I have been lurking the sight for about a week, learning all I can about the KJ. Let me explain why...
It all started when I decided I wanted to get a Wrangler. I took the wife to the dealership, and started looking around. I was upside down on my trade, and there were no rebates on the wraglers to help off set it. So the salesman suggested a Liberty. I was immeadiatly turned off. But I said what the heck, I will waist his time and let him try to sell it to me. We took it on the test course, (which we all know isn't real off roading, all the rocks are cemented in place, and the water is clean...) I wasa mildly impressed. The wife loved it. It took the salesman, manager and my wife 4 hours to convince me to buy the 07 Liberty Limited.
I just recently moved back to Colorado, and haven't been back to alot of my old haunts, so I figured what better way to break in the Jeep and get a feel for it, than a trip up Rampart Range road. We made it to the dedication marker near the top, and parked to take some picts.
When we got back in, the check engine light came on. I was like WTF!!! it is a brand new vehicle, and it broke with 48 miles on the odometer????? I limped it back home, I could tell something was wrong with the tranny. It started from a stop real sluggish, and would run the RPMs up high and would not shift. It made for a long trip home down HWY 24 from Woodland Park. I searched the web trying to figure out what happend, and how to pull the codes from the Libby. Nothing worked. (thats how I found this place)
The next day when the dealership opened I was beating on their door. And let me tell you I was mad. I unloaded both barrels on them, telling them to take their piece of junk back, I would take my business else where. The manager took it for a test drive and came back and said "he didn't think there was anything wrong, and did you know the check engine light was on?" What an idiot, I "reloaded" and let him have some more. They ran the Libby into the service dept. and about an hour later, another manager came out and said the service dept had it fixed, and he wanted them to explain what happened to it. He also stated that one of the owners was involved now (I didn't believe him). So we talked to the technician, and he said the "transmission speed sending sensor wires came disconnected". He checked them and plugged them back in and made double sure they clipped and everything is fine. He then explained about "limp mode", how the diagnostic system locks the car into 2nd gear when it finds a problem, just enough to "limp" home. I read the entire owners manual and there was not a mention of "limp mode". So that was good info to have. I took it on a quick test drive, and went to a mud hole I knew of close by.
Everything seemed to be working fine. I took it home and went back to work. After work, I got the wife and kids to see if I could break the Jeep again. This time we headed up Bear Trap road to Gold Camp road. The Libby seemed to be enjoying the beating. I couldn't believe how well she was handeling. So I started hitting some of the side trails. We took trail 379 and found some good camping spots, and really learned that a Liberty dosn't get enough credit as an off-road vehicle.
I know in those picts it is hard to see, but when I stopped I thought the rear tire was off the ground. As you can see I was mistaken, by a long shot. The Libby has impressed me, and then some. I think for a family off roader and daily driver this is a perfect vehicle. I am glad I got this over a Wrangler.
I do plan on some mods like a lift, bigger tires, roof rack, light bar, ARB bumper with winch...all in time.
Hellrasor
