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2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 762 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee, most often about the air bags (34% of complaints, typically around 112,000 miles). It is 14th of 27 Grand Cherokee model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
Air bags
256 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 112,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that NHTSA campaign number 12v527000 (air bags) had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. The air bag warning light was illuminated and the manufacturer advised that the part needed to complete the air bag recall service was on back order. The…
Tl contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was in the driveway and not turned on, the air bags deployed. The contact was told by the dealer that they were not responsible. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage and current mileage was 118,000.
Visibility and wipers
170 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 60,500 miles. Parts named most often: defroster/defogger/hvac system, power window devices and controls, rearview mirrors/devices, glass, side/rear.
- the contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicle's defroster was not defrosting the windows on the passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact attempted to use all settings to defrost the windows and has been unsuccessful. The contact's rear defrost was operating properly. The contact stated that this…
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited - no heat on driver's side - passenger side heat is still working. I checked the codes for this problem and it seems to be related to the "blend doors" located in the heating/cooling vehicle ductwork. I also did a great deal of checking via the internet to see if there were other Jeep…
Brakes
71 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 19,500 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, disc, pedals and linkages.
Brake pad and rotor failure after one year and four months of vehicle service. After further research, it has been determined that this is a known problem with the Jeep Grand Cherokee - all years (internet based research) the manufacturer was contacted and they said that these parts (brakes and rotors) are only…
When applying the brakes at high speed the vehicle would shake and vibrate violently. At low speeds using the brakes the vehicle would pulsate slowly forward while removing pressure from the brake pedal. The conditions continued to get worse especially the vibrations and shaking at high speed braking. I brought the…
Seats
65 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 98,500 miles. Parts named most often: front assembly.
The drivers side seat has a broken bracket that allows the assembly to rock back and forth. It was perfectly fine until last week. I have owned this vehicle since 2002 and the seat was never a problem. I have found numerous complaints about seat breakage on the Jeep Grand Cherokee laredo and many other Jeep models.…
I was driving my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee and I noticed my seat starting to wobble. Finally I noticed that the seat bracket snapped on the driver side. This is a total safety issue. I have taken it to Jeep for repair and they advise there is no recall.. How can this be?. Oh and what's the point of wearing a seat belt…
Engine
57 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 94,500 miles. Parts named most often: cooling system, engine, exhaust system.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 45 MPH the vehicle stalled. The dealer was contacted and informed him that there were no recalls. The contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was approximately 98,000. The failure…
I was driving about 40 MPH on a four lane highway in traffic when my car engine suddenly shut off. The brakes seized up, but I was able to get the car was able to get the car off on the shoulder. After trying several time to restart the car, I called for assistance. By the time assistance arrived, I was able to start…
Electrical
55 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 85,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, instrument cluster/panel, 12v/24v/48v battery, alternator/generator/regulator.
Noticed a decrease in gas mileage and check engine light on. About 1 month after radio would pop loudly gauges on dash would act erratically, digital mileage screen would flicker, vehicle stalls while driving or sitting at a stand still and then restart on its own. While driving and it stalls you loose steering…
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the cruise control stopped working and the interior lighting remained illuminated. The contact also stated that the doors and rear windows did not lock. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer…
Transmission
35 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 26,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline, transfer case (4-wheel drive), axle assembly.
(1) I pulled the Jeep Grand Cherokee to a stop in front of a self-serve car wash bay where the previous user had left the car wash wand hanging in the middle of the bay. With my foot on the brake, I opened the driver door and put the vehicle in park; then proceeded to exit the vehicle to move the wand. (I did not turn…
My 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee when parked in front of my home while I ran in to get my gloves jumped into reverse after closing the door. I was away from the truck for less then 1 min. And it rolled in reverse 75 ft striking a neighbors mobile home. When I got to the truck it was in reverse and had extensive damage to…
Speed control
32 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 55,000 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal, cruise control.
Dt: the contact stated the speed kept increasing while using the cruise control. She tried to manually shut off the cruise control but the switch would not respond. She applied the brakes to turn off the cruise control. A local mechanic inspected the vehicle, and determined it was the throttle sensor. The vehicle has…
Tl contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving with the cruise control set at 65 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated to 85 MPH. The contact depressed the brake pedal, cancelled the speed control, and disconnected the cruise control button. The vehicle did not decelerate and the contact pulled off the road…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls
Air bags: frontal
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: Overheating could potentially cause a fire or injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seats: seat heater/cooler
Risk: Overheating could potentially cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the heated seat elements. The recall began on july 24, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with heated seats, the front passenger seat electric heater element could overheat.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Jeep inadvertent air bag deployment
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of inadvertent air bag deployments (iabd) occurring after the recall remedy for NHTSA recall 12v-527 had been installed on recalled model year (my ) 2002-2003 jeep liberty and my 2002-2004 jeep grand cherokee vehicles manufactured by fiat chrysler automobiles (fca).the recall was in response to the office of defects investigation (odi) investigation ea12-001 during which data provided by fca indicate that the air bag circuitry inside the occupant restraint control (orc) module can degrade. Orc degradation can result in an inadvertent air bag deployment, without a crash or impact, while the vehicle
Crash related fuel tank fires
Summary
Odi has completed an extensive analysis of rear crash fuel tank system integrity data for the subject jeep cherokee, grand cherokee and liberty vehicles (svs).as of june 2013, odi knew of 56 post-collision fatal fires, 28 non-fatal fires, and 6 fuel leak incidents (totaling 90 incidents, 75 fatalities and 58 injuries) involving the svs.based on this analysis, odi issued a recall request letter (rrl) on june 3, 2013 requesting that chrysler recall the grand cherokee and liberty vehicles due to the rate of fatal, non-fatal fire, and fuel leak incidents when compared to peer vehicles (compact and medium suvs) built during the same time period.in the rrl, odi described how the location of the af
Crash related fuel tank fires
Summary
Nhtsa has conducted extensive analysis of the data regarding fuel tank integrity for the model year (my) 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokee (jgc). As a result of that work, the agency has decided to upgrade its safety defect investigation to an engineering analysis and to expand the scope of vehicles included in the investigation. Nhtsa's assessment of the data collected during this investigation indicates that rear-impact-related tank failures and vehicle fires are more prevalent in the jgc than in the non-jeep peer vehicles. In addition, the agency's analysis of its fars data for the peer vehicles and three jeep models shows a higher incidence of rear-impact, fatal fire crashes for the jeep pro
Fuel storage system crash related fires
Summary
In a letter dated october 2, 2009, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned NHTSA to open a defect investigation and recall model year 1993-2004 jeep grand cherokees.cas alleged that the subject vehicles have defective fuel tank storage systems that present a fire hazard in crashes. Cas alleged that the plastic fuel tank's placement behind the rear axle and below the rear bumper, and the lack of adequate shielding, make it more vulnerable to rupture or leakage from a rear-impact by another vehicle (including damage from other components located on the grand cherokee), or in the case of rollover crashes, from other external objects.cas also alleged that the fuel filler neck tears off in cr
Questions about the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: air bags (256 complaints, typically around 112,000 miles); visibility and wipers (170 complaints, typically around 60,500 miles); brakes (71 complaints, typically around 19,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 28, 2015 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- It is 14th of 27 Grand Cherokee model years by number of complaints, with 762 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.