2008 Jeep Liberty

I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM CHRYSLER REGARDING A RECALL STATING THAT "THE TRANSFER CASE HEAT SHIELD MAY DROP DOWN AND RUB ON THE DRIVE SHAFT, WEAKENING IT AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BREAK.". CHRYSLER'S RECALL LETTER FAILS TO MENTION WHAT IS OUTLINED IN THE NHTSA LETTER: THE FIRST POTENTIAL CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT RESULTING FROM THE ABOVE REFERENCED DEFECT: "IF THE DRIVE SHAFT BREAKS, A SECTION OF IT CAN STRIKE THE TRANSFER CASE TUNNEL WITH ENOUGH FORCE THAT THE AIRBAG COMPUTER WILL BELIEVE THE VEHICLE IS IN A CRASH AND THUS DEPLOY THE AIRBAGS.". I LODGED A COMPLAINT WITH CHRYSLER THAT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO PROVIDE 2008 JEEP LIBERTY OWNERS WITH ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION WHILE THEY "FIX" THE "PROBLEM". CUSTOMERS NEED TO BE INFORMED ABOUT ALL THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES AND CHRYSLER ONLY MENTIONS THIS THE TRANSFER CASE HEAT SHIELD MAY DROP DOWN AND RUB ON THE DRIVE SHAFT, WEAKENING IT AND POTENTIALLY CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BREAK. IN ADDITION, I SPOKE TO CHRYSLERS "RECALL HELP DESK" ABOUT WHETHER I SHOULD BE DRIVING MY JEEP OR NOT AND I WAS TOLD "YOU'VE BEEN DRIVING YOUR CAR FOR 53,000 MILES AND NOTHINGS HAPPENED SO PROBABLY NOTHING WILL HAPPEN BUT LET US KNOW IF IT DOES." HE SAID THAT THE "HEAD HONCHOS" WERE MEETING ABOUT THE FIX AS WE SPOKE. I ASKED HIM TO LET THE CEO KNOW THAT IF THEY REALLY CARED FOR CUSTOMER SAFETY THEY WOULD GET US RENTAL CARS AND THAT I WOULD TAKE THE CHEAPEST RENTAL ON THE MARKET. WOULD THE CEO OF CHRYSLER CONTINUE TO DRIVE A 2008 JEEP LIBERTY UNTIL THE FIX?? WOULD HE HAVE HIS SON, DAUGHTER OR WIFE DRIVE ONE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION? . NHTSA IN THE SPIRIT OF TRANSPARENCY, WHERE IS THE INFORMATION THAT TELLS 2008 JEEP OWNERS HOW MANY AND AT WHAT MILEAGE ACCIDENTS HAVE OCCURRED. I AM UNABLE TO EASILY ACCESS THIS INFORMATION ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND AM AN INTERMEDIATE COMPUTER USER. *TR

EVERY SINGLE TIME I GO TO FILL UP THE VEHICLE, IT SPEWS GAS ALL OVER THE PLACE (THE VEHICLE, ME, GROUND) IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST OR SLOW YOU FILL IT UP, IT GOES ALL OVER EVERYTHING. ITS DANGEROUS AND VERY IRRITATING! I HATE THIS VEHICLE VERY MUCH, ITS AN EPIC FAIL OF A SUV! THEY DRIVE AWFUL AND THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS OFF ALL OF THE TIME! *TR

SUDDEN ENGINE ACCELERATION INCIDENT. MY WIFE AND I WERE LEAVING A PARKING LOT. AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE I DROVE FOR ABOUT 1 MINUTE TO A STOP SIGN. I PUT THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND WAITED FOR A CAR TO EXIT THE INTERSECTION AND FOR SOME PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS. SUDDENLY, WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. I LOOKED AT THE TACHOMETER. THE ENGINE THAT NORMALLY IDLES AT ABOUT 600 RPM WAS RUNNING AT 2500 RPM. I SAT AT THE STOP SIGN FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND DECIDED THE THROTTLE MUST HAVE STUCK. WITH THE STICK SHIFT IN NEUTRAL I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR HOPING TO UNSTICK THE THROTTLE. THE ENGINE ROARED TO 3500 RPM AND STAYED THERE FOR 10-20 SECONDS. THEN THE RPMS STARTED TO DROP BACK DOWN TO NORMAL IDLE.. WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND DRY TEMPERATURE 60 DEGREES, TIME 3 PM. IT WAS SCARY. IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN GEAR WHEN THE ENGINE TOOK OFF, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 JEEP LIBERTY 4X4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH AS TRANSMISSION FLUID BEGAN ABNORMALLY LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE TRANSMISSION SEAL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION SEAL AND HOUSING EXTENSION BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD EXHIBIT AN UNUSUAL KNOCKING. ON ONE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE ACCELERATION BY ABRUPTLY APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,850 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

2008 JEEP LIBERTY CHATTERS WHEN BACKING UP SLIGHT INCLINE. PROBLEM SINCE NEW. STILL UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER INSTALLED TORQUE CONVERTER AND NEW REAR DRIVE SHAFT ON TWO DIFFERENT VISITS. NEITHER SOLVED ISSUE. DEALER AND CHRYSLER TOLD ME THAT THIS IS "...THE NATURE OF THE BEAST." LOCAL SERVICE REP. TOLD ME THAT HE'S DRIVEN SEVERAL WITH SAME PROBLEM. CHRYSLER REFUSES TO GO ANY FURTHER WITH SOLVING THE ISSUE, BASICALLY, TELLING ME TO "...LIVE WITH IT." IF, INDEED, IT IS "...THE NATURE OF THE BEAST...," SHOULDN'T THERE BE A RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS? AT THIS POINT, I'M LOOKING INTO LITIGATION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT, AS THEIR WARRANTY ASSURES ME A FLAWLESS PRODUCT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER OR JERK WHILE BACKING UP ON AN INCLINE. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY A CHRSYLER REP TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP TO GET A DIAGNOSIS ONLY. THE REPAIR SHOP BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS THE FRONT U-JOINT ON THE REAR DRIVELINE WHICH WAS VERY STIFF IN ONE DIRECTION, THE SLIP YOKE WAS A LITTLE STIFF AND THE HILL BRAKE DID NOT RELEASE QUICK ENOUGH. THE DRIVELINE WAS INSTALLED. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. UPDATED 01/12/11. *JB *TR

WHEN DRIVING THE JEEP UP HILL THE JEEP WILL DROP ITS SPEED TREMENDOUSLY FROM 65 OR 70 TO 40 OR EVEN 30 MPH. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT UP A HILL. IN HEAVY HIGHWAY IT IS DANGEROUS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT'S HOW THEY ALL OPERATE AND AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP TO JUST PUSH THE ACCELERATOR DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THIS MAY HELP. THIS PROCESS IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET PAST THE HILL THE CAR IS THEN MOVING AT A HIGH SPEED WHICH IS ALSO DANGEROUS. SINCE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE DEALERSHIP STATES CANNOT BE CORRECTED. CONSUMERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS MALFUNCTION OF THIS VEHICLE. ROAD TRIPS ARE NOT SAFE IF YOU DRIVE UPHILL. NOTHING WILL BE DONE UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. UNFORTUNATELY CHRYSLER WILL CONTINUE TO SWEEP THIS UNDER THE RUG UNTIL THEN. I ALSO CONTACTED CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR CHRYSLER WHICH WAS A WASTE OF TIME DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS HUNG UP ON AND REFUSED A MANAGER AS WELL AS ANY ONE OF AUTHORITY. I WOULD LIKE A RESOLUTION TO THIS TYPE OF DEFECT WHICH IS NOT A NORMAL OPERATION OF ANY VEHICLE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT MANY CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS AND OBVIOUSLY NOTHING IS GOING TO BE DONE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE CAR IS SAFE AND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM CHRYSLER VERIFIED THAT KNOWING THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH HILLS. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE BODY IS TOO HEAVY FOR A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. UNFORTUNATELY CHRYSLER DOES NOT MAKE THE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS BEFORE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, WHICH IS A CONCERN OF MINE AS WELL. I AM SURE THAT EVENTUALLY EVERY CUSTOMER THAT HAS PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IS AWARE OF IT AFTER THE FACT. *TR