Jeep Liberty

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Johnnie

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Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Posts
21
I am interested in purchasing a new Jeep Liberty to tow behind my 2005 Damon Tuscanny.
The Jeep dealer says the Liberty is tow ready, ignition in on position , and 4wheel drive tranny in neutral.
Sounds to easy, anyone with experience or comments.

Thanks
Johnnie
 
The dealer is mostly right, for a change. All the Jeep 4WD models are towable without modifications - just follow the instructions in the owners manual (not what the salesman says).
 
Unfortunately you cannot take what dealers or salesman tell you as gospel.  Best to check it out from another unbiased source such as here.  I would suggest you ask to see the owners manual for the Liberty and look up the instructions provided in the manual.  I am not aware of any recent model year jeeps that require you to have the ignition on for towing.
 
Johnny -

We have a Jeep Liberty and have been towing it for three years - probably has more miles being towed than being driven.

Our Jeep has an automatic transmission and 4x4 drive. The tow set up is to place the 4x4 in NEUTRAL, the automatic transmission in PARK and the ignition key in the position between lock and on - I'm not certain what that position is called on all Jeep versions. With the ignition key in what I will call the unlocked position, none of the electronics are on and the steering wheel is unlocked and free to turn. With that setup, the Jeep is ready to go and will go easily where it is towed.

We have been very pleased with our Liberty.

--  RayB  --
 
Johnny,
I have a 2006 Jeep Liberty that I have been towing for about two months, 1500 miles.  It does well.  The only problem I have ha\d is getting the transfer case into Neutral.  This is necessary for towing.  It is a small detent for the Neutral position.  Easily overshot.  Watch the instrument panel when shifting.  There are icons illuminated for each position except Neutral, so when they are all off you're there.  It is getting easier with practice.

I was uncomfortable having the key in the ignition while towing especially if I left the rig for a few minutes.  I had the Jeep dealer make an ignition key using a dumb blank instead of the "smart" keys.  This key will do everything except start the engine.  If someone tries the engine dies after a few seconds.  I don't have any worries about leaving this in the Jeep when towing. 

The baseplate installation isn't bad either.  You do have to remove the bumper, at least for the Blue Ox unit.  But it all fits, the instructions are good, and the unit is almost invisible when installed.  The Jeep has been a good "toad" so far.
 
We have  the 2006 Jeep Liberty diesel which we tow. Just follow the instructions in the owners manual. Works wonderfully.  Like Dean says, the neutral position is a little tricky to get to, But if you are careful and double check everything, you'll be fine. Ditto the remarks for the Blue Ox hitch also.

Would we buy it again--you bet we would.

Chet18013
 
Chet,

I am considering buying a 2006 Jeep Liberty Diesel now as a toad for my Allegro MH.  How do you like the diesel engine?  I have read pro's and con's but have yet to talk to anyone who has one.  My wife will be driving the Liberty when we are not towing it.  She drives mostly aroung town and to work and back.  She has a Ford Crown Victoria now and feels it is a little large for her around town errands and parking it the garage at work is a little difficult.  I think she would like the Liberty better in that regard.  Thanks in advance for your input.

Dan
 
We took delivery on our diesel Liberty Limited  last OCT and it now has 7000 miles + about 1500 towed, but non registered miles  on the odometer.  We also got the tow and cross country option packages when we ordered it.  Also recommend the rear luggage organizer. Wife loves it for the grocery shopping. It's a great car, except I miss some of the creature comforts that our previous Grand Cherokee had and Jeep does not offer on the liberty. The car has never been back to the dealer for any warranty issues. The diesel engine is indeed a little more noisy, especially at idle, but the power and acceleration is unbelievable for a 4 cylinder.  Mileage is about  21 around town and 27-28 on the road. These should improve a bit with a few more mile on it.

If your dealer hasn't told you and you were in the military, be sure and ask for the additional $500 military discount, the last thing before signing the deal. I did and got it right at the bottom line.

Chet18013
 
Chet,

Thanks for the information and opinions on the Liberty Diesel.  The problem I'm having now is finding one to even look at and drive.  All of the dealerships in Houston Area sell them as fast as they get them on their lots.  I understand that Jeep is discontinuing the diesel engine for 2007.  That may be why they are so hard to find.  I wonder why they are dropping the diesel after only 2 years of production?  Have you heard of any severe problems that might cause them to discontinue the engine?  Thanks again for your input.

Dan
 
The reason I was given for Jeep discontinuing the diesel Liberty is the additional cost to get the engines approved as meeting the requirements for Diesel engines made in 2007.  Guess they just don't want to deal with the hassle.
 
For one, Jeep is discontinuing the diesel in the Liberty because it is an outsourced engine, made my VM Motori of Italy.  Daimler-Chrysler will be introducing the Grand Cherokee Diesel at about the same time as the Liberty Diesel is going out.  The Grand Cherokee Diesel will be running on a Mercedes Benz Bluetec V6 common rail deisel that is reported to have cleaner emissions than 99% of cars on the road.  The Jeep Commander Diesel is soon to follow.

Mercedes Benz knows diesel and makes some of the best diesel engines in the world - not to mention it is easier and cheaper to keep these things "in house."

Expect to see lots more Jeeps, Dodges, and Chrysler diesels in the future.  Even Honda is looking at importing their diesel Accord soon.

As far as buying a diesel Liberty now, I have heard excellent things about its reliability and performance.  You'll just have to test drive a V6 and imagine it with more power, better mileage, and a bit more noise at Idle.  A lot of the TDIClub members are buying them and loving them.

 
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