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2002 Jeep Liberty engine complaints

Page 3 of 6: complaints 41 to 70 of 159, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2002 Jeep Liberty engine problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed May 21, 2014 · Driver assistance, Engine · 111,300 miles · MA

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.

Filed Apr 10, 2014 · Engine · 128,800 miles · NY

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.

Filed Apr 9, 2014 · Engine · WA

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!

Filed Mar 9, 2014 · Engine · 70,000 miles · NM

For many years now, a couple of times a year I will be driving along at different speeds, sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill, and the engine will turn off. I would pull over and stop. Turn the car off and then it would restart. It would always restart. Recently, it happened when driving and I just turned the ignition off and back on again while I was still in motion and the car started right up. It didn't like doing this because the wheel will lock. I read of the chevy problem and thought this might be similar.

Filed Mar 3, 2014 · Engine · 137,000 miles · NY

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.

Filed Jan 17, 2014 · Engine, Fuel system · 120,000 miles · OH

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.

Filed Dec 29, 2013 · Engine · 130,030 miles · KY

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.

Filed Oct 29, 2013 · Engine · VA

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.

Filed Oct 29, 2013 · Brakes, Engine · 106,000 miles · TX

Rear axle seals leaking replaced seals, bearings, and brakes on both sides. Engine started using excessive oil, sometime up to 2-3 quarts low, no smoke or leaks detected. All the power windows started malfunctioning one by one, would not go back up, still working issue. Rear wiper does not work. Had to replace rear brake light units twice due to shorts in wiring. Replace plastic radiator and electric cooling fan.

Filed Sep 23, 2013 · Engine · 130,000 miles · GA

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.

Filed Aug 25, 2013 · Engine · UT

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.

Filed Jul 17, 2013 · Engine · CT

2002 jeep liberty. Consumer writes in regards to engine failure. *smd the consumer experienced a misfire while driving. The check engine light started flashing, so she immediately had the vehicle diagnosed with a diagnostic code reader at a local parts store. The code fired was misfire cylinder 2. The spark plugs and coil were replaced. However, the vehicle was still misfiring the same cylinder. The head was then taken off the engine to further inspect what was happening in the cylinder to case it to misfire. The mechanic discovered the exhaust valve was drawn into the cylinder and combusted. The combustion caused the piston to melt down to the first ring.

Filed Jul 4, 2013 · Engine · 131,300 miles · KY

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.

Filed Jun 28, 2013 · Engine · 126,800 miles · MD

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.

Filed Jun 27, 2013 · Engine · 150,000 miles · PA

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.

Filed Jun 22, 2013 · Engine · 157,000 miles · MN

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).

Filed Jun 19, 2013 · Engine, Transmission · 72,880 miles · FL

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.

Filed Jun 17, 2013 · Engine · 121,000 miles · NH

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.

Filed Jun 15, 2013 · Airbags, Engine · LA

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.

Filed Jun 12, 2013 · Engine · 74,658 miles · AR

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.

Filed Jun 12, 2013 · Engine · 72,326 miles · AR

Engine stopped with loud noises obvious something broken. Towed to dealer. Dealer indicated engine failure due to oil sludge issue. Dealership indicated that this was a common problem even on well maintained 2002 liberty 3.7 engines. Not even 73,000 miles on the engine. Internet is full of stories similar.

Filed Jun 7, 2013 · Airbags, Engine · 138,104 miles · MO

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.

Filed Jun 7, 2013 · Engine · 139,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns 2002 jeep liberty. The contact stated the vehicle made a loud knocking sound and then it stalled. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who determined there was a misfire coming from the pistons which caused the failure to occur. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The failure and current mileage was 139,000.

Filed May 1, 2013 · Airbags, Engine · MA

2002 jeep liberty. Consumer writes in regards to air bag system failure in vehicle and seeks reimbursement. *smd the consumer stated he experienced an air bag failure in the summer of 2012, and had it repaired by his mechanic. The consumer submitted the invoice to chrysler for reimbursement. On march 12th, he received a letter from a person with no last name, and a number to call. He received an automated message, to leave his information. On march 26, the automated message had been changed to say there were no representatives to answer calls, and to call back later. On march 28th, the consumer wrote another letter, requesting reimbursement. As of today, there has been no response and no reimbursement. Updated 06/20/13*lj also, the o2 sensor was replaced. Updated 06/24/13

Filed Apr 4, 2013 · Engine · 86,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. The contact stated that the oil warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The oil sensor was replaced and the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Filed Mar 21, 2013 · Engine · 123,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited an abnormally loud noise when driving at various speeds. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and the contact was advised that the number two cylinder intake valve seat separated and fell into the pistons. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages was approximately 123,000.

Filed Mar 11, 2013 · Engine · 78,000 miles · OH

After following all vehicle maintenance recommendations, engine has failed @ 73000 miles. Mechanic states engine sludge. I was told I will need to purchase a new engine. Have all service records, all oil changes were done on time as scheduled and now I have a car that does not run.

Filed Mar 8, 2013 · Engine · 90,000 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 jeep liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there was no recall for the engine failure and offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was 90,000.

Filed Jan 31, 2013 · Airbags, Engine · 145,000 miles · MO

Where to begin? My airbag light has been coming on for months while driving. I took it to a chrysler dealership 6 months ago & was charged $100 for them to tell me they didn't know what was wrong. About a month ago, while driving on the highway, my headlights went out, came back on, went out again, and finally I hit my high beams and they stayed on. My engine uses about 2 quarts of oil per week. I have parked on clean surfaces & there is no oil leaking, but it is going somewhere. I can hear a ticking noise coming from the engine area. I called chrysler's toll-free number today after the headlights went out again, and was informed that my jeep is under recall for the air bag module, and maybe that is what is causing the lights to go out. This makes no sense to me that one would have anything to do with the other. I told them that I have seen other complaints about the headlights, but they stated that they've had no complaints. I have also replaced front tires three times in the past year for wear on the outside edge. I've had the jeep aligned, tires rotated as they should be, and they just keep balding on the outer edge. The service tech said that jeeps eat through tires because of the wheel base? This car has all but eaten up most of my income. It is constantly having issues, and I get nowhere with chrysler.

Filed Jan 29, 2013 · Engine · OH

Email from congressman latta's office re constituent complaints about her chrysler 2002 jeep liberty (119000 mileage) with a knocking engine due to manufacturers problem. *smd the consumer stated she was diligent about checking the oil. However, one day when she checked the oil, due to an engine knock, she discovered the oil was three quarts low and a warning signal never alerted her. When the vehicle was taken to a repair shop, she was informed a new engine was needed at a cost of $4,500. The consumer was informed, there was a known oil delivery issue with the 2002-2003 3.7 liter engines.

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