The Lemon IndexAll cars · Jeep Grand Cherokee
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
The 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee is worse than average by owner complaints: 281 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 190, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 5 recalls, and it gets 14 to 17 mpg combined. The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year is 2010.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 2,051 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Jeep Grand Cherokee year. 2005 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 47K to 112K miles on the car (1,360 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- electrical complaints mostly came at 57K–129K miles
- body structure complaints mostly came at 55K–100K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 17K–109K miles
Recalls 5
- electrical 2014
In the affected vehicles, the driver may accidentally hit the ignition key with their knee,.
- transmission & drivetrain 2013
A transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.
- suspension 2009
ROCK KRAWLER IS RECALLING 44 PERFORMANCE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLE LISTED ABOVE.
Show all 5 recalls
- 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.
- transmission & drivetrain 2005
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.
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 117 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Nag1 (w5a580) transmission - shudder when torque converter clutch engages
- Oil pressure warning light may illuminate
- UConnect Hands Free Module Fails To Respond Due To Module Lock Up This bulletin involves…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedAir bag non-deployment2014
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 $3800–4600 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.7L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl, 5.7L 8-cyl.
In owners' words
On numerous occasions my car has stalled out while driving, leaving a catastrophic loss in power. This has happened to me about 5 times now. Thankfully I have not been on the highway or had cars behind me at that time.
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee owner · NHTSA complaint 10248761
More owner reports
The dash board computer fails twice and information panel says brakes failing. Also transmission failure leading to sudden deacceleration from 40 to 20 mph and rpm shot up from 2 to 6.
NHTSA complaint 10175421
Consumer's knee hits the ignition resulting in the engine turning off in the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
NHTSA complaint 10131310
Quick answers
Is the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.9× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 190; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Jeep Grand Cherokee year by this measure is 2010.
What are the most common 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (28%), electrical (22%) and engine (20%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
5 safety recalls (latest: electrical). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee get?
14 to 17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 47,200 and 112,000 miles. The middle report was at 78,000 miles, from 1,360 complaints.
Does the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 28% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee cost in fuel a year?
About $3800 to $4600 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee have?
3.7L 6-cyl, 4.7L 8-cyl, 5.7L 8-cyl.
What Jeep Grand Cherokee year is better than the 2005?
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