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 2005 Jeep Liberty owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the steering wheel would shake with the vehicle wobbling. The contact stated that the vehicle was out of alignment. The contact informed the original owner of the failure, who then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ball joint was faulty, but only performed an alignment. The failure recurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure but did not diagnose or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 98,500.
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while reversing and making a left turn, the front driver's side ball joint fractured and the lower control arm detached. The steering wheel also shook and jerked while driving approximately 50 mph. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was a recall repaired in 2006, for the ball joints. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Drivers side lower ball joint catastrophic failure with no warning signs evident except split boot(s). Separation/break from upper control arm, tie rod and steering assembly at low speed reverse. NHTSA Recall ID: 06V288000 (Daimler-Chrysler Notification Code: F23) of lower ball joints performed by Chrysler authorized dealer/repair station 2007. Dealer contacted two (2) weeks prior to incident to coordinate possible re-repair and/or consideration of faulty OEM parts used in original recall. Consumer stated gas smell around his car and inside.
About 6 months ago the passenger side front end to hit the ground, just after going 60 miles an hour thankfully turning in daughter's driveway. Lower ball joint passenger side came apart. On Monday doing 35 mph the driver side hits the pavement hard! Luckily I ditched in a driveway on the left! The tire slammed into the fender well breaking the plastic there and the piece that goes back under the doors? Ball joint broke completely into? I'm on my third day of working in the rain alongside a road repairing this?
Today 6/16/2025 I'm having trouble turning to the right and left leaving from a stop sign we checked to be sure power steering fluid is full and it is. The person who checked the power steering fluid level, said that there is rubber grommets under the hood with the suspension and staring that look like they are all decayed or dry rotted. I have not had a problem with it breaking yet, but I'm sure that's coming. Not sure it's safe to drive.
Lower ball joints gave out on driver's side while turning, snapping the wheel/tire from the car and dropping vehicle down abruptly. Dealership who fixed the lower control arm and hitch recalls, did not fix and said there was no Lower Ball Joint recall- which was a confirmed recall and lead to vehicle damage and safety hazard
I was traveling on the highway at about 60 mph, hit a small bump in the highway and nearly lost total control. Pulled over and came to a complete stop. Re-entered the highway and nearly lost control even at a slower speed, 55mph.
Making a left turn onto a major route at 30 MPH when all of a sudden the vehicle takes off on it's own and begins to swerve picking up speed while both my feet are off of the pedals. It hits one concrete wall on a bridge and proceeds to cross yellow line picking up more speed before smashing straight into other concrete wall. It's the only thing that stopped this vehicle from continuing on. Air bags went off and split expelling strange odor. A Jeep dealer commented that either a sensor went or accelerator pedal had stuck. I could not straighten the vehicle out by steering at all.
On a rainy morning on 11/13/2012 while merging onto the interstate my Jeep Liberty went into a skid and I lost control of the vehicle and hit the roadside barrier. The front and back bumpers were damaged. The problem was not the skid but that the steering wheel locked in place and could not be steered to help control the truck. This had happened at least twice before when the truck went into a skid. My husband had asked our local service dealer about it and he said that this was part of the Jeep suspension and was not a defect in the vehicle operation. Based on that inquiry, I thought the first time this happened, that maybe it was just a fluke. However, now I am not so sure. I do not believe that the steering column on a vehicle should locked in place and not allow the vehicle to be controlled. …
I was coming home the day before the holiday. It was a busy day around 4:30 pm. I began heading down the heel and the car just turned off. I was unable to restart, steer, brake or control any aspect of the car. Unfortunately when the car stopped, it threw me forward into the dash. Fortunately, the gentleman that was in front of me saw me waving and yelling I couldn't stop and risked his life by pulling in front of the oncoming traffic to allow my car to continue soaring down the hill. Once I reached the bottom of the hill, my vehicle came to rest between two lanes of a four lane road. Mind you this road has hills coming from both ways. Fortunately again, a tow truck driver came along and stopped traffic until he could safely tow me into my driveway (free of charge). When I tried starting the vehicle again it ran like it was about to blow up and rattled something terrible. …
Steering complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Jeep Liberty, 5% of the model year's 1,118 complaints. The component named most often is column (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Jeep Liberty steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Jeep Liberty, though it has 5 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 2005 Jeep Liberty steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 13 crashes, 1 fire and 6 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.