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2012 Jeep Liberty Transmission & Power Train Problems

NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/12/2026

33Power Train complaints
8.6%Of all 384 complaints
#4Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How power train ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS168 · 43.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM115 · 29.9%
ENGINE44 · 11.5%
POWER TRAIN33 · 8.6%
Unspecified / other31 · 8.1%

Share of the 384 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2012 Jeep Liberty overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING THE ESC OFF CAME ON AND THE JEEP DRIVING STRANGE . IT IS JERKING WHEN YOU ARE COMING TO A STOP. ALTHOUGH YOU…”NHTSA complaint 10702357 — filed 03/28/2015
“THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE FROM NEUTRAL TO FIRST GEAR, OR WHEN SLOWING DOWN AND DOWN SHIFTING FROM SECOND TO FIRST. WHEN IT DOES ENGAGE…”NHTSA complaint 10551390 — filed 11/07/2013

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Power Train complaints by year filed

2201222013320151201652017420187201932020220222202322024

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Jeep Liberty have transmission & power train problems?

Power Train is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2012 Jeep Liberty: 33 of 384 complaints on file (8.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2012 Jeep Liberty have in total?

384 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 19 involved a crash, 14 involved a fire, 34 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's power train category include?

NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.