2002 Jeep Liberty Steering Problems
- Complaints
- 78about this part
- Share
- 4%of 1,808 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 78,015miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 78 complaints about the steering of the 2002 Jeep Liberty, 4% of the 1,808 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 78,015 miles. 14 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I was driving on the highway with cruise control on doing about 60 MPH when suddenly the Jeep Liberty started jerking and the RPM needle arm and the speedometer arm started going crazy up and down. The Liberty started to slow down so I had to press on the gas pedal to maintain speed. The speedometer quit working and so did the cruise control , the auto door locks also quit working. The motor also started to die whenever I slowed down or come to a stop at a stop sign or red lights. …”
NHTSA complaint #10680253, filed 2015-01, 59,850 miles“I stopped to pick up my daughter's snow pants on the way from school. Backing out of the driveway I heard and felt my tire do something. I didn't know what it was, but the car was obviously unable to be driven. When I got out, my passenger side front tire was at angles to the car. The upper and lower ball joints gave out and according to the mechanic, the brake line was basically the only thing holding the tire on. …”
NHTSA complaint #10383956, filed 2011-02, 132,000 miles“When I went to turn my car on yesterday it would turn but would not turn the car on. The battery was replaced and still it would not turn on. An investigation into the ignition switch discovered a sing broke part before the tumbler. In order to repair this, the entire steering collumn needs to be replaced. Two Jeep shops told me this is a common problem, but I haven't seen a recall. A google search brings up hundreds of unsatisfied owners. It could be in the thousands.”
NHTSA complaint #10464354, filed 2012-07, 160,000 miles“We were traveling southbound on i75 at a speed of only approximately 15mph due to a car accident ahead of us. All of sudden my car dropped and I heard a scrap of metal against asphalt. I slowly pulled car over to center median and got my children to the center of the guardrails to keep them safe. Upon expecting vehicle, I noticed that the wheel on the passenger front side of the vehicle was turned away from the car, the molding was detached and the metal that holds the wheel in place was sitting on the roadway. …”
NHTSA complaint #10558996, filed 2014-01, 116,078 miles“I noticed that my power steering had been making a loud sound. I got it checked out and the dealership mentioned that it was okay. A few months later my power steering went out completely. I had another place check my Jeep out and they found that the power steering high pressure hose had a crack in the metal part of the hose, all of the fluid had leaked out and they had seen nothing like it before.”
NHTSA complaint #10209842, filed 2007-11, 66,500 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10017651Nov 2, 2005Revised power steering system bleeding procedures.
Steering: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 6 | 2% |
| 2011 | 5 | 3% |
| 2010 | 2 | 1% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 12 | 2% |
| 2007 | 18 | 3% |
| 2006 | 51 | 4% |
| 2005 | 61 | 5% |
| 2004 | 54 | 5% |
| 2003 | 52 | 4% |
| 2002 | 78 | 4% |
Other parts of the 2002 Jeep Liberty
546 complaintsSuspension
494 complaintsFuel system
173 complaintsElectrical system
118 complaintsSeat belts
110 complaintsBody and structure
108 complaintsEngine cooling
85 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
84 complaintsBrakes
83 complaintsEngine
74 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
70 complaintsExterior lighting
50 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Jeep Liberty
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology