There are 24 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2004 Jeep Libertyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
FRONT BRAKES GOT STUCK WHILE I WAS DRIVING GOT STUCK BEFORE BUT HAD GOT FIXED AND THEN HAPPENED AGAIN THIS TIME CAUGHT FIRE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD STICK WHEN DEPRESSED AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
BRAKES LOCKUP WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, IT HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY
GOES IN REVERSE BUT WHEN PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE GOES A FOOT AND THE BREAKS COME ON BY THEMSELVES. LOCKS UP AND CANT MOVE. DOES THIS IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ON THE ROAD, NOT DRIVABLE. I ALMOST GOT KILLED WHEN THE BREAKS LOCKED UP AND A VEHICLE BEHIND ME HAD TO AVOID HITTING ME. THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET KILLED. THERE ARE NO PICTURES TO UPLOAD YOU CANT SEE INSIDE THE BREAK SYSTEM OR WHAT EVER IT IS THAT IS CAUSING THIS HORRIBLE WAITING TO BE FATAL ACCIDENT.
THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND SMOKING VERY HEAVILY WHEN I GOT HOME. THE VEHICLE IS PARKED NOW AS I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX IT. THE DISTANCE FROM WHEN THE BRAKES LOCKED UP TO MY HOUSE IS 1 (ONE) MILE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE BRAKES SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED FIVE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.
NEARLY A COMPLETE, SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKING. BARELY ABLE TO STOP WHEN PROCEEDING THRU A DRIVE THRU LANE. IF THIS WAS ANY NORMAL DRIVING SPEED, SERIOUS INJURY WOULD HAVE RESULTED. COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKING FLUID IN RESERVOIR. NOT A SLOW LEAK!! PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE A RUSTED BRAKE LINE ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. DRIVER SIDE WAS JUST AS RUSTED. THE RESULTING HOLE WAS SO LARGE THAT THE FLUID WOULD GUSH OUT IN A 1/8 INCH STREAM. IT APPEARS THE BRAKE LINE ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE CALIPER IS EXTREMELY PRONE TO RUST AT THE JOINT BETWEEN THE RUBBER AND METAL PORTION OF THE HOSE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF THE COUNTRY PRONE TO CORROSION ISSUES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED AND ABNORMALLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AS THE ROTORS AND THE BRAKE PADS WEARING PREMATURELY. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 06/29/12 *BF UPDATED 07/09/12
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH SHE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AND CRASHED INTO A FENCE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE BRAKE LINE HAD A HOLE IN IT FROM RUBBING AGAINST THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT WILL MAKE THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,519.
THERE IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM WITH THE REAR CALIPERS ON THE 2004 JEEP LIBERTY THE HAVE BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES IN THE MATTER OF 2 YEARS. THE DEALER SAYS THEY OVERHEAT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 15 MINUTES WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE APPLIED, IT SPONTANEOUSLY ROLLED THIRTY FEET AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES OF THE FAILED INCIDENT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.
BRAKES ON 2004 JEEP LIBERTY LOCK UP AFTER APPROXIMATELY 15 TO 20 MILES OF TRAVEL. THIS FAILURE OF THE BRAKES HAS CAUSED THIS VEHICLE TO SLIDE ON ICY OR WET ROADWAYS POTENTIALLY CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH POTENTIAL INJURIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKES WILL BECOME HOT AND BEGIN TO SMOKE. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED BY DEALER REPLACING THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER. THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAD ONLY 37,111 MILES AND WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR
ALL 4 WHEEL BRAKES WERR BAD, $600 BAD. I NEVER HEARD ANY SQUEALING, PULSING, ANYTHING INDICATING THE BRAKES WERE GOING, INSPECTION PEOPLE ALL SAID THEY SEEMED OKAY. I DECIDED TO BRING IT IN TO A NON-DEALER DUE TO HAVING 48000 ON THE OEM PADS. PADS WERE SHOT, ROTORS SCORED, ETC. $600 LATER, ALL SEEMED OKAY ANYONE ELSE NOT HAVE ANY INDICATORS OF BRAKES GOING BAD? *AK
ON APRIL 12 THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR A RECALL PART TO BE REPLACED WHICH IT HAD BEEN. UPON LEAVING THE SHOP THEY WENT OVER THE VEHICLE AND GAVE IT A REPORT CARD BASICALLY AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS IN TIP TOP SHAPE WHEN IT LEFT. A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AFTER WE GOT IT OUT WE WERE DRIVING AND STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN WE STARTED TO GO AGAIN WE NOTICED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE FROM THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT UNTIL WE GOT UP THE ROAD ABOUT 2 MILES AND STOPPED AT ANOTHER TRAFFIC LIGHT AND NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR TIRE APPEARED TO BE SMOKING. WE HAPPENED TO BE RIGHT NEXT TO A GAS STATION SO WE PULLED OVER AND PUT WATER ON THE TIRE TO COOL IT OFF SINCE IT WAS SO DARN HOT. WE WAITED ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND THEN DROVE THE CAR BACK HOME WHICH WAS ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY. WHEN WE LEFT IT STILL WAS GRINDING. WE WAITED A FEW DAYS AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE JUST RUSTED OVER, AND THEN DROVE IT AGAIN. IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE THE GRINDING SOUND EXCEPT EVERY SO OFTEN SO WE KIND OF WROTE IT OFF. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF THIS OFF AND ON GRINDING WE DECIDED ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH AND WE WERE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. AFTER TALKING TO ABOUT 4 RANDOM OTHER LIBERTY OWNERS IN DIFFERENT PARKING LOTS, 3 OUT OF THE 4 I TALKED TO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I DO. SO IT IS VERY APPARENT TO ME THAT JEEP HAS A DEFECTIVE BRAKE PART IF 4 OUT OF 5 LIBERTY'S INCLUDING MINE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITHIN AS LITTLE AS 6 MONTHS OF A BRAND NEW LIBERTY FOR ONE OWNER AND JUST ABOUT ALL WITHIN 40,000 MILES. THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FOR US, BUT IF THAT ONE BRAKE HAD REALLY LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY THAT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO A SPIN AND MAYBE EVEN ROLL OVER. WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING THIS FIXED AND WE NEED TO REPLACE THE PISTONS IN THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE WITH POSSIBLY EVEN HAVING TO REPLACE THE WHOLE BRAKE ASSEMBLY. *AK
TL*-THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE OWNS A 2004 JEEP LIBERTY WITH FAILURE MILEAGE 35,000. THE CONTACT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LEFT REAR CALIPER, ROTOR, AND BRAKE PADS. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY CHARGED HER FOR THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE BOTH 35,000 MILES.*AK SPOKE WITH CONSUMER NEED TO RESEND FORM. 10/16/07 * LJ
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A CONSTANT GRINDING NOISE ALERTING THE DRIVER THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE RIGHT REAR CALIPER, BOTH ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REMEDY IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE REPLACEMENT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BUT THE GRINDING NOISE IS NOW PRESENT ON THE LEFT SIDE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED.
DT: 2004 JEEP LIBERTY. REAR BRAKE DISC. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FIRESTONE DEALER, AND SHOWED THEM THE DISC PLATE. ROTORS. THEY WERE ONLY GROOVES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE PLATE, AND THE INSIDE OF THE PLATE WAS SMOOTH AND CLEAN. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY SAID SINCE VEHICLE HAD 16,000 MILES ON IT THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THEM UNLESS THE DEALER SAID IT WAS A DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER SAID CONSUMER HAD TO PAY FOR THE INSPECTION AS WELL AS THE REPAIRS. DEALER WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION WHETHER OR NOT THAT IT WAS A DEFECT OR NOT. THERE WAS NOT BRAKE PAD FAILURE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CALIPER FAILURE. I HAD NEW ROTORS AND NEW BRAKE PADS PUT IN AT THE COST $350.00 PLUS TAX. *AK
SNOW ON GROUND , BRAKES FAILED TO STOP HIT THE GARAGE , DAMAGED THE VEHICLE AND GARAGE. ALL 4 WHEELS DID NOT ATTEMPT TO STOP. LIKE THEY WERE FROZEN. THIS IS AN UPDATE FROM JAN 22,2005. HAD VEHICLE IN DEALERSHIP, THEY REPAIRED THE DAMAGE FROM THE ACCIDENT. COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE WEATHER WAS WARMER WHEN THEY CHECKED IT THAN WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. HAD PROBLEM AGAIN ON FEB. 20TH, THIS TIME THE FRONT BRAKES LOCK UP ON SNOW, BUT THE REAR DO NOT STOP. THEY KEEP TURNING AS NO BRAKES ARE APPLIED. HAD MECHANIC FROM WHERE I WORK LOOK AT WHAT THE VEHICLE WAS DOING, HE SUGGESTED FOR ME TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER, THAT THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY LOOKED AT IT AGAIN, SAID THERE IS NO PROBLEM, THAT JEEP DESIGNED IT THAT WAY. THE REAR BRAKES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO LOCK UP IN ANY CONDITION, EVEN IN A PANIC STOP ON ICE.(THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANTILOCK BRAKES) THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WILL ALLOW THE FRONT BRAKES TO LOCK UP, BUT THE REAR NOT. THAT THE REAR BRAKES (DISC) ARE CONSIDERABLE SMALLER THAN THE FRONT SO THEY WON'T HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IT'S THE WAY JEEP DESIGNED IT, TO SUPPOSEDLY COMPENSATE FOR NOT HAVING ANTILOCK BRAKES. THIS MAKES THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP ON SNOW AND ICE. WHEN TRYING TO STOP AT 25 MPH I SLID MORE THAN 50FT RIGHT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. IT WAS A GOOD THING THE OTHER VEHICLE DID STOP. THIS VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ALL WEATHER VEHICLE, BUT THE WAY THAT THIS ONE STOPS ON SNOW, IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN WINTER. *NM
LOTS OF SNOW ON GROUND, FREEZING WEATHER. PULLED VEHICLE OUT OF DRIVEWAY TO CLEAR SNOW FROM DRIVE. PARKED THE VEHICLE ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY. AFTER I HAD CLEARED A SPOT FOR THE JEEP LIBERTY, MY WIFE MOVED IT BACK IN THE DRIVE. SHE DIDN'T STOP UNTIL THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH THE GARAGE. I SAW THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP. I QUESTIONED HER TO WHAT HAPPENED, SHE SAID THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. I TESTED IT MYSELF BY BACKING AWAY FROM THE GARAGE AND FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS CORRECT. THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. IT HAD A FIRM PEDAL, BUT THE BRAKES DID NOT APPLY. LIKE ALMOST IF THEY WERE FROZEN. BEING A MECHANIC FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, I NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE IT. I TALKED TO THE SALESPERSON WHOM I PURCHASED IT FROM, HE INFORMED ME THAT HE NO LONGER WORKS FOR THE DEALER AND JUST PARK IT IN A WARM GARAGE THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. I TALKED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF IT AND FOR ME TO DRIVE IT TO THEM TO CHECK IT OUT. IF IT DON'T STOP IN A 30 FOOT DRIVEWAY, I CERTAINLY WONT DRIVE IT DOWN A BUSY ROAD TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT I HAVE TO BRING IT IN. WHAT A CROCK. ITS UNSAFE. I AM AS OF NOW TRYING TO CONTACT THE SALES MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF HE WILL GIVE ME SOME HELP. MY WIFE REFUSES TO RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE UNTIL WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THE BRAKE PROBLEM WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 3,350 MILES ON IT AND IS ONLY 3 1/2 MONTHS OLD. THERE WAS NO ICE ON THE DRIVEWAY I HAD CLEARED THE SNOW OFF ONTO THE BARE CEMENT. SO THAT WAS NOT AN ISSUE.
MADE A LEFT TURN AT ABOUT 10 MPH. AFTER THE TURN, I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT FLIPPED. A POLICE OFFICER WITNESSED THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DID NOT REACT. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 24 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026