repaired · 2017 Q2
Air bags: frontal
Risk. Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
2002 Jeep LibertyProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 1,808 owner complaints about the 2002 Jeep Liberty, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-046 the manufacturer reports only 17% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 5, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Jeep Liberty has problems
1,808 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
546Air bags120 crash/fire/injury
494Suspension44 crash/fire/injury
118Electrical system
110Seat belts
108Structure
88Fuel/propulsion system
85Engine and engine cooling
84Power train
82Fuel system, gasoline
51523 other systems49 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 546 | 120 |
| Suspension | 494 | 44 |
| Electrical system | 118 | 9 |
| Seat belts | 110 | 15 |
| Structure | 108 | 5 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 88 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 85 | 3 |
| Power train | 84 | 12 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 82 | 0 |
| 23 other systems | 515 | 49 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2002 Jeep Liberty recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2015 Q4
Storage: tank assembly
Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
repaired · 2015 Q2
Air bags
Risk. Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
no report yet
Front: control arm
Risk. FAILURE OF THE BALL JOINT COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF STEERING CAPABILITY, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Show 4 more recalls
no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. WHEN THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITH THIS CONDITION, THE CONTAMINATION CAN LEAD TO CORROSION, ACCELERATED WEAR AND POSSIBLY SEPARATION FROM…
no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. A BALL JOINT THATHAS SEPARATED FROM THE KNUCKLE COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Air bags: frontal
Risk. THIS COULD DELAY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAG SYSTEM, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
no report yet
Unknown or other
Risk. THIS COULD STARTLE THE OPERATOR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Jeep.
Mileage at failure
When do air bags problems start?
115kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 258 air bags complaints. 35% were reported before 100,000 miles.
15under 30k miles91under 100k miles167100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Suspension
15 owners mentioned a cost$1,000median
Middle half: $375 – $1,300
Air bags
15 owners mentioned a cost$300median
Middle half: $199 – $500
Engine and engine cooling
13 owners mentioned a cost$2,000median
Middle half: $800 – $4,000
Visibility
9 owners mentioned a cost$400median
Middle half: $350 – $500
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other Liberty year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Liberty median. How we score
'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Jeep Liberty safety ratings
2002 Jeep Liberty 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
10 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Jeep Liberty, and the recalls they led to.
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTIONNo recall
- FRONT SUSPENSION BALL JOINT SEPARATIONLed to recall 06V-288
- UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONLed to recall 09V-119
- Inadvertent Air Bag DeploymentLed to recall 12V-527
- Crash Related Fuel Tank FiresLed to recall 13V-252
- FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTIONNo recall
- UPPER BALL JOINT SEPARATIONNo recall
- Rear Suspension Control Arm FailureNo recall
- Inadvertent Air Bag DeploymentNo recall
- Jeep inadvertent air bag deploymentLed to recall 15V-043
In owners' words
What Liberty owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
A couple years ago I had the airbag light come on when you come to find out there was a recall on my jeep. I had it took to the dealership, they supposedly fixed it now my airbag light is back on.
I HAVE A SAFETY RECALL THAT CANNOT BE FIXED ACCORDING TO TUNKHANNOCK AUTO MART AND SCRANTON DODGE. I'M EXPERIENCING ALL KIND OF MALFUNCTIONS DUE TO THE SENSOR BEING BAD I HAVE NO POWER, MY SHIFTING, FUEL ECONOMY,HARD STARTS,EVERYTHING. THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I NEED A VEHICLE UNTIL THIS IS…
MY VEHICLE SHOWS ZERO RECALLS SO IT HAD THE AIRBAG REPLACEMENT BUT THE AIRBAG LIGHT NOW COMES ON WHICH I THINK INDICATES THAT THE NEW AIRBAG HAS MALFUNCTIONED. IT SEEMS THEY STILL USED ANOTHER INFERIOR AIRBAG PRODUCT OR MAYBE DIDN'T ACTUALLY REPLACE THE OLD ONE. THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON…
Own a 2002 Liberty?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.