2005 Jeep Liberty: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Nov 5, 2022 · Seats · NC

While driving on a long trip, a burning smell was noticed. The heated seats had not been turned on, as they are rarely used & the indicator light for the heated seats was not on. When the driver stopped to inspect, the back of the seat had burned through the lumbar support pillow. The seat is severely charred and damaged through the inner foam layer of the seat. The seat will need to be replaced. The driver could have been seriously injured if the seat had caught fire. Jeep was notified, but expressed absolutely no concern & offered no assistance. An online review revealed that this is a known problem for Chrysler/Jeep (in particular Jeep Liberty) and there have been severe injuries. How many instances must occur before a safety recall occurs? We had no idea that this safety concern existed prior to our own experience.

Filed Nov 25, 2020 · Electrical, Suspension · 170,000 miles · KY · fire

My heated seat was on low and it has been getting extremely hot lately, well today it caught on fire. And about a month ago my ball joints all went out while driving.

Filed Feb 12, 2019 · Engine · PA · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 jeep liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle caught fire under the hood while parked in the driveway. A police report was not filed. The fire extinguished on its own. The vehicle was totaled. There were no injuries. The cause of the failure was not determined. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. *dt

Filed Feb 3, 2019 · Seats · 147,680 miles · OH · fire · 1 injury

On february 1, 2019 around 11:40pm, I was driving with my jeep's seat heater on. Approximately 30 minutes later I smelled something burning. I reached around to feel my coat was extremely hot, so I grabbed a frozen bottle of water from my lunch bag and placed it between me and my seat. Not thinking that my seat was catching fire. When I pulled into a parking lot I noticed a hole in my seat cover. I pulled seat cover off and saw the scorch marks on my seat. Also a burn mark on back of coat. When I got home I checked my back and had a small burn mark.

Filed Dec 5, 2017 · Electrical, Transmission · CA · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 jeep liberty. The contact stated that after reversing in a parking space, the emergency parking brake was engaged and he exited the vehicle. A few minutes later, the vehicle was restarted and left unattended with the A/C activated. Upon return, the vehicle exploded and caught on fire. It was unknown if a police report was filed. There were no injures reported. It was unknown if the dealer or manufacturer were contacted. The failure mileage was not available. *tt

Filed Aug 27, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 100,000 miles · PA · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 jeep liberty. While driving at 25 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact mentioned that the lights on the instrument panel started to flicker and an odor of smoke emitted from the front of the vehicle. Shortly afterwards, the vehicle caught fire and was extinguished by the fire department. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 13v252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Apr 3, 2015 · Electrical, Engine · 170,000 miles · MD · fire

I went to start my jeep and it caught on fire under the hood. Also, it sometimes doesn't start, when it does and I'm driving, it stalls in the middle of traffic. This happens when I'm in the middle of making a left turn and I'm afraid I'm going to get hit! It mostly happens when it's raining or a lot of moisture in the air. It pulls and hesitates while I'm driving as well. My insurance paid for the damage when I had the fire, but I'm now learning that it's a big issue with jeeps. I have 3 children and I'm afraid for their safety. I can't afford a new vehicle.

Filed Aug 11, 2014 · Transmission · 120,000 miles · NY · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2005 jeep liberty. While driving 45 MPH, the transmission slipped and became stuck in third gear. The contact noticed smoke near the rear of the vehicle and flames rising underneath the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Feb 3, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 69,000 miles · HI · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 jeep liberty. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission independently shifted out of four-wheel drive mode without warning. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road as flames ignited from under the hood. The contact exited from the vehicle safely and the fire department extinguished the massive flames. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000....updated 02-28-14 *bf the consumer stated the e-mail address is incorrect.

Filed Dec 11, 2012 · Engine, Steering · MO · fire

2005 jeep liberty. Consumer states vehicle stopped while driving and caught fire. *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was parked when it caught on fire. According to the fire department, the fire may have started in the steering column. The consumer stated a recall was issued for the previous model and she believed that same issue may have applied to her vehicle as well.

Filed Oct 19, 2012 · Engine · 65,000 miles · MI · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 jeep liberty. The contact stated that he went out to start his vehicle. After 50 seconds of trying, he noticed that there was black smoke coming from under the hood. A police officer drove pass and extinguished the flames for the contact. The vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic who stated that it might not be possible to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was approximately 65,000.

Filed Jun 25, 2012 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · MA · fire

I wanted to include my vehicle incident in regards to the complaints on the jeep SUV fires. I thought it was necessary to include my entry, because unlike other incidents mentioned in the investigation, my vehicle spontaneously caught fire while I was driving it and was not the result of impact from a crash. It was a friday evening and I was traveling home on the highway during rush hour traveling with the flow of traffic at about 65 MPH. All of the sudden, and without warning, my vehicle started losing speed at a rapid pace. Thankfully, I was in the first lane and was able to pull immediately into the breakdown lane. All of my dashboard lights came on and while I was leaning over to inspect what could possibly be the problem, the hood of the vehicle suddenly burst into flames. I exited the vehicle swiftly and luckily a tow truck driver who had saw the smoke immediately called 911. The car was engulfed in flames in less then 5 minutes. Had I not been able to exit the vehicle or had children restrained in the back seat, there could have been serious injuries or possibly a fatality. I reported the incident to chrysler after going through my insurance. There response was a polite letter telling me they were sorry for the incident, but were not responsible. The vehicle was less than 2 years old at the time and serviced regularly. The finding of the fire dept.'s inspection was inconclusive, but I was told in confidence that it seemed more than likely it was a faulty issue with the vehicle. After the incident, I took multiple photos of the interior and exterior of the jeep, which included under the hood since we suspected the engine was at fault. If they are useful to your ongoing investigation, please feel free to contact me so that I can email them along. Thank you.