2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Grand Cherokee years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 2,051 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That ranks 2nd out of 32 Grand Cherokee model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (927 complaints, 45%), typically at around 92,000 miles. Complaints mention 82 crashes, 24 fires, 74 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
_IMG_7791.jpg){kind=link}
- 2,051owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 82complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 927 | 45% | 92,000 | “ignition switch” (11%) | — |
| Structure problems | 405 | 20% | 75,000 | “door handles” (60%) | $1,100 |
| Power Train problems | 253 | 12% | 72,500 | “transfer case” (11%) | $1,150 |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 163 | 8% | 59,000 | “door handles” (58%) | $1,200 |
| Engine problems | 134 | 7% | 100,000 | “engine power” (9%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 134 | 7% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags problems | 95 | 5% | 88,500 | “air bag” (41%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 88 | 4% | 78,000 | “ignition switch” (9%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 78 | 4% | 28,500 | “stop sign” (6%) | — |
| Steering problems | 64 | 3% | 93,000 | “ignition switch” (13%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 62 | 3% | 84,000 | “brake pedal depressed” (15%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 60 | 3% | 90,694 | “flicker off” (18%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 32 | 2% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 28 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 26 | 1% | 80,550 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 23 | 1% | 110,300 | — | — |
| Suspension | 22 | 1% | 47,280 | — | — |
| Visibility | 22 | 1% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 20 | 1% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 19 | 1% | 69,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 16 | 1% | 6,100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 1% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 0% | 115,283 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 4 | 0% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 0% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 0% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 88,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 18,563 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 150,902 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, drivers should adjust their seat to allow clearance between the driver's knee and the ignition key, and remove all items from their key ring, leaving only the vehicle key. Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, to July 5, 2007, and 2006-2007 Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured January 31, 2005, to July 5, 2007. In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee, unintentionally knocking the key out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the ignition key inadvertently moves into the OFF or ACCESSORY position, the engine will turn off, which will then depower various key safety systems including but not limited to air bags, power steering, and power braking. Loss of functionality of these systems may increase the risk of crash and/or increase the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ignition switch, free of charge. Chrysler sent interim notifications to owners in September 2014. The recall began on October 9, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P41.
Electrical system; power train:transfer case (4-wheel drive)
Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010; and 2006-2010 Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured January 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010. A transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.
Risk: If the vehicle shifts into neutral, it may roll away increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the final drive controller which governs the transfer case, with new software, free of charge. The recall began on August 15, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753. Chrysler's recall campaign number is N23.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.7l engines and nag1 automatic transmissions, the air conditioner evaporator condensate water may enter the transmission at the fill tube grommet seal. This can result in shudder during torque converter clutch engagement.
Risk: It can lead to increased transmission operating temperatures, boiling of the water, and a subsequent purging of transmission fluid into the engine compartment potentially resulting in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the transmission for leakage at the fill tube grommet seal. If no leak is detected, a new fill tube grommet seal and water deflector shield will be installed, and proper alignment of the fill tube verified. If the presence of a leak is detected, the vehicle will be evaluated for shudder during torque converter engagement. If no shudder is detected, the transmission will be triple flushed, and new fill tube grommet seal and water deflector will be installed and proper alignment of the fill tube verified. If shudder is detected, the torque converter will be replaced, a new fill tube grommet seal and water deflector will be installed, and proper alignment of the fill tube verified. The recall began on october 31, 2005. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Air Bag Non-deployment (PE14017) — opened Jun 16, 2014, closed Dec 23, 2014, led to recall 14V438000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V438000 (Electrical System). While placing the key in the ignition, it was extremely tight. The driver thought the key could possibly break. The…
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35â40 MPH, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times, including three times while…
Every single code is displayed when using a ODB2 scan tool. I have many electrical issues that go away and come back. Sluggish performance. Random components inside the jeep will fail at random. Iâm thinking the ECU is faulty. Somedays it will run fine with all the codes still present.
Lights on the dashboard were blinking, there were no turning signals, the gas gauge was not working, and the check engine light was flashing. My safety was put at risk because I could not let people know when I was turning. I took it to the dealer, and they said there were too many codes, but none…
Dash will read "ESP System Disabled" during this the engine light and red lightning in brackets ( ) turns on, on the dash. This affects the acceleration there is none and brakes work but is slow to come to a full stop. An inspection can be scheduled. This happens anytime and randomly, getting…
Other Jeep Grand Cherokee years
← 2004 Grand Cherokee · 2006 Grand Cherokee →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Grand Cherokee | 25 | 6 |
| 2025 Grand Cherokee | 76 | 4 |
| 2024 Grand Cherokee | 249 | 16 |
| 2023 Grand Cherokee | 397 | 21 |
| 2022 Grand Cherokee | 264 | 13 |
| 2021 Grand Cherokee | 409 | 12 |
| 2020 Grand Cherokee | 240 | 3 |
| 2019 Grand Cherokee | 370 | 7 |
| 2018 Grand Cherokee | 855 | 10 |
| 2017 Grand Cherokee | 364 | 5 |
| 2016 Grand Cherokee | 311 | 8 |
| 2015 Grand Cherokee | 1,366 | 9 |
| 2014 Grand Cherokee | 2,381 | 18 |
| 2013 Grand Cherokee | 804 | 9 |
| 2012 Grand Cherokee | 1,644 | 10 |
| 2011 Grand Cherokee | 1,640 | 6 |
| 2010 Grand Cherokee | 118 | 5 |
| 2009 Grand Cherokee | 138 | 2 |
| 2008 Grand Cherokee | 734 | 4 |
| 2007 Grand Cherokee | 1,108 | 5 |
| 2006 Grand Cherokee | 1,280 | 4 |
| 2005 | 2,051 | 3 |
| 2004 Grand Cherokee | 1,295 | 8 |
| 2003 Grand Cherokee | 762 | 4 |
| 2002 Grand Cherokee | 1,476 | 10 |
| 2001 Grand Cherokee | 883 | 4 |
| 2000 Grand Cherokee | 1,447 | 6 |
| 1999 Grand Cherokee | 1,638 | 4 |
| 1998 Grand Cherokee | 1,028 | 4 |
| 1997 Grand Cherokee | 991 | 5 |
| 1996 Grand Cherokee | 893 | 6 |
| 1995 Grand Cherokee | 719 | 4 |
See all Jeep Grand Cherokee problems by year, every Jeep model, or the Jeep VIN decoder.
Similar Jeep models
Embed this 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners most often report electrical system, structure, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 927 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Grand Cherokee model years, the 2005 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.