10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 4 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 6 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 68,259 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
All interior door panels on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee have cracked and, in some cases, broke apart around the door handle. I have had three repaired at a dealership at personal cost and one is pending. I believe it is a defect in the plastic resin manufacturing process for the early 2005 Grand Cherokee because all four door panels have cracked in the exact same place. Chrysler was contacted on numerous occasions and denies that this is an issue. This is a potential safety issue because if the door handle breaks loose, you cannot open the door to exit the vehicle from the inside. This exact issue has been documented several times by other Grand Cherokee owners and all of them have had similar results with Chrysler's denial of an issue.
- Omaha, NE, USA
When opening rear door, handle broke in several places. Person opening door was only 4 so it was due to the over exertion. It is now not possible to open the rear door from inside the car.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
Summary: Latches/locks/linkages: I own a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. The handle on the driver side and the front passenger door are breaking from the door panel, they are literally hanging by a thread. This is a huge problem as I can't get the doors open sometimes unless I roll the windows down and reach through. This is a huge safety concern because if in emergency we could be trapped in the vehicle. This problem started about 3 years ago and has escalated since. I don't feel as though I should be financially responsible for what seems to be a widespread problem with this vehicle. Chrysler is even denying that they know of any such problem, which is absolutely ridiculous. Something needs to be done about this!
- New Orleans, LA, USA
Latches/locks/linkages in December 2010 at 42,000 miles our 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee (limited) developed a crack in the drivers' door handle housing causing the inside door handle to come loose from the inside door panel. (the door handle is set in a hole made of thin plastic that functions as a pivot hinge. Once the plastic cracks then the handle just pops out of the door panel.) then in January 2011, the right rear door handle developed the same problem and this door handle also came out of the handle housing, and it can no longer be opened from inside the car. Upon inspection we discovered that both the right front passenger door and rear left passenger door have developed cracks in the plastic in the same place, and will likely break soon. We note that there have been 42 identical complaints lodged on the NHTSA site involving this same problem on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Here in Florida, with frequent opportunities to run off the road into lakes or canals, this problem is extremely serious, possibly causing persons to drown in the car when unable to unlatch the door in an emergency. Chrysler customer service has said they do not have a record of this issue and they do not feel that they should cover the repairs if the vehicle is out of warranty. Some other persons who have reported the issue state that to repair the door handle requires a complete replacement of the side door panels at a cost of over $700 per door. It is entirely unreasonable that a car would have no workable door handles after just 5 years or 42,000 miles of use. This is not normal wear and tear, nor is it reasonable wear and tear. We rarely have back seat passengers in this vehicle. It is clearly a defective design and substandard materials. Chrysler needs to recall these vehicles to correct this dangerous situation.
- Coral Gables, FL, USA
The driver and passenger door panel plastic mouldings surrounding and encasing the door handles has broken with pieces falling inside the door. The door panel no longer securely holds the handle mechanism and on occasion jams the handle.. these failures were not due to unusual circumstances or abuse, but rather failures occurred in normal entry and egress activity from the vehicle. No used replacement door panels can be found via used part outlets showing the extent of the problem, and oem replacement/repair costs are outrageous and is nearly $2000 (I understand these plastic mouldings are on natiional backorder). Numerous identical incidents of this failure are evidently prolific as sourced by internet customer satisfaction research on the Jeep Cherokee as well as complaints posted with the dot/nhts. Please add my most vocal and serious complaint about this obvious manufacturing defect. This obvious safety problem potentially prohibits exit from the vehicle should an accident require such action, not to mention the costs to the consumer due to a faulty product. A recall to correct this defect should be immediate and sustained for any consumer who expects to be able to open and close a vehicle door for the expected life of the vehicle.
- Atlanta , IL, USA
The interior door handles, all 4, broke off, at almost the same time. There is a common manufacturers material defect, as the door handle "pocket" is made out a brittle plastic, and they just shattered, or cracked simply by using the interior door handle to exit the vehicle. This is dangerous because in an emergency, one would not be able to exit the vehicle if the door handle breaks off in your hand.
- Houston, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving at any speed, the vehicle shuts off whenever an object touches the ignition key. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current mileage was 22,200 and failure mileage was 18,000. Updated 05/19/08.
- Santa Fe, NM, USA
Rear defrost does not work properly. Upper portion of defroster does not work while the lower portion does work minimally.
- Burlington, IA, USA
Consumer complaint concerning 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee continues to fail and dealer refuses to buy back vehicle.
- Cobb, WI, USA
I have numerous problems with the engine light coming on. This has been going on for some months now. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership for this problem at least three different times. My engine comes on and stays on for days at a time. The dealership was unable to diagnose the problem. Than for last few months, while I am driving all the gears on my dashboard light up and wont allow me to give the car any gas, and makes a sound like the engine is reving up. This can happen two to five times a day. Now, when I put the car from park to reverse it is a making a long banging noise and jerking the car.
- Monessen, PA, USA
New 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been in/out of dealership 5 times for leaks in front A-pillars. Has been in shop 2X for the transmission recall, and a mistake they made completing the services. Car is going into shop again because the auto sensor on the rear-view mirror is malfunctioning. We filed lemon law with daimler, and are awaiting a response. Filing complaint with the state of Oregon on the dealership due to customer service issues.
- Portland, OR, USA
I noticed bird droppings on hood. Washed car as soon as possible. Bird droppings had eaten through clear coat and paint right down to bare metal. Called dealer where purchased, they told me to contact Chrysler. I E-mailed Chrysler and was told that it wasn't covered under warranty. Recently had repaired at owner's expense.
- Hartshorne, OK, USA
I have a redesigned 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee purchased in Jan 05. Since that time I have noticed a significant amount of paint chipping on the on the lower body area just in front of the rear wheels. I have owned two prior Jeep (96, 94) and never experienced this problem. Factory rep says it is in the design of the vehicle and refuses to do anything about it. Have noticed problem on other 2005's as well.
- Frazier Park, CA, USA
- Navarre, FL, USA