The 2003 Jeep Liberty is everything a Jeep fan wants, and everything automotive critics don’t. It’s not versatile, it’s high-maintenance, it’s inefficient, and the suspension just plain isn’t good. But you won’t find a more capable compact off-roader for the price.
Is the 2003 Jeep Liberty a Good Used SUV?
- Overall Rating 8/10 – An excellent adventure vehicle, but one of the worst daily drivers in the compact SUV market.
- Interior, Comfort & Cargo 7/10 – Surprisingly spacious for a compact SUV, but the suspension might as well have you sitting on a stack of bricks for all the shock it absorbs.
- Reliability 7/10 – You can get a Jeep Liberty past 250,000 miles, but that’s likely to happen only if you baby it and never take it off road, and where’s the fun in that?
- Safety 6/10 – Safety tech is adequate, crash test ratings are solid, but there are a lot of airbag issues that keep popping up despite multiple recalls.
- Gas Mileage 6/10 – The i4 model gets 20/24 miles to the gallon, city/highway, while the V6 averages 17/22. Pretty mediocre fuel economy either way.
- Value 7/10 – As with most used Jeeps, it’s a good value if you are specifically in the market for a Jeep. It’s high-maintenance and low-efficiency, so, if you’re driving it every day, the money you save on the sticker price will be made up keeping it running.
Positive Owner Reviews
Negative Owner Reviews
What Do Critics Say About the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
Consumer Reports found the Liberty to be a step forward for Jeep, but only in the sense that the brand had been playing catch-up with the rest of the compact SUV market. They cite good acceleration and tight braking offset by a jittery ride and bad fuel economy.
Kelley Blue Book users love how the Liberty performs off road and note that fuel economy is better than one might guess. But, even the five-star reviews admit that the ride isn’t that smooth. To quote one reviewer’s mechanic, “That’s just how Jeeps are.”
Edmunds found the Liberty to be “still a Jeep at heart” with excellent off-road performance. They sided with CR on the fuel economy being pretty bad, and conclude that the SUV isn’t as “car-like” as you expect of a compact.
What Common Problems Does the 2003 Jeep Liberty Have?
Airbag complaints make up 386 of the 1,336 complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with reports coming in as late as December 2022 despite three recalls issued between 2012 and 2015. Complaints mostly point to airbag failure and airbag warning lights.
Suspension issues take the lead at 431 complaints, with drivers reporting that the front driver’s side suspension suddenly drops and the tire goes flat. This has to do with a lower ball joint that may fracture. This is still happening 13 years since the last recall for the issue.
A number of drivers have reported a fuel tank strap rusting through and dropping the tank on the ground, potentially causing a major fire. This follows a recall for another fuel tank fire hazard, which saw the tank potentially suffering a puncture in the event of a rear-end collision.
There are 13 recalls on file with the NHTSA in total, which wouldn’t be so bad, except that many of these recalls don’t seem to have done the job, with hundreds of drivers still reporting, more than a decade later, the exact issues the recalls were intended to address.
How Long Will the 2003 Jeep Liberty Last?
A few drivers have reported their Jeep Liberties lasting 300,000 to 400,000 miles. That doesn’t seem realistic if you’re buying used, and even a brand new one is probably only hitting 400,000 if you never actually take it off-road, at which point why buy a Jeep in the first place? Most owners will get about 200,000 to 250,000 miles on the original engine and transmission.
RepairPal report that an older Jeep Liberty should cost around $442 a year in maintenance costs. The most expensive common repair will be a new catalytic converter starting at $4,620, followed by a new head gasket starting at $1,498.
Very reliable, other than every year, I have to do something to get it to heat good. Always starts and runs good.
How Is the Technology?
The entertainment technology is pretty good for a 2003 compact SUV. The entry level sport comes with a tape player, six speakers, and a disc-changer.
Safety technology is adequate for 2003, if unimpressive. Anti-lock brakes wouldn’t become standard in the Liberty until the 2nd Generation, so the airbags are about as high-tech as it gets here.
Is the 2003 Jeep Liberty a Good Value?
The 2003 Jeep Liberty is a good value if you are specifically in the market for a Jeep. That’s generally how it goes with this brand. With fair purchase prices on a Sport model standing at around $3,347 and the Limited model at $3,975, a Jeep Liberty isn’t overpriced. But, it’s a terrible investment if you’re buying a primary vehicle.
Jeep make some of the best weekend vehicles on the market. If you’re looking to get outdoors and catch some fish or hit the trails, a used Jeep is a great SUV for the price. If you’re looking for a grocery-getter, the fuel and maintenance costs of daily driving a Liberty will add up faster than you think.
What are the Different Models of the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
The 2003 Liberty is available in three trims, from the basic Sport to the high-end Renegade.
The entry-level Sport features:
- Reclining bucket seats
- 12v power outlet
- AM/FM radio with six speakers, tape-player and disc-changer
The mid-range Limited adds:
- Manual front air conditioning
- Remote keyless entry
- Fog lights
- Power windows
- Cruise control
With the top-of-the-line Renegade you’re adding:
- Cloth and leather seat trim
- Leather wrapped steering wheel
- Additional 12v power outlet in the rear
- Power fold away side mirrors
- Tubular side steps
What Engines Come In the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
- The Sport model comes packed with a 2.3L inline-four Power Tech engine delivering 165 lb.-ft. of torque and 150 horsepower. This is paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission and configured in rear wheel drive. Whichever engine you go with, the Liberty is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds.
- Available in the Sport and standard in the Limited and Renegade editions is a 3.7L V6 Power Tech delivering 210 horsepower and 235 lb.-ft. of torque. This is paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission and configured in rear/four wheel drive. This is the one to get if you’re looking for an adventure vehicle.
What Colors Does the 2003 Jeep Liberty Come In?
How Comfortable Is the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
The 2003 Jeep Liberty isn’t the most comfortable compact SUV on the market. As one driver puts it, “you can feel every bump on the road.” Yet another reason why this isn’t a great choice for a daily driver. But, the interior is spacious enough for a compact and the seating is comfortable, just not when you’re in motion.
With 57 inches of rear hip room, the Liberty actually can seat five adults, that’s not just brochure talk. How long they’ll want to sit back there as you hop and bounce on every pothole and pebble is another story.
How Much Storage Space Does the 2003 Jeep Liberty Have?
The 2003 Jeep Liberty has an impressive 29 cubic feet of storage space with the seats up, and 69 cubic feet with the seats down. That’s about as much space as you’re ever going to need on a camping trip.
2.4L models have a payload capacity of 1,347 pounds and the 3.7L can carry up to 1,530. That means that if you can’t find a trailer for your boat, you can probably strap it to the roof.
What Are the Differences Between Years?
2003 was the second model year of the inaugural KJ generation’s six-year run before it was retired for the second-gen KK platform in the 2008 model year.
2002: The 2002 Jeep Liberty was introduced as a replacement for the discontinued Cherokee, and was the first Jeep with rack and pinion steering, the first equipped with Power Tech engines, and the first with independent front suspension since the Wagoneer, discontinued in 1965.
2003: The 2003 model dropped the suspension by about an inch, revised the automatic transmission, and made a handful of mechanical tweaks throughout for improved braking, drivability, and safety.
2004: Roof handles were added for 2004, and tech upgrades included tire pressure monitoring and hands-free phone connectivity.
2005: A 2.8L diesel engine was added as an option for 2005, and the Liberty got a few visual upgrades with a new grille, fog lights, fender flares and side moldings.
2006: Jeep’s Electronic Stability Program was added as a standard feature for 2006, along with ABS, roll mitigation, and traction control.
2007: No major changes for the final model year of the first-gen, but the Renegade trim and diesel engine were both dropped for 2007.
How Does the 2003 Jeep Liberty Compare to the Competition?
Comparing the 2003 Jeep Liberty to other compact SUVs from the 2003 model year you’re going to see the same thing over and over again: If you’re looking for a daily driver, the Liberty is outperformed in almost every possible way by the competition. But if you’re looking for an adventure vehicle, the Liberty is hard to beat.
Compared to a Ford Escape, the Liberty is less fuel-efficient and even lacks air conditioning in the entry level Sport. But the Ford Escape is built for light off-roading at best, and you’re probably going to be calling someone with a Jeep to pull you out of the mud the first time you take it to the creek.
Likewise the Honda CR-V averages a thousand dollars more in the Blue Book, but it’s far more reliable, typically passing a quarter million miles on the original transmission. It sips gas like it’s not even thirsty, and the ride is far more comfortable. But it can barely handle loose gravel, let alone all-terrain exploration.
Jeeps tend to rate poorly with critics because they’re not versatile, they’re terrible to drive in the city, they’re awful grocery-getters, and the handling can be cumbersome. But get them out in the woods and they’re the best vehicle for the job.
Do Owners Recommend the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
It's ok. Have always had heater issues with it. Overall, it is a descent jeep. I would buy another one.
