2012 Jeep Liberty Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Liberty years
- Fewer complaints than other years 8th of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 3 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 385 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Jeep Liberty. That ranks 8th out of 13 Liberty model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (169 complaints, 44%), typically at around 45,067 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 14 fires, 34 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 6 defect investigations involving it.
- 385owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 6NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Jeep Liberty problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 169 | 44% | 45,067 | “air bag” (47%) | $610 |
| Electrical System problems | 117 | 30% | 56,900 | “air bags electrical” (10%) | — |
| Engine | 44 | 11% | 65,700 | — | — |
| Power Train | 34 | 9% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 31 | 8% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 24 | 6% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 | 5% | 50,725 | — | — |
| Seats | 16 | 4% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 3% | 53,100 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 11 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 10 | 3% | 74,605 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 2% | 93,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 2% | 60,631 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 2% | 51,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 8 | 2% | 38,450 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 2% | 8,725 | — | — |
| Steering | 6 | 2% | 42,800 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 1% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 115 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 94,318 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Jeep Liberty recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive; seats:front assembly:head restraint
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2012 Jeep Liberty and 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles. A component within the occupant restraint controller (ORC) may fail and prevent the active headrests from deploying in the event of a rear-end crash.
Risk: If the active headrests do not deploy in certain rear-end crashes, the front seat occupants have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 4, 2017. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is T56.
Air bags; electrical system
Problem: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Sebring and 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011, through December 13, 2012; model year 2011-2013 Dodge Avenger vehicles manufactured June 25, 2011, through January 14, 2013; model year 2011-2012 Dodge Nitro vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through December 15, 2011; and model year 2011-2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured June 17, 2011, through August 15, 2012. Electrical over-stress of a resistor in the occupant restraint control module may lead to the non-deployment of the active head restraints during a rear impact collision.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the active head restraints , their non-deployment could increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will flash the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) or replace the occupant restraint control module, as needed, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N38.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment (PE19014) — opened Sep 9, 2019, closed Feb 25, 2026.
- Electrical overstress (EA19001) — opened Apr 19, 2019, closed Sep 19, 2024, led to recall 20V024.
- Occupant Restraint Controller Failure (PE17003) — opened Jun 1, 2017, closed Dec 25, 2017, led to recall 17V640000.
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure (DP14004) — opened Sep 25, 2014, closed Jul 24, 2015.
- Jeep Liberty Door Fires (PE13034) — opened Oct 21, 2013, closed Mar 9, 2014.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield wipers inadvertently activated. The contact turned the windshield wipers on and off to deactivate the windshield wipers. Additionally, the headlights inadvertently illuminated…
Skyroof suddenly stopped working and will not close. No dealers will fix as thry say parts aren't longer available..my car is now worthless and is a safety issue while driving with the roof partially opened.
My daughter was hit by a semi truck on US-23 today. The trailer fishtailed hit the back end of Jeep. I hit the guard rail. All four corners of the Jeep were hit. The air bags did not deploy. The front driver tire fell off. The back window and passenger side trunk window blew out.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while making a right turn on a main road at 25 MPH, the front lower control arms snapped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over onto the side of the road and had the vehicle towed to the residence…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 94,000 and at the time of…
Other Jeep Liberty years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 385 | 2 |
| 2011 Liberty | 181 | 3 |
| 2010 Liberty | 197 | 2 |
| 2009 Liberty | 108 | 0 |
| 2008 Liberty | 541 | 4 |
| 2007 Liberty | 703 | 6 |
| 2006 Liberty | 1,372 | 9 |
| 2005 Liberty | 1,118 | 5 |
| 2004 Liberty | 1,101 | 7 |
| 2003 Liberty | 1,352 | 7 |
| 2002 Liberty | 1,808 | 8 |
| 2001 Liberty | 10 | 0 |
| 2000 Liberty | 6 | 0 |
See all Jeep Liberty problems by year, every Jeep model, or the Jeep VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Jeep Liberty?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 169 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Jeep Liberty?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Jeep Liberty a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Liberty model years, the 2012 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.