Your vehicle report
2004 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
- 1,295
- Received Jul 2003 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Heater blows cold air, defroster fails124 complaints · 9.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract92 complaints · 7.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early82 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #15V673000Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured March 29, 2003, to July 3, 2003, and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured May 27, 2003, to May 20, 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 #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.
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: 110 crashes, 25 fires, 85 people injured, 3 deaths.
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
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Vehicle rolls backward out of park
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 6 |
| 2004 | 67 |
| 2005 | 93 |
| 2006 | 117 |
| 2007 | 116 |
| 2008 | 104 |
| 2009 | 71 |
| 2010 | 77 |
| 2011 | 53 |
| 2012 | 32 |
| 2013 | 74 |
| 2014 | 77 |
| 2015 | 114 |
| 2016 | 171 |
| 2017 | 44 |
| 2018 | 28 |
| 2019 | 26 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 1,295 |
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 | 124 | 9.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 92 | 7.1% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 82 | 6.3% | – | |
| Jeep Cherokee stalls while driving | 78 | 6.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 45 | 3.5% | – | NHTSA recall #12V527000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 42 | 3.2% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 37 | 2.9% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 33 | 2.5% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 29 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #12V527000 |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 25 | 1.9% | – | |
| Heated seat overheats and burns occupants | 24 | 1.8% | – | NHTSA recall #06V197000, #09V117000 |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 24 | 1.8% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 22 | 1.7% | – | NHTSA recall #03V079000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 22 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 19 | 1.5% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 18 | 1.4% | – | |
| Vehicle rolls backward out of park | 17 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 16 | 1.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 15 | 1.2% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 14 | 1.1% | – |
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 #15V673000October 19, 2015284,611 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured March 29, 2003, to July 3, 2003, and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured May 27, 2003, to May 20, 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 will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module and the side impact sensors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R60.
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.
NHTSA recall #04V112000March 4, 200414,621 vehicles affected
electrical system: starter assembly
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 4.0L engines, the crankshaft position sensor wiring insulation may crack and expose the wire.
In the presence of moisture, this could result in sensor malfunction, which could cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor. Owner notification began on march 29, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #04V048000February 3, 200496 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a recent software programming error, the tire, wheel, and inflation pressure information was inadvertently omitted from the vehicle certification label.
The vehicle owner would not be aware of the tire, wheel, and inflation pressure information for their vehicle.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a corrected tire certification label. Owner notification began on march 1, 2004. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA recall #03V079000March 10, 2003286 vehicles affected
steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
On certain sport utility vehicles, the power steering gear may contain an improperly formed spacer clip, which could dislodge within the steering gear.
A dislodged clip may cause increased steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the steering gear assemblies. Owner notification began on march 12, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should 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 2004 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