The 2008 Jeep Liberty's elevated safety profile includes 5 recall campaigns and 540 owner-reported complaints. Make recall verification part of your pre-purchase checklist.

Recalls

540

Complaints

Crashes

Fires

Recall Findings

13V1210002013-03-04

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Dodge Nitro 4X2 vehicles manufactured March 21, 2006, through March 1, 2008; and 2008 Jeep Liberty 4X2 vehicles manufactured February 15, 2007, through March 1, 2008. The transfer case heat shield may drop down and rub on the drive shaft, weakening it and potentially causing the drive shaft to break.

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. Additionally, the drive shaft failure will result in a loss of motive power. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.

View at NHTSA

08V5250002008-08-10

PARKING BRAKE

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 3,663 MY 2007-2008 DODGE NITRO AND MY 2008 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS. THE PARK BRAKE LEVER CLUTCH DRUM MAY DISTORT AND REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PARK BRAKE SYSTEM.

THIS COULD ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO MOVE INADVERTENTLY AND CAUSE A CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

View at NHTSA

09E0390002009-19-06

SUSPENSION

ROCK KRAWLER IS RECALLING 44 PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLE LISTED ABOVE. THESE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS WERE PRODUCED WITH GRADE 2 CARRIAGE BOLTS INSTEAD OF THE PROPER GRADE 5 CARRIAGE BOLTS. THE IMPROPER GRADE 2 CARRIAGE BOLTS COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF CLAMPING FORCE FOR THE BOTTOM STRUT FORK.

THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF EFFECTIVE LIFT AND LOWERING OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLE, POSSIBLY CREATING THE DRIVER TO PANIC WHICH COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

View at NHTSA

View all 5 recalls

08V4550002008-09-09

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING 494 MY 2008 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES. THE WINDSHIELD AND/OR FIXED REAR QUARTER GLASS MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED USING INCORRECT URETHANE ADHESIVE. THIS COULD AFFECT GLASS RETENTION.

IF THE GLASS SEPARATES WHILE DRIVING, IT COULD STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE OR INJURE A PEDESTRIAN.

View at NHTSA

10V5500002010-03-11

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 JEEP LIBERTY VEHICLES. THE VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTORS THAT CONTAIN EXCESS ADHESIVE THAT MAY ALLOW FOR WATER INTRUSION, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INTERMITTENT AND EVENTUALLY INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATION.

A FAILING OR INOPERATIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYSTEM WILL REDUCE A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

View at NHTSA

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Top Complaint Areas

The 2008 Jeep Liberty has accumulated 540 NHTSA complaints over 1 years, with fuel system, gasoline leading the pack. Know what to look for before you buy.

01Fuel System, Gasoline90

02Structure53

03Fuel/propulsion System49

04Electrical System43

05Unknown Or Other32

540 total across 1 model years (2008–2008)Full data at NHTSA.gov

Jeep Liberty Fuel Economy

17–19mpg combined

15-16city

21-22hwy

$2,300-$2,600/yr

With 4 configurations tested, the 2008 Jeep Liberty ranges from 17 to 19 MPG combined. That's a 2 MPG gap that can add up to hundreds of dollars a year in fuel costs.

By Trim

Liberty 2WD - Manual 6-spd

19mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · Rear-Wheel Drive

16 city22 hwy~$2,300/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 2WD - Automatic 4-spd

18mpg

3.7L 6-cyl · Rear-Wheel Drive

16 city22 hwy~$2,450/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 4WD - Manual 6-spd

18mpg

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

16 city22 hwy~$2,450/yr-1/10 Poor

Liberty 4WD - Automatic 4-spd

17mpg

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

15 city21 hwy~$2,600/yr-1/10 Poor

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

Where to Find 2008 Jeep Liberty

33States

26%in top 3

If you're near Michigan, you're in luck: 10% of listings are there. But with 33 states represented, there's likely one near you too.

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 2008.

Buying a 2008 Jeep Liberty?

Answers to common buyer questions

Is the 2008 Jeep Liberty a good car to buy?

The 2008 Jeep Liberty has 5 recalls on record. There are 5 recalls on record, so check that they've been completed before buying. The most commonly reported issue area is fuel system, gasoline, which is worth inspecting during a test drive. Review the safety data and pricing breakdown above.

Are there recalls on the 2008 Jeep Liberty?

There are 5 documented recalls for the 2008 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 2008 Jeep Liberty?

Fuel economy ranges from 17 to 19 MPG combined. If you drive 15,000 miles a year, that gap is worth about $325 annually. See the fuel economy section for per-trim data.

What are common problems with the 2008 Jeep Liberty?

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE is the number-one complaint area for the 2008 Jeep Liberty, based on 540 NHTSA filings. During a test drive, pay extra attention to this system. See the known issues section for the full breakdown.