Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Jeep Liberty owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Driver had just completed turn on to an approach ramp to a 4 lane highway. As Jeep Liberty started down ramp it sped up with no pedal pressure. The Jeep pulled sharply to the left, the driver was able to correct but because of continued increase of speed hit guard rail on opposite side of ramp. The driver had both feet on the brake and held Jeep against guard rail for approx 300 ft before being able to stop. The uncontrolled acceleration had caused the Jeep to swerve side to side and it was only the skill of the driver that prevented this Jeep from going over the edge of the ramp and rolling over. The driver received a broken wrist in her effort to keep the Jeep on the road. The Jeep was taken to the local dealer and is still sitting there. The manufacturer has inspected the Jeep and told the dealer not to touch it. …
Dt*: the contact stated when applying brake pressure the vehicle lurched forward. When attempting to make a low speed stop at a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into traffic. The vehicle continued to accelerate even though brake pressure was applied. The vehicle struck a culvert, rolled 3 times and eventually came to a stop along the embankment. The contact was extracted from the vehicle by emergency services. Although the contact was wearing a seat belt, minor injuries were sustained. Upon initial impact, the seat belt released from the buckle assembly and the air bag did not deploy. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance adjustor.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. While the vehicle was stopped at a red light, it accelerated independently even while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle had to be placed into neutral in order to stop. The vehicle was taken to galeana Chrysler Jeep Kia (180 greystone blvd, columbia, sc 29210) where the dealer stated that there was no issue with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred several more times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 15,800. Updated 08/09/17
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while entering a parking space with the brakes engaged, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. A police report was filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 40,560.
While backing out of the driveway vehicle suddenly accelerated, and the accelerator pedal was stuck to the floor. Consumer was not able to maintain control of the vehicle. Consumer placed both feet on the brake pedal and vehicle continued to accelerate into a house. Driver sustained back and neck injuries and was transported to the hospital. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company.
2004 Jeep Liberty parked in parking garage. Put key in ignition and had foot on brake. Turned key on, put it in reverse and car accelerated out of control. Put second foot on brake and tried to stop car. Continued to accelerate. Front drivers side tire caught a pillar and between that and practically standing on brake finally stopped car. Took car to dealer in west valley ut. They could not repeat a diagnostic problem but did state the throttle body was dirty and cleaned it, along with $1575.95 worth of parts and labor. They replaced a bent steering gear. I had the car for 5 years and it never happened before. I wrote to Chrysler and they sent me a check for half of the $1575.95 damage. They did not include any other paperwork. I called them and they again would not put anything in writing as to why they did not pay the entire amount. …
The speedometer / mileage odometer have intermittently stopped working on several occasions. I brought this up to the dealership since prior to the vehicle going out of the 36mo/36000 mile warranty and was told there was nothing wrong with it, there obviously is. The final time they went out was on nov 10th while we were going through the mountains of tennessee on our way to nc. It has not worked since. After much looking on the internet I have discovered there are a lot of other consumers with the identical complaint on the 2001 through 2006 Jeep Liberty's. …
At about 5-6,000 miles my 04 Jeep Liberty sport's acceleration began to stutter at around 50 MPH. If you drive consistently between 50-60 MPH for a few miles and then try to accelerate the engine pressure drops, the rpms drop and the gas peddle feels like it's disappeared. Eventually it will catch and the rpms spike to about 4000 rpms and the car accelerates but in an emergency situation I feel that the cars acceleration will fail. I've brought it to the dealer on several occasions and every time the dealer can not replicate the problem as the problem happens only when you sustain 50-60 MPH over a period of time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle accelerated up to 75 MPH on its own. The contact was able to decelerate. The failure recurred, and while depressing the brake, the vehicle accelerated instead of braking. There was a warning light illuminated with a symbol of a car and the contact was unsure of what that meant. The vehicle was taken to dealer; however an inspection or repair did not take place. The manufacturer was notified and no assistance was provided. The failure and current mileages were 72,000. Updated 08-07-12 updated 08/08/2012
Acceleration complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Jeep Liberty, 2% of the model year's 1,101 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Jeep Liberty acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Jeep Liberty, though it has 7 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 2004 Jeep Liberty acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.