Your vehicle report
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 762
- Received Oct 2002 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Heater blows cold air, defroster fails120 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving50 complaints · 6.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early46 complaints · 6.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V046000Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, to March 28, 2003, 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, to May 23 2003, and 2003-2004 Dodge Viper vehicles manufactured November 1, 2001, to June 30, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
- Recall #12V527000Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, through March 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 48 crashes, 14 fires, 56 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
- Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 4 |
| 2003 | 29 |
| 2004 | 44 |
| 2005 | 41 |
| 2006 | 45 |
| 2007 | 87 |
| 2008 | 66 |
| 2009 | 49 |
| 2010 | 28 |
| 2011 | 29 |
| 2012 | 17 |
| 2013 | 72 |
| 2014 | 63 |
| 2015 | 90 |
| 2016 | 52 |
| 2017 | 9 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 3 |
| Total | 762 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 120 | 16% | – | |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 50 | 6.6% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 46 | 6.0% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 43 | 5.6% | – | NHTSA recall #12V527000 |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 40 | 5.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 32 | 4.2% | – | NHTSA recall #12V527000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 26 | 3.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 20 | 2.6% | – | |
| Heated seat overheats and burns occupants | 16 | 2.1% | – | NHTSA recall #06V197000, #09V117000 |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 13 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 10 | 1.3% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 10 | 1.3% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 9 | 1.2% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 7 | 0.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 0.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 5 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #15V046000January 28, 2015752,644 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, to March 28, 2003, 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, to May 23 2003, and 2003-2004 Dodge Viper vehicles manufactured November 1, 2001, to June 30, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Chrysler dealers will replace the air bag control module and side impact sensors as required, free of charge. This recall remedy was applied during earlier recall campaigns of these vehicles under safety recalls 12V527 and 13V040. All owners that have not had the recall repair performed under safety recalls 12V527 or 13V040 are strongly encouraged to have it performed and not wait for the final remedy to be deployed to the field. The recall began on December 29, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R06.
NHTSA recall #12V527000November 8, 2012744,822 vehicles affected
air bags; air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, through March 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module, free of charge. Owners were notified of the recall by interim letter in January 2013. The remedy for affected Liberty vehicles is expected to be available in April 2013. The remedy for affected Grand Cherokee vehicles is expected to be available later in the year. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
NHTSA recall #09V117000April 9, 2009103,409 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Chrysler is recalling 103,409 my 2001-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles with heated seats and with Chrysler recall no. 06V-197 completed (03-04 my) or seat heater elements service replacement (01-02 my). The front seat electric heater elements could overheat.
Overheating could potentially cause a fire or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the front seat heater elements free of charge. The recall began on november 23, 2009. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #06V197000June 7, 2006111,687 vehicles affected
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with heated seats, the front passenger seat electric heater element could overheat.
Overheating could potentially cause a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the heated seat elements. The recall began on july 24, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN