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Problems with 2002 Jeep Liberty ENGINE

On average, the 2002 Jeep Liberty starts to “feel” problems with the ENGINE and its various aspects after 165 886 miles.

Recently reported ENGINE problems on 2002 Jeep Liberty

Misfire in cylinder 3. replaced coils, plugs, and computer. still throwing the code.

I went to the store and picked up chips and drinks and keep running fine. got back in it and took me several tries to crank. kept going dead on the mile drive home. haven't been able to afford to get it fixed but mechanic replaced computer spark plugs fuel pump and injection system. still wouldn't crank well. had new computer programmed. nothing. till says 3 cylinders are not working and i need a new motor.

Alternator failed which caused the vehicle to stall at an intersection while driving in highway traffic. vehicle was towed and alternator replaced.

My husband and i drove my 2002 jeep liberty to dinner and while driving back home, without any notice, the car started blowing heavy smoke from the exhaust pipes. then it completely died, stopped! no check engine light, no check oil light and no warning whatsoever! i now have this vehicle sitting in my garage because it's going to cost us approximately $5000.00 to fix. while researching this issue on the internet, this issue with the engine just stopping, has happened to hundreds of other people that own this same vehicle. i have not found anyone that feels it's worth fixing. all internet reviews lead me to believe that if replaced, it will happen again. why isn't chrysler made accountable?? they know they got away with selling a lemon! this could potentially become a safety issue, if someone is driving on the expressway and the engine just stops as mine did! chrysler should be forced to recall the engine or give back some sort of compensation to everyone that has had this issue. can't believe, that after so many complaints, the government or better business bureau, have not gotten involved in forcing a recall for this 3.7 engine.

Motor went out with no warning......replaced. after 7k miles.....motor went out again. the warranty company for the motor acts as if they did not know the motors constantly go out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle began to jerk forward independently without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the valve seals failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the local dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 173,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving 35 mph, the air bag and check engine warning indicators illuminated. in addition, the air bag indicator illuminated intermittently. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v046000 (air bags) around march of 2015. the dealer (major world, 43-40 northern blvd, long island city, ny, 11101) was contacted at 866-614-2884 and stated that the earliest they could accommodate to diagnose the vehicle and schedule an appointment was a month away. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 157,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the steering seized and the vehicle could not be moved due to overheating. while the vehicle was being driven 25 mph, the temperature gauge did not indicate that the vehicle was going to overheat and there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact also stated that there was no steam or smoke coming from the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was defective, the coolant reservoir was damaged, and the temperature gauge was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was not provided.

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.

The engine of this vehicle died without warning. it's computer never picked it up, or gave me a warning that anything was going bad. it was not making any bad sounds or loose sounds of anything. the vehicle simply died in me when i accelerated going up a hill, imagine the horror that was having vehicle also accelerating behind me. i've been hearing the same complaints from thousands of jeep liberty users and this is dangerous. i don't understand why they're refusing to address this issue, this is something that's life-threatening and could lead to a fatal crash. please, for hundreds more of the similar complaint, please visit: http://www.carcomplaints.com/jeep/liberty/2002/engine/engine_failure-2.shtml. *tr

A year ago while highway driving for several miles, the engine wire harness from starter to battery caught fire. the harness was destroyed. a replacement from a salvage yard went about 100' and it also caught fire destroying itself. another harness was installed and a year later the same fire on the same harness occurred yesterday. *tr

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 .

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact heard an abnormal noise associated with the 3.7 liter engine. the contact noticed there was a strong hesitation without warning and the vehicle later stalled more than once. the vehicle was parked at the contact's residence due to the failure. the contact indicated that the number two cylinder may fail and cause the valves to drop onto the pistons, which could cause the motor and cylinder head to fail. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and suggested that the dealer perform diagnostic testing. the approximate failure mileage was 147,000. updated 05/31/2016*lj the consumer stated two spark plugs were pulled and broke due to impact, inside the cylinder head. updated 06/14/16.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the speedometer failed to read the vehicle proper speed as the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the abs sensor wires were fractured and rubbing against the emergency brake cable. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 142,000. the vin was not available.

Number 3 and 6 cylinders blew. found broken rods and bearings in the oil pan. bearings were twisted around the studs for the crank cover. seems to be a common issue in this year 3.7l engine. this happened while driving in traffic on a city street and i can't imagine what i would have done if i had been driving on i95 when it occured.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire near the engine. the vehicle was destroyed. no further details were available. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 163,000.

Was driving down the highway and quit. had towed to shop and they said the engine was shot.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 jeep liberty. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a noise emerging from the bottom driver side of the vehicle. the vehicle also started to hesitate and all the warning indicators illuminated. the contact slowed down to approximately 10 mph into a parking lot. the contact parked and exited the vehicle. she was alerted that the vehicle was on fire. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. updated 12/29/15*lj *cn

On july 23, 2015, while driving on the interstate highway, at approximately 55 miles/hour, the odometer, speedometer and cruise control simultaneously stopped working for no apparently known reason. when arriving at my destination in another state, (approx. 60 miles), i researched the internet for potential problems. a number of other 2002 jeep liberty owners had experienced similar problems. additionally, several owners had experienced engine stalling when braking at a stoplight or intersection. on july 28, 2015, when traveling on an interstate highway, i pulled off to the safety lane to take a telephone call. while i was slowly pushing on the brake pedal to move safely to curb lane, the engine stopped working, as did my steering. quick thinking - having read prior owners' comments - told me to put the car in neutral and turn the ignition key on. that worked! i got the car safely to the side lane. i am in the process of getting problems corrected; however, other owners have stated that the problem of stalling persists.

I was pulling out of my driveway and the car just shut completely off and i was stuck in the middle of the road. about 10 mins later, it started back up again and drove normally. this is not safe at all and if i was driving on the road, i could have died. i'm scared to drive this car now and i can't afford to go to a mechanic and pay thousands of dollars. from looking online, this is a recurring problem with this car. there should be a recall on this issue. someone can really lose their life over this.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact mentioned that the failure was experienced after the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 15v046000 (air bags). the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 143,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle but the problem occurred several times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that there was an electrical shortage on the rear hatch module. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 98,986. updated 11/24/14*lj *js

We replaced the engine at 135,000 miles and the next engine is doing the same thing at less than 20,000 miles. mechanics have said these engines were defective. loses valve and destroys piston. i have paid over $10,000 in parts alone, not counting labor. help!!

we bought the vehicle used and they said that there was a problem with the engine, but they did not give us a warranty or any other discount. now we have had the vehicle for six months and it needs a new bottom end of the engine put in which costs more than the vehicle is worth but we do not have a choice, we have to put one in. i have always bought jeep's in the past and was very satisfied with their performance, but now i re-thinking my loyalty. i have always wanted a jeep liberty but now i wish i had never bough it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that after the vehicle was started, a fuel odor emitted from the vehicle. in addition, the contact mentioned that after the vehicle was parked, the check engine warning light illuminated. the contact also mentioned that after turning the ignition key to the on position, the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 12v527000 (air bags), 13v252000 (fuel system, gasoline , structure), and 15v046000 (air bags) however, the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that the check engine light remained illuminated. the oxygen sensor was replaced several times however the failure was not corrected. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

Drove a short distance aprox 1/2 mile to store. when i came out car would crank but did not start. i left car idle for 1 hr and then it would start. this condition has happened a few time in the previous year. *tr

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. *tr

Valve is either dropped or has broken randomly. i have been told that it is not worth fixing, because it would cost way too much money. also i have done research and found that is a very common problem with the 2002 jeep liberty. i want to know why jeep has yet to address this problem. *tr

My jeep currently has 42,000 miles as of nov 1, 2015. it is 14 years old. however, the 3.7 l engine has a history (1 in 200 as best i can tell from the internet) of somehow coagulating oil into sludge around the 50,000 mile mark. this jeep is part of the trailer hitch and airbag recall, but as you know dealerships never got parts to update. however, it also seems the engine was designed to fail on these models. mechanics that work on these engines just shake their heads and tell you chrysler updated the engine to fix this but that doesn't help anybody who has an originally designed engine. again, these engines were designed to sludge. it usually starts with rocker arms cracking/breaking and even after replacement and cleansing the oil sludges up again. of course, chrysler dealerships act like every occurrence of this is isolated, but third party mechanics know better. mine has two jeeps right now that are sludged. basically the social safety concern is that your engine can break when you're driving. and also that chrysler sold batches of these engines that they knew were defective, if not at the original design then soon after; when they decided they had to change the original design. i'm only being affected by it now because i have so few miles on my jeep. *tr

I owned the jeep for about 6 months. it ran great, no problems then out of no where it wouldn't start. sounded like the battery was dead and just not turning over and had it looked at about two days later. he told me that the second cylinder had no compression therefore the engine was blown. personally i love jeeps and wouldn't want anything else but after hearing this, and having it be a known issue for this year make and model i would have chosen a little wiser. i read about several 2002 jeep liberties with the same issue which led me to this site. *tr

I was driving to unlock my other vehicle because my husband locked the keys in the car. i had my two young boys, 2 and 3 years old with me. i was on an interstate when all of a sudden, the wheel locks up and i see smoke coming from the hood. blew the engine!!!! i was stuck on the side of the road, no cell phone, the night before a terrible ice storm that was headed my way. very scary situation. i couldn't believe it was happening to me. now it is going to cost me over $5000 to fix it, i think not. i don't have that kind of money sitting around. i have two little ones in diapers and another in college. so disappointed in the manufacturer for not warning the public. and to boot, i only paid it off last summer. $18,000 down the tube. it was my first vehicle i ever paid off. so very disappointed. *tr

This is my wife's 2002 jeep liberty. we maintain it regularly, oil change every 3000 . didn't have any problems whatsoever until bam ! she loved her jeep dearly. wouldn't had taken anything for it. going to church, 6 miles from the house. when she got there she stated " my jeep is making a funny noise". after church service she cranked it for me. i told her to shut it down. checked oil, " where did it go " . had to put in 3 quarts just to get it home. sounds like a thrashing machine. bad knock. i could except it if the jeep had been roughed or fast driven but the jeep is only driven to her work and church where the speed limit is 55 mph tops. i'm retired and she's ready to and we can't afford to put a lot of money into a new engine. heard jeep had a lot of problems with this engine. especially the 2002-2003 model. does anyone know if anything can be done about this. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that when accelerating, the vehicle jerked forward as the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the co2 filter needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 211,000.

2002 jeep liberty. consumer writes in regards to engine light came back on after consumer was informed that repair work had been completed. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the engine light illuminating again, was due to another problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty sport. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact had the vehicle towed to his residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact did not call the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 130,000.

Had recently checked the oil, and everything was great. just got back from a long trip with no problems. then 3 weeks later with no warning, i was driving down the road at about 40 mph and the engine started making a bad sound. (which it had never done) no warning light on the dash, nothing. pulled over checked the oil again and it registered a little low which was also unusual. put a quart of oil in it and headed the 7 miles home, but by the time i got home the engine sounded horrible, i drove very careful and watched the gauges and for any warning lights including the check engine light or oil light to come on but nothing happened. it just sounds like crap. i had a mechanic friend come to my house to look at it and he said that it looks like it will be a new engine. what the heck, this seems to be a common problem. why is jeep or chrysler doing nothing about it. the engine has extremely low miles, should be good for longer than this. *tr

I just recently bought a car on june 13, 2013 for $5,404.05 from seattle auto mart, 12801 aurora ave. n., seattle, wa 98133. i bought the car "as is" with no warranty. it was the first car i have ever purchased in my life. i was given a 60 day verbal agreement that if anything broke down, they would fix. it. my loan was through united finance company, p.o. box 862, auburn, wa 98071. a vehicle inspection was done on the car my the dealership. after i purchased the car, i left for california because my dad was very sick. i was gone for about two weeks. when i came back from california, the second day i got back, i drove it a few blocks from my house, and the car stopped on me at a stop sign! it started smoking from the back and from under the hood and it wouldn't start. i had it towed for the night. i then called seattle auto mart, where i got the car from and they had their people to come and pick it up. i told them what happened and that i just wanted it fixed. then they called to tell me that the problem with the car was that the engine blew and that i would have to come out the pocket to help pay for the repairs or they could get used parts and i would pay nothing. i told them to go ahead and fix the car with the used parts (even though i should have gotten new parts). i didn't make a payment until the car was fixed. then so i decided to cut my losses since they were not willing to help me and i gave the car back. a month later, i received a recall notice in the mail from the chrysler group llc stating that the vehicle has a small fuel leak and could result in a fire. on saturday april 5, 2014 i received another recall notice ! overall something should be done! i want a new car or to be compensated for the hardship i went through only having the car for less than 30 days! the dealership, seattle auto mart should not have sold me that car!

Out of no where engine light comes on check oil no oil in car took it to mechanic said engine is blown and that it is a common incident with the jeep liberty engines that they always fail before 140000 mile now i have to pay 4000 to have a new engine put in it pissed. *tr

Car just stalled after filling up in the gas station. car has been well maintained and just underwent oil change and tuneup. diagnosis of a reputable shop: loss of compression in #4 cylinder, leaking headgasket. this has been a common problem with the 2002-2003 models as evidently shown in the jeep forums and per repair shop/s. best solution is to buy a rebuilt engine to avoid recurrence of the same problem. very costly to the consumers and a true testament to the jeep brand. *tr

This was my primary (and only) transportation and the jeep ran as normal on 06/19/2014, no problems or noises. i cranked it up on the morning of 06/20/2013 and the motor was knocking like crazy. i took it to an independent repair shop and let them listen to the noise. i was advised that 1st, the noise sounded like the rocker arm or beads and this is not the first jeep liberty they have seen with this problem and 2nd it was not safe for me to be driving the jeep with this problem as the engine could possibly fail causing a crash and 3rd i will have to buy a new motor for this vehicle which is around $2,000.00 and up for a rebuilt engine or $6,000.00 and up for a new one. i was still making payments on this vehicle and didn't have this type of $$ just lying around so it has been sitting in my driveway for over a year. from my research online, there are numerous consumers who have had this same engine problem yet chrysler has not been made to recall there engine for defective parts. on behalf of jeep liberty owners that have had to face this huge problem, i am requesting that this issue be researched as soon as possible!!!! jeeps are not bottom line vehicles as most people know. i personally paid $30,000.00 for this vehicle and am furious at the lack of response or sense of urgency by chrysler to resolve this and all the other issues with their vehicles. if you are going to charge for vehicles like they are 5 star vehicles, then you need to sell a 5 star product or give 5 star respectable service and correct your defects. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated the vehicle had a burning odor near the engine. the contact received a recall notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v046000 (air bags) and 13v252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) however the parts to do the repairs were not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for recall repairs. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 30,000. parts distribution disconnect.

My 2002 jeep liberty sport had to have the radiator replaced2 years ago (2011) due to sludge in the system, which was fine because it was already almost 10 years old. recently (june 2013) i smelled coolant and by the time i got it to the mechanic, it had overheated just once, from the water pump not working. so the mechanic replaced the water pump, and after that it never worked the same. the engine was rough, didn't have a smooth idle, and the next day, the "check engine" light came on. i had a friend check it out on a weekend when the light stayed on and started flashing, and the engine felt/sounded even rougher. there were multiple error signals, later diagnosed by the mechanic that the head gasket was cracked/blown, there ware coolant fumes from the engine, and 3 of the cylinders were "warped". estimated repair cost: $2000-3000 and a week's worth of labor... providing they didn't find other damage when they got the engine out. reading other reports make me disappointed with chrysler and confident that i'm not going to have mine repaired nor buy a new jeep (though i had previously loved! my jeep). *tr

I own a 2002 jeep liberty and had never heard of a recall on the engine! i did get a notice for the air bag issues months ago and have contacted the local dealer who maintains that the parts aren't available. didn't some other autos have the same problem? have they been fixed? i don't want to have a wreck and the air bags not deploy and then i become a crispy critter. nor do i want the air bags to deploy when i'm driving down the interstate doing between 60 - 70 miles per hour. again, possible crash with burning to death. someone somewhere needs to get chrysler to work. do they need a financial handout? guess i'm gonna have to trade this clunker in and get something other than a jeep. too bad cause i love my jeep. *tr

Salvaged engine with reported on 36k miles on it was installed by dealer in may 2011 after first engine was lost. put new tires, alignment on vehicle on friday afternoon, drove home, jeep sit parked until monday morning. monday morning started and engine made terrible noises and died just like first engine did. refuse to spend any additional $$ on liberty 3.7 liter engines. obviously an issue. i own a 2006 with a 3.7, so hopefully will not happen with it. *tr

While driving vehicle, engine started to drive rough. after driving for 5 minutes check engine light came. took vehicle to mechanic and was told cylinder had zero compression. was told would be cheaper to get remanufactured engine. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle overheated and made a loud banging noise with the illumination of the check engine warning light. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000. *tr

My car experienced a sporadic rough idle over a 2 week period. one day the check engine light when on after starting the car. after reading the codes cylinder 2 was determined to be the issue. a shop replaced the ignition coil and all seemed well. the next day after driving the car all day with no issue, i restarted the jeep after a 10 minute break and it would not start. when it finally started it sounded like half the cylinders were not firing and had a slapping sound. towed it to dealership and was told cylinder 2 had no compression and it needed a new cylinder head. both sides would cost $3,500. parts were ordered and 10 days later they called me and said there were other problems and the cylinder head was not the issue. piston seemed bent and it needed a long engine block and a water pump. this would cost $7,000. not worth the fix. it seems cylinder 2 is an issue in many liberty's of this year. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. the contact was driving 45 mph when the vehicle emitted an overpowering gasoline odor. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection but a diagnosis was not determined. the contact also stated that the engine failed due to a blown piston. the contact independently diagnosed the vehicle and noticed that some fuses were blown. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

I own a 2002 jeep liberty ltd edition and there are numerous reports on the internet that there are issues with the #2 cylinder valve coming off which in turn beat the #2 piston. i drove my jeep home from work and parked in the garage. about an hour later i started the jeep to leave and low and behold the #2 cylinder blew and created major damage to the piston. there have also been reports of a sludge issue on the 3.7l engines. i have never received a recall notice but after speaking with a man that worked for dodge he confirmed that they did a silent recall on these issues for the 3.7l engine. i spoke with chrysler and they laughed at my issue saying it was considered wear and tear since my miles are at 138,000. i don't think this issue is very funny and it could have caused me to crash if i would have been driving when the cylinder blew. i have recently had to pay over $3000 to get my repairs done and chrysler refuses to help with the issue. had i of known about the engine issues and all of the recalls on my vehicle i would have never bought the jeep. i am only asking for chrysler to help with at least half of the repair bill if not all of it. this is a defect and if the engine was correct it would have never blown. this issue has caused me 6 weeks of trying to find a ride back and forth to work as well as two absent days at work. this was a manufacturers defect and they should be held responsible. i also received a recall notice on the air bag and have yet been able to get my jeep in for that recall as the dealership has stated that they do not have the parts yet. *tr

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