Reliable Auto DB

2012 Jeep Liberty reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Jeep Liberty holds 385 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 30 per year. That is more complaints per year than the 2013 Liberty (0), the only other year on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front seat head restraint and Electrical system.

2012 Jeep Liberty
Photo by MercurySable99, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

385

Per year

30

Recalls

2

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (169 of 385), then Electrical system (117) and Engine (44). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 14 that report a fire, and 25 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Liberty has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Jeep Liberty. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Front seat head restraint 2017-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 17V640000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Electrical system 2013-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 13V282000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (385 total)

Air bags
169
Electrical system
117
Engine
44
Powertrain
34
Structure
24
Exterior lighting
20
Seats
16
Service brakes
12
Visibility and wipers
11
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
Fuel and propulsion system
9
Visibility
9
Seat belts
8
Speed control
8
Wheels
8
Engine and engine cooling
7
Steering
6
Suspension
5
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Tires
2
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

19

Fire-flagged

14

Injury reports

25

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

162012232013502014562015452016622017432018372019212020820216202272023520245202512026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-07-24
  • "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."
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-12-10
  • "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…"
    Suspension, Air bags, Wheels · filed 2025-12-09
  • "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…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2025-07-15
  • "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…"
    Electrical system · filed 2025-05-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Jeep Liberty SUV 2WD 3 stars 2 stars 4 stars 3 stars
2012 Jeep Liberty SUV 4WD 3 stars 2 stars 4 stars 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Liberty two-wheel drive 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 4-speed Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Liberty four-wheel drive 3.7L, 6-cyl Automatic 4-speed Four-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800

Specs and fitment

KK generation, 2012–2013
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/75R16, 235/70R16, 235/65R17, 235/60R18, 245/50R20 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 17V-640 covers certain 2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles, and also certain 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger vehicles: a component within the occupant restraint controller may fail. Dealers replace the ORC as necessary. Recall 13V-282 covers certain 2012 Jeep Liberty vehicles among other Chrysler Group models: dealers flash the Totally Integrated Power Module or replace the occupant restraint controller module as specified in the campaign.

Compare

See every Jeep Liberty model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Jeep Liberty reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Jeep Liberty holds 385 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 30 per year. That is more complaints per year than the 2013 Liberty (0), the only other year on this site. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Front seat head restraint and Electrical system.

What are common problems with a 2012 Jeep Liberty?

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (169 of 385), then Electrical system (117) and Engine (44). Those filings include 19 that report a crash, 14 that report a fire, and 25 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Jeep Liberty more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Liberty has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Jeep Liberty been recalled?

The 2012 Jeep Liberty has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Jeep Liberty?

Owners have filed 385 complaints about the 2012 Jeep Liberty with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Jeep Liberty get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Jeep Liberty is 17.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Jeep Liberty take?

US KK Liberty in this catalog uses 5W-20 (about 5 qt with filter).

Does recall 17V-640 cover the Jeep Liberty?

It covers certain 2012 Liberty vehicles (and certain 2012-2013 Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger): an occupant restraint controller component may fail; dealers replace the ORC.

What generation is the 2012 Jeep Liberty?

KK generation for the US years this site tracks (2012-2013).