I'm over 15,000 miles and I've had very few problems with this vehicle.

It "shuddered" once on the freeway when I dropped around 55 and hit the gas (typical of what others have described) in 2wd. But I've kept it in full-time 4wd since, in 4wd it never shudders... (Ideas anybody?) My ESP went nuts one time, flashing away madly as I tried to back out of a parking space. It threw a CEL and went into limp mode, but I restarted it after a couple minutes and it seemingly fixed itself and drove fine after that. Had a wierd incident of rainwater in the rear taillights that blew them both out (huh?), but that was fixed and hasn't been a problem since.

I've had no tranny or TC breakdowns, no issues with the egr or oil in my turbo or any other conflicts. Maybe this Jeep is a frakkin time bomb waiting to go off, but until then, here's to my '06 model year CRD for being a pretty good ride. Plus, my Jeep dealership doesn't seem to know that there are TSBs for my vehicle and I'm not keen on having them fix what ain't broke anyway.

When it is out of warranty, I'll be permanently disabling the EGR somehow (cross that bridge when I come to it...). If, by then, there is a TC that rocks, I'll install it. Other than that, I'm happy.

But keep on posting all your horrid CRDramas, 'cause it is a useful pool of info for when the INEVITABLE breakdowns occur to the rest of us. And I say inevitable because machines do break down from time to time...

For those of you getting depressed or angry over negative info in this forum, I suggest some beer and an attractive woman as the best way to fix that.

And finally, when Toyota gets their head outta their butt and sells the diesel 4X4 HiLux here in the States, I'll lose the Libby so fast you'll hear the sonic boom from three States away! LOL. But that's not likely and I'm going to "make do" with my CRD until then.

Just my .02 cents.

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Yours Truly,

Special Agent

I'm in the same boat as you. Even though my Jeep is currently setting at the dealer with its first problem in the year I've owned it, it has been a great year of ownership. I've never had a vehicle that was more fun to drive or as versatile.

Like you, I'm also pondering ways to disable the EGR and don't mind upgrading transmission components, etc., to get something that will be fun to drive for the next 10+ years. One of the reasons I went with the Liberty was because it was a relatively inexpensive vehicle and if I had to sink some money into it for improvements/upgrades I was still ahead of the game (as opposed to starting with a $40K Grand Cherokee CRD for example). This forum is a great source of knowledge.

In a different vein, it may have been a good thing my Jeep 'got sick' when it did. I drove my Ford Superduty to work instead of the Jeep and promptly hit a deer. Killed the deer instantly. Didn't even scuff the truck. I don't think my Liberty would have fared as well.

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My Jeep Liberty page

ORM, air filter mod, and less restrictive exhaust has increased my 'everyday' driving 3 mpg.

You caught my attention because "I can't complain too much..." can also be read as "I can't complain too often..."

What is happening with this diesel vehicle is not much different than what I have experienced over the years with many diesel powered commercial vehicles. When things are going OK, wouldn't own anything else but when it screws-up you will go through hell trying to fix it. Like you stated, its a machine. Expanding some on that thought; It's a machine, designed by human minds, built by human hands, used by human customers, and maintained by more human hands. It will fail at some point in time. The terms "new" and "warranty" are not the same as "trouble-free." They are expectations of being "trouble-free" and a warranty is more narrowly defined as a promise that it will get fixed if/when it breaks.

This month mine is doing OK, next month who knows??? I have had every recall & reflash imaginable done. I still tinker with it more than I like but it starts and goes down the road every time without fail. Still unhappy with the oil passing the turbo seals (knowing this will lead to more problems) and the fuel mileage isn't meeting my expectations but the beast runs and performs well. In hindsight, am I satisified with my purchase choice? No BTW: it was a personal choice to buy the CRD as nobody was holding a gun to my head when I bought it. Is it worth taking a large financial loss to trade/sell it? No, the risk of loss is mitigated by warranty protection. Therefore, I have learned to tolerate some of the shortcomings and provide for it's special maintenance needs.

In many ways, DC selling this vehicle in the US is an important test of ownership tolerance of diesel maintenance issues. Americans have set very high expectations for reliability and cheap/easy maintenance. What is being expressed on this forum indicates the Liberty CRD (and likely most other diesels) will take more TLC than the average owner can tolerate relative to the added efficiency/power benefit of owning a diesel.

Rant over....your turn.

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2005 Liberty Sport CRD, Lt Khaki, sunroof

Thankful to now be an EX-CRD owner.

No problems yet (fingers crossed) other than one occurrence of limp mode at 5k. I think it's a cool rig and it'll be even cooler when I get a real set of tires on him.

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Little Mack---06 Atlantic Blue CRD Sport born 5/17/06, rescued 7/31/06
Mods: Daystar 2.5" Lift, OME Long Travel Shocks and HD Struts, Firestone Destination AT's (245/75R16), Fumoto Drain Valve
Gone but not forgotten:
97 VW Passat TDI
89 VW Jetta diesel
540,000+ diesel miles since 12/89!

I agree and also need to add that each individual person has a different threshold of tolerance for maintenance items and tinkering on their own.

I grew up with my father as a mechanic, so taking things apart and repairs were not out of the norm for anything with a piston engine. Today we don't have tolerance for repairs, it's either working flawlessly or we throw things away and buy new. I have a 5 hp mower that is 19 years old and it works flawlessly but that's because each season it dissassemble the engine and clean it and then assemble it for next season. Most people go throw a mower every 3~4 years because their cheaper to buy new than mantain on our own.

Now, I'm not advocating taking the CRD engine apart each 12K miles and cleaning it, although the thought has crossed my mind with the intake. But our European counterparts on the CRD are happy mainly because of a few items that differentiate their CRD.

First, they don't buy automatic transmissions on diesels as that is deemed an option item so the overwhelming number of CRD's are manuals. If DCX offered this as an option, this forums posts would be half the size.

Second, their diesel fuel historically has been better quality than our own. However, that's changing in the US slowly.

Third, EGR's have just recently come onto the scene in Europe as the EU is tightening up emission controls.

Fourth, their CRD's when in used in private ownership have a majority of "long" trips in the duty cycle. That means that short trips are usually done via walking, biking, motorcycle, Tram, Bus, Train. The diesel engine is happiest on long hauls with constant speed and without stop and go traffic. The European diesels don't see much action unless touring the EU or being driven on "Holiday Excursions" (a.k.a vacations).

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2005 Black CRD Limited w/105,000 miles
Mann Provent 200, Airbox Mod, ORM Mod
New 545RFE, TC & Redesigned pump @ 25,020 miles
New EGR Flow Control Valve @ 25,020 miles
New Transfer Case input/output seals @ 32,787 miles
SEGR Kit @ 52,000 miles
SunCoast TC and Transgo Shift Kit @ 52,000 miles

I've probably had more than my fair share of issues with my CRD, its certainly a love/hate relationship leaning more towards hate. This is my first diesel vehicle and I am sold on its performance. Where else will you find and off-road capable vehicle that will get 24-28mpg and still tow 5000lbs?

I expected a few issues with a first year vehicle and I think DCX only has to make a few mods for this to be a quality vehicle. Unfortunately, DCX seems be completely tuned out and denial of the issues, which is unfortunate. The CRD could be a kick *&^ vehicle if a few things were improved. The only thing thats making me stick with mine is gasers seem underpowered now.

You know, this vehicle has very few problems-- and they could be fixed easily. That is the most frustrating thing about it is the poor service.

1. EGR and flow control (both have been redesigned-- negating most of the issues). But have yours go out and wait one week for parts. That means your p!ssed off, you don't have a vehicle.

2. Torque Converter and pump: Again, could be fixed easily with a redesigned pump and torque converter. Maybe the pump is fixed-- but we don't know and DC says nothing. Go in for the F37-- wait and wait for parts. Again, customer is not happy.

3. Air in fuel line. Can be fixed, if you put a real fuel line on it, but since they often "cannot duplicate" you wait and wait and wait.

4. Ball joints--- can't get the part, wait a week or if your wheel comes off they will move you up in line.

I went to get the $5.80 air filter for the O2 sensor. Guess what? None in the state. So... wait a week. Good thing I did not need one right away.

You better have half of the back full of parts if you go on a trip anywhere-- because if you don't and you break down and need something as simple as a filter-- it will be "wait a week".

I feel like the guys in "O Brother Where Art Thou" when they walk into the little store and try and get a belt for the car they stole-- "I can order it but it will be a week". Then they try to get something else-- it will be a week. No matter what they want, it takes a week to get it.

The CRD = wait a week for parts..

I guess I drive like a European no major problems here, 30,000 miles in about 10 months. BTW "$5.80 air filter for the O2 sensor" no such thing????

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Feb/2006 Silver Sport 4x4 CRD

$5.82 filter for the 02 sensor??? Didn't know that diesels had an 02 sensor. I know mine has a small filter for the vacuum system, but it can be had at dealer or AutoZone so I have been told. The filter is not something that would fail suddenly unless it broken by someone.

I don't agree about diesels not being good for in town driving, all one has to do is look at the MB diesel taxies that have been running around Europe for the last 30 years. In all my travels in Europe I don't ever remember riding in a gasser, I remember riding in a French taxi that had such a load diesel as be unbelievable.

RFCD when I his statement about diesels and their quirks, but I am not sure the CRD is quirky. We have never had a problem that stranded us and the dealer has been great, it has had all the recalls and reflashes. It starts in 12*F weather and is putting out heat in about 2 miles after starting, 30+ mpg's if I run 65 mph and use high quality fuel with 50 cetane rating, but like he said will tow 5000lbs without breaking a sweat.

The only real "problem" with the CRD is the tranny and I think that could be easly fixed, but will they? If they do, will it be in time to prevent loss of customers and in a timely manner?

Sometimes I am ready to throw in the towel with diesels, the VW's were the same way as the CRD except the tranny. They had clogged intakes from oil & soot like crazy that was easy fix by CCV filter and soot will be a thing of the past with ULSD it seems. My only real problem with the CRD is the wife has decided she no longer like being bounced around and the sitting up high is not worth the down side to being cramped, and putting up with rough ride.

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91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

Ya, most of my miles are highway.

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Me - '17 KL Trailhawk 4x4, Rhino, P245/65R17 Destination A/Ts, Stock Skids, waiting for mods...
Sis - '18 Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 - Black - Dents - Scratches - STOCK

I'm a city boy, unfortunately. My diesel Libby's always tooling around Seattle or SeaTac at slow speeds.

I do commute to work by freeway about 1/2 the time at 60mph, but the CRD loves to run and seems happier at 70mph.

I dunno. Gas mileage in traffic is bad, but I tend to go out more at night anyway, so my EVIC usually stays around 19.5-20.5mpg.

I run B20 or higher at all times, so the CRD is quiet. Most people don't know it's a diesel.

_________________
Yours Truly,

Special Agent

No the filter is not for an O2 sensor, but yes it does exist. The part I was referring to is the "boost pressure solenoid filter". It is described in the maintenance schedule booklet that came with your owners manual-- you are supposed to check it every time you change the oil and replace it as needed.

Ironically, if you should need a "boost pressure solenoid" filter your natural course of action would be to tell that to the service desk at your local dealership. When you do, they will look at you like you are a total retard and tell you that there is no such thing. Then you will proceed to show them the maintenance schedule manual (bring it with you so you don't have to go back out to the Jeep). Then they will come out and look at your Jeep very perplexed, while they scratch their head and say something like: "We don't see many of those around here". Then they will waste 30 minutes of your life looking for the thing in the parts manual with this clueless look on their face (like the kid who screws your order up at the drive-thru). Then, if your lucky, they will finally find it in the system... where it called something else entirely (I forget what he told me it was called).

Or you can skip all this nonsense, fun as it may be, and take these part numbers with you-- if, and when, you go to buy it: Mercedes Benz package: A0000780956. DC package has numbers: 05080374AA and MN960237. I suppose one is the part number and the other is some kind of sku.

Oh, and yeah... be prepared to wait a week for them to get it sent to you.

Have to wonder if there is a reasonable alternative. Looks more to me like a gas filter for a Briggs & Stratton. Bet they aren't on back-order at Tractor Supply.

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2005 Liberty Sport CRD, Lt Khaki, sunroof

Thankful to now be an EX-CRD owner.

I check mine everytime I have the hood up as it just stands out there behind the airfilter, still clean as a new. just checked it last night when I checked the air filter. My dealer had one in stock when I bought mine, then I just stuck it in the garage somewhere. Put it in a multi drawer storage bin and then forgot about it and just now went looking for it, took about 20 minutes to find.

One thing I have said here many times and I guess it still pi$$ people off when I say it, but why in the world would someone buy a vehicle that the people who sell it has no idea how to service it. Then I realize that the person buying the CRD has no more experience with a diesel then the dealer and that is a losing combo. When I was buying my first VW diesel I went into the shop and talked with the service guys to find out if they serviced what they sold and did it proper. I went to 4 dealers before I found one that the shop knew more about about diesels then the average 10 year old kid.

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91 MB 300D 2.5L Turbo. Her's

05 MB E320 CDI. Mine

I think that you are pretty well right. Diesels are not for those that just throw oil and fuel in and expect it to work all the time while driving the piss out of it.

I have never experienced any of the problems on the forum with my CRD. I have put it thru quite a bit on my farm rounding up cattle, pulling various trailers and wagons, running thru a LOT of snow and mud, etc. Diesels are such that they require the operator to learn how they like to run. The multiple semi's I have operated over the years are no different than my CRD. If you "learn" the diesel you are operating, it will give you relatively few problems. If you just drive it like your last diesel or like the gasser you had previously, you increase your chances of screwing things up. I don't operate my '06 Volvo Semi like I did my '96 Freightliner though they both have the same Cummins engine and Roadranger transmission. I have never found two semi's, even though spec'd the same, operate the same. This is true also for a CRD, Dodge, Ford, or GM diesel.

It just takes time and experience in gaining the ability to "learn" a diesel. No book learning can teach it all to you. I have been working with diesels for 4 decades and each new development causes me to go thru the process all over again. It has taken me some time to "learn" my CRD and its little quirks, but it has paid off. It has proven to be a good addition to my farm and the wife loves it.

Careful attention to details, good fuel, good oil, good maintenance and I don't see my CRD being any worse than any other diesel I have owned. There will, of course, be an occasional lemon in the crowd. But most owners will have no real serious problems if they pay attention to the details.

Like has been said here, most people just want to turn on a key and mash the accelerator and expect everything to work all the time. If you expect that from a diesel, you would be best to buy a gasser. Just don't expect the effeciency, torque, and longevity a diesel will give.

I also fall into the "can't complain" catagory. My wife truely loves driving the liberty and really loves the little "rattle" the engine makes as well as the comments at the fuel station when she goes for the Green pump handle. Besides, it's just plane fun to drive.

SO far our problems have been basic Liberty things such as a defective tire and the really irritaing window regulators...three so far.

The Tranny seems to be pretty bullet proof and I really haven't heard about any problems with it. Yeh, there have been some pump issues but I'm still undecided it that is a problem or if the TC failures caused the pump to go south.

The TC is not a tranny issue and is a completly seperate component although some people seem to get the two confused. Eventually, an aftermarket firm will come out with a great TC then all will be well in the drivetrain world. If the pump is weak....well get a better pump when they become available.

The EGR may be a nuisance but if I have no doubt that a fix/better unit will become available.

All in all, I will be in this CRD for a very long time. We have no hesitation to hopping in and taking it for 1,000 mile trips...4 so far.

Just my $0.02

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2006 Libery Sport CRD, Lt Kakhi, nicely equipped
*****GDE Hot Tune at 38,879 miles
*****Stock TC.....for the time being!!

My first post on this site, but I have to agree with cowpie.

If you own a diesel machine, don't expect it to act like a gas powered one. I grew up farming, and every diesel tractor was different. Some started well, some didn't. One would burn torque converters like Marlboros. We plug one in when it's below 40 degrees, and one has a tricky clutch. You just have to learn the personality of the tractor.

I don't expect perfect, I expect diesel. Period. My CRD has been recalled 3 times at 7500 miles.

....but it still gets 25+MPG and tows 5000 lbs.

If there are any other suggestions for such a vehicle, I'd love to hear 'em, but in the meantime, my Libby's fine.

Have to disagree with you there. The TC is a subsystem of the transmission, not a completely separate component.

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Matt B.

05 Limited CRD. Bought it new. 112k on the clock now.

GDE Eco-tune, rear differential drain plug (drilled and tapped the pumpkin), transmission pan drain plug, Fumoto oil valve, fuel filler neck restriction removed, front hitch, Hayden fan clutch, Sears P1 battery since 08, Mobil 1 5w40, 5 volt glow plugs, DIY timing belt at 109k

I guess it's how you look at it. I consider it more like a clutch for a manual tranny. To me, if it's not an intregal part (within the case) it's not part of the unit. Also, being independantly serviced without opening the case it's just a bolt-on component. I also suspect that DC sub-contracts the TC whereas they manufacture the trannys.

Case in point.....if you buy a rebuilt automatic, the TC is most often sold as a sperete unit.

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2006 Libery Sport CRD, Lt Kakhi, nicely equipped
*****GDE Hot Tune at 38,879 miles
*****Stock TC.....for the time being!!

I guess I'll buy that. My point is that the relationship is such that the TC can cause trans failure and vice versa.

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Matt B.

05 Limited CRD. Bought it new. 112k on the clock now.

GDE Eco-tune, rear differential drain plug (drilled and tapped the pumpkin), transmission pan drain plug, Fumoto oil valve, fuel filler neck restriction removed, front hitch, Hayden fan clutch, Sears P1 battery since 08, Mobil 1 5w40, 5 volt glow plugs, DIY timing belt at 109k