10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
12 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
65,788 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Jeep Liberty steering problems

steering problem

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2005 Jeep Liberty Owner Comments (Page 2 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #32

Jul 202011

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 39,999 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In a clear sunny day I was entering the freeway when I heard a big bang on my lower end front of my Jeep Liberty. There was nothing in the road that could have damaged it. The road was clear of any debris. After a couple of years taking it in into my Jeep dealership they could find nothing wrong with it. Finally not third but forth was a charm when they told me the lower front arms and bushing needed replacing. I have heard from many Jeep owners that they have had the same problems I want to know why these parts have not been recalled.

- Grimes, IA, USA

problem #31

Jul 262014

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 136,706 miles
I had turned into the parking lot and the lower ball joint on the passenger side had broke. I had this taken care of by a non Jeep dealer due to short on funds to have it done by a Jeep dealer, at the time this happened did not know Jeep would have covered the cost of the repairs since this issue was a recall issue that had been fix back in 2007. This Jeep I had purchased used in Dec 2013. I had called Jeep Corp to check on recalls after I had first purchased. Found things were fixed but was not told there was a 10 year warranty on that work that was done back in 2007 by the previous owner. If I would have know that at the time I had this issue again on July 26 2014 I would have taken it to the Jeep dealer, but because I did not have a lot of money I had it fixed by another auto repair service. I would like to be reimbursed for the cost at $534.40 I had to pay in July 2014 for issues with the same that were recalled and fixed back in 2007. I had called today to find out what I could do and was told nothing now since I had it fixed by a non Jeep dealer. I really think it should be reimbursed do to the fact I had to have this fixed after it was recall and fixed by a Jeep dealer and it still broke. I have the receipt for the repairs that were done July 2014.

- Cocoa, FL, USA

problem #30

Dec 302011

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 35,000 miles
When driving over metal plates or small patches of ice front wheels lock and make steering impossible if brakes are being applied. This is happening at very low speed. I bought this Jeep used.

- S Ozone Pk, NY, USA

problem #29

May 142014

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 116,750 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When driving faster than 15 mph, when I would take my foot off the accelerator or brake, the car would swerve violently and randomly to the right or the left even though I was not turning the steering wheel. This is the exact same issue in NHTSA campaign number: 12V085000, but my vehicle was not included in this recall.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #28

Aug 212013

Liberty 4WD 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles
Vehicle was involved in a crash with a light pole and small tree. Driver was forced to the right side of the road to avoid a head on crash with another vehicle. Two of the front bumper sensors were hit, but the air bags failed to deploy. The drive hit the steering column that had broken off with her sternum, and the passenger hit the windshield. There was a question involving the seat belts not holding either of the individuals in place. The 2005 Jeep had several recalls, and many shop bulletins of part failures on file though this one was checked by the dealer and certified as ok...updated 09-18-13 updated

- Pueblo West, CO, USA

problem #27

Apr 042013

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 99,800 miles
Failure of steering column rod to actuate ignition sense switch caused vehicle no start and driver stranded. Rod goes between key cylinder and ignition switch. Key can still be turned, but if ignition switch does not actuate engine does not start. There are no dealer serviceable components in steering column. This leads to the entire steering column needing replacement for the failure of a 3mm aluminum cast rod. Dealer estimate of $1200 for repair. Pictures are available.

- Lake Orion, MI, USA

problem #26

Feb 012013

Liberty 4WD 4-cyl Diesel

  • 104,104 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is the second incident on the same vehicle with the right front wheel falling off due to the five studs being sheared off. First incident was @ 104104mi and second at 152212mi. All mileage is highway mileage on the 4X4. No of-road rough treatment.

- Bowser, Bc Canada, AP, USA

problem #25

Jan 232009

Liberty

  • 31,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made loud whining noises. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified but stated there were no recalls for the VIN. The contact did extensive research on the internet and determined that the failure was the power steering pump. The contact also stated that the windows in the vehicle randomly open independently. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 31,000.

- Centennial , CO, USA

problem #24

Jan 012008

Liberty

  • miles
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be started and the steering wheel was locked in place. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer where they advised her that the steering column needed to be replaced due to the ignition rod being fractured. The vehicle was repaired for the steering column. The failure recurred six months later. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown. The current mileage was unknown.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #23

Nov 132012

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 32,436 miles
On a rainy morning on 11/13/2012 while merging onto the interstate my Jeep Liberty went into a skid and I lost control of the vehicle and hit the roadside barrier. The front and back bumpers were damaged. The problem was not the skid but that the steering wheel locked in place and could not be steered to help control the truck. This had happened at least twice before when the truck went into a skid. My husband had asked our local service dealer about it and he said that this was part of the Jeep suspension and was not a defect in the vehicle operation. Based on that inquiry, I thought the first time this happened, that maybe it was just a fluke. However, now I am not so sure. I do not believe that the steering column on a vehicle should locked in place and not allow the vehicle to be controlled. Additionally, I have been waiting eight months for my local Jeep dealer to get the part for the latest safety recall, L27/NHTSA 12V-085 rear suspension lower control arms. We checked last month and the service department stated that we were still number two on the list and when they got the repair part we would get the repair part. We have been told since May 2012 that we were number two on the repair list. I need answers on why my steering wheel does this or I need to get rid of this vehicle because if this happens again I might have very different results than the past two times.

- Odenton, MD, USA

problem #22

Jun 282011

Liberty 4WD 6-cyl

  • 107,989 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that when driving over 45 mph, the vehicle would start to wobble uncontrollably. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the issue who offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 107,989. Updated 08-03-12 updated 8/31/2012

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #21

Feb 212012

Liberty 6-cyl

  • miles
Late night I had stopped at a traffic light and had begun to move when I heard a noise coming from the back end of the Jeep. I was then driving at about 30 - 35 mph when the backend started to "slide" out like I was on ice. Since there was no ice I pulled over to check it out with a flashlight. I checked the wheels, put the hazard lights on, and since I was pretty close to home I drove between 10 - 15 mph. Today I found out the one of the control arms was so rusted that it broke and the other was rusted badly where it was welded. Nothing else on the bottom of the Jeep looked so rusted and I take good care to get the under body washed often in the winter. The arms looked like they had been sitting in a junk yard for 20 years or so, they were that bad! we called the local Jeep dealer to ask about a warranty or even a recall but were informed there was neither. She gave us a number to call at Chrysler which we did immediately. We were told the same thing there but they gave us a case number. I did find an article on the internet from Sept. 20, 2011 that said there were at least 11 complaints of the same problem and that it was being investigated by NHTSA. I was lucky enough that I wasn't driving on the freeway 70 + mph since I usually leave for Arizona this week. Since there may be other Jeep owners out there unaware that this could happen, I decided to make this complaint. I think that this is excessive rust on a vehicle only 7 years old. Even though there was no accident or a death, please take this complaint seriously. I do have some really good pictures of the parts before they were removed from the Jeep if you need them.

- Holland, MI, USA

problem #20

Nov 012011

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 83,500 miles
I was on my way home from my job early and I had noticed a funny grinding sound when I pulled out of my parking space. I got out, checked around the truck and saw nothing. I then drove home about 7 miles from my house my car had began going right then left and I was unable to steer it at all. I was fortunate that I was not going fast and I was able to stop and pull into a parking lot. I would have crashed if this had happened minutes before when I was on the interstate. I had my car towed to the nearest garage and learned that the rear suspension control arms had both completely rusted through and the only thing keeping my Jeep rear end together was a sway bar. The mechanic says he had never seen anything like it. I have contacted Chrysler also. I purchased the car in Connecticut.

- Ooltewah, TN, USA

problem #19

Sep 152011

Liberty 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
My Jeep is making winding and grinding noises. I thought that it was the ball joints which Chrysler eventually agreed to replace since it is considered a repeat recall for them but the noise, vibration and shimmy in the steering has persisted and the service dept. At the dealer informed me that I also need control arms and sway bar links. The service rep told me that it was not considered to be normal wear and tear. I contacted Chrysler and the person assigned to my case told me he would get back to me to follow up. Days later when I finally tracked him down in between his breaks and phone calls he told me that the dealer told him that it was just normal wear and tear. I haven't taken my car off road and it hasn't been in the snow or on salty roads. The last time that I tried to reach him I was told that he did not work on wednesdays. Still no response from Chrysler from anyone regarding whether or not its a safety concern that they will cover or assist with. I updated my case with the info that I would add to your ongoing investigation if I did not receive an update regarding assistance from them. The Jeep is 5 yrs. Old and is still making a horrible noise on the front driver's side and I cannot get a response of any kind from Chrysler. I have a power train warranty in effect until the end of November. Please let me know if you can assist with expediting this matter with Chrysler since I do not feel safe driving the Jeep in this condition. Originally, I was told by my case manager that everything including the control arms and sway bar links would be replaced along with the ball joints but now I'm being told that it was a miscommunication because its normal wear and tear. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

problem #18

Sep 122011

Liberty 6-cyl

  • miles
I cannot control my vehicle while driving on the highway. The steering column seems to be very loose and the Jeep shimmies. It seems that when you reach maybe 50 mph the back end seems to pull to the right while you are trying to drive straight. Causing alot of shaking and pulling going on. A very unsteady ride. And noticed when trying to stop at the fast pace the front end wants to go to the left while the back end wants to go to the right. Very scary driving conditions. Took it to the Jeep dealer last year and they told me that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle, that Jeep have alot of play in the steering. But when I noticed that when I go over a bump a loud clanking noise happens I decided to look on line to see what the problem could be and I saw that there was a recall on ball joints, so I thought it could be that. I took it into the dealership yesterday and they told me that there was something wrong, described exactly what I was dealing with and told me that they would find out. To my dismay, they said it was my rear lowe control arms that needed to be replaced and would charge me over 600 to fix. Now finding out that others are having the same issue and some have resulted in a wreck. Something needs to be done regarding this issue before someone loses their lives.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #17

Feb 052010

Liberty

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and was towed to a local repair shop for inspection. The mechanic diagnosed that the steering column was defective and made repairs. The failure recurred within one year and the vehicle was taken back to the mechanic where the contact was advised to have the steering column replaced a second time. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 72,000 and the current mileage was 78,000.

- South East Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #16

Mar 312011

Liberty

  • 85,100 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start after several attempts. The vehicle was then towed to a local mechanic where he was advised that the ignition switch and steering column would need to be replaced. There was no electrical current passing through the starter and the mechanic advised that there were aluminum pieces that fractured in the steering column and caused the failure. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts needed were on backorder. The contact believed that the manufacturer was ignoring the issue which he stated was a severe safety issue. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was replaced twice since owning the vehicle. The failure mileage was 85,100. The VIN was not available.

- Los Angels, CA, USA

problem #15

Nov 122010

Liberty

  • 55,000 miles
While driving on a straight road at 35 miles/hour, the 2005 Jeep Liberty suddenly lost control. The vehicle turned left and then around, and stopped on the opposite lane. It was raining and the road was wet. No hard brake or acceleration before this happened. The steering wheel was locked when the vehicle finally stopped. No injuries. The engine seemed on but the accelerator didn't work. Had to turn off the vehicle completely and restart it. Then everything started working. Couldn't visually see anything wrong from the outside or under the hood. All fluid levels were normal. Scared to death. The vehicle had no any issues before. It had always been working fine. It only had ~55K miles on it.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #14

Aug 012010

Liberty

  • 42,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty power steering hose failed for no apparent reason and this should not be happening !!

- Marblehead, MA, USA

problem #13

Apr 292010

Liberty

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. While driving 30 mph, the contact was unable to control the steering wheel and crashed into a guardrail. The contact suffered broken ribs, several bruises and cuts. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed. The manufacturer confirmed that an investigator would further assess the failure. The investigation had not occurred when the complaint was filed. The failure and current mileages were 25,000. Updated 06/22/10.

- Running Springs, CA, USA

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