The Lemon IndexAll cars · Jeep Grand Cherokee
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee is about average by owner complaints: 163 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 94, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about brakes, it has 10 recalls, and it gets 16 mpg combined. The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year is 2010.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 762 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Jeep Grand Cherokee year. 2003 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 39K to 111K miles on the car (488 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- airbags complaints mostly came at 86K–164K miles
- visibility complaints mostly came at 44K–77K miles
- seats complaints mostly came at 70K–137K miles
Recalls 10
- airbags 2015
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 inadvertent…
- airbags 2012
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.
- lights 2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Show all 10 recalls
- seats 2009
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).
- lights 2009
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- lights 2006
CERTAIN TRADESONIC COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- seats 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HEATED SEATS, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT ELECTRIC HEATER ELEMENT COULD OVERHEAT.
- brakes 2006
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET BRAKE HYDRAULIC MASTER CYLINDERS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT BRAKE CYLINDERS FOR CERTAIN FORD, DAIMLERCHRYSLER, AND JEEP PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- lights 2006
CERTAIN ANZO COMBINATION HEADLAMP ASSEMBLIES SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES.
- fuel system, gasoline 2006
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET AIRTEX ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS INSTALLED FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR CERTAIN 1997-2004 JEEP WRANGLER; 1997-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE; 1997-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE; AND 2000-2003 DODGE DAKOTA VEHICLES.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Jeep told dealers about
Jeep sent dealers 88 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- The transmission may overheat due to a restriction in the torque converter drain back valve
- The transmission may overheat due to a restriction in the torque converter drain back valve…
- Transmission harsh 4-3 downshift
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedJeep inadvertent air bag deployment2014–2015
- ClosedCrash related fuel tank fires2012–2014
- ClosedCrash related fuel tank fires2010–2012
- ClosedFuel storage system crash related fires2009–2010
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★☆☆ · side ★★★★☆ · rollover ★★☆☆☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $4000 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 4.0L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl.
In owners' words
The front rotors on my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee warped out of tolerance before reaching 20,000 miles. While the braking ability did not appear to be impaired, the shuddering in the steering wheel while braking was a concern.
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee owner · NHTSA complaint 10095948
More owner reports
Dt*: the contact stated while the brake pedal was applied, there was a vibration. The vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic. The rotors were replaced. Updated
NHTSA complaint 10166992
The rear axle differential needed to be replaced in my new Jeep Grand Cherokee limited
NHTSA complaint 10000202
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 94; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year by this measure is 2010.
What are the most common 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are brakes (36%), transmission & drivetrain (15%) and visibility (12%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
10 safety recalls (latest: airbags). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee get?
16 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 39,100 and 111,800 miles. The middle report was at 70,800 miles, from 488 complaints.
Does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 15% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee cost in fuel a year?
About $4000 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
4.0L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl.
What Jeep Grand Cherokee year is better than the 2003?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2019 and 2020.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works