With 9 recalls and 1,806 complaints, the 2002 Jeep Liberty rates as high on the safety concern scale. Always run the VIN through NHTSA's lookup tool before signing.

Recalls

1,806

Complaints

174

Crashes

Fires

Recall Findings

15V0460002015-28-01

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, to March 28, 2003, 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, to May 23 2003, and 2003-2004 Dodge Viper vehicles manufactured November 1, 2001, to June 30, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.

View at NHTSA

12V5270002012-08-11

AIR BAGS

Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, through March 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.

View at NHTSA

09V1190002009-09-04

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 42,469 MY 2002-2003 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN SALT BELT STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IOWA, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE, MARYLAND, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA , WISCONSIN AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE FRONT SUSPENSION UPPER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINT MAY EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF LUBRICATION WHICH COULD LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR, AND POSSIBLE SEPARATION WHILE DRIVING.

FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINT COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CAPABILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

View all 9 recalls

12E0470002012-22-10

SUSPENSION:FRONT:HUB

Timken is recalling certain non-formed, front wheel hubs, part number HA599467, which were sold to retail and automotive distributors in the automobile aftermarket as front wheel hub replacements designed only for use on certain 2002 through 2005, 4X4, non-ABS, Jeep Liberty vehicles. These front wheel hub units can be mistakenly sold to owners and installed on 4X2 versions of the Jeep vehicles.

If the non-formed hub unit is installed on a Jeep Liberty 4x2 model (which does not use an axle nut for hub retention), the vehicle wheel will not be secure and a front wheel separation may occur, increasing the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA

13V2520002013-19-06

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty vehicles. The fuel tanks in these vehicles are at risk of failure and leakage in certain rear impacts.

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

View at NHTSA

06V2880002006-03-08

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS, THE CONSTANT TENSION FRONT LOWER BALL JOINTS MAY EXPERIENCE CONTAMINATION. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD WITH THIS CONDITION, THE BALL JOINT MAY EVENTUALLY EXPERIENCE WEAR AND LOOSENESS.

WHEN THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS CONDITION, THE CONTAMINATION CAN LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR AND POSSIBLY SEPARATION FROM THE STEERING KNUCKLE CAUSING A LOSS OF VEHICLE STEERING CONTROL INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

03V4600002003-10-11

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BALL JOINTS CAN EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF LUBRICATION THAT CAN LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR, AND POSSIBLE SEPARATION FROM THE STEERING KNUCKLE.

A BALL JOINT THATHAS SEPARATED FROM THE KNUCKLE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

01V3730002001-05-12

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. IN THE EVENT OF A SEVERE FRONTAL OFFSET COLLISION, SHARP EDGES ON THE POWER STEERING PRESSURE HOSE BRACKET COULD CUT THE FRONT IMPACT SENSOR WIRING INSULATION CAUSING A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE WIRING.

THIS COULD DELAY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.

View at NHTSA

01V3110002001-04-10

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE DRIVER'S SIDE KNEE BLOCKER TRIM PANEL ASSEMBLY CAN DISENGAGE, FALL, AND STARTLE THE OPERATOR.

THIS COULD STARTLE THE OPERATOR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Top Complaint Areas

The 2002 Jeep Liberty's biggest weak point? AIR BAGS. It leads 1,806 total complaints spanning 1 years. Budget for a thorough pre-purchase inspection, especially in that area.

01Air Bags447

02Suspension414

03Seat Belts81

04Engine And Engine Cooling64

05Engine51

1,806 total across 1 model years (2002–2002)Full data at NHTSA.gov

Jeep Liberty Fuel Economy

16–17mpg combined

14-15city

18-20hwy

$2,600-$2,750/yr

Fuel economy for the 2002 Jeep Liberty ranges from 16 to 17 MPG combined across 4 setups. The table below breaks it down by trim so you know exactly what you're signing up for.

By Trim

Liberty 2WD - Manual 5-spd

17mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · Rear-Wheel Drive

15 city20 hwy~$2,600/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 4WD - Manual 5-spd

17mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive

14 city20 hwy~$2,600/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 2WD - Automatic 4-spd

16mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · Rear-Wheel Drive

15 city19 hwy~$2,750/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 4WD - Automatic 4-spd

16mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive

14 city18 hwy~$2,750/yr-1/10 Poor

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Where to Find 2002 Jeep Liberty

33States

26%in top 3

The biggest cluster of inventory is in Michigan (10%), but the remaining listings are spread across 32 other states nationwide.

MIMichigan

2710%

ILIllinois

249%

FLFlorida

217%

OHOhio

166%

INIndiana

124%

WAWashington

124%

NJNew Jersey

114%

TXTexas

104%

COColorado

93%

DCWashington DC

93%

NYNew York

93%

MOMissouri

93%

MDMaryland

83%

MNMinnesota

83%

GAGeorgia

83%

CTConnecticut

83%

WIWisconsin

62%

PAPennsylvania

62%

UT5

VA5

NE5

NC5

OK5

DE4

RI4

AZ4

NH4

OR4

CA4

IA3

ND3

ID2

NV2

Geographic distribution reflects all active listings for this model, not just 2002.

Buying a 2002 Jeep Liberty?

Answers to common buyer questions

Is the 2002 Jeep Liberty a good car to buy?

The 2002 Jeep Liberty has 9 recalls on record. There are 9 recalls on record, so check that they've been completed before buying. The most commonly reported issue area is air bags, which is worth inspecting during a test drive. Review the safety data and pricing breakdown above.

Are there recalls on the 2002 Jeep Liberty?

There are 9 documented recalls for the 2002 Jeep Liberty. Don't let that scare you; most are routine. Just make sure they're all resolved before you sign. Details in the safety overview.

What's the gas mileage of the 2002 Jeep Liberty?

Fuel economy ranges from 16 to 17 MPG combined. If you drive 15,000 miles a year, that gap is worth about $193 annually. See the fuel economy section for per-trim data.

What are common problems with the 2002 Jeep Liberty?

AIR BAGS is the number-one complaint area for the 2002 Jeep Liberty, based on 1,806 NHTSA filings. During a test drive, pay extra attention to this system. See the known issues section for the full breakdown.