Most common 2004 Jeep Liberty problems
Share of the 1,101 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Jeep Liberty complaints by model year
Best Liberty years: 2000, 2001, 2009. Years to avoid: 2006, 2002, 2005, 2003, 2004. Compare all years →
2004 Jeep Liberty recalls (7)
Suspension › Rear
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2004-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The rear suspension lower control arms can fracture due to excessive corrosion, causing a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Structure
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The fuel tanks in these vehicles are at risk of failure and leakage in certain rear impacts.
Remedy: Owners may take their vehicles to dealers and the dealers will perform a free inspection of the rear structure. On vehicles in the recall that are not equipped with a tow hitch, Chrysler will install a Chrysler designed…
Suspension › Rear
In June 2012, Chrysler expanded this recall to include model year 2006 and 2007 Jeep liberty vehicles, representing an additional 137,176 vehicles. This recall now concerns certain my 2004-2007 Jeep liberty vehicles. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 346,900.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear lower control arms on all affected vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland,…
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
On certain trucks, the constant tension front lower ball joints May experience contamination. If the vehicle is operated for an extended period with this condition, the ball joint May eventually experience wear and looseness.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on September 11, 2006. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Engine and engine cooling
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.7l engines only, two valve cover studs May interfere with the fuel injector and alternator wiring harnesses.
Remedy: Dealers will add protective caps to the valve cover studs and re-route the affected wiring harness to provide clearance. Owner notification began on July 19, 2004. Owners can contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
On some sport utility vehicles, certain remote keyless entry (rke) input May cause the body control module (BCM) software to actuate the door lock motors continuously.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace, as necessary, the door latch assemblies and the BCM software will be updated. Owner notification began on May 10, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Show 1 more recall
Equipment › Other › Labels
On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a recent software programming error, the tire, wheel, and inflation pressure information was inadvertently omitted from the vehicle certification label.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a corrected tire certification label. Owner notification began on March 1, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2004 Jeep Liberty:
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
During Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-013), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) conducted an analysis of consumer field data from its Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) database and from complaint data submitted to ODI by Chrysler.
Front suspension ball joint separation
On January 6, 2006, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged front suspension lower ball joint separation while driving in certain model year (my) 2004 Jeep liberty vehicles.odi sent a letter to the manufacturer on February 7, 2006 requesting information about these and other Jeep liberty vehicles.odi is aware of 93 non-duplicative complaints that allege…
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
ODI has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles (SVs).As of June 2013, ODI knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries) involving the SVs.Based on this analysis, ODI issued a Recall Request Letter (RRL) on June 3, 2013…
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
In a letter dated March 2, 2012 Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) submitted a Defect Information Report (NHTSA recall No. 12V-085) to the NHTSA identifying a safety defect regarding rear suspension lower control arm corrosion in approximately 210,000 model year (MY) 2004 and 2005 Jeep Liberty vehicles, originally sold or currently registered in a Salt-belt state (Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,…
Front suspension ball joint separation
On January 6, 2006, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged front suspension lower ball joint separationin certain model year (my) 2004 Jeep liberty vehicles.odi sent a letter to the manufacturer on February 7, 2006 requesting information about these and other Jeep liberty vehicles.consequently, the investigation was upgraded to an engineering analysis on May…
What 2004 Jeep Liberty owners say
Suspension all 456 →
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 06V288000 (Suspension), 13V252000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Structure), and 18V278000 (Suspension). The contact scheduled a recall repair appointment, and after arriving at the dealer, was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The dealer suggested that the appointment be rescheduled. The appointment was rescheduled. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ball joints fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle for almost a month before the contact was advised that the recall repairs could not be completed due to other vehicle failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,674. …
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V085000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to an undisclosed dealer, where the recall repair was completed; however, the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started shaking violently. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a parking lot where the front passenger's side wheel detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was under a parts warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
Fuel & propulsion system all 186 →
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 06V288000 (Suspension), 13V252000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Structure), and 18V278000 (Suspension). The contact scheduled a recall repair appointment, and after arriving at the dealer, was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The dealer suggested that the appointment be rescheduled. The appointment was rescheduled. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ball joints fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle for almost a month before the contact was advised that the recall repairs could not be completed due to other vehicle failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,674. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that a white cloudy smoke emitted from the front of the vehicle and into the inner compartment. The contact noticed sparks and pulled over to the side of the road as a fire erupted under the hood. The fire department was able to extinguish the flames. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The VIN was not available. The contact was later notified of NHTSA campaign number: 13V252000 (fuel system, gasoline, structure) years after the failure occurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. Ma 10/25/15
Body & structure all 128 →
The contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 06V288000 (Suspension), 13V252000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Structure), and 18V278000 (Suspension). The contact scheduled a recall repair appointment, and after arriving at the dealer, was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. The dealer suggested that the appointment be rescheduled. The appointment was rescheduled. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ball joints fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle for almost a month before the contact was advised that the recall repairs could not be completed due to other vehicle failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 183,674. …
I drove for about an hour on a steep mountain road. Sometimes using the overdrive to go up steep grades. The cruise control would not work. I made it to town and was on the main road stopped in traffic. Suddenly, the rpms raced and the Jeep accelerated on its own. I had my foot on the brake, but had to put it in park to stop it, but not before it hit then truck in front of me. I was shaken up and checked the floor mat to make sure it was not touching the gas pedal. It was not.
2004 Jeep Liberty engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 17 / 22 / 19 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 14 / 20 / 17 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 19 / 17 |
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 20 / 16 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Jeep Liberty a good car?
Based on 1,101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2004 Liberty rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Liberty at the same age. It is one of the Liberty years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2004 Jeep Liberty?
The suspension — 456 complaints, 41% of all complaints for this model year, most often about front › control arm › lower ball joint. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (186) and body & structure (128).
How many recalls does the 2004 Jeep Liberty have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2004 Jeep Liberty, the most recent from May 1, 2018 (rear). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Jeep Liberty?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2000, 2001 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2006, 2002, 2005, 2003 and 2004. See the full Jeep Liberty years comparison.
At what mileage do 2004 Jeep Liberty problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 38% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.