2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 253 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 72,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “transfer case” (11% of reports).
- 253power train complaints
- 72,500median miles at failure
- 15mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transfer case: mentioned in 28 of 253 complaints (11%)
- Electrical power train: mentioned in 25 of 253 complaints (10%)
- Automatic transmission: mentioned in 19 of 253 complaints (8%)
- Torque converter: mentioned in 14 of 253 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee at $1,150, and half of them between $1,100 and $1,950.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2008–2014), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 209 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 253 complaints, 15 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 7 an injury.
Jeep Grand Cherokee power train complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
1. Engine over heating problems numerous times and coolant leak. Even after replacement of radiator and hoses. 2. Went to pick up jeep from mechanic due to oil leak, when they brought it around, I noticed pink fluid dripping. Had Transmission serviced in March/April 2020 due to a leak., Flushed…
The contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while idle, the vehicle would overheat with the transmission temperature sensor warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle would shudder and hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokees have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 253 owner complaints about power train for the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee (12% of the 2,051 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee power train?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 72,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,150 (half paid between $1,100 and $1,950), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “transfer case”, in 28 of 253 complaints, followed by “electrical power train” (25).
Other 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
See all 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems or power train problems across all Grand Cherokee years.