2008 Jeep Liberty Getting Stuck In Snow!!!

by Hal
(Phoenix, Arizona)

Well I thought I bought a 4X4 Jeep... I have Command Trac II, A part time system... I got stuck really easy in snow... I just drove off the road and stopped... I got out and looked at the terrain and decide to let my son go first... Well I am glad I did... I couldn't move... (By the Way my son backed up to me with his 4X4 truck and pulled me and my party to the pavement so we could trek down the road once again…)

I was already in 4x4 low as I put it in low when I started off road... I only had two wheels trying to drive my Jeep... One front & one rear, to my dismay I was really pissed off because my other two wheels were not even moving... So I took it to the Jeep dealer and they said, I quote: "Your system is operating the way it was designed" so I have a system that is guaranteed to get me stuck...

I am really not happy now... The dealer also told me that Power will be sent to the wheels that lose traction… (By the way that statement doesn’t make sense… Why would power be sent to the wheels that are slipping?)

The Jeep.com web paged explains How 4x4 systems work... The web page explains Command Trac II as being: "This is a shift on the fly system allowing the 4 wheel drive lock mode to be engaged at any speed, once in four lock the front and rear drive-shafts turn all four wheels at the same speed, producing the awesome traction that has made the Jeep vehicle such legendary 4x4 machines. Just remember this is a part time system which locks the front and rear drive-shafts together."

Ok so I believed this... Bought the vehicle and away we went to the snow... Big mistake so far on the purchase of a 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport... Oh I was also told by the dealer that I could make it operate with all 4 wheels driving by purchasing off road products like: ARB's, a means of locking the axles together so the wheels turn at the same speed... (Hmmm, I thought I had purchased this type of 4X4 system to begin with...) or some sort of Locker, Detroit or whatever is available for AFTER market products... Oh this is a cost to me of at least $1,500.00 dollars per axle for the ARB’s.

I am now afraid to take my so called 4X4 off road anywhere because I will get tired of hooking up the tow strap. You can look at the picture attached and make any comments you like to, such as, wrong tires, no chains ect… but the fact still remains: (ONLY TWO TIRES WERE SPINNING AT A TIME, ONE FRONT AND ONE REAR… NEVER ALL FOUR…)

Signed...a very unhappy 2008 Jeep Liberty Sport Owner.