There are 9 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2011 Jeep Libertyin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND I WAS DRIVING ON A THREE LANE STREET WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 45 MPH WHEN THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM SUDDENLY SEIZED. THE BRAKES REMAINED ENGAGED AND THE ONLY WAY I COULD DRIVE MY CAR WAS TO PUT IT IN REVERSE, THEN NEUTRAL THEN DRIVE. MY ENTIRE DRIVE HOME I COULD HEAR THE BRAKES AND WHENEVER I HAD TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK.
PURCHASED VEHICLE USED IN JANUARY 2020. FIVE DAYS LATER, THE FIRST DTC ILLUMINATED, AND IT HAS BEEN AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE EVER SINCE. SO FAR I HAVE REPLACED THE PURGE VALVE, WATER PUMP, SERPENTINE BELT, RADIATOR, ALTERNATOR, PCV VALVE, TENSIONER ASSEMBLY, FRONT BRAKES, LEFT EXHAUST MANIFOLD, DOOR SEALS, SWAY BAR BUSHINGS/LINKS - ALL WITHIN THE FIRST 10,000 MILES. BRAKE CALIPER PISTONS SEIZED AND LOCKED, CAUSING BRAKES TO SMOKE AND OVERHEAT, DISCOVERED EXHAUST LEAK ONLY AFTER DEVELOPING SYMPTOMS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. EVEN AFTER ALL OF THAT, THE VEHICLE STILL SOUNDS AWFUL AND HAS SERIOUS PERFORMANCE ISSUES. I FULLY EXPECT THAT THE ENGINE WILL BE TOAST ANY DAY, AND I STILL HAVE ALMOST THREE YEARS WORTH OF PAYMENTS LEFT ON IT.
DRIVING MY VEHICLE TODAY AND STARTED SHAKING IN FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. I PULLED OVER THINKING A FLAT TIRE. NOTHING AND CONTINUED. I THEN BEGAN SMELLING BURNING AND MORE SHAKING AND SMOKE. I PULLED OVER AGAIN AT THIS POINT . MY FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP. ONE MONTH AGO I HAD SIMILAR SITUATION WITH BACK BRAKES AND HAD TO HAVE BOTH CALIBERS AND ROTERS AND PADS REPLACED. ALL FOUR CALIBERS WILL NOW HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE AND ROTERS DUE TO CALIBERS FREEZING . VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND UNDRIVABLE.
NOTICED HEAT AND SMELL COMING FROM REAR LEFT WHEEL. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THE BRAKE CALIPER FROZE, I HAD IT CHANGED IN 2014. ALSO ON THE SAME WHEEL I HAD TO CHANGED 2 TIMES THE ABS SENSOR, ONE TIME IN 2015 AND AGAIN 2017. MY MECHANIC OBSERVED THE BRAKE HOSE (REAR LEFT WHEEL) MALFUNCTIONNED WHICH IN TURN IS MELTING THE BRAKE PAD WHICH IS SMUDGING ONTO THE ROTOR. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID IS BOILING DUE TO THE BRAKE HOSE. JEEP IS 43,000 AND THIS WILL BE MY SECOND BRAKE JOB. I NEED TO CHANGE BRAKE HOSE, PAD, CALIPER AND ROTOR ON BOTH SIDE TO MAKE IT SAFE TO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP ME FIND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE HOSE THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHERS OWNERS OF JEEP LIBERTY 2011. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE BRAKE HOSE IS BACK ORDERED AND WE WERE TOLD IT WILL TAKE ABOUT 2 TO 3 WEEKS FOR THE PART. IT IS SCARY!
BRAKES LOCKED UP 3/2017 HAD IT TOWED TO ANDERSON JEEP IN AZ. THEY REPLACED THE ABS MODULE AND HCU. 100 DAYS LATER THEY LOCKED UP AGAIN IN MN. TOWED TO FOREST LAKE JEEP. WHEN TESTED IT WORKED OK THEN LATER THEY DROVE IT AND IT LOCKED UP WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD. CODES SHOWED SAME PARTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS WILL CAUSE A SAFETY PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE. THE LATEST WAS ON A CITY STREET WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP LIBERTY. WHILE STOPPED, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ABS AND TRACTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS IN THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE HEADRESTS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND NERVE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE. THE PASSENGER SEATED IN THE FRONT SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED A DEFAULT IN A WHEEL SENSOR THAT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BRAKE SENSOR DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE ISSUE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP LIBERTY 4X4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 48 MPH HE ENCOUNTERED A LARGE PUDDLE OF WATER. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND IMMEDIATELY THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A NEARBY WALL. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISES TO THE LEFT LEG. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING FACILITY UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.
AFTER SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OFF FROM THE STOP, THE ABS LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP. I WAS A MILE FROM HOME, I PUT THE VEHICLE IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE IN ORDER TO GET IT TO MOVE. I DROVE ONE MILE TO MY HOME AND PARKED, I COULD SMELL THE BRAKES. I LET THE VEHICLE SIT FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, TRIED TO DRIVE IT AND IT OPERATED AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. I DROVE THE VEHICLE AGAIN THE NEXT DAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. *TR
IF THE CAR IS STOPPED ON A HILL THE BRAKES WILL SEIZE UP. THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS LIGHTS WILL STAY ON. IT TAKES ABOUT A DAY FOR THE BRAKES TO RELEASE. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AS WELL. IT HAS HAPPENED 5 TIMES. THE SYSTEMS CAN ALSO BE RESET BY PULLING THE ABS FUSES. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE WHILE THE BRAKES ARE LOCKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026