Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2012 Jeep Liberty has 385 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, with air bags the most common at 169. Its combined fuel economy is 17 to 18 mpg on gasoline, with a 5-year fuel cost of $18,050 to $19,110 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 3 stars overall. There are 2 recall campaigns, covering air bags, seats and electrical system, which may apply to this car.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
17–18 mpgcombined; city 15–16, highway 21–22; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$18,050–$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $16,120–$17,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2012 Liberty. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 385 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Liberty. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air bags
169
15
1
20
Electrical system
117
2
8
4
Engine
44
0
7
2
Power train
34
3
0
5
Unknown or other
31
1
1
5
Structure
24
4
1
7
Exterior lighting
20
0
2
1
Seats
16
0
0
4
Service brakes
12
0
1
1
Visibility/wiper
11
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
10
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
9
0
0
0
9 more parts
Visibility
9
0
0
0
Seat belts
8
1
0
2
Vehicle speed control
8
0
0
0
Wheels
8
3
0
2
Engine and engine cooling
7
0
0
0
Steering
6
2
0
0
Suspension
5
2
0
1
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2012 Liberty over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 110 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2012 Liberty, the latest on Sep 18, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (46), electrical system (33), structure (19), seats (12), engine and engine cooling (9).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA21002 Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2012 Liberty.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Liberty Rear-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
16 / 22 / 18
Liberty 4-Wheel Drive
3.7 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline
15 / 21 / 17
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data