Liberty...6 years...?the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:36 am

Since we are coming to the end of the production of the "Original" Jeep Liberty...what are your thoughts? Keep this kinda of easy to read please!!!

Post GOOD and BAD and UGLY

GOOD

CRD Option
Selec Trac
Safety (Solid Body)
Unique Styling (Love it or Hate it)
Manuverability (Turning Circle, Approach Angle, Departure Angle)

BAD

Wheelwell sizing
Non Flat Cargo Floor w/ seats down
Seats are just not comfortable

UGLY

Front Aluminum Diff
Ball Joint Saga
Stock OEM Tires

the1jferg · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:49 am

Man, Has it been that long? My 02 is just getting broke-in at 69K

The Bad:

Choice of aftermarket products and their timing on the market.
My Dana 35
The seats

The Good:

The rest has been great.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:53 am

I am sad to see such a drastic change in the Liberty Line.

The XJ (Cherokee) was around for almost 20 years in the U.S. Over that life span they experimented with all kinds of configurations. ALL were pretty much solid machines (Except for my 85 XJ with the crappy GM v6 2.8 that changes it own oil every 2,000 miles).

The XJ would still be around in some form if it were not for the EPA and their restrictions and the IL 4.0 and it's emmisions concerns, WHICH I persoanlly think is Hog Wash.

They never could get the Grand Cherokee to work right, but the XJ was a winner.

I would have loved to see the KJ continue and grow into the replacement of the XJ that it was intended. Not to mention that the longer it stuck around in it's original form, then the more after-market parts and mods would be developed because there would be many more on the road.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:41 am

still managed to get 800,000+ on the road. I think in time, the KJ will replace a lot of people's XJs. I've gotten a LOT of compliments from the XJ crowd at the few local events I've gone to. It's just a matter of time until they see that, with the right mods, a KJ is just as capable as their XJ, which they also modded.

Bad:
1. LBJs
2. explaining the sway-bar end-link clunk to anyone who rides with me (gave up trying to fix it)
3. learning about OTT spacers, the hard way

Good:
1. Enjoying getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, again
2. The Seats :lol:

They fit me, perfectly.
3. Being able to take all 4 of my kids camping/fishing for a weekend and get to all those spots where there's nobody around 'cause their full-size trucks just won't fit.

sleeve84028 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:45 am

The Good / Great

The Paint has held up
The Body Shows no rust
The frame (uni-frame) is strong
Great Crash Test
Dependability
Interior Space
Towing / Loading Capacity
Small Size

The Bad / Oops!

The Engine Tick
The hard armrest
Cheap floor mats (I'm on my 3rd set)
Changing the rear brake light
Front Diff is weak

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

My 03 now has 59,000 kilometers on it (almost 37,000 miles). It's a great vehicle for sure.

The Good:
ARB accessories
Full time 4 wheel drive (for winter especially) and good old "yank-handle" 4 wheel drive.
The V6: plenty of power.

The Bad:
Gasoholic.

riptricket · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:51 am

2005 renegade with 39,000 miles

THE GOOD:
love the capability
shift on the fly 4-wheel drive
lights, lights, lights
aftermarkets parts that actually fit

THE BAD:
nothing really!

bugnout · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:53 am

The Good:
Very solid and capable vehicle
Everything feels substantial, no rattles, no flimsy parts,
Did the "Hole in the rock" trail stock, except for boulder bars

The Bad:
The Seats
--Sport seats designed by Marque de Sade.
--Rear seat head rest is useless, in the way when you fold down the back seats, so I took them off the first week I owned it.
--Should have been designed as fold flat front to back similiar to the PT Cruiser.

The Window Washer Resevouir
-- Poor location, bashed it first time off road. -- CRD has no alternate location I've found yet.

wildrussian · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:37 am

Hate to brake up the good the bad and the ugly here but is 08 last year for Liberty? :lol:

bugnout · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:40 am

No, but the 08 Liberty is a KK not a KJ anymore. Different styling, Shares the guts of the Dodge Nitro

Dutchy · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:56 am

2003 Cherokee CRD Sport with 67.000 Miles.

The good:
-Always got me home even in really difficult weather situations (snow storms, floods)
-The looks, still love it.
-The CRD engine, rough but though.

The bad:
-Ball-joints debacle.
-LSD.
-No coating on axles etc.
-Ground clearance.
-Rear brake/e-brake design.

The ugly:
The Official Jeep dealer.
Service and parts prices, way to expensive.

Boi1ermaker · **Joined:** Tue Jan 24, 2006 1:44 pm **Posts:** 249

The Good:
Basically solid and reliable, always got from point A to B
Fun to mod

The Bad:
Most of my criticisms really revolve around DCX trying to cut corners to save pennies, like not putting on a seal at the top of the windshield after the '04s or not coating the underside
the seats, fronts are uncomfortable, rear doesn't fold flat
interior has a little too much cheap, hard plastic (a chrysler trademark lately)

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:40 pm

The bad: Stock tires that I did not take off soon enough

Ball joints as mentioned before

Good : Everything else it is a very capable vehicle which has never let me down, mines an 04 with over 84000 and NEVER been to a dealer, larger fenderwheels would be nice but overall its great!

Tom

CaKJFreedom · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:51 pm

The good
--This people on this forum
--Body is strong in accidents
--It really is a Jeep, IFS or not
--Tows smooth
--It's just fun to drive

The bad
--Seats. I like them, my sweetie hate them
--that they took two years to put the second interior light in
--glove compartment is a joke and doesn't lock
--the cd players can junk out
--seats not folding flat

The ugly
--Ball joints
--front diff is weak
--trouble getting warranty work if you've done any mods (related to the problem or not)
--being on the third master cylinder and it's only a 2003.
--waiting for Chrysler to still get back to you over a year later for my moogs going in before the recall. They don't respond.

spencevans · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:30 pm

The Good
CRD
LOST
Looks
Manuverability

The Bad
2.4L weakling
3.7L Gas hog
Select Trac (fulltime mode is not very refined)
Fabric seats
Aftermarket
Torque Converter and auto trannies

The Ugly
F37
Front diff
Window switches
CRD egr's
The dealers
No 6 speed for the CRD's

Video Guy · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:51 pm

2003 KJ Sport w/55,000 miles

GOOD
Safety: Steel, and lots of it
Power sunroof
Holds its own offroad, even stock.
Versatile: equally at home on the trail or polished up for a night at the symphony
Spare tire mount holds 31" tires
Decent aftermarket products, from accessories to suspension

BAD
Fuel economy: Steel, and lots of it
Dark slate gray interior is too dark even in daylight
Front window controls on the center console the first few years. (Whose dumb idea was this?)
Rear seatbelt buckles are on inflexible stalks, which prevents my 5-year-old in a booster seat from being able to buckle herself.
Can't fit three child safety seats across rear bench seat, so I had to buy a minivan. :evil:

KK back seat hip room is only 1" wider; I'd hoped DCX could have shaved two more inches out of the sides. Oh well...

UGLY
Lower ball joints
Goodyear Wrangler ST 215/75R16 are deadly on wet roads.
Resale value. I was going to sell the KJ and replace it with a used Pontiac Vibe or similar car, but I can't get enough for the KJ to make the transaction worthwhile. Guess I'll stick to plan A and drive it in into the ground.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:57 pm

Video Guy wrote:

2003 KJ Sport w/55,000 miles

GOOD
Safety: Steel, and lots of it
Power sunroof
Holds its own offroad, even stock.
Versatile: equally at home on the trail or polished up for a night at the symphony
Spare tire mount holds 31" tires
Decent aftermarket products, from accessories to suspension

BAD
Fuel economy: Steel, and lots of it
Dark slate gray interior is too dark even in daylight
Front window controls on the center console the first few years. (Whose dumb idea was this?)
Rear seatbelt buckles are on inflexible stalks, which prevents my 5-year-old in a booster seat from being able to buckle herself.
Can't fit three child safety seats across rear bench seat, so I had to buy a minivan. :evil:

KK back seat hip room is only 1" wider; I'd hoped DCX could have shaved two more inches out of the sides. Oh well...

UGLY
Lower ball joints
Goodyear Wrangler ST 215/75R16 are deadly on wet roads.
Resale value. I was going to sell the KJ and replace it with a used Pontiac Vibe or similar car, but I can't get enough for the KJ to make the transaction worthwhile. Guess I'll stick to plan A and drive it in into the ground.

QUESTION: Why in the world would you actually want a Pontiac VIBE?

dog_party · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:36 pm

Good:

Bad:

Ugly:

oldhockeyvb · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:10 pm

I love my liberty, I have nothing bad to say about it. It's the best vehicle I have ever owned. It does it all and does it all well. No other vehicle around does what my liberty does at a price I can afford. I will be sad to see it go. Not to mention what the liberty led me to which is this great group of folks.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:10 pm

Good:
Feels like a bigger vehicle than it is
Turning radius is great
I like where the window switches are on the console
Feels safe and solid
Got me into wheeling, Never gonna stop!
LOST & the Awesome people that I have met here, I love you guys!

The bad:
Cost cutting crap like leaving off the rear window pad on 03's :roll:

LBJ issues
Front diff explosions, had one so now I worry about it
my dealer sucks stupid

The BETTER:
SFA, HPD30, Polished up nicely
Geared, alloy'd, locked D44 rear
Nth long arm lift
NV241OR 4:1 transfer case
305/70-16's
Always room for improvement on a great, solid platform. I love the KJ and I DO look forward to seeing what folks do TO & WITH the KK's..... SFA KK Baby!

Liberty...6 years...?the Good, the Bad and the Ugly?

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