2003 Jeep Liberty Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while turning the steering wheel to the left or the right, the steering wheel was difficult to turn due to a loss of power steering assist. There was a grinding sound while turning the steering wheel. The sound was loud enough to hear outside of the vehicle. There was an unknown orange warning light displayed briefly. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact found information online related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V119000 (Suspension); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ID

11723481

Incident

Mar 9, 2026

Mileage

160,000 mi

Tire blow out

NHTSA ID

11640563

Incident

Jun 16, 2024

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V046000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that while parked in a structure, the air bags inadvertently deployed. The vehicle was not occupied at the time. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

NHTSA ID

11585794

Incident

Apr 27, 2024

Mileage

58,000 mi

I PURCHASED THIS JEEP 2 YRS AGO. DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE THE OTHER DAY AND THE JEEP KEPT ROLLING AND I WAS PARKED ON A LOW INCLINE HILL AND IT WOULD NOT STOP. I WENT ONLINE AND SAW THIS WAS A MAJOR ISSUE. CONTACTED CHRYLSER THEY SAID THEY ONLY WORK ON 2010 MODELS. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND I'M SURE THEY ARE OTHER OLDER MODELS WITH SAME ISSUE. HOW CAN A SO CALLED REPUTABLE COMPANY NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR ISSUE NO MATTER HOW OLD MODEL IS. THEY CLAIM BRAKES ARE SELF-ADJUSTING NO SO.

NHTSA ID

11581819

Incident

Apr 6, 2024

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that moments after exiting the freeway, the front end of the vehicle began to shake and vibrate. While driving approximately 5 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that suddenly the wheels would not turn, and the vehicle became undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the residence and later examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the driver's side ball joint arm had fractured. The independent mechanic replaced the driver's side ball joint assembly and the lower control arm, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 189,000.

NHTSA ID

11547176

Incident

Aug 5, 2023

Mileage

189,000 mi

9/18/2023 I had an incident I thought something got behind brake pedal and kept me from pushing the brakes. When I drove it home. Going down the interstate I hit the gas get to speed limit. 3 times the vehicle kept speeding up hitting 80 and still wanting to climb.when I hit breaks hit was hard to press worse then hitting non power breaks and then I forced on the brakes and the vehicle started shaking. And took lot of effort to slow down. This vehicle doesn't have cruise control. Have had cliche with lights radio tac speed air while driving. Non of the air bags went off I checked recall was January to March this jeep was manufactured 12 2

NHTSA ID

11546091

Incident

Sep 18, 2023

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving 30–35 MPH, the driver's and passenger's side air bags inadvertently deployed but then immediately deflated. No warning light was illuminated. There was no impact to the vehicle that could have caused the air bags to deploy. The air bags deployment caused damage to the dashboard. There was dust coming from the air bags which got into the contact and his passenger's eyes; however, no medical attention was received. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance due to the age of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID

11533322

Incident

Jul 18, 2023

Mileage

71,000 mi

Fuel pump seems to be leaking. But I’m insure

NHTSA ID

11529240

Incident

Jun 27, 2023

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while her boyfriend was driving approximately 35 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel stopped while the front driver’s, the rear driver’s and passenger wheels continued turning. As a result, the vehicle stalled; however, the engine remained revving. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then towed to the dealer where the vehicle remained. The vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed of the NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 03V460000 (Suspension), 09V119000 (Suspension) and 06V288000 (Suspension). The contact was then informed that the vehicle was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 300,000.

NHTSA ID

11522272

Incident

May 2, 2023

Mileage

300,000 mi

The contact owns a owns 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH there was an abnormal noise like squeaking or chirping coming from both front wheel wells. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the front lower ball joints needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact had stated that he related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V288000 (Suspension) completed in November 2006 on his vehicle. The contact felt that the repair parts for the recall were the same sourced OEM parts and that was why the ball joints failed. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

NHTSA ID

11513291

Incident

Mar 22, 2023

Mileage

124,000 mi

MISFIRERS REPLACED ENGINE ONE YEAR LATER SAME PROBLEM MISFIRES TOOK TO MECHANIC REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND COILS . DROVE 30 MILE. S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHING, PULLED OVER TURNED ENGINE OFF.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT SOLID FOR ANOTHER 10 MILES CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AGAIN. I HAD TO PULL OVER 30 TIMES TO MAKE IT HOME. TOOK BACK TO MECHANIC REPLACED FUEL PUMP. STILL MISFIRE. THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH JEEPS . PLEASE RECALL .I HAVE PAIDED SO MUCH MONEY IN REPAIRS. STILL NOT FIXED.

NHTSA ID

11509078

Incident

Jan 25, 2023

The contact owned a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that his mother-in-law was exiting the highway when she struck a curb causing the front passenger side tire to blow out. The contact lost control, the vehicle was spinning, struck two utility poles where the vehicle came to a stop. The driver was declared deceased on the scene. The front passenger sustained minor injuries and was transported to the hospital for medical attention. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11506193

Incident

Jan 17, 2023

The ball joint and cv axle broke making me wreck. I had no control of the steering.

NHTSA ID

11503737

Incident

Jan 22, 2023

Air Bag Warning Light comes on from time to time. I wonder if the Air Bag System is working properly. Almost every other Jeep Liberty before and after my VIN number was recalled, just not a very small group of vehicles my Jeep is in.

NHTSA ID

11496516

Incident

Dec 1, 2022

The air bags didn't deploy at all. I slide on an icy bridge at 35 mph and slammed into the concrete bridge barrier. None of the airbags deployed. The Jeep was put on a scope 2 1/2 weeks before the accident with no codes read. I have severe whip lash and muscle strains in my back, neck, shoulders, and arms from the impact. I could have died. No, the problem wasn't reproduced or confirmed. The police have looked at and insurance company will be looking at the vehicle. There were no warnings at any kind prior to the failure.

NHTSA ID

11490841

Incident

Oct 24, 2022

The contact's husband owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the front driver's side suspension of the vehicle inadvertently lowered, and the tire became flat. The contact veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side lower ball joint had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 06V288000 (Suspension). The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11490014

Incident

Oct 15, 2022

Mileage

75,000 mi

The airbag deployed while driving down the road. Was unaware of the recall. Dealer said they can not fix because the airbag already deployed. Had minor physical injury to the left arm but definitely mental distress. Air bag light came on which it had before then 30-60 seconds later airbag deployed without warning.

NHTSA ID

11489758

Incident

Oct 13, 2022

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at approximately 40 MPH, the driver's side air bag was deployed inadvertently without incident. The contact stated that the air bag warning light had been illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact's girlfriend was able to drive to her residence. The contact's girlfriend sustained pain in her left forearm and was transported to the hospital with the assistance of a friend. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V046000(Air Bags), which he associated with the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained in the contact's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

NHTSA ID

11489115

Incident

Oct 13, 2022

Mileage

190,000 mi

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, an abnormal sound was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the lower ball joints failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the issue and the contact was informed that there was no recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11477846

Incident

Aug 5, 2022

Mileage

55,000 mi

The airbag deployed on my wife that was in her third trimester pregnancy while driving on the highway, which left the baby and my wife at risk. She was sent to the emergency for abdominal trauma. Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or RAM dealer were unable to locate a recall number for the Jeep Airbag System Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module. It was a very long process and Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, or Ram dealership located on I-10 kept giving us different responses about our airbag being at the dealership and then later finding out that they did not have the airbag in stock. The dealership offered $500 to keep the vehicle, but I refused and just wanted them to repair the airbag. The dealership kept calling us to pick up the vehicle and in order to do that, we would have to get it towed to where we lived. Luckily, a staff member at the dealership informed us that if we were to pick up the Jeep at that time then we would be fully responsible for it and could not hold the dealership accountable if something worse happened. Instead of following through with towing it, we did our own research and discovered that there were several similar testimonies about this issue for the same year make and model, (2003 Jeep Liberty). We called corporate several times and they were unable to locate the recall number nor give us a solution. After several months had passed, we finally received a recall number via text and email from Mopar.com. ( FCA Recall # R06). We then contacted the dealership with the recall number and confirmed that this was an issue that needed to be taken care of. They took several months to locate an airbag and finally repair the ORC module. Once the vehicle was ready for pick up, they did not exactly walk us through the vehicle and new parts installed. The Jeep was in poor condition; it was left outside, uncovered, and paint is now peeling. Seatbelts do not spring back, dash lights are dim and steering is screeching, engine light is on. This took a total of 8 months.

NHTSA ID

11465077

Incident

Jun 2, 2021

Lower passenger front ball joint corroded and broke in half. Luckily this happened backing out of a parking space . Somehow this vin does not show on the F23 RECALL???

NHTSA ID

11443488

Incident

Dec 10, 2021

Front lower control arm ball joints are worn on both sides an it's only the bottom ones. No Safety hazard yet but I'm sure if it fails it will be scary. Multiple other vehicles made prior to the moth this one was manufactured had a recall on the lower ball joints. I believe this vehicle is also affected by faulty front lower control arm ball joints. No warnings an I've had excessive play in the ball joints for about about as long as I have had the vehicle but as I said it's only the lower front all other joints remain intact an in working order

NHTSA ID

11435264

Incident

Dec 25, 2020

On 7/10 I'm driving down the road towards the freeway. I hear a very loud pop that startles me. I pull over & discover lower ball joint has separated causing the lower control arm to slip out of socket into the wheel & than separate from wheel. I mean its still attached to the vehicle but vehicle is completely disabled. It caused significant damage to the right front wheel and somewhat minor damage to the right front fender. Theres literally metal shaving all over the road from it carving the metal out of my wheel. Get home and my boyfriend tells me that he's discovered 3 safety recalls. So we call FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) they said they would have it towed to the dealership no problem but they needed a $103 for the tow that they would reimburse later. They told us to pick any dealership. So FCA has it towed from my driveway on 7/13 at 8:45pm to Lithia Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Portland Dealership. Safety recall F23 was replaced by the dealership but the manufacturer (FCA) has not fixed the damage and is denying responsibility. FCA calls on 9/16 to finally tell us that a certified inspector has determined the damage to the wheel and fender is not from the recall. Which is a lie and I can take it to a mechanic and have that verified. They also go on to state they are not going to reimburse the $103 for the tow. So we go to the dealership to pick up the car the next day. I speak with Will in the service department and ask to see a copy of the inspection that the FCA is talking about. Will tells me that FCA never sent an inspector out and there is no inspection report stating that the damage is not from the recall. I have lots of photos of everything. Please contact me

NHTSA ID

11435190

Incident

Jul 10, 2021

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH MY DAD, WHEN SUDDENLY THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. WE CHECKED THE SEATBELTS AND OTHER FACTORS, BUT IT DIDN'T TURN OFF

NHTSA ID

11403946

Incident

Mar 19, 2021

Mileage

180,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 JEEP LIBERTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BALL JOINT AND CONTROL ARM DETACHED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MARTIN SWANTY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (2640 E. ANDY DEVINE AVE, KINGMAN, AZ 86401) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE RESULTS FROM THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TIE ROD, BALL JOINT, UPPER CONTROL ARMS AND CV AXLES WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED A THIRD TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AGAIN. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BALL JOINT WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11397524

Incident

Apr 15, 2020

Mileage

200,000 mi