2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 1,295 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 1,295
involving a crash: 110

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2004: 3D model with the “Air bags” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Air bags” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: David_Holiday, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Air bags 25% of all complaints
2 Visibility 17% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
4 Seats 12% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 326 complaints (25% of all), 47 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 214 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 159 complaints (12% of all), 12 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seats: 149 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 144 complaints (11% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 4 complaints
4.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 1,295 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

windows, sunroof132 · 10%
A/C or heater118 · 9%
vibration86 · 7%
warning lights, check engine58 · 4%
stalls while driving51 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire47 · 4%
seat belts35 · 3%
airbag warning light33 · 3%
airbags did not deploy32 · 2%
door locks, latches, handles28 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	326	47
Visibility	214	1
Service brakes	159	12
Seats	149	2
Electrical system	144	4
Vehicle speed control	77	31
Steering	73	5
Engine and cooling	55	1
Powertrain	54	19
Structure	36	7
Engine	35	0
Exterior lighting	27	2
Seat belts	27	9
Fuel/propulsion system	23	2

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

My airbags did not deploy. I had no indication lights on my dash and had no known electrical issues. Lucky the car I hit was unoccupied and I recieved a few minor injuries.
Air bags · crash · 2020-07-14 · NHTSA complaint #11339270
The contact stated the air bags failed to deploy. The contact was transported to the hospital by ambulance as she sustained whiplash and bruising. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bags · crash · 2020-02-18 · NHTSA complaint #11309938
I was on my way home from work at 1145pm when out of no wear the headlights went out ? The turning signals worked but headlights went out and wouldnt come back on, this has happened a few other times but when I had the autoshop look at it they couldn't find a issue?
Electrical system · crash · 2019-10-28 · NHTSA complaint #11271546
The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt failed to restrain. There were no warning indicators illuminated. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was totaled and towed to a junk yard.
Air bags · crash · 2019-04-29 · NHTSA complaint #11204503
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. There were no injuries. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000. Updated 01/24/2017
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2016-12-12 · NHTSA complaint #10934802
When braking to come to a complete stop, in a mcdonald's drive thru, the car accelerated of its volition and lurched forward. Brake pedal had to be depressed excessively to counter act acceleration.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2013-08-06 · NHTSA complaint #10533879
A few years later she was rear ended and again the tank ripped open we were lucky both times no fire. Then we have had death wobble every jeep suffer,s from it at some time in it,s life as per the dealer.
Steering · crash · 2013-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10522552
I sustained a serious concussion and bruising to my left shoulder and hip from the seat belt, as well as other various injuries. The failure of the seat belt is my concern. The seat belt failed during the accident in some way.
Seat belts · crash · 2010-12-22 · NHTSA complaint #10372137

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20036
200469
200591
2006117
2007116
2008104
200971
201077
201153
201232
201374
201477
2015114
2016171
201744
201828
201926
20209
20214
20225
20233
20241
20252
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 133 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Cherokee has 730 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 1,295, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, visibility, service brakes. Total complaints: 1,295. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (10%), A/C or heater (9%), vibration (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2004 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.