2.1

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,093 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Jeep Liberty:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #3

May 182015

Liberty 4WD 4-cyl

  • 69,425 miles
As I was pulling into a parking lot I suddenly heard a loud noise and noticed my back wheels acting strange. I thought it was a flat tire so I parked and checked my rear tires. Everything looked fine so I got what I had come for then got back on the road. The noise and difficulty steering were still there though so I pulled over again and looked under the rear tires. The rear control arm on the drivers side has completely rusted through and broken. I couldn't believe a car with less than 70,000 miles on it could have a part completely rust through like that so I checked all the recalls on the Liberty model. Not surprisingly there was a recall due to excessive rust on the very part that had completely rusted out on my vehicle. I was never notified of this safety recall though because I don't live in one of the states where the recall was issued. The states where the recall was issued get snow in the winter and salt is usually used to clear the streets. That is why these states were in the recall. I live in Nebraska though, a state that gets nearly as much snow as Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota (three states that were included in the recall) and yet if you live in my state you are not informed of the recall and you do not get the parts replaced. If I had not been pulling into a parking lot at the moment the rear control arm had rusted through and broken the incident could have been much worse. I could have been on the highway or a busy street and easily lost control of my vehicle. Since my state was not included in the recall my safety (and the safety of other drivers) was put at risk and I will now be out $600.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #2

Feb 162012

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 84,251 miles
I was traveling 70 mph on the freeway when I very slightly let off the accelerator as I came over a bridge. At that point, part of the Jeep wanted to go straight and the other part wanted to go off the road. It truly felt like the Jeep was going to roll. I slowed down and managed to keep it going straight until I could safely pull off the freeway. Had it towed to my dealer who informed me that the left rear lateral arm connecting axle to the frame rusted through and became disconnected. They also said that the right lateral arm is close to rusting though as well. Although the lateral arms were on backorder from Chrysler, the dealer managed to find one from another dealer and replaced the left arm. We agreed to order the right lateral arm and replace it before it too becomes disconnected.

- Lansing, MI, USA

problem #1

Jan 232012

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 65,603 miles
At approximately 0520 a.M. on January 23, 2012 I was traveling North on West Virginia route 26 just outside of kingwood, West Virginia on my way to work. I was descending a hill around several sharp turns at a rate of speed approximately 30 mph on dry bumpy pavement. Without warning I felt a vibration which seemed to originate in the rear of my 2005 Jeep Liberty. Several seconds later a hard thump was felt underneath the floor boards accompanied by a metal scraping noise. I immediately began applying the brakes to stop the car to investigate but before I could bring the vehicle to a complete halt the rear of the car began to come around toward the front of the SUV from the right. Once I got the car completely stopped I put it into park, applied my emergency brake, turned on my hazard lights and then got out to investigate the situation. As I examined the back of the vehicle I noticed that the right rear wheel was out of alignment almost touching the back of the wheel well. I then shined my flashlight underneath of the car and saw the front end of the drive shaft lying on the street. I coasted my car into a nearby driveway to get it off of the street. I had my vehicle towed to the nearest Jeep dealership for repair. Diagnosis: Right hand rear control arm failure due to excessive erosion/rusting. I had the failed part replaced and as a precaution I had the left hand control arm replaced as well. Both old parts are available for inspection. I purchased my Jeep new in Wisconsin in 2005 and I moved to West Virginia in 2010.

- Buckhannon, WV, USA