2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
NHTSA has received 1,573 complaints about the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 21% of them involve air bags. Next are wipers, windshield & visibility (14%) and brakes (12%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,573 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Air bags 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 149 and 33
- Injuries and deaths
- 106 and 3
- Typical mileage
- 64,000 miles 1,029 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 184 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 141 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 142 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 141 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 99 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 100 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 87 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 38 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 42 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 26 |
| 200k+ miles | 29 |
What the data shows
Of the 1,029 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 64,000 miles. For air bags specifically, the median reported mileage is about 116,000 miles (82 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 149 complaints mention a crash; 33 complaints mention a fire; 106 injuries reported; 3 deaths reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 12th most-complained-about out of 34 model years of the Jeep Grand Cherokee with enough data (735 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 8 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My son was involved in an unexplained car accident on 9/26/15 in our 2004 jeep grand cherokee. The crash resulted in extensive physical and fire damage to the vehicle and the loss of my son's life. It was a beautiful sunny day and the cause remains unknown. Shortly after I received notice that his vehicle was involved in recall r60 for unintended air bag deployment which could result in a crash. My son was a new driver and anything could have happened.
Dt*: the contact stated while parked and running with the seat belt unbuckled, the heater was turned on for the passenger seat and within 10 to 15 seconds, the seat caught on fire. The heater was turned off, and both occupants sustained minor injuries. The service dealer was contacted, but could not identify the problem.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at no particular speed the heated seat warmer burned through the seat cushion without warning. The occupant sustained minor injuries from the heat. Although no visible flames were present there was slight charring to the seat cushion area. The vehicle was seen by the dealer for replacement of the heated seat element and cushion. The dealer determined there was an internal short of the seat warmer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that the headlights were discolored. The contact stated that when driving at night, the headlights did not illuminate properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.
When driving, the steering pulls to the left side fairly hard. Also, when making either right or left turns the result is a very jerky and not smooth. When there is a bump in the road, the steering wheel jerks and turns slightly causing possible dangerous driving conditions. The vehicle is drive-able however there is definitely some cause for concern. Have replaced the suspension with brand new shocks and there seems to be no difference in the steering wheel's response to bumps.