The 2003 Jeep Liberty is a SUV that came with a choice of 2.4L 4-cyl and 3.7L 6-cyl engines. At 23 years old, many are reaching the point where repairs cost more than the car is worth. Running or not, we'll make you an offer and tow it away for free.
| Body style | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
|---|---|
| Engines | 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.7L 6-cyl |
| Transmissions | Manual 5-spd, Automatic 4-spd |
| Drive | Rear-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive |
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
| Fuel economy | 14–17 city / 20–22 highway / 17–19 combined MPG |
| EPA annual fuel cost | $3,550–$3,950 a year (EPA estimate at current fuel prices, 15,000 miles) |
| Tailpipe CO₂ | 468–523 grams per mile |
| Versions tested by EPA | 6 configurations: Liberty/Cherokee 2WD, Liberty/Cherokee 4WD |
| Age | 23 years |
Specs, fuel cost and emissions from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov data. Your car's exact equipment may differ.
NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls covering the 2003 Jeep Liberty. Open recalls don't stop you from selling or junking the car, but check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which apply to yours.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured March 29, 2003, to July 3, 2003, and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured May 27, 2003, to May 20, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail…
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
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…
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
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…
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
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…
Risk: Failure of the ball joint could result in a loss of steering capability, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Risk: 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
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.
Risk: A ball joint thathas separated from the knuckle could result in loss of vehicle directional control and could result in a crash.
Owners have filed 1,352 complaints about the 2003 Jeep Liberty with NHTSA. 134 reports involved a crash and 11 reports involved a fire. Owners reported 171 injuries.
Complaints are reports from owners and aren't verified by NHTSA. One complaint can list several components. Mileage is the median odometer reading owners reported for that component.
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Jeep Liberty.
| Version | Overall | Frontal crash | Side crash | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Dr, RWD | Not rated | — | — | ★★★☆☆ | — |
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP). Ratings from different model years or rating systems aren't directly comparable.
Manufacturers have filed 64 technical service bulletins and communications with NHTSA covering the 2003 Jeep Liberty. These are repair instructions for known issues, not recalls.
Mechanical rocker arm, intake, 1.7 ratio.
Mechanical rocker arm, intake, 1.7 ratio.
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all
KEY, Master If replacing the key/FOBIK on a WJ, KJ, TJ, or PT Cruiser, use the "AC" NIC level part number. The "AB" NIC level will not program to these platforms. For all
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications (technical service bulletins).
NHTSA opened 8 defect investigations covering the 2003 Jeep Liberty.
Jeep inadvertent air bag deployment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of inadvertent air bag deployments (IABD) occurring after the recall remedy for NHTSA recall 12V-527 had been installed on recalled model year (MY ) 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty and MY 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufa
Crash Related Fuel Tank Fires
ODI has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject Jeep Cherokee, Grand Cherokee and Liberty vehicles (SVs).As of June 2013, ODI knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries)
Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment
The investigation was opened based on reports of frontal air bag inadvertent deployments (ABIDs) on model year (MY) 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles.Data provided by Chrysler indicate that the air bag squib filter circuitry inside the Occupant Restraint Control (ORC) module can degrade and result in an inadvertent air b
Inadvertent Air Bag Deployment
Based on analysis of Chrysler's response, and including ODI's consumer complaints, ODI has identified 87 reports of air bag inadvertent deployment incidents resulting in 50 alleged injuries.The injuries consists of burn/cuts and bruises to the upper body region.Forty-two (42) of the 87 incidents involved the driver fro
Rear Suspension Control Arm Failure
During Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-013), the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) conducted an analysis of consumer field data from its Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) database and from complaint data submitted to ODI by Chrysler. ODI's analysis of VOQ data identified 13 complaints alleging failure of either the ri
Upper ball joint separation
On april 7, 2009, chrysler llc submitted to odi a defect information report indicating that it would recall approximately 42,469 model year 2002 through 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles to remedy a defect that can result in upper ball joint separation while driving (09v-119).the affected vehicles were built from may 2002 thr
Upper ball joint separation
Odi has received 22 complaints of upper ball joint separation on model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty 4x4 vehicles.the separation of an upper ball joint on either of the front wheels can result in the affected front wheel collapsing, possibly resulting in vehicle disablement and causing a loss of vehicle control.there
Front suspension ball joint separation
On january 6, 2006, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged front suspension lower ball joint separationin certain model year (my) 2004 Jeep Liberty vehicles.odi sent a letter to the manufacturer on february 7, 2006 requesting information about these and other je
‹ Sell a 2002 Liberty · Sell a 2004 Liberty › · All Jeep Liberty years
It depends on its condition, whether major parts like the engine, transmission and catalytic converter are still there, and current scrap and parts prices where you live. As a heavier vehicle, its scrap weight adds to the offer. Enter your ZIP code above for a free offer on your specific car.
Yes. We buy 2003 Libertys that don't start, were in an accident, failed inspection or have a blown engine or transmission. Towing is always free.
Yes. Open recalls don't prevent a junk sale. NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2003 Jeep Liberty; you can check whether any are still open on yours with the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Usually the title and a photo ID. Rules differ by state, including what to do with your plates and whether to file a notice of sale. Check our state-by-state car title guides for the official forms.
Data retrieved October 2026.
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