Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Jeep Liberty owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Driving on highway, began hearing a high pitched humming noise, began smelling a burning rubber smell, pulled over to side of highway, and smoke began coming from under the hood. Within 10 mins, the front end of the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. Have owned vehicle for a year and a half, and have had no issues prior to this incident. Car seemed to be functioning normally prior to this incident.
While driving my 2011 Jeep Liberty with the cruise control set at 70mph on I-65 interstate coming out of gary indiana the tell-tales lit up and the car dropped out of cruise control and it took the car a few seconds to gain power again. This all started with the drivers door not unlocking with the remote. A diagnostics was run on the car and they said they couldn't find anything wrong, other than a rear sensor on the brake making the brake light come on. Doing an internet research the TIPM sensor is the cause of most of these problems which Chrysler doesn't want to admit. This same issue was deemed not an issue a few years back by the NHTSA with the Liberty but deemed no good by the NHTSA for the Jeep cherokee and Dodge durango. This was a dangerous situation for me and my family. If I hadn't took action as quick as I did we would have been rear ended by a semi. …
2011 Jeep Liberty with 76,310 experienced immediate and catastrophic engine failure while driving on a city street. Just prior to failing the oil pressure and check engines lights came on. A knocking noise occurred right before failure. Oil blew from the engine covering roadway under the vehicle. The vehicle was always serviced by the local Jeep dealership per the recommended schedules. The vehicle was towed to the same dealership where it was serviced. Tear down of the engine by Jeep certified technicians revealed several failed components making exact root cause of failure unknown. Cost to replace the engine and related parts was $7,800. Chrysler customer care was contacted about covering the cost of the engine. Any assistance by Chrysler was denied.
Purchased vehicle used in January 2020. Five days later, the first DTC illuminated, and it has been an absolute nightmare ever since. So far I have replaced the purge valve, water pump, serpentine belt, radiator, alternator, pcv valve, tensioner assembly, front brakes, left exhaust manifold, door seals, sway bar bushings/links - all within the first 10,000 miles. Brake caliper pistons seized and locked, causing brakes to smoke and overheat, discovered exhaust leak only after developing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Even after all of that, the vehicle still sounds awful and has serious performance issues. I fully expect that the engine will be toast any day, and I still have almost three years worth of payments left on it.
P0300 cylinder misfire code appeared when my vehicle wouldn't start and now I need to replace my left side engine head and it's costing me around $2000.00 for parts and labor. My vehicle has a little over 60,000.00 miles and is out of warranty and not covered and I contacted Chrysler and they will not do anything about this. They are well aware of this faulty engine and there needs to be a recall or Chrysler needs to pay for my repairs. I have a 3.47 liter engine with only 60,000.00 miles and it needs to be replaced on the left side. Chrysler had this same issue with the 3.6 liter engine and extended the warranty and the same or recall should be done with the 3.7 liter engine.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the soft top cover underneath the sun roof would not pull out correctly. The soft top was part of the electrical system. The failure caused an electrical short in the engine and the check engine, tire pressure, and sun roof warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to garavel Jeep (300 westport ave, norwalk, ct 06851, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that a new EGR valve needed to be installed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Own 2011 Jeep Liberty, problem is thetipm dash lights on, are ABS, traction control, air bag, check engine, brakes,seatbelt,speedometer . At first they re flashed it and up dated software , which ended up being 3 times,at no charge obviously they know theres a problem , now they said need to replace TIPM 1100 $ to replace ( so much for no charge )after replacement,now they say the ABS module is bad unother 600$ ,did they cause that problem from re-flashing 3 times , did re-seach there are thousands @ thousands upon thousand of complaints
The engine was maintained with periodic synthetic oil & filter changes. The engine ran flawlessly. The plugs and wires were premium. The engine began to vibrate when the key was turned. This occurred after shopping on the way home. There was no loss of power or other anomaly prior to this catastrophic failure. The shop I brought it to tested the computer and fuel pump all OK. There are numerous complaints and engine re-manufacturers are posting comments that the engine design is flawed.
My husband had driven to a doctors appointment. When he got in the Jeep to leave it wouldn't start. We had it towed to our mechanic. After he inspected the vehicle he said a piston ring had come off the #1 cylinder and fallen below the piston causing the cylinder to be damaged. It will require a new motor which will cost $4000-$5000 if we can find a decent engine. Apparently these engines can be difficult to find and are more expensive because this is a common problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that the engine started making noise while warming up after the starter was changed. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine did not leak, but consumed the oil and blew a rod. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The engine was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. Updated 01/27/17 updated 7/13/18
Engine complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Jeep Liberty, 12% of the model year's 181 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2011 Jeep Liberty engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 Jeep Liberty, though it has 3 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 2011 Jeep Liberty engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.