2003 Jeep Liberty Sport from North America - Comments

Parking Brake - I Went for the first state inspection and parking brake failed. I took it to the Jeep dealership and they fixed it under warranty.

Recently, I have a major squeak on front suspension while going over bumps (ie. speed bumps).

Grinding on the front axle during turns in 4WD - I first noticed while trying to park while I was in 4WD.

Carpet mats are wearing thin.

I really love my 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport. I bought it last February (2003) and have put approximately 30,000 miles on it. Compared to the VW Jetta that I had (which was in the shop for about 4 months out of the first year) this automobile has been a dream.

I bought my Liberty about 3 weeks before we had 4 feet of snow last year. This was the first car that I've had with 4WD and I was amazed with the handling and capability of this Jeep. BUT, it was during this time that I noticed the first problem. There was a nasty grinding sound from the front axle during turns while in 4WD. It would get so bad that if I would coast through a turn, it would slow and even stop the Jeep, until I give it more gas. I remember reading somewhere about this, but I'm not sure how much damage this may be causing. We had a significant snow and ice storm this week and I noticed the grinding again. I am going to take it in to get looked at, but any feedback from others would be appreciated.

The only other significant problem was with the parking brake. I took the Jeep in for it’s first state inspection and it failed because the parking brake wouldn't hold. Luckily, I took it into the Jeep dealership and they fixed the problem at no charge, under warranty.

Otherwise I absolutely love my Liberty. I have the 3.7 V6 manual (I will forever buy a manual) and the power is great. It has plenty of room to haul whatever I need. Since, it is relatively small, it makes my commute in and around the DC Metro easy and enjoyable. My fiancé got me the aftermarket sub woofer that mounts under the seat and the sound system is fantastic. The gas mileage is definitely more than I was used to, but honestly, it's an SUV. I check the mileage periodically and I usually average around between 19 & 20 mpg, and that's with some of the worst traffic in the country.

I must say that I am anxious about my Liberty’s future. My Dad had a Cherokee for 10 years and put 150,000 miles on it. He didn't have any major problems and I know he's not alone. It is the reviews from this site and others like it that have me concerned. I am counting my blessings.

Overall - Great styling, great capabilities, and so far... a great vehicle.

The reason you are hearing a "grinding sound" as you put it is probably due to "drive-line binding". If this is your first 4WD vehicle then you need to know that you can't turn it sharply when in 4WD because if all 4 wheels are trying to move, then naturally it wouldn't want to turn because to turn all 4 wheels have to be moving at different speeds. Also, if you live in the DC area I know you do not get much snow at all and therefore you must remember to NEVER use 4WD with dry pavement or pavement that is simply wet. It is only to be used on slippery surfaces. DC may get snow sometimes, but it is never cold enough for it to actually stay and when it snows there, it is usually melted off the roads in a couple hours. Just remember to keep the 4WD off when not driving through actual snow (or something slippery), otherwise you'll ruin your 4WD.

If you have the 4WD options of 2H, 4H, N, 4L, please take it out of 4wd on dry pavement. The system is called "Command Trac" and it is part time meant for use only on dirt, mud, snow, ice. If you have 2H, 4 PART TIME, 4 FULL TIME, N, 4LO, then you have the "Selec-Trac". Be sure you're either in 2WD or 4 FULL TIME on dry pavement.

I agree with the above, never use 4WD in the dry, please read your manual.

The squeak on front suspension while going over bumps are the front sway-bar bushings, it was gone after a few weeks in mine, but you can always have the dealer replace them under warranty.

Welcome to the Jeep club.

Do not run in 4WD mode on any kind of hard/dry surface... ever. 1: it'll ruin your tires, your transmission, too. and 2: it can be dangerous. In a really tight turn, you'll notice you actually LOSE traction, as the front wheels are trying to 'pull' you out of your turn.

"The squeak on front suspension while going over bumps are the front sway-bar bushings, it was gone after a few weeks in mine, but you can always have the dealer replace them under warranty.

I have a '03' Dodge Status that had this problem show up after the 36,000 mile warranty was up so I took the car to a garage and they sprayed WD40 which solved the squeak problem for good.

BTW, I am hoping to buy a Jeep as soon as I pay off this car which I like very much.

Hi, I had the same parking brake problem on my 2003 Liberty and have had to 2 dealers to get it fixed under warranty. Neither dealer fixed it and one dealer charged me for a "parking brake adjustment" because he said it was due to shoe wear. I still have the problem and just removed part of the center console so I could look at the mechanism and I can see clearly that the mechanism is "slipping". When I pull up on the handle, the cable does not tighten, but the handle keeps coming up until it reaches its stop.

Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to fix it? thanks.

How do you adjust the parking brake on a 2003 Jeep Liberty with four wheel disc brakes??

I purchased a used 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport with 73000kms. It has the 3.7 litre engine and manual trans, my wife and I both love this machine - very rugged, lots of torque, great all around machine for living in northern Labrador. Fuel economy is what's to be expected, although not too bad with the manual.