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2012 Jeep Liberty problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2012 Jeep Liberty has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 2safety recalls
- 385owner complaints
- 19crash reports
- 14fire reports
- 34injuries reported
Every Jeep Liberty model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2012 Jeep Liberty?
The components named most often in the 385 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2012 Jeep Liberty owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 385 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2012 Jeep Liberty been recalled?
2 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Seats: Front Assembly: Head Restraint 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.
Electrical System 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.
Is the 2012 Jeep Liberty recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
EU Safety GateThere is an internal fault in the control module for the occupant restraint controller.In the event of an accident involving a rear-end collision, this may lead to the active head restraints not being triggered.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
What do 2012 Jeep Liberty owners report?
12 of the 385 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
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, and the doors locked and unlocked independently while the vehicle was unoccupied, parked, and turned off in the driveway. The vehicle occasionally hesitated while starting. The contact stated that the failure had caused the battery to drain. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent…
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.
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 registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 171,000.
The contact's sister owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that upon opening the door of the vehicle, the contact's sister became aware that the driver's side headrest had been deployed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. A case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The vehicle gears slipped into neutral but back to drive without assistance on my part. Once at a stop sign when I resumed driving. Once turning a corner. Once getting ready to back up. / I took it to have the transmission fluid level checked and it checked out ok. There have been no transmission recalls reported on the 2012 Jeep Liberty. The pan and filter had had a leak and was replaced a couple of weeks before this slippage happened
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact became aware of an abnormal wobbling coming from the front end of the vehicle. Additionally, there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the local tire shop where the four tires were replaced and an alignment was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that several days later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter seized, and the vehicle turned off unintendedly. The contact pulled over to the side of the…
Electrical issue with drivers side front blinker works when headlights are off but when headlights are turned on front blinker does not work. I’ve seen numerous complaints about the same issue with this vehicle amongst other electrical issues
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 17V640000 (Seats, Air Bags) and 13V282000 (Electrical System, Air Bags) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact attempted to schedule an appointment with a local dealer for the recall repairs however, the contact stated that the dealer was not cooperating. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts…
MY JEEP HAS BEEN BACK TO DEALER FOR OVER 23 SERVICES FROM RECALLS, DEFECTIVE PARTS, ALTERED PARTS, ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, REAR END, BRAKING AND MANY MORE ISSUES TO INCLUDE SHARP ITEMS PUSHES THRU SEATS HARMING PEOPLE
The entire dashboard set of alarm lights go ON as soon as the vehicle starts. The speedometer stops working, the hand break light is on so it appears as it actually activates it and it slows the vehicle impacting drivability, the radiator fan is constantly working, the 4WD mode is activated by default also impacting drivability, impossible to see if the car is overheating, and it could very well be that the airbags would not work if needed. This all adds to a very unsafe drive.
Transmission failure due to not being replaced when scheduled for maintenance
I WAS HIT ON MY PASSENGER FRONT, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CROSS INTO A PARKING LOT, SO HARD UNTIL MY TIRE ROD BENT AT A 90* ANGLE. MY PASSENGER AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY. NONE OF MY AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THERE WAS NO BLIND SPOT WARNING. EVEN AFTER THE IMPACT, THERE WAS NO ALARM OR NOTIFICATION OF THE DAMAGE, AS THE FIREMEN WERE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE MY CAR OUT OF THE ROAD.
2012 Jeep Liberty: questions owners ask
Is the 2012 Jeep Liberty reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 385 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Jeep Liberty; the most common categories were air bags (169, 43.9%), electrical system (117, 30.4%), engine (44, 11.4%). There are 2 safety recalls. 19 complaints mention a crash, 14 mention a fire, 34 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Jeep Liberty?
Across 385 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are air bags (43.9% of complaints), electrical system (30.4% of complaints), engine (11.4% of complaints), power train (8.8% of complaints), structure (6.2% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2012 Jeep Liberty have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2012 Jeep Liberty; the most recent (campaign 17V640000, 2017-10-10) concerns Seats: Front Assembly: Head Restraint. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2012 Jeep Liberty?
119 of the 385 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Jeep Liberty (30.9%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. One owner wrote: "My airbag light is on in my dashboard and doesnt go away. i also got my vehicle serviced because my check engine light was on and one code that came back was because of my headrest ." (NHTSA complaint 11399832, March 2021). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2012 Jeep Liberty stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
17 of the 385 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 Jeep Liberty (4.4%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep liberty. the contact stated while her daughter was driving about 30 mph the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed." (NHTSA complaint 11309850, February 2020). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Liberty
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2012 only.