Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Jeep Liberty owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I install an after market right side tail light assembly on my Jeep liberty, light is "plug and play" during check out I found the whole light assembly was improperly wired so I sent back to Amazon and ordered another from a different supplier when I received it, it was manufactured by the same company Eagle Eyes auto lamps. The safety issue that were experienced The tail light was on the bright element of the light bulb, the brake light was on the dim side of the same bulb The turn signal was the on the dim side of the bulb showing up not any brighter than a side marker light (very dim) Finally the reverse light was also wired on the dim side of the bulb and does not illuminate what's behind the vehicle when backing up Both items have a Carparts.com inc label on them I called to talk to their technical department at [phone] to make them aware of the of the problem, however the customer …
When returning home from work one evening, my headlights flickered on and off and then completely shut off. I heard a clicking sound down in the dashboard which May have been a relay. After pulling over to the side of the road, I opened my driver's side door and noticed my dome light was out as well. My dashboard lights stayed on while my headlights and dome light was off. This same incident has happened more than 8-10 times. The flickering of headlights annoys drivers ahead of me and I'm concerned they will become raged, not to mention the danger of the headlights going off while driving. I had a Jeep dealership investigate and perform a diagnostic test and nothing surfaced. I had them replace the low beam relay since I had read several reports of this same problem on the web and some guessed it May be the relay. …
Headlights will shut off while driving at night. While driving at night the headlights will intermittently shut themselves off and then turn back on approximately 10 to 15 seconds later. I have tried switching the lights completely off and back on to see if the headlights began working but they did not. I have searched the web and this site and found multiple complaints with no resolution or recall. This is a serious safety issue as there is no way to immediately correct the issue while driving or predict when it will occur. The vehicle is in motion when this occurs. The lights will come back on and stay on for a little while and then shut back off again. Sometimes they will flash from low beams to high beams and then shut off which makes it dangerous for the cars that are driving towards me. This has happened on several occasions so far and at this point I am scared to drive at night.
I was driving my vehicle down the highway when my vehicle made a loud popping sound that sounded like it came through the stereo system. I noticed all power to my car went out. The radio, lights, dash, headlights, everything shut off. I went and tried everything. I thought maybe a fuse had blown, not the case. I replaced head lamps, and the lights still didn't work. I changed my steering switch out and have since figured out it must be an electrical issue? I have read many many pages about people with this same issue or very similar. I can no longer drive the vehicle at this time because I don't feel safe in it and its not street safe.
Without warning the body control module shorts out draining the battery and damaging the multi-control switch on the steering column. Causing the headlights, interiorlights, running lights, windshield wipers, factory electric door locks, and dashboard lights to fail. This can cause a fire resulting in a total vehicle loss or loss of lighting at night while driving causing the driver to loose sight of the road. In rain conditions loss of wipers during driving would cause loss of visibility creating a dangerous driver on the road.
The headlights will go off while driving, so far they have come back on within 5 seconds, however, that is a long time without lights. I purchased the car used about 5 months ago so I do not know whether it was happening to the prior owner. It has happened 6 times since the beginning of September 2015. This car was purchased for my daughter who is turning 16y/o in October. The is dangerous for an experienced driver let alone a new driver. This issue is all over the internet dating back to at least 2008. Why has nothing been done.
I was pulling out of my driveway and the car just shut completely off and I was stuck in the middle of the road. About 10 mins later, it started back up again and drove normally. This is not safe at all and if I was driving on the road, I could have died. I'm scared to drive this car now and I can't afford to go to a mechanic and pay thousands of dollars. From looking online, this is a recurring problem with this car. There should be a recall on this issue. Someone can really lose their life over this.
The light flash on and off. Air bag light still on, the power window of bag door don,t work, the rear cargo door don,t open, the stopper rubber close the shock absorber (front) blow away, etc etc etc are factory defects all, the Liberty is a junk, the cia should take back and refund the money.
Can't go over 60 miles n the brake shake The gas pedal seem to be look at I purchase it 4 $3000 at a car lot last month
Where to begin? My airbag light has been coming on for months while driving. I took it to a Chrysler dealership 6 months ago & was charged $100 for them to tell me they didn't know what was wrong. About a month ago, while driving on the highway, my headlights went out, came back on, went out again, and finally I hit my high beams and they stayed on. My engine uses about 2 quarts of oil per week. I have parked on clean surfaces & there is no oil leaking, but it is going somewhere. I can hear a ticking noise coming from the engine area. I called Chrysler's toll-free number today after the headlights went out again, and was informed that my Jeep is under recall for the air bag module, and maybe that is what is causing the lights to go out. This makes no sense to me that one would have anything to do with the other. …
Headlight complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2002 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 53 complaints about the lights of the 2002 Jeep Liberty, 3% of the model year's 1,808 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Jeep Liberty headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2002 Jeep Liberty, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Jeep Liberty headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 109,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to lights problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.