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Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
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Author:  CurtS [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I have been looking for a vehicle that will tow, has true 4WD, and gets decent mileage. My research has led me to the Jeep Liberty CRD. However, after reading many posts here on LOSTJEEP, I am debating if the vehicle even with the updates (mods) would be a reliable everyday 20,000 mile per year vehicle. I do not have the time to be wrenching on it and do not want a vehicle that cannot be reliable. What say ye? Would you or wouldn't you? Can the Liberty CRD be counted on? Can it be run to 150,000 miles without major repairs?
Author:  WolverineFW [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
CurtS wrote:
I have been looking for a vehicle that will tow, has true 4WD, and gets decent mileage. My research has led me to the Jeep Liberty CRD. However, after reading many posts here on LOSTJEEP, I am debating if the vehicle even with the updates (mods) would be a reliable everyday 20,000 mile per year vehicle. I do not have the time to be wrenching on it and do not want a vehicle that cannot be reliable. What say ye? Would you or wouldn't you? Can the Liberty CRD be counted on? Can it be run to 150,000 miles without major repairs?


So who is going to wrench on it if you cannot? I would say it is not for you since most owners of these vehicles are the most knowledgeable mechanics in regards to this little tractor that they know.
Author:  CurtS [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
[/quote]So who is going to wrench on it if you cannot? I would say it is not for you since most owners of these vehicles are the most knowledgeable mechanics in regards to this little tractor that they know.[/quote]

That is a good question? I would have to find someone who is knowledgeable.
Author:  DOC4444 [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
Where do you live?

DOC
Author:  CurtS [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
Wilmington, DE. I am near the DE/PA border.
Author:  painemann [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 5:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I would advise you skip the CRD if you don't plan on working on it yourself. I work on mine way too much, I just got done telling my girlfriend (she drives it) that its war now, I am not giving up on the CRD until it quits or she wants to trade it in. I don't mind working on my vehicles but this one is constant!!
Author:  naturist [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 5:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
@OP, here are my answers to your questions:

Would you or wouldn't you? I like mine, in spite of the problems, but it has been the worst of any vehicle I've ever owned in my entire 50 year driving history. I would not recommend this vehicle to anybody not prepared for its quirky weaknesses.

Can the Liberty CRD be counted on? No.

Can it be run to 150,000 miles without major repairs? IMHO, no. In my now 170,000 miles I've had 3 EGRs, 1 FCV, 1 blown high-pressure oil line to the turbo, 1 cracked head and blown head gasket, TC replaced on a recall and THAT TC just tanked and replaced, 1 transmission pump, a breakdown due to stuff I never did get an explanation about, but it involved EGR cooler and hoses stuff. I've replaced the thermostat once and the fan clutch twice. Oh, and the 4WD indicator switch in the transfer case has also been replaced.

And I tow a 5,000 lbs GVW travel trailer with it, which it does well.

The mileage is great, it pulls strongly, I like the features, especially the transfer case and having both AWD and old-style 4-hi-lo. And I put 20K on it a year. But I also have alternate vehicles available.
Author:  Drewd [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 7:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
If you can't work on it you will go broke owning it. I suggest you pass and buy a nice reliable Nissan Xterra.
Author:  flash7210 [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 7:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
Drewd wrote:
If you can't work on it you will go broke owning it. I suggest you pass and buy a nice reliable Nissan Xterra.


Oh wow. That sounds soo boring. Lol
Author:  MedicPatriot [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 7:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
For what it's worth, all of the issues I have had were a result of my ignoring a warning sign. It has been reliable but I have learned a lesson to fix problems right away so they won't become more expensive.

If I had made repairs right away instead of letting them go for a long tine I would have spent just a few hundred in repairs at most. I bave had zero issuesthat did nkt give a warning.

I'm no mechanic by the way... Far from it. There are many things I have fixed myself just by using this website for help. Some guys on here swear they have no fear taking their CRD in the middle of the desert for long trips, some have had problems. It all depends.
Author:  geordi [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 8:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
Drewd wrote:
If you can't work on it you will go broke owning it. I suggest you pass and buy a nice reliable Nissan Xterra.


Absolutely. Or a Chevy Equinox. Or a Toyota Tacoma if you need a truck.

No more Mopar, no more Italian VM engines. The "engineering" of both is as laughable as a powerboat made from cheese.......... It's just no gouda.


(sorry, couldn't resist) :SOMBRERO:
Author:  thermorex [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I'd say jeep in general is a truck that needs constant attention, and I'm not talking about regular maintenance. Maybe crd is still pickier than gas jeeps, but jeep in general needs more attention than a chevy does. Not to mention a VW or toyota, way better peace of mind... but with jeep instead of 50 miles per gallon, you get 50 smiles a gallon, lol, I dont get that in a chevy truck no matter what...

Thing is you can't get a midsize diesel suv in us other than a tiguan, that comes only front wheel drive as far as I know and that can't tow as liberty can. Touareg, other than being a different class, costs 2 liberty easy...
Author:  MedicPatriot [ Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
thermorex wrote:
I'd say jeep in general is a truck that needs constant attention, and I'm not talking about regular maintenance. Maybe crd is still pickier than gas jeeps, but jeep in general needs more attention than a chevy does. Not to mention a VW or toyota, way better peace of mind... but with jeep instead of 50 miles per gallon, you get 50 smiles a gallon, lol, I dont get that in a chevy truck no matter what...

Thing is you can't get a midsize diesel suv in us other than a tiguan, that comes only front wheel drive as far as I know and that can't tow as liberty can. Touareg, other than being a different class, costs 2 liberty easy...


If I wanted a worry free car I would go with Honda but I would be bored to death with it Thats why I am looking for a Jetta TDI next. Life is too short to be bored driving.
Author:  CIMARRON13 [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I would not buy one again. I work on mine myself and its dependable but I can't trust letting anyone else to drive it. It seems to throw codes when my girlfriend or others drive it. She loves to spool up the turbo and then let off the throttle and immediately put the pedal to the floor resulting in over boost codes.
I still enjoy it enough but feel stuck with it now. I have invested way to much money to sell it at this point. We also thought about giving it to my girlfriends son when he turns 16 but I don't think it would last long if we did.
Author:  ChesterCRD [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 8:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I've have had a pretty good experience with mine. It hasn't left me anywhere and really hasn't required much more maintenance time than other vehicles I've owned. I have worried about it more, but my experience has been pretty good. I still drive it to work daily at a 130K and counting.

That said, I wouldn't (and haven't) recommended this vehicle to anybody. It's pretty neat to get 32 mpg on the highway, able to tow 5000 lbs, and have 4wd, but it's nearly impossible to find shops with any experience with these vehicles. With diesel prices being high the miles/$ might not be any better than gas also.
Author:  CRDsyeruncle [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I would have to agree with the rest of the crowd. If you aren't a mechanic, mechanically inclined and have an urge to learn about a diesel, do not purchase a Libby CRD. They are unique, interesting and fun vehicles, but with the amount of electrical sensors, extra mass and vibration of a 4cyl small block diesel, you're better off taking your money, putting a down payment on a brand new gas model, and having the piece of mind of regular payments and a warrantied maintenance schedule.

I've been an owner for just under a year, and have dropped $4G in above my purchase price. The only thing I took it into the shop for was when my transfer case went, which I thought was my transmission giving up the ghost (half the $4G). Buying used at 120k (miles) from a family that had no real mechanical skill was a shot in the dark, even after reading up on the quirkiness of these little girls. Know what you are getting into if you do decide to buy. (Personally I think the Libby CRD is awesome. :D)
Author:  CurtS [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 1:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
I want to thank everyone for their candid opinions. Although I love diesels, 5000 lb tow capacity, and true 4wd I do need a reliable and dependable vehicle and have come to the conclusion that the Jeep is not for me. I am sad, because I enjoyed the test drives, but must be practical and sound in my decision. Thanks again to everyone who chimed in and helped me make my decision.
Author:  mikey1273 [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 2:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
well in spite of all the negative comments to the CRD I have had mine since August 2009 and so far I have had few issues. the thing has been no more trouble than the Subaru I had before it. I have had a few issues like a thermostat go at 55K. I got let stranded 2x due to the battery giving up, the original Optima died with in months of buying the Jeep and the replacement last winter. That just took a jump start to get to the store for a new battery. they seem hard on batteries. Recently I needed a serpentine belt tension-er. the auto parts stores could not get one and the dealers all said $275 and a month on back order. Thankfully IDparts.com came through with one much much faster for way less.

My CRD is my only motorized vehicle and I drive it to work and everywhere. I tow a 1200 pound pop up with it. use it to drag around mountain bikes and now a kayak. nothing out there now is as versatile with as much power and fuel economy as this Jeep.

I do my own maintenance and what repairs I am comfortable with but it goes to the garage for stuff too. Any mechanic worth anything can do brakes, belts, hoses, thermostats, and anything shared in common with the gas version. you will need to find a diesel mechanic to deal with timing belts and engine performance issues since most mechanics here in the states just don't take time to understand small diesel engines.

I'd say if you can find one with low miles which is not going to be as easy as it was in 2009 for me. you plan to get a GDE tune as soon as you can, do provent 200 or ehm mod and get a 2nd gen fuel head if it still has the old one you should be ok if the Jeep was cared for well. The last part is the biggest IF you can't always be sure of.

I been happy with mine I love it more than any vehicle I ever owned before. I did look at the Exterra from Nissan and that would be my second choice behind the Jeep CRD. The Nissan can't achieve 30 mpg any day though not even down hill.
Author:  its1louder [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
This is an interesting thread for me. I wish I had seen something like it a year ago before I convinced my wife to give her reasonably reliable suburu forrester to her brother and buy a 2006 Liberty CRD. If this were my daily driver I could handle the maintenance and constant attention it needs. My wife is less sensitive to signs of trouble and has gotten stranded a few times. Every single time it has been something well known on these fora e.g., I can find a thread about it that starts "The Dreaded ... Problem". "The dreaded ..." is like a meme around here because these jeeps have so many known weaknesses that will fail like clockwork at certain number of miles.

  • The first time my wife got stranded was when the thing threw a code that caused it to go into limp mode. This just happens sometimes - suddenly no power. You go park it for a few minutes, then you can turn it on and drive away normally. This happened once when I was driving too, There is nothing to do but wait for the code to clear. Go get a cup a joe or something, the car will run fine when you get back. I think this is some kind of over boost/turbo hiccup, anyway, its "the dreaded limp mode".
  • The second and third times were when the boost hose just blew completely off at the EGR. This happened every 1000-5000 miles or so and one time left my wife stranded with baby and two dogs 200 miles from home and needing a tow - nightmare. My guess is that some sort of over boost situation would happen when the EGR would open inappropriately, like during a high boost situation. The high pressure from Boost and exhaust would just blow the hose clamp off. This was almost a deal breaker, wife wanted to ditch the jeep (her word was lemon), but I did the GDE eco tune with EGR delete and it hasn't happened again in something like 10k miles, so hopefully its "fixed". I kept the flasher device because I think I will have to flashback the first time I go to get it smogged.
  • Most recent stranding happened to my wife and child last week. The car died, luckily this time about a mile from home and I was there to help so she didn't instantly demand we dump it. The battery was flat - turns out the clutch pulley on the alternator had failed. This is known as "the dreaded clutch pulley problem".
  • After owning this thing a year, I am trying to lean forward. Most recent warning sign is the transmission shudder we occasionally feel going over the mountain we live on at ~55-60 mph. AKA "The Dreaded Transmission shudder". It looks like I need to replace the chronically flimsy torque converter with the beefier aftermarket one, although reading these fora, that doesn't always help.
  • But first we are saving up for the Dreaded Timing belt replacement since we are at 97K miles. "Wait, what? This is a diesel engine, waddyamean timing belt?" Exactly.
  • Funny story: the first time we parked it in winter outside the garage, it wouldn't start the next morning. Turns out we had "the dreaded OEM fuel pump crack". Actually not that much dread, I bought my wife an 8mm wrench to keep in the glove box and taught her how to bleed the fuel line. Eventually, we just replaced the fuel pump with the one Daimler Chrysler meant to use.

To OP I would suggest the following gedankenexperiment: Would you consider a 12 cylinder Jag E-type a reliable grocery getter? Do you believe the maintenance demands of a 76 alfa romeo are totally reasonable for a daily driver? If so then the Jeep Liberty CRD is perfect for you. It is a unique car that has some things to really love about it. When it runs well it pulls like a freight train and the 4wd is tractor like. Its unique, people stop at intersections and want to talk to you about it. Contractors and other manly men are hopelessly bewitched by my wife (and her low end grunt) in the Home Depot parking lot. But its kind of a toy, the "other car" that the other car license plate frame on your toyota camry is referring to (you do have another car, right?). If you rely too heavily on it, it will break your heart. I think it is some kind of cosmic karma that VM Motori and Jeep are both owned by FIAT now, it is just like, bringing balance to the force.
Author:  ATXKJ [ Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Debating buying a CRD. Would you or woudn't you?
its1louder wrote:
Would you consider a 12 cylinder Jag E-type



???? Do you know about a 12 cylinder E-Type??????

Where?????

How much do they want??
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