Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
Well my 2002 jeep liberty has been messed up lately,it will just not crank so I thought it was the battery but it turned out to be the ignition switch also it did this off an on for about 6months ,the heat went out when I bought it and it will act as if it is overheating but it won't do anything for while then all of my windows have problems with the motor s in them the suspension, control arms I've had to change ,and the cruise control button will stick and keep going while you are driving it almost caused me to wreck on the interstate you have to turn the vehicle completely off once you get it to stop if you can get it to stop. out of all the vehicles I've had this is the first to take off by itself
The lower ball joint on passenger side failed. Didn't notice any symptoms prior to it breaking. I understand that it was apparently under recall. It was repaired around the recall date but it failed again and is considered recurring failure.
In November of 2006, I had a recall fixed for the "front:control arm:lower ball joint" when the parts became available. I brought the car back 3 days later having issues with the steering and hearing a noise. The dealership took the car for a few days and did a complete inspection and assured me the new parts were sufficient. Every now and then (not constant, but scarcely) when I would turn the wheel just a little, the car would turn as if I had turned my wheel all the way. It scared me a few times, but it didn't happen often at all, so I didn't think much of it. On May 31, 2007, I was merging onto I-91 in connecticut driving only 22 miles per hour, and my car did that very thing. I went up and over the curb, up the embankment and crashed into a steel connecticut state sign. If it wasn't for the sign, I would have continued to lose control and possibly been killed. …
I was driving on the highway with cruise control on doing about 60 MPH when suddenly the Jeep Liberty started jerking and the RPM needle arm and the speedometer arm started going crazy up and down. The Liberty started to slow down so I had to press on the gas pedal to maintain speed. The speedometer quit working and so did the cruise control , the auto door locks also quit working. The motor also started to die whenever I slowed down or come to a stop at a stop sign or red lights. Where its dangerous is when I am slowing down to make a turn and going in to it or half way in to it the motor dies and I lose the power steering. It takes alot of strength to complete the turn safely. I took the Liberty to a repair shop where they hooked it to a analyze machine. It said the speed sensor was bad, I had it replaced but it didn't fix anything. …
I moved to a small town. I have received three recall notices. The nearest dealership that can service my Jeep continues to tell me " those parts are not available ". After that, no one would bother to even return my emails. I realize they make no money performing a recall, but why am I to be punished? I found a dealership in medford oregon, about 120 miles away, left my information and I am waiting for a response from them. The recall of my ball joints was fixed immediately. I lived in a large area. So now with three new recalls and no one to fix the issues, what can I do? Do you have any influence over these dealerships to make them fix the problems? …
I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The ball joint separated and caused me to crash into a cement wall on I-77 in west virginia. I picked up the car after it was repaired in wv and brought it home. I had to have more work done after I got back because it still was not right. The ball joints have been replaced at least 4 times. I was told by one of the mechanics that they were still using the joints that were causing the problem because they had not figured out how to re-design them. The last time I had it repaired they (hopefully) put ones on that are a new design. I have had to have it towed because it was unsafe to drive because the joint was so bad -- I check it regularly! My insurance company is progressive. Chrysler settled with them and paid for all the repairs after the crash.
In a parking lot, started to move forward, grinding sound. Discovered that the rf wheel was off. Chrysler dealer (begnal, kingston ny) discovered rf lower ball joint broke -- damaged rf wheel, brake hose, axle shaft and seal, lower control arm, rf sway bar end link, and rf fender flare. Inspected lf ball joint - discovered it was loose. Removed rf lower control arm and installed new control arm -- installed new rf and lf ball joints, installed new rf sway bar end link and rf axle shaft assembly and seal. Mounted and balanced one tire onto new rf wheel and installed and replaced rf fender. Performed 4 wheel alignment. Jeep customer service states that this is not a recall repair. Just wear and tear to recall repair completed in 2006.
The Jeep was being driven by a family member. She was driving straight on hwy 99 and felt the front right side drop a little and heard a squealing tire. It then began to swerve side to side growing increasingly out of control until it spun and hit the center median coming to rest in the fast lane. The body shop found a broken tie rod end lower ball joint and bound knuckle it the front. Some of that would be from the impact on the guard rail. Chp identified the cause of collision as mechanical failure. There was a recall on the lower ball joints and I had that work done at the dealer. All work on the Jeep was done by the dealership. I have contacted daimler Chrysler and they are sending some one to look at it.
Speedometer quit working, upon slowing down the vehicle stalled and I lost power steering and braking became difficult. I had to pull to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. I had to drive with my foot on the brake and throttle at the same time to prevent stalling. The problem was with the rear speed sensor on the rear differential. This is the 3rd time I have had this problem. Having to drive the vehicle in the manor described has caused the gears to break in the rear differential, which I had to replace and has caused excessive break pad and brake rotor wear. This problem causes a very unsafe condition which should be addressed by the manufacturer.
After an inspection it was found that my upper control arms & ball joints are no good from mostly corrosion .I have 73000 miles on this truck. Doing re search I find a recall for this exact same problem. The recall states that this problem is registration specific to salt belt usage. Again I qualify for that part as well.the recall is j 17 and in calling Jeep there telling me about the VIN but not about the salt belt state useage .the arms do not corrode in fla but they do in ny . The ball joint and arm need replacement this is clearly a manufacture defect of the part exposed to salt. Calling Jeep is worthless called nhsta same result
Steering complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2002 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the steering of the 2002 Jeep Liberty, 4% of the model year's 1,808 complaints. The component named most often is hydraulic power assist system (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Jeep Liberty steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 14 crashes, 0 fires and 7 injuries to steering 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.