Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Jeep Liberty owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was involved in an accident in my 2012 Jeep Liberty when another driver pulled left I front of me to make their right turn into a parking lot. My truck drove over hi and on the way down struck a parked car and flipped over on to its hood. The entire interior caved in directly on to my head and not a single air bag deployed. I was hospitalized and was already handicapped so this exacerbated my injuries pronouncedly and the increased pain, both physical and mental, LED to my wife leaving, loss of employment, family, you name it and it's been lost because of this accident. When you see pics, you'll understand why paramedics were shocked I was alive at all. -[redacted] (1st 2 pics are exterior, 3rd pic is of my driver's seat itself and how I managed avoiding being split in 1/2 is beyond me.) see also odi 11053500.
I was hit on my passenger front, while attempting to cross into a parking lot, so hard until my tire rod bent at a 90* angle. My passenger airbag didn't deploy. None of my airbags deployed. There was no blind spot warning. Even after the impact, there was no alarm or notification of the damage, as the firemen were attempting to drive my car out of the road.
I purchased a 2012 Jeep Liberty with a slider roof. When attempting to close the slider using the controls, the roof would no longer close completely, which has caused water damage to the interior of the vehicle and I would imagine May have also caused electrical issues. Things like the dash lights, wipers, and seat randomly come on on their own. My concern, and from the research I have done on this issue, is that the roof is not securely attached which is concerning when you are driving at higher speeds on the pike or rt 128. Just last week when driving my daughter back to college, there were several loud clicking noises while we were on rt 128 and I honestly thought the roof was going to fly off. This appears to have been a known issue by Jeep Chrysler and is a real safety hazard that they are not willing or able to correct.
This vehicle has a slider roof. The electrical part works fine (truth is I only used the roof a handful of times) but somehow -I believe from a car wash the slider roof came off track. I was told by Jeep that the only way to fix the issue is to replace the entire roof. My warranty will not cover it since the electrical part still works. Jeep would only fix it for $3,000. The car is not worth fixing for that much money. When I was driving down the highway air got caught up under the soft roof and started to open I had to pull over and manually pull it closed. I have a huge fear that it is going to blow off. The slider roof is a terrible design and could cause a major problem when the entire roof blows off due to this design.
As as I was driving doing around 50 my skyslider rood opened up just like that and I have many leaks coming in causin my electrical components to malfunction at times and I also have my sensor that stays on stating low air pare tire waited 6 months for a part from the dealer and now I'm scared to even open it up and still have the lots of leaks on any rainy day this is ridiculous bec that was the selling point as to why I got this vehicle and now I'm to scared to use it bec I've heard from others that it comes lose and flies off causing accidents pls pls someone do something bout this bec it's not right and there is no help for Jeep thanks
The sky slider on my Jeep is broken cause leaking when it rains. Called multiple dealerships and companies that say they don't have any replacement parts or pieces to fix the issue. There is a social media group that shows many other Jeep Liberty's that have the same issue and due to the top being broken, tops have flown off while on highway causing damage to vehicle-major safety hazard. I'm going to continue to call around and see if I can find a resolution but I'm praying my top stays on until then. In the photos, you can see where I had to clamp the top shift which has slowed the leaking for now.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. While at an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, the mechanic inspected under the vehicle and noticed extensive rust bubbles on the engine oil pan and the transmission pan. The parts needed to be replaced. The dealer (kayser Chrysler center of watertown, 105 highway 16 frontage road, watertown, wi 53094, [phone]) replaced the parts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that there were no service campaigns and recalls concerning premature rust and deterioration. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. While driving various speeds, the sky slider unintentionally opened. As a result, the vehicle had water damage, which caused electrical failure and various unknown warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to brown's Jeep Chrysler Dodge Ram (483 ny-112, east patchogue, ny 11772, [phone]) where the contact was informed that the parts for the failure were discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
The sky slider roof became detached when driving on a highway. My children were in the car when this happened. The only parts available to fix this issue is an aftermarket product. This concerns me due to not knowing how well this part is made. Considering Chrysler has taken the parts off of the market, it appears they are aware of the defects and safety issues. I am unable to drive my car for fear the roof will blow off while I am driving it. There are no recalls currently for this and I am shocked.
Lift gate hatch mechanism parts continue to fail without warning not allowing exit/entry into hatch in case of emergency or access to spare tire and jack. I have had parts replaced three times. This lift gate is operated manually. This happens in numerous weather conditions and temperatures. This is noted while the car is stationary. This has been reported to Jeep, without resolution.
Body complaints in other Liberty years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2012 Jeep Liberty?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the body & structure of the 2012 Jeep Liberty, 6% of the model year's 385 complaints. The component named most often is body (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Jeep Liberty body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2012 Jeep Liberty, though it has 2 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 2012 Jeep Liberty body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 41,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries to body & structure 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.