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2006 Jeep Liberty v6 3.7l Engine - Is it Really That Bad?

4K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  jay-h 
#1 ·
Hi guys, I'm new here and hoping to get some advice about a potential purchase.

My old Volvo just died, and I need a new car fast. I've found a 2006 Jeep Liberty with the v6 engine.

I have read many horror stories about these engines experiencing catastrophic failure, but of course people are much more likely to post a negative review than a positive one.

I'm hoping to get a realistic view of how good or bad these engines really are.

Also, because my old car died unexpectedly, I don't have much money to throw around.
The Liberty that I am looking at is a 2006 model and has 130,000 miles. It's $3,000, which is all I can muster at the moment - is this a reasonably good deal?
 
#2 ·
The 3.7 is a fine motor as long as it is not overheated. If it was, you will know quickly.

As for price, you haven't given us all the info needed but if I price private party transaction from KBB, a base sport 2wd Liberty is between $3200 to $4400 so it is a reasonably good deal.

Location also plays into account, which we also don't know.
 
#3 ·
Sorry, I should have given more details:
It's a 4wd (I wasn't actually aware that a 2wd version existed), and I'm in NY, where everything is more expensive :(

The seller says it's in 'great shape inside and out', which is a little vague, but from the photos it looks good.

Would you mind letting me know a couple of things to look out for if I go to take a look at it?

I've done a lot of my own wrenching on cars in the past, but I've never even touched a Jeep before, so I'm not familiar with Jeep-specific common faults and things that need to be checked.
 
#4 ·
Common failures are lower ball joints, radiator up by the inlet neck, water pump. Heads/valve seats if overheated but that shows up usually as cylinder misfires. Check the heat and AC to make sure both sides heat and cool equally. Blend doors getting stuck and the blower resistor are also common failures. If the blower only works on high, it's a bad blower resistor and it's about $30 to replace.

Look for signs of bad rust on the undercarriage. Basically the typical inspection for a used car.

Knowing it is the 4WD makes a difference. $3k is a good deal if it's in decent shape. In the north, that is valued between $3600 and $4800. Good condition is right around $4K
 
#5 ·
One of the advantages of getting an older one like this is that it's easier to spot problems. If the engine idles, pulls, and runs strong, and not smokey, it's probably fine.
 
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