Should we get a Liberty for our daughter ?

[cbc58]

We have the opportunity to buy a 2003 Liberty with very low miles (28k), and it's in like new condition. On a scale of 1 to 10 its a 9.875.

On a whim I put "recall" into google and now find that these cars have a safety issue with the gas tank. This car that we looked at just had a trailer hitch put on and I thought it was a replacement one for towing - but see that it may be to protect the gas tank.

We don't have to buy this and would like to find out if you would buy one for your kids, or what else we should watch out for. She was in a car accident 2 weeks ago and we are looking for something safe. Any info or advice is appreciated.

 

[tommudd]

We have the opportunity to buy a 2003 Liberty with very low miles (28k), and it's in like new condition. On a scale of 1 to 10 its a 9.875.

On a whim I put "recall" into google and now find that these cars have a safety issue with the gas tank. This car that we looked at just had a trailer hitch put on and I thought it was a replacement one for towing - but see that it may be to protect the gas tank.

We don't have to buy this and would like to find out if you would buy one for your kids, or what else we should watch out for. She was in a car accident 2 weeks ago and we are looking for something safe. Any info or advice is appreciated.

The trailer hitch is installed to help protect supposedly the gas tank. I don't see anything wrong with buying it for your daughter . Just a few months ago I grabbed an 05 for my 86 year old Stepfather and Mom , am looking for another one for my wife when she gets back from Tanzania, and hopefully will get my stepson in one as well when he comes over .
I've had mine since 04 when I bought it new and have over 213,000 on it. Been rearended 3 times hard and no issues . To me the whole gas tank issue is , well a non issue.
All depends on how worried you are but there are many vehicles with gas tanks in the back, many cars with other ( so called) safety issues so if she likes it and feels safe go for it

 

[CzarKJ]

The liberty is a nice heavy steel vehicle. Gross weight prevails in most situations. Few things to be aware of. Out of 4x4 it is a rear wheel drive vehicle which can get a little squirrelly if not driven with care. Also it is a SUV so it is more prone to tipping than cars. overall though it is a very safe heavy duty vehicle!

 

[twowings]

I wouldn't have any reservations should my teenaged son or young adult daughter want one...they are handy, manueverable, not-too-fast, and practical...perfect for shuttling back and forth to high school or college...and certainly much less expensive than the new stuff Jeep is selling these days...if you've found a good one, get it! We will do what we can here to help you make sure it stays running for years to come...

 

[tommudd]

The liberty is a nice heavy steel vehicle. Gross weight prevails in most situations. Few things to be aware of. Out of 4x4 it is a rear wheel drive vehicle which can get a little squirrelly if not driven with care. Also it is a SUV so it is more prone to tipping than cars. overall though it is a very safe heavy duty vehicle!

Little squirrely ? Never had that unless I punched it and wanted to spin some ( well except for the stock junk tires, they spun on dry pavement, worthless. Good tires go along ways in driveability

With so few miles I would pull a full maintenance on it if you buy it.
Sitting is never good , but bet the bodies in great shape

 

[CzarKJ]

Little squirrely ? Never had that unless I punched it and wanted to spin some ( well except for the stock junk tires, they spun on dry pavement, worthless. Good tires go along ways in driveability

With so few miles I would pull a full maintenance on it if you buy it.
Sitting is never good , but bet the bodies in great shape

I was thinking with SRA's which is what mine came with and apparently very popular with used car dealers. Once I changed tires that stopped.

 

[profdlp]

There was a guy around here a year or so ago who bought one for his daughter. Long story short, she was in a bad collision and walked away. Judging by the pictures it's a good thing she wasn't in an econo-box. Having a nice solid vehicle around you counts for a great deal.

If my daughter needed a vehicle I would not hesitate to recommend a Liberty. I consider it a very safe choice. As for the recall, it first hit the news the day after I bought mine and you can bet I did a bunch of research on it. She'll have a greater chance of being hit by lightning than having a problem if the Jeep is rear-ended.

 

[Ocelot]

My dad bought an 07 Sport with 60k on it, loves it. Id buy the one you are considering in a heartbeat.

 

[ltd02]

My one daughter drove mine regularly for a couple years. I never had any reservations about her driving it. I just showed her how to use the 4WD and she used it often. Like was stated above it's a good solid vehicle. Deceiving at first as it seems small but you'll realize quickly how sturdy it is. Also, since it is a bit compact I think it's a breeze to park in all sorts of spaces. Like Tom said, too low miles can be rough on a vehicle too. Oh, and the gas tank thing is a bit overdone, but I used to drive a Pinto years ago.

 

[Flak]

I like mine, cheap to repair. My only concern might be that mine is 'pre-lowered' so it sits a bit higher and seems like it could roll without as much effort as normal. I'm not sure when they lowered the chassis a little bit.

 

[boboborino]

I like mine, cheap to repair. My only concern might be that mine is 'pre-lowered' so it sits a bit higher and seems like it could roll without as much effort as normal. I'm not sure when they lowered the chassis a little bit.

Late 2002, but it was not an issue with the height of the vehicle, but more with, as my wife likes to say,"misdirected" people, or what I like to say,"IDIOTS" Pre-lowered vs lowered is a moot point.
Another one for the liberty to be safe, as I also let my kids drive the KJ! and it is pre-lowered(proving my point that it is non concerning)

Bert

 

[tommudd]

I like mine, cheap to repair. My only concern might be that mine is 'pre-lowered' so it sits a bit higher and seems like it could roll without as much effort as normal. I'm not sure when they lowered the chassis a little bit.

Even with low miles I'll bet its sagged down past later model years stock height anyways, to me thats a non issue when looking at one

 

[reload40s]

I am teaching my son to drive in my 2006. It will most likely be his after he gets his license. It has 131,000 miles and is still going strong. I feel that he would be very safe if he accidentally "bumped something" while driving it.

Also this will be a good excuse to buy a new Jeep for dad!

 

[Hockeygoon]

We have the opportunity to buy a 2003 Liberty with very low miles (28k), and it's in like new condition. On a scale of 1 to 10 its a 9.875.

About as safe as anything else you can buy and put her in. The one thing issue you might run into - the gas mileage on a Liberty isn't that great. You'll notice it especially with a young driver that likes to put their foot in it.

But then what do I know? I bought a mint 1990 EB Bronco with a 351 and an E4OD for my 16 year old son to drive. Its been averaging about 12 MPG and has probably been airborn more times than United.

 

[renegade 04]

It is very safe and is amazing in the snow if you get the correct tires for it.

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

... I bought a mint 1990 EB Bronco with a 351 and an E4OD for my 16 year old son to drive. Its been averaging about 12 MPG and has probably been airborn more times than United.

:happy175::happy175::happy175:

:waytogo:

 

[tommudd]

About as safe as anything else you can buy and put her in. The one thing issue you might run into - the gas mileage on a Liberty isn't that great. You'll notice it especially with a young driver that likes to put their foot in it.

But then what do I know? I bought a mint 1990 EB Bronco with a 351 and an E4OD for my 16 year old son to drive. Its been averaging about 12 MPG and has probably been airborn more times than United.

When did a 1990 Bronco become a EB ?
I'm sure he's having fun with the 90 though , had one for 6 months before I quadrupled what I paid for it . But EB's are way more fun and would trade my KJ for a 68-72 in good shape

 

[cbc58]

Thank you for the replies. We bought it yesterday... going to post another thread about getting new tires... tks

 

[Hockeygoon]

When did a 1990 Bronco become a EB ?
I'm sure he's having fun with the 90 though , had one for 6 months before I quadrupled what I paid for it . But EB's are way more fun and would trade my KJ for a 68-72 in good shape

1990 Eddie Bauer Bronco.

In December I bought this one from a guy that bought it new as his retirement vehicle in 1990 (you do the math). Has 85K miles on it and had a new engine installed in 2005 - it has 7K miles on it according to the documentation. I bought it for $2500 (less than the engine replacement) and brought it to a body shop and had the hood and top of the cab repainted - the rest is perfect - no dings or rust - typical old person car. Just needed to take care of the paint fade issues. The body shop offered me $6K for it when I went to pay the bill. I planned on getting him a Ranger but anything close to that price range was a clapped out POS.

I wouldn't bother with an early Bronco, I have my 1968 IH Scout project to fill that role and its a big enough pain - let alone dealing with the Early Bronco parts guys that think everything they are selling pure gold. The IH guys seem more interested in getting stuff back on the road instead of trying to get the every last penny they can while talking smack about their customers. Some day it will be back on the road, and its not going to be driven by my kids.

 

[tommudd]

1990 Eddie Bauer Bronco.

In December I bought this one from a guy that bought it new as his retirement vehicle in 1990 (you do the math). Has 85K miles on it and had a new engine installed in 2005 - it has 7K miles on it according to the documentation. I bought it for $2500 (less than the engine replacement) and brought it to a body shop and had the hood and top of the cab repainted - the rest is perfect - no dings or rust - typical old person car. Just needed to take care of the paint fade issues. The body shop offered me $6K for it when I went to pay the bill. I tried to find a Ranger for him but anything close to that price range was a clapped out POS.

I wouldn't bother with an early Bronco, I have my 1968 IH Scout project to fill that role.

Really you like the Scouts better than a EB? ( not Eddie Bauer since they were never referred that way ha ha ) I had one Scout for 3 months, hated that thing. Cousin had 5 or 6 that I worked on for him but never liked them that much. I had 3 of the EB's loved everyone of them.