2006 Jeep Liberty Review
Price: $4,900





+49
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Extremely capable off-road, economical diesel engine option, creative interior design.
Cons
- V6 is rather thirsty at the pump, not as "carlike" on the street as most of its competitors.
What’s new
The Jeep Liberty gets stability control as standard equipment on all models for 2006. The four-cylinder gas engine has been dropped, however, due to a lack of consumer interest.
Edmunds says
The 2006 Jeep Liberty is well suited for small SUV buyers who plan on making numerous trips into the wilderness. Otherwise, more urban-oriented buyers will find most of the Liberty's competition to be better at day-to-day drivability and refinement.
For sale near Mountain View, CA
90 listings
- 153,000 miles
- Frame damage reported, 4 owners, rental vehicle
- 5 Seats, 16 City / 20 Hwy MPG
- Jenin Carz (21 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Rear Bench Seats
- Stability Control
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
- 5000lb Towing Capaci...
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Located in San Leandro, CA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Issue reported
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: Yes
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
17 Combined MPG (16 City/20 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 1J4GL48K16W257235
Stock: 257235
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 06-17-2025- 136,338 miles
- No accidents, 3 owners, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 16 City / 20 Hwy MPG
- 3A Auto Sales (276 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Rear Bench Seats
- Stability Control
- Fold Flat Rear Seats
Close
Located in Oxnard, CA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
17 Combined MPG (16 City/20 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 1J4GL48K36W228884
Stock: 228884
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 12-10-2024
Vehicle overview
The Jeep Liberty is the successor to the aged Cherokee, which was in production from 1984 to 2001. Evolved from the Dakar and Jeepster concept vehicles ('97 and '98, respectively), the Liberty features design themes from each, such as a large greenhouse, short front and rear overhangs, high roofline, rear-mounted spare tire and 16-inch alloy wheels below pronounced wheel flares. It also borrows from the past; the Liberty is a bloodline descendant of the original Jeep Willys. The Liberty carries the trademark Jeep grille with seven vertical rectangles as well as the traditional Jeep round headlamps.
The Liberty, like all Jeep SUVs, is designed as a true off-roader with steep approach and departure angles and a full 8 inches of suspension travel. To help foster competent handling on paved surfaces, the Liberty employs an independent front suspension, a coil-link rear suspension and rack and pinion steering (the first time a rack and pinion setup has been applied to a Jeep product). Generally, the Liberty works best as a go-anywhere Jeep first and a suburban grocery-getter second. As such, for genuine off-roaders, the Liberty is a natural-born leader in the compact-ute segment. Its standing as a daily driver is, however, tarnished by its big thirst at the fuel pump, at least with the V6. Additionally, although its on-road ride and handling is better than its Cherokee predecessor, the 2006 Jeep Liberty is outclassed in terms of overall ride comfort when compared to other compact SUVs.
Performance & mpg
Two-wheel or four-wheel drive is available for all trim levels, and a full-time "Selec-Trac" 4WD system is available on the Sport and Limited. The base Liberty engine is a 3.7-liter V6 rated at 210 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. For the Renegade and Sport trim levels, a six-speed manual transmission is standard and a four-speed automatic is optional. The automatic comes standard on the Limited trim. In addition, Jeep offers a diesel-fueled 2.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine as an option for the Sport and Limited. The diesel comes with a five-speed automatic and four-wheel-drive only. Properly equipped, the Jeep Liberty can tow up to 5,000 pounds.
Safety
Four-wheel antilock disc brakes and stability control come standard on the Liberty, and side curtain airbags are available as an option. In government crash tests, the 2006 Jeep Liberty earned a perfect five stars for driver protection in a frontal impact, and four stars for front-passenger protection. Side-impact testing resulted in a five-star rating for both front and rear passengers. In frontal-offset crash testing by the IIHS, the Liberty was given a "Marginal" rating, the second lowest of four.
Driving
The standard V6 provides good acceleration but drinks plenty at the gas pump. The diesel provides plenty of grunt at low speeds, and its improved fuel economy makes for fewer fill-ups. Like other Jeep SUVs, the Liberty is a sensational off-roader. However, the heft required to make it a surefooted billy goat in the rough hobbles it somewhat on the highway and in the city. Its performance on pavement is tolerable enough, but the steering is heavy and numb, and the Liberty exhibits considerable body roll around corners. On the plus side, its long suspension travel does a good job of smoothing out bumps and potholes.
Interior
Inside, the Jeep Liberty provides ample room for four adults inside (five in a pinch), with satin aluminum accents and chrome-ringed, black-on-white gauges. A full-size spare is hung on the nifty rear cargo door, which features a single-action swing-gate/flipper-glass system. There's a total of 29 cubic feet of cargo space available behind the Liberty's 35/65-split-folding rear seat and 69 cubic feet when that seat is folded down.
2006 Jeep Liberty models
The four-door 2006 Jeep Liberty is a compact SUV offered in three trim levels: Sport, Renegade and Limited. The Sport features 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and a CD player. The Renegade offers additional equipment such as alloy wheels, higher-grade upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cruise control. Renegade-only features include unique exterior styling, functional rock rails and a full set of skid plates. The more exclusive Limited trim gets you amenities such as 17-inch alloy wheels and a power driver seat. Available options include a power sunroof, leather upholstery, heated seats, an in-dash six-disc CD audio system with Infinity speakers, a DVD-based navigation system and UConnect, Chrysler's hands-free in-vehicle communication system.
Compare 2006 Jeep Liberty trim levels
Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart

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Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in California
$322/mo for Liberty Sport
Liberty Sport
vs
$224/mo
Avg. Compact SUV
Jeep Liberty Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Nice SUV if you do the PROPER window fix
3.75 out of 5 starsterryorr, 10/07/2010
2006 Jeep Liberty Sport 4dr SUV 4WD (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
I purchased my 2006 3.7 Sport 4WD with full knowledge that the window problem would occur and it did a few weeks after I bought mine. Instead of letting the dealership suck me dry of cash I purchased new steel window internal parts to replace the hideous stock plastic parts that will fail every month. Chrysler knows this but will never admit the parts are junk. Other than that and … marginal gas mileage this Jeep does everything a Jeep should do. It pulls a 20' travel trailer, it's great off-road, looks good and feels like a real work SUV. People who complain about ride quality probably should have bought a car based SUV this Jeep rides firm and tough because it is built for work.
Love this Jeep...
4 out of 5 starsBob, 11/04/2015
2006 Jeep Liberty Sport 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
Got my 2006 Liberty in 2012 W/80,000 mi on it. Had the recalls done. Done nothing else but routine Maintenance. It likes Mobil 1 High mileage full synthetic. I've been from The Florida Keys to New England and back whith it. 192,000 mi on it and going strong, love it. Good gas mileage For a Jeep too.
Still in love
5 out of 5 starsrachmox, 08/07/2013
2006 Jeep Liberty Sport 4dr SUV (3.7L 6cyl 6M)
Update 2/9/17: Almost 237k miles, and I still hope she lasts a while longer. Started burning oil, but that's easy.
Update 8/9/16: Hit 226k miles this past weekend. Something I didn't realize was a thing with Liberties is a bad sensor in the gas tank. I thought it had to do with the flap that covers the opening to the gas tank falling off, but other people have reported not being able … to fill the tank without gas spurting back out. No recall for it, even though there should've been. I just make sure not to put more than 16 gallons in at a time when it's low, and I don't have a problem.
I bought my Liberty in Feb '07 with 54 miles on her.
She's now at 162K miles, and I've only had to replace a rear control arm and the right rear passenger side window motor up until recently.
The left rear window just crapped out a couple of months ago, and I'm about to replace my water pump and fix a leak in the evap system, but after 6.5 yrs, I can't complain.
She's been the most reliable vehicle I ever owned.
Took a hit from a light rail train that clipped my driver's side sideview mirror.
It didn't even take the arm off, only the mirror itself popped out!
A freaking train!
I was in an accident in Dec and begged my insurance not to total her.
So yeah, I love my Liberty.
Love everything about this car, except the mileage!
4.75 out of 5 starsderrtydave, 04/15/2011
2006 Jeep Liberty Limited 4dr SUV 4WD (3.7L 6cyl 4A)
I've been a Jeep owner for many years.
After my 3rd Cherokee started showing signs of old age, I traded it in for a pre-owned 2006 Liberty Limited.
When the Liberty's first came out, I didn't like the design, but it has grown on me.
(I still compare the Liberty to the Cherokee, as you'll see).
Everything seems intended specifically for convenience and space efficiency, well done … Jeep!
I also test-drove the new 2008 body style which I didnt feel was built as solidly as the original Liberty body style-- somehow felt cheaper and flimsy, like a bad rental car.
2006 Liberty Highlights
Sport
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $21,290 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 17 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $322/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 31.0 cu.ft. |
rear wheel drive | |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Liberty include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover3 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalMarginal
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintPoor
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