10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
66,914 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine problems

engine problem

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2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Feb 282020

Grand Cherokee

  • 138,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Just recently in the last three months front passenger window fell while driving and back driver window fell while driving while it what snowing while my son was in the car. Have a popping noise in steering or somewhere in front end. I can't use my accelerate button on steering wheel while it's in cruise because it won't stop acceleration once you press it. I was going about 55 and was trying to accelerate to 60.

- Albert Lea, MN, USA

problem #21

Mar 042020

Grand Cherokee

  • 205,000 miles
I started my Jeep, noticed my hatch was not closed, got out while it was running, the second I closed my driver door, my Jeep went into reverse on its own, and kept accelerating higher, this vehicle took off very aggressively, luckily my wife was in the passenger seat, she put it in natural, and shut the car off before anything was struck, now due to I believe the rapid acceleration it runs horribly when I put it in drive. This Jeep is an 2003, well broke in and maintained, there's no other reason as to why it "became self aware" I have a lot of vehicle knowledge and this is virtually and unfathomably impossible, please review every aspect of this vehicles complaints as this is very unsafe

- Havana, IL, USA

problem #20

Nov 172018

Grand Cherokee

  • 37,000 miles
While the car was stopped in a parking lot, the idle suddenly started racing at well over 1000 RPM. Even max pressure on the brake pedal was not enough to prevent the car from moving. I shifted into neutral from drive to prevent running over a pedestrian. The idle returned to normal several seconds later. The accelerator peddle was not in any way involved. A more limited racing occurred when I first began the trip while I was making a slow left turn from a stopped position at a traffic light. I have been driving safely for over 54 years and have never had an experience to compare with this one. It was truly a while knuckle ride!

- Haverford, PA, USA

problem #19

Nov 112014

Grand Cherokee

  • 42,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 1 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The contact shifted into the park position in order to stop the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 42,000.

- Reading , PA, USA

problem #18

Dec 152008

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • 111,021 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently without warning. The failure occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who could not duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,021. Updated 08/11/14 the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. A piece of rubber from the air cleaner was found in the throttle body. This caused the vehicle to accelerate. Updated 08/18/2014

- Floyd, VA, USA

problem #17

Dec 262011

Grand Cherokee

  • 110,346 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated to 70 mph without warning. The contact shifted into neutral to stop the vehicle. The failure was recurring and on one occasion, the contact had to steer into a row of bushes to stop the vehicle from accelerating any farther. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic several times for the failure. The failure was contributed to a sticking accelerator and the throttle body was replaced twice however, the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,346 and the current mileage was 146,000.

- Homewood, IL, USA

problem #16

Jan 072012

Grand Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

For an american made car this is very upsetting. Seems like american cars are made to break down and not last. A way for these corporations to make money. My vehicle has no heat and has been viewed by a mechanic and the cost are increasingly unfair. With on 62K miles, this isn't right!

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #15

Dec 202011

Grand Cherokee

  • 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact was driving with the cruise control activated at 60 mph when the cruise control and the horn failed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 76,000.

- Clearlake , CA, USA

problem #14

Dec 262011

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • miles
A car wash attendant proceeded to enter the customer's 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee to dry it down after it rolled off our insured's car wash track. The vehicle was in neutral. He placed his foot on the brake and started up the Jeep. He put the Jeep into drive. The engine revved up really high and took off. The Jeep lurched ahead striking the closed overhead car wash door. Physical damage to the door and the customer's vehicle resulted. The customer's vehicle was totaled. Employee is certain he did not place his foot on the accelerator. Requesting action be taken to avoid bodily harm and more property damage from occurring in the future. Updated 01/17/12

- Athens, WI, USA

problem #13

Nov 102007

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 46,000 miles
Sudden unintended acceleration and loss of braking while driving in parking lots. When driving at slow speed in parking lot, turned right to pull into parking space. Gave accelerator a slight push to give Cherokee enough gas to move into uphill parking stall. Quickly moved foot from accelerator to brake pedal, when car motor revved, speed increased and front end of car hit concrete retaining wall. Braking unable to stop or slow the car before impact. Second incident on 11/12/2011 with approximately 78,000 miles driven when driving at slow speed through parking lot, turning right to drive down parking lane, placed foot on brake pedal to slow even more to move further to right side of lane to avoid oncoming car. With side of foot, felt accelerator pedal drop away causing motor to rev, speed to increase. Left front bumper hit left fender of oncoming car and right front fender hit back bumper of parked truck. Despite pressing on brake as hard as possible, car failed to slow and stopped only on impact with truck. Almost as if brake was overridden by acceleration. Two incidents happened in similar circumstances: Cold precipitating weather; car heater on; driving at slow speed in parking lot; pavement wet; making right hand turn; with braking, car begins accelerating unexpectedly; acceleration overrides brake; brake fails to slow or stop car; car stops only on impact.

- Ogden, UT, USA

problem #12

Feb 262011

Grand Cherokee

  • 152,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph there was sudden vehicle acceleration up to 80 mph. The brake was being depressed but the vehicle would not slow down. The emergency brake was engaged but the vehicle continued to proceed at 80 mph. The vehicle also started to slow down to 60 mph while the rpms continued to exceed over 700. The vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and a tow truck was called. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The insurance company was also contacted and stated that they wanted to inspect the failure on the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that they will send a representative to the dealer to inspect the failure. The failure mileage was 152,000.

- Francestown, NH, USA

problem #11

Oct 282010

Grand Cherokee

  • 200,000 miles
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee has experienced prolonged acceleration problems. The problem at first was subtle, accelerating slowly but noticeably at any speed over 35 mph. Eventually, the car died at a traffic light. Mechanics repaired the throttle body. Within two weeks of the repair, the car began unwarranted acceleration at full throttle. Engine red lined when put into park or neutral. Genuine Jeep part replaced the aftermarket throttle body. Unwarranted acceleration problem continued...accelerator was determined to have a "sticking problem" and was repaired and/or cleaned. The problem persists...this time, again, the throttle body is apparently the target of blame. In this situation my brakes/emergency brake and not sufficient to hold back the Jeep. This is a dangerous and very scary situation which needs to be seriously addressed by the manufacturer. Total repair costs to date: Approx. $500.

- Asheville, NC, USA

problem #10

Feb 152009

Grand Cherokee

  • 39,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While stopped at a traffic stop, there was an unusual increase of engine rpms between 2000 and 3000. The contact shut off the engine and when restarting moments later, the failure persisted. The contact shut off and restarted the vehicle twice before the rpms reset to normal. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred daily. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000 and the current mileage was 41,000.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #9

Nov 262009

Grand Cherokee

  • 115,740 miles
While on an interstate highway at normal speeds, the cruise control stuck, causing full throttle acceleration. The only way to slow the vehicle down was to shift into neutral because the brakes were insufficient to control the speeding vehicle. The over-revving of the engine resulted in severe damage (main bearing/rod) until it could be shut off. It would have been impossible to steer it to the side of the road without having the engine on. This was a seriously life-threatening situation for two people who survived only because of quick thinking. As a result, repairs for this vehicle total over $6000.

- Richmond Hts, OH, USA

problem #8

Jun 132009

Grand Cherokee

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 5 mph on a dirt covered road, the engine began to rev excessively followed by unintended acceleration. The vehicle failed to slow down and struck a metal pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The driver was transported to the hospital and sustained moderate injuries to the neck and back. The police were called to the scene and filed a report. The vehicle was completely destroyed and was towed to an authorized dealer. The insurance company was notified and is investigating the failure. The cause of the failure has not been determined. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 72,000.

- Sewickley , PA, USA

problem #7

Sep 132008

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
I was getting on the expressway and as I accelerated the gas to get on and change lanes, the Jeep began to accelerate on it's own. The brakes were hard and did not work. The car would not slow down and I could hear it revving. In an attempt to stop I pulled over to the right lane again and tried the emergency brake which also did not work. I then put the car in park and after a few seconds it came to a stop.

- Dorchester, MA, USA

problem #6

Jul 132006

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles
I was sitting in my Jeep with it running and my foot on the brake and talking to my daughter in her pickup and my niece was getting into the passenger side when all of a sudden it start to accelerate. I pushed harder on the brake and slammed it into park.it went forward almost running over my niece. It lunged forward with nothing stopping it, and the right back tire left skid marks. Something must be done before some one is killed. I am afraid to drive it, I T has a mind of its own and did what it wanted and I could not stop it.

- Muskogee, OK, USA

problem #5

Dec 202004

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 22,000 miles
I was at a bank drive through teller and had placed my vehicle into park to do my paperwork. When I finished I placed my foot on the break and placed the car into drive. The car took off like a rocket. I applied the breaks and the emergency break with very little or no effect. The car produced over 40 feet of skid then vaulted over a drainage ditch about 15 feet wide. It the impacted on the far side of the ditch with sufficient force to rip off my front license plate. The car continued to move until it struck a brick retaining wall. The ABS system and the air bags did not work at all. The total distance traveled was well over 200 feet.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #4

Aug 252004

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Vehicle accelerated upon parking near a stop light with foot off accelerator and on brake pedal. Car jumped over about two feet. Fortunately no body was hurt. Dealership inspected vehicle several times, but problem was never resolved.

- Ridgewood, NY, USA

problem #3

Jun 202003

Grand Cherokee 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • 9,000 miles
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo hesitates on acceleration, malfunction indicator light flashes continuously and cylinders continue to misfire causing vehicle to become unsafe given intermittent acceleration response. If vehicle is parked, engine turned off then engine turned on again, the malfunction indicator light remains lit and vehicle operates normally.vehicle has been serviced for same issue twice in one month. Vehicle has 9,000 miles on the odometer.

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

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