2008 Jeep Liberty power train problems

“We had a fire in the engine compartment. Fire started at the engine manifold ! We took pictures of the damage! This could have killed my son in law ! We gifted the vehicle to him so it could be used as a station vehicle. A dangerous situation Exist ! There is no recall or acknowledgment of this problem being identified!”

“ON 17 FEBRUARY, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, I PLACED MY CAR INTO REVERSE TO BACK INTO AN AVAILABLE PARKING SPOT AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP ON ITS OWN AND SHOT THE CAR BACKWARD AT TOP SPEED HITTING AND TOPPLING A SAN DIEGO LIGHT POST AND STOPPING WHEN IT HIT A TREE. NO ONE WAS INJURED THANK GOODNESS. I FOUND ON LINE THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED AT LEAST 31 TIMES WITH A SIMILAR JEEP LIBERTY.”

“ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND THEN TURNED OFF, IT WILL NOT START FOR 20 TO 30 MINUTES UNTIL IT HAS COOLED OFF. IT IS NOT SHOWING ANY CODES,NOT OVERHEATING OR RUNNING HOT, SPARK PLUGS, SPARK PLUG WIRES, ALTERNATOR, AND BATTERY HAVE BEEN REPLACED. I'VE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE WITH 2002 LIBERTIES AND NEWER. IT IS APPARENTLY AN ISSUE WITH A TRANSMISSION SHIFT MODULE BEING TOO CLOSE TO A HEAT SOURCE, AND IT CAN'T TELL THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK UNTIL THE ENGINE COOLS DOWN. IF YOU DRIVE IT AND LEAVE IT OFF FOR LESS THAN 5 MINUTES THERE IS NOT AN ISSUE, BUT IF IT'S TURNED OFF MORE THAN 5 MINUTES IT TAKES BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START. IT STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS AGO SO I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT DATE. I CAN TURN IT OFF AND DO A REMOTE START WITH THE KEY AND IT WILL START BACK UP IF THE REMOTE START TIME HASN'T EXPIRED YET, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT TO BE ABLE TO START IT AGAIN.”

“TAKATA RECALL, AND SUDDENLY HEARD A POP IN THE REAR, THE VEHICLE SHOOK, CUT OFF AND WOULD NOT START, LIGHNING BOLT LIGHT AND TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON. IT DID START BUT WOULD NOT GO ABOUT 20. MADE IT HOME AND PARKED. SHOP THINKS IT MAY BE DRIVE SHAFT BUT SEVERAL THINGS SHOWING UP ON MONITOR.”

“I HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ISSUES WITH MY 08 JEEP LIBERTY. THE LOCKS RANDOMLY LOCK AND UNLOCK. WHEN I USE THE LOCK BUTTON ON THE TRANSMITTER, IT'LL UNLOCK THE DOORS SOMETIMES RIGHT AFTER OR AT SOME POINT WHEN PARKED. THE HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY COME ON AND GO OFF WHEN PARKED. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ALSO RANDOMLY ACTIVATES ON DRY PAVEMENT AND EVEN THROWS THE FRONT END OUT OF ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT WILL BRAKE ONE WHEEL. I'VE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ENGAGING. ALSO, WHEN THE TRACTION/STABILITY CONTROL ENGAGES THERE'S A NOISE FROM THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AT WHATEVER WHEEL IT'S TRYING TO BRAKE. I TOOK IT INTO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED MY FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS AND THAT HASN'T FIXED THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY ARE SAYING I NEED A NEW DRAFT SHAFT, TIE RODS AND A COUPLE OTHER FRONT END PIECES. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE COMING FROM. IT'S A SCARY SITUATION DRIVING THIS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO MAKE IT WHERE I'M GOING BECAUSE THE STEERING CAN LOSE CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE TRACTION SYSTEM. ALSO, IT'S DEVELOPED A MAJOR LEAK IN THE HATCH AREA BY THE TOP…”

“THE FRONT AXLES OF THE JEEP ARE EXTREMELY HEAVILY CORRODED BEYOND ANYTHING I'VE EVER SEEN. THE STEEL IS EASILY REMOVED BY HAND AND THE AXLE NUT IS NO LONGER PRESENT. THIS AFFECTS BOTH SIDES BUT NO OTHER STEEL PARTS APPEAR TO HAVE THE SAME CORROSION ISSUE. THE AXLES ARE THE ORIGINAL JEEP PARTS FROM THE FACTORY. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WHEN THE ISSUE WAS DISCOVERED.”