2003 Jeep Liberty Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 392 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 2003 Jeep Liberty, 29% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (32% of reports).
- 392air bags complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 73mention a crash
- 108mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 124 of 392 complaints (32%)
- Medical attention: mentioned in 27 of 392 complaints (7%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 27 of 392 complaints (7%)
- Occupant restraint control: mentioned in 21 of 392 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 209 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 392 complaints, 73 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 108 an injury.
Jeep Liberty air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Liberty | 169 | 44% | 45,067 |
| 2011 Liberty | 35 | 19% | 83,000 |
| 2010 Liberty | 15 | 8% | 75,000 |
| 2009 Liberty | 12 | 11% | 91,932 |
| 2008 Liberty | 43 | 8% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Liberty | 24 | 3% | 85,130 |
| 2006 Liberty | 31 | 2% | 74,000 |
| 2005 Liberty | 41 | 4% | 81,900 |
| 2004 Liberty | 39 | 4% | 72,000 |
| 2003 Liberty | 392 | 29% | 120,000 |
| 2002 Liberty | 546 | 30% | 116,000 |
| 2001 Liberty | 4 | 40% | 70,000 |
| 2000 Liberty | 1 | 17% | 9,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module and the side impact sensors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R60.
Air bags:frontal
Problem: 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 beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler dealers will replace the air bag control module and side impact sensors as required, free of charge. This recall remedy was applied during earlier recall campaigns of these vehicles under safety recalls 12V527 and 13V040. All owners that have not had the recall repair performed under safety recalls 12V527 or 13V040 are strongly encouraged to have it performed and not wait for the final remedy to be deployed to the field. The recall began on December 29, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R06.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: 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, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module, free of charge. Owners were notified of the recall by interim letter in January 2013. The remedy for affected Liberty vehicles is expected to be available in April 2013. The remedy for affected Grand Cherokee vehicles is expected to be available later in the year. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On XXX, my [XXX] son was actively operating my 2003 Jeep Liberty. While driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicleâs airbags spontaneously and violently deployed without warning. There was absolutely no collision, impact, or external force that triggered this event. The vehicle did not hit…
My vehicle was driven to an authorized dealership, Young Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Riverdale, with zero pre-existing electrical faults for a federally mandated safety recall (ORC module). During the service, the dealership's service department sent a written text message explicitly stating: 'During…
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Liberty. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V046000 (Air Bags). The contact stated that while parked in a structure, the air bags inadvertently deployed. The vehicle was not occupied at the time. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Jeep Libertys have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 392 owner complaints about air bags for the 2003 Jeep Liberty (29% of the 1,352 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Jeep Liberty air bags?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 2003 Jeep Liberty?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 124 of 392 complaints, followed by “medical attention” (27).
Other 2003 Jeep Liberty problems
See all 2003 Jeep Liberty problems or air bags problems across all Liberty years.