission failed without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. *nm