How did you first find your KJ?

[rennie2k5]

new to jeep lingo

hello, im new to all this jeep lingo although I have owned a 2003 liberty and now just recently traded to an 05 renegade..what does kj mean? I want to be in with the jeep talk. O

 

[BluPhant]

Re: new to jeep lingo

hello, im new to all this jeep lingo although I have owned a 2003 liberty and now just recently traded to an 05 renegade..what does kj mean? I want to be in with the jeep talk. O

KJ is Daimler Chryslers (DC or DCX) code for the Liberty All the Jeep codes that we know about are posted in this thread.



-Blu

 

[rennie2k5]

ahhh now it makes perfect sense...thank you thank you. =D>

 

[Marty]

In February 03 (dead of winter here in Calgary) my 92 VW Westphalia had things happening that I didn't like the prognosis for. Sad as we were to even think about ditching it, it was time. So I drove everything out there in small SUV-land - Escape, Vue, Santa Fe, Tribute, Outback. Fell in love with the Liberty right away, how solid it is, the Selec-Trac, how it looks, the V-6. Told all the dealers I was looking for a low-miles used one. Had lots of calls on 20-30,000 km leasebacks, sorry not low enough. About a month into it, when I was thinking I might as well get a new one, a salesman called me with a 2002 silver Limited, only 5,000 km, Selec-Trac, ABS, limited-slip, everything I wanted except the overhead console. I saved over $5,000.00 buying it that way over new. I put mudflaps, trailer hitch and bullbar (just a light one to tie canoe down at front) and have been loving it ever since. I replaced the crappy Goodyears at 50,000 km with Michelin Cross-Terrains but next winter will get extra wheels and Michelin X-Ice.

Marty
2002 Limited
Calgary

 

[rennie2k5]

I first learned about the KJ just by seeing them on the road. I was driving a 2001 Honda Civic at the time when I realized I missed owning an SUV. And the Liberty was the best looking one out there. I loved the style outside and wanted to see what it was like inside. So Nov. 02 I went to my local Jeep dealer and test drove one. I fell in love with it. I loved that it wasnt boxy on the inside like a ford explorer...love all the roundness of all the vents, door handels. So I ordered a 2003 Jeep Liberty Sport 4X4 that day.
Now just last week I traded Libby in with only 45K miles for my 05 Rennie. I love it! I notice HUGE difference with the smootness of the automatic transmission shifting from reverse to drive, etc...much smoother than my 03. It doesnt 'bang' into gear anymore. Im also hoping that the brake/rotor issue lots of people are complaining about (including myself) has been fixed for the new models.

 

[zkahn]

Well back in November of 2001 I was driving a 92' dodge dakota club cab 4X2. I loved that truck. Hauled everything in it. But it was time to get rid of her. I started looking at cars, trucks and what not on our local dealers lot. Then I saw her a gently used 1997 Jeep wrangler. I was in love. few days later I drove off the lot with her. I dove head first into the jeep world. I couldn't get enough. I was amazed at the capability of my wrangler.

Fast forward to this year.

My Fiancé (wedding in June) and I started looking for a replacement for her PITA 99 grand am. I have a jaded history with Grand am's and have been trying to get this one out of my life too. We start looking at cars and I start showing her one's she might like. We come to the liberty and she is in love...I too fall more in love with her at this point too. So I start looking to see what is on our dealers lot.
So on March 22nd we drive up to our dealer and start test driving. They have a red 2003 sport with 30k and a black sport with 13k. We take the red one out and my Fiancé falls in love with it right away. I want her to get the black on but she like the red color. Then the wheels start turning...hmmmm my jeep is paid off. I'v been having a lot of maintence that isn't covered anymore...hmmmm that black one is really nice....So we drive off the lot with two jeeps!!!! I miss my wrangler but I love my Liberty now. Same day I bought my liberty the parts guys stop me a ask if I'm intrested in a brush guard...some guy was going to buy a 2004 sport but changed his mind and got a 2005 ltd. So they had a grey brush guard that retails for $500...they sold it to me for $150. As some of the jeep shirst say..."Life is good!"

 

[fujitsubo]

How I Found My Jeep

I looked at a few SUV's including Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, and of course the Liberty. I do rely on a lot of info on the internet and most people say there's problems with all the domestic SUV's. That's not comforting for me as I don't like unforseen problems or huge repairs. I mean, no one should have to fix their vehicle every month right? #-o

The price was what attracted me to the vehicle plus I had my trade in. They were selling ex-lease 2004 Liberty @ $22,000-28,000 CAD. I couldn't believe people would get rid of their vehicles in one year with only less than 15,000 kms on them.

After much thought and research, I dedicated myself to look at just Dodge/Jeep dealerships. Auto review says the Liberty is a recommended Buy. That's what sold me just on that review. The salesman was very nice too. He let me drive it home for one night as a test drive with no money down, no contract, no signing of anything what so ever. How can you not trust this salesman??? :-k Well I went back 2 weeks later and gave him an offer he couldn't refuse. LOL! I just hope that the Liberty he sold me isn't a Lemon that's all becuz I do love driving it and I hope to honest GOD that I don't have to repair everything down the road.

Converted Jeeper from roadster.

rob

 

[cb4017]

I spend a lot of time exploring the Northern Nevada desert. I drove a 98 Jeep Cherokee. It was very capable with an OME lift, No-slip locker and 30” tires. No real problems with it but I was considering putting more money into it and wasn’t sure I wanted to do that.
I was checking out my dealer’s back lot and found a 2003 Liberty Sport trade-in with a 5-speed. I called a friend that works at the dealer and told him I wanted to drive it.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well it drove and how well built it seemed to be. Almost made my XJ seem like a tin can.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find this Liberty had the 3.7 V-6, 3.73 gear ratio with traction lock rear end and factory skid plates. As an added bonus, it only had about 14,500 miles. Just broken-in. If it wasn’t so darn low it would serve nicely.
Well, my friend sold it to me for a song. The Rusty’s lift kit is on order. Revo 245/75 tires and rock rails are next. (I found out the hard way that the cost of fixing a rocker dent will about cover the cost of rock rails)

So far, I like it.

 

[stackthepads30]

Well I had an '02 sebring convertible and had just moved out to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, from Rockford, Illinois. I had gone through a winter where it was very difficult to get around the south mountain area in Bethlehem. My convertible had 42,000 miles on it, and when I had to get my a/c fixed (blown resistor), I found out that the extended warranty I had purchased at the dealership in Beloit, Wisconsin wasn't accepted by any dealerships out this way because it was a 3rd party extended warranty (wasn't paying attention there and got hornswaggled). I then was looking for a new vehicle and started looking on Jeep's website because my girlfriend wanted a Liberty. I had to have tinted windows and a sunroof, so I saw the Rocky Mountain edtitions offered those options for less than it would cost on a sport or limited. I fell in love with the Atlantic Blue color. So I went to the dealership on the last day of June '04 and found the one I liked and got it. It's so nice when your Dad works for Chrysler and you get the employee discount, so far which has saved me almost 10,000 on the 2 new vehicles I have purchased.

 

[melted]

The 12 year old Caravan was T-boned 18 months ago, and "the boss" and I were sharing the 11 y.o. Saab. We like to use the roads less travelled in Colorado & Wyoming, which kept resulting in broken Saab fog lights (@$200 a pop). The Saab has been great, but at 265,000 it is starting to give symptoms of old age, such as electricals cutting out unexpectedly.

We want to visit Picket Wire Canyonlands this summer, and I thought a new Nissan Frontier would be just the ticket. I also am very particular about seating, which must be high enough off the floor to allow my accelerator leg to allways be relaxed. The boss wasn't crazy about a truck, and wouldn't even take a turn during the test drive. The salesman then had us run the gamut of Nissans and of course Subarus next door. We kinda thought the Pathfinder was maybe, sort-of OK, but by the time we added up the price of power seats (to address the accelerator leg issue) etc. we were looking at close to $37K. Before the Visa came out, I vowed to check out Grand Cherokees and Ford Escapes.

The Escape was OK, and I was intrigued by the hybrid, but the strange rear wheel suspension thingamabobs that hang down low felt like a potential problem equivalent to the Saab fog lights.

At the Jeep dealer I met a young, keen, and quite well learned sales rep. I tried a nicely equipped ZJ, but despite power everything, I was not comfortable in the driver's seat. He suggested the KJ, and I guffawed - heck if the ZJ won't fit, how in the world would the KJ be better. The Sales rep. convinced me to sit in it at least, and I was surprisingly comfy. We went for a drive and I said nice but... He then said he had one with a diesel, which caused me to double guffaw - after all I remembered too well my neighbor starting his infernal diesel rabbit at 5:30 a.m. (his driveway was next to my bedroom). The salesman turned it on, and there was no black smoke and little of the familiar diesel rattle - so we went for a drive.

Just off the lot, I put my foot down on the "diesel pedal" and the thing took off like no rabbit had ever taken off before. "WOW! impressive", said I. We then took it up a nice twisty road in the foothills, and I said, "WOW, nice turning radius on the hairpins." Then we came to a moderately steep downhill grade. I turned the overdrive off, and fretted as nearly 2 tons of dealer's steel interacted with gravity - thinking I would be standing on the binders all the way to the bottom. Sonofa seahorse, the beast slowed down without even a touch to the brakes! I was sold, and the salesman knew it (gotta improve my poker face).

The rest of the buying process was the usual ugliness, but I am happy with the KJ. I have found a local farmer's co-op that sells biodiesel, which allows me to feel somewhat "eco-better" about not buying the Escape hybrid or worse a Prius (in which I know I won't fit).

 

[K9 DAD]

I initially bought my '00 Cherokee to haul my dog around I really enjoyed that Jeep, but the miles started adding up, and things started to go bad, ie; steering box, water pump, ....so I started looking at new replacements.

It had to be a Jeep, and I noticed the new 'Renegade' model, so after some shopping, that's what 'Moose' (the dog) ended up having as his new ride.

 

[jsstover]

I initially bought my '00 Cherokee to haul my dog around I really enjoyed that Jeep, but the miles started adding up, and things started to go bad, ie; steering box, water pump, ....so I started looking at new replacements.

It had to be a Jeep, and I noticed the new 'Renegade' model, so after some shopping, that's what 'Moose' (the dog) ended up having as his new ride.

'Bout the same reason for me. I also wanted a model where I could just open the glass to get control of the dogs before they ran out. Loved my Cherokee, but the Liberty is my favorite.

 

[VTNomad]

My Liberty

I decided it was time for an new vehicle, my second Ford in as many years had decided to commit suicide, and narrowed it down to a Liberty and X-Terra. I wanted a hunter green one, which Jeep didn't make, but the first one we came across was black with the chrome package (grille, running boards and taillight covers) and the huge Rocky Mountain sticker along the sides. I have yet to see another one with the sticker kit. I was going to peel the massive sticker off because I'm sure it would crack and peel off eventually and the rest of the vehicle would be faded. But the dealer was asking too much and wouldn't budge. The chrome and sticker added over $1000 and put it just out of my price range. So at that point I didn't even need to go the Nissan lot, because I was in love, so we tried the Jeep dealer the next town over. He didn't have what I wanted (I insisted on RME because of the painted fenders, and sunroof) but he was able to get it. I immediatly added in channel ventvisors and the factory slush mats. I later added the chrome grille and running boards for under $350. I've also installed an EVIC. I could care less about the plastic taillight covers, and am saving up for stainless ones.

 

[JeepJunky33]

Since I was a young boy my father always had jeeps (even though they were Cherokee's and Grand Cherokee's with no mod's, I still learned to love jeeps. While in high school my friends all were reading magazines on making cars go fast, I was reading about jeeps that drive over cars! Once I started looking into getting a new car I saw Car and Driver review the new liberty, I thought it was awsome. Then not a month later Stacey Davis (From Trucks! on Spike TV's Power Block) Modified a liberty with a light bar and lift calling it the Jeep Liberty Patriot.
Soon after I heard jeep was bring back the Renegade name from the 70's and 80's wrangler. When I was finally ready to start looking at cars in the jeep lot was my dream car. 2003 Jeep Liberty Renegade, 5-speed Manual, Cactus Green. I fell in love and she has been the top of my world since.
Sadly (but still fun) I work on my friends car. He doesnt have a jeep or even an SUV but I still love to wrench on an engine, hourse power or height, working on a car is still fun. I love jeeps and can't wait to get out of graduate school and be able to afford some serious mod's so I can do some major mud slinging and rocj crawling!!!

 

[shoepolishsmelling]

I remember when i was in highschool seeing the first liberty being

advertised on T.V
(im sure you all know the one where the jeep is just kinda parked on the beach supposedly one of the beaches of normandy)

well seeing it there made me fall in love because well my grandfather was in WWII and my father in the army after him and Myself in the Army today
and i always wanted one since that first time i saw her
the first time i came back from iraq i was determined not to blow all my savings on a vehicle like everyone else but lol the second time i came back from iraq i felt that i deserved it being a first time buyer i had to lay 10k down but in my opinion i feel that its going to be a good partnership for a long time

 

[skeeter]

I have been a truck person for years, but was finally getting tired of the parking issues and gas-guzzling. We live out in the sticks, so I need something with 4-wheel drive, decent clearance and power, and at least the capacity to take my garbage cans down to the bottom of our driveway. And it had to have an MSRP under 30k loaded. The Jeep fit the bill!

We have a Jeep/Chrysler dealer right in town, so I went there first. But, I could tell right off the bat, they operated "old school" sales. Y'know, trying to get you to buy on color, making you wait all day to tire you out, taking forever to evaluate your trade, etc etc. Well, they totally low-balled me on my Ram. When I said they needed to do better the reply was "we can work with you if your talking a couple hundred bucks, otherwise it isn't going to happen". I was polite but left pretty pissed off.

Next I filled out the autobytel online thing and was contacted by a dealer 40 miles away. Over the next couple of weeks, we did most of our dealing over the net. I did go out twice for test drives. It turns out I did better on the price of the Liberty and took $3000 more for my trade in. It was just no contest.

The funny thing was, the first salesman called me back to ask "how it was going". Well, I was honest with him and told him I bought a Liberty at another dealer because the deal wasn't even close to what he had offered me. He asked me all kinds of questions..."you mean, you got a LIMITED"?...."it has LEATHER"?....it was like he didn't believe me. It actually turns out I did $4000.00 better on my trade, because when I told him I got an extra $1000.00 on the truck because of the June Chrysler incentive, he had never heard of it so I sure wouldn't have gotten the grand there!

Lesson: Dealers are not all the same - SHOP AROUND!

 

[Neuromancer]

I previously drove a 98 Ranger regular cab. I decided recently to check out the silverado's due to there employee pricing sales. I was not too impressed with the silverado's, but I was still interested in checking out some other vehicles. Checked out the Dodge Rams... I liked them more than the silverado's, but they still didnt make me go wow.

Happened upon a picture of 05 Liberties and was interested right away. Did some homework on them, and decided I'd like to see them. After driving one, I just knew that was what I wanted. I dont offroad or venture off city streets, but the liberty was exactly what I was looking for.

Price
Dependable
Safe(which was very important to me)
Style

I purchased a new 05 Liberty Sport Patriot Blue and am loving it.

-Ted

 

[Pnorton]

I drove a 2003 Mazda B4000 extra cab. My wife and I had our first child in Dec and he didn't fit in the truck. I had been test driving trucks for the past two months and really wanted a new F150. They were out of my budget for a crew cab. I heard on the radio that the dealership was offering employee pricing and honoring rebates. The ad said this deal applyed to the diesel Liberty also. I had no idea they bulilt a diesel Liberty. I was very interested. I went down to the car lot, drove a Renegade and a CRD. Came home that night with the CRD. Have never looked back.

 

[GIJOEwithaKJ]

Silver vs. Salsa Red Metallic?

I, like many a Jeep owner live in the snow belt. My previous vehicle was a $500 1986 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with the diesel option. it was 2 wheel drive of course. In the summer it was a nice truck to drive with lots of power and a decent ride. But in winter it was a royal pain in the neck. It would take me 10-15 minutes to start it. Then driving a two wheel drive in snow and the steep hills of stillwater-well it wasn't worth it. I always wanted a Jeep because of their legendary off road prowess. Jeeps are not real common here and none of my friends owned one (i know i keep bad company-i hear that enough from my parents). I was always going offroad in my diesel and getting stuck a lot. I had my heart set on a Jeep Wrangler but found out that the Liberty is one of the cheapest vehicles to insure (topped by the PT Cruiser and Dodge Caravan) which is a huge deal when you're 18. Cheap insurance, capable 4x4, fun to drive-the Liberty had it all! I found a silver '02 in my price range but it was a strippo (no CD or ABS or tinted windows?!?!?). On my way home I found a salsa red metallic '02 with the same mileage and a CD/Cassette, power everything, ABS, alloy wheels, and everything else I could have wanted. I fell in love with the copperish color and the fact that it was only $100 then the strippo-I had to have it. Now I do. My friends all made fun of me for driving a girlie SUV untill they saw my stock liberty score better on the RTI ramp then their K1500's and Ranger's. Yes my liberty goes anywhere I ask it to. I have yet to be stuck or let down...I guess I will have to try harder...

 

[Tightwadsjeeper]

Phwew... this is gonna be long... O

I've always had Jeeps... CJ5, CJ7, TJ... my wife has been through a host of different vehicles though... CRX (honda), Civic, Trooper (Isuzu), Durango... we finally started having too many problems with her Durango (2000 with the 5.9L V8) which was only getting 12-13 mpg lately and knew we needed something newer. We saw that everybody was offering the "employee discount" pricing... which really only means that you're buying around invoice.. but without the haggling... plus rebates on certain vehicles. I've been using my 99TJ for the last 6+ yrs, and although it's not ideal, I've been hauling my 3500 lb 22' Center console boat around with it as needed. Not ideal... but workable... it needed some repairs though as the header had cracked (as they are want to do), the air had quit working, the transmission was leaking a quart every other week, and the windshield had been cracked by a rock flung up from a car's tire. I guess we both needed something new..... but I LOVED my TJ, and was in no rush to part with it.

We hit the chevy place first... had our eyes on an Avalanche... idea was if my wife didn't like it, I'd take it, and she'd find something else, but getting a 4x4 was entirely too expensive which I had misgivings about..... anyway... when they tried to totally lowball us with the trade-in offer on the Durango ($3K) we walked... it didn't get very good mileage anyway (avg of 15-19).

We hit the Ford dealership and looked around but didn't like anything we saw... We didn't care for the Exploder's, and didn't want to pay for the Crew Cab F150's.... we never had liked the Chevy Trailblazer either...

We finally wound up at the Jeep dealership intending to look at a Liberty for my wife.... I got there first and told them that my wife had a Durango (options, etc.) that she was going to want a $7K trade in value for... minimum... but when she got there, she insisted that she had to have at least $8500 since that was the payoff. She drove the Liberty and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with it... they finally agreed to give her $8500 for the Durango, and the deal was done... except that when we called to confirm the payoff, it was only ~$7,700... LOL She was out the door with a White Sport (Package C) with the 3.7, 4x2 for under $19K... not bad we think.

While we're working up this deal, they ask me how much of a trade in did I want for the TJ... I really wasn't interested and told them so... but they insisted... how much??? We went to lunch and discussed it... I told my wife that I would HAVE to have the 4x4 and Limited slip... or no deal... plus I thought ~$8K was a reasonable trade in... minus $1000 for repairs that needed to be done.... ie. a $7K trade in value for my paid off TJ

We came back from lunch and they offered me $4K... which I thought was way low... but after looking up trade in value online, I saw that was actually not too far off since I had 140K miles on it, plus a ding or two... but I played stubborn and told them $7K or no deal. They finally offered $6600 and said they'd take it off the top so there was less tax (total value $7K to me) and I said OK... IF we can find what I want... so they went to searching for the options I had to have... Renegade package with 4x4, Trac-Loc, Package "C", in silver or Patriot Blue. They finally located one, that had what I wanted but had the Sirius radio too... ok.. I could deal with that option.. we agreed on the price, and they would have it delivered the next day.

The next day arrived, and at noon I went in to pick it up... keep in mind, we'd already agreed on the price and everything... all the paperwork was pre-signed... that's when the sales lady came to me and said "we have a problem"... the one we picked up is the Rocky Mountain Edition... not the standard Renegade... and it doesn't look like what you wanted (the black trim). I looked it up online to get the details ('cause I hadn't checked out that package before) and saw that it was another $1200 or so because of the sunroof and a few other things..... I said no deal if it's any more money.. gotta be the same price or pass me the keys back to my Jeep (TJ). Ten minutes later we signed the final papers and I was on my way.... out the door for under $17K.

My wife was NOT happy.... she didn't like the fact that I got a sunroof and she didn't.... LOL I told her.... next time... next time....

Best of all... our insurance only went up ~$300 a year despite the fact that we've got FULL coverage on BOTH vehicles now, instead of just hers.... insurance down here is outrageous.... we're going to be paying just over $1600 a year (total) for the two Liberty's. That's with clean records and no claims for many years.....

Luis