We have an 2008 Liberty Ltd with the SelectracII AWD system. We put it AWD, or 4 high, for the first time and experienced a rumble that can be heard and felt. It is in AWD only and mostly at speeds between 40mph and 60mph. It goes away when switched to 2WD. It is felt most under a load condition. You can feel it through the steering wheel, the accelerator peddle and the driver’s floor. You hear a “rumble” also…like a bad set of tires. The dealer says this is “normal”. This AWD system is designed to be used on any road condition including dry. I think it should be as quiet as 2WD. Thank you.
You’re correct, there should be only a slight increase in noise, if any. And, there should be no vibration. It could be that the clutch packs were not set up correctly at the factory. Has anybody in the service department driven the vehicle and duplicated the problem with you along for the ride?
If it’s “normal”, you should be able to go on the lot, pick out a similar Liberty, and have them let you take a test drive, see if it does the same thing.