Howdy guys, I'm Andrew from Iowa, and my wife and I are going to look at, and fully intend to purchase a 2005 Liberty Renegade tomorrow morning. A little background, I'm a lifelong Ford guy, but I'm opening my mind and looking to get a Jeep to replace my Expedition. I like the idea of something a little smaller and more off road capable. I've done some repairs and mods to vehicles in the past, but am far from calling myself an experienced mechanic.

I know I'm a bit last minute on this, but what are some common problems I should look at before buying it? Any help would be appreciated, and I'll be sure to post plenty of pics after the purchase.

I'm not really familiar iwth any common problems but Welcome to the boards. Nice to have another Iowa member on here. I've been starting to feel a bit alone around here

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2010 Jeep JK - Mango Tango
TeraFlex 2.5 suspension lift
Rancho RS9000Xl adjustable shocks
Tom Woods 1310 Front driveshaft
JKS Quicker front Disconnects
Synergy 1.75" Wheel spacer

Welcome!

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2005 Liberty Renegade, Bright Silver Metallic

Check the front driveshaft they are usually worn out after about 80k but cheap and easy to replace or rebuild. Other then that the usually stuff check the oil transmission fluid (should be red or burgundy) any other color will show they used the wrong fluid in the transmission. Which will cause a lot of issues in the transmission if it hasn't already. Check for any leaks or dents in the transmission or oil pan a lot of people buy these for their teenagers or hand them down where they get beat on. And finally look for any wiring out of place or any extra hook ups to the battery these are jeeps so they do get modified through the years.

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My CRD Build Thread
Soon to Come:more lights

I'd make sure that all recall work has been taken care of- mainly lower ball joints. You could still get it taken care of after you buy it, but if you're getting it from a dealership I'd have it done first. Upper ball joints/control arms can be an issue too, so have them checked. Also, make sure it wasn't a hurricane damaged vehicle- carfax should tell you if it was ever in NY or LA, etc., and I'd never buy a vehicle without consulting the car fox- every dealer gets them before they buy vehicles, and they should show it to you upon request.

Unless you feel qualified, it's worth an hour of shop time at a trusted mechanic to give it a once over. If the seller won't let you take it in for a pre-sale check up, I'd run away from the deal. If the shop finds anything wrong, it's just more bargaining chips when it comes to price negotiation. I got a radiator flush, and oil change thrown in when I bought mine because the oil was black, and it looked long overdue on the flush.

Welcome, and good luck!

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"BERT" 2003 3.7L Sport Gasser with the 5-speed stick
Frankenlifted (plus 1 extra rear iso. and a 3 nut clevis), Al's gen 4.5 UCA's, Full Mopar Skids, Kurt Hitch, Soft 8's, BFG AT's 245 75 16, Rock Lizard Front Bumper, fence top-rail crossbars (unbent!), some stuff inside...