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.
All of the inside door handle pockets have fallen apart, the plastic used was bad and this should be a recall due to the safety issue. I could see if one went bad, but all four, this is a major problem. From what I have seen online, it seems all types of this vehicle and year seem to have the problem.
Broken interior door handles (driver and front passenger) and cannot open the doors from inside. I found many complaints online with similar problem. I am very concerned an accident can occur and we would be trapped because the doors cannot be opened from the inside.
The plastic wells behind all four interior door handles have broken, leaving a gaping hole ringed by sharp spikes of plastic shards. This occurred prior to my purchasing the vehicle on the date indicated as the date of the incident. This is a widely reported issue. The next stage of the failure is that the interior door handles will eventually break out of the door and come off into the door operator's hand, requiring the door to be opened from the outside. Once this occurs, the failure will become a significant safety risk as passengers will be unable to open the door from the inside, effectively trapping them inside in the event of a severe accident or fire. Jeep has fielded thousands of complaints about this particular failure and numerous videos made by unhappy consumers have been posted to youtube and other similar sites. Jeep currently charges $500-$700 to replace the entire door panels while a niche market has been created by individuals selling injection molded replacement parts that Jeep does not sell. This is an unacceptable solution and Jeep needs to issue a recall. It becomes a minor safety issue the moment our fingers come into close proximity of the sharp plastic shards surrounding the opening, and it becomes a major safety issue the moment we and our passengers are no longer able to open a door from inside the vehicle. Please make this happen.
Indoor housing for door handles broken on all 4 doors....I replaced drivers side handle 2 years ago, now it is broken along with others....so 3200 to replace all 4 doors panels...internet and this site full of similar complaints, defective material or design....I have always had Jeep and still buy Jeep, but this was a problem that they didn't take care of like they should have...unsafe to not be able to open door from inside.
My interior driver door handle started cracking, then eventually broke and is useless. At first I thought it might have been something I did until the back passenger on the driver door did the same thing. I rarely have passengers in the back so I know its not just wear; instead, just crappy quality. When you're a die-hard Jeep person you don't want to admit (especially to yourself) they would've used poor quality. Unfortunately, after reading about everybody else that this has happened to, its obvious it is infact just poor quality.
- Carl Junction, MO, USA
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My door handles on my truck would not let me get out. I had to put the window down to get out of my truck. I hear alot of people with the model Jeep I have also encountered this problem.
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee... appx 2-3 yrs ago, driver side door handle separated from door panel. Finally got dealer to fix under warranty. Appx 3-6 mos ago, same thing happened to other 3 doors -- called Chrysler customer care and told because of mileage (appx 80K) and age of vehicle... no extended warranty was forthcoming... dealer estimates $600-$900 per door. Safety issue... doors can not be opened except from the outside. In event of accident, rear occupants would be unable to open doors and escape vehicle in timely manner.
Interior door handles are made with material that do not support the normal wear and tear. Clearly a safety hazard to be riding a vehicule, whether as the driver or passenger, and if an emergency calls for you to abandon it, as you pull the handle to open your door the handle brakes in your hand and cannot open the door. In the event of an emergency, we are talking, not about minutes, but seconds to react and move away from danger. Failure to open, could represent the difference between minutes and seconds that could prevent major injury if not death in case of an accident.
Front driver-passenger side door panels. I recently discovered that my front driver and passenger door panels have cracked around the interior door handle. The cracks have progressed to the point where the door handles dislodged from the panel from repeated use. The cost of each panel is $770, excluding labor. The dealer where purchased stated "there is nothing we can do about it." What's disconcerting is that the back of panel shows reinforcement (thicker plastic) for the window buttons but the material is paper-thin for the door handle. Once the door handle falls off, the only way to open the door is to roll down the window and push the exterior button. I have filed a complaint with Chrysler.
From the many forums I have researched, this is not the first complaint about faulty door handles in the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. All four of mine have cracked and large chunks of the inside of the "cup" have fallen off into the door panel. One of the doors in just about inoperable because of the location of the crack and I know its only a matter of time before the rest of them follow. As a mother of 2 children, it scares me to think that they could be stuck inside of a vehicle that could have been in an accident. To me, there is no excuse for the company to not issue a recall on the parts, as they will sooner or later be looking down the line of a huge class action law suit for someone losing a passenger or their own life due to being unable to open their door. Imagine a car rolling over and catching fire. As quickly as that could go up in flames in only a matter of seconds, what counts are the moments that person is fighting with getting a door open, or in a vehicle without having to fight and saving a life or 5, as this is a 5 passenger car. I would strongly suggest that this be seriously considered and pressure be applied to the manufacturers of Jeep to issue a recall for all vehicles with that type of door handle.
I replaced the drive door handle after it cracked in 2009. Now the rear passenger door handle broke off. It is now a safety violation as my daughter is unable to exit out the door due to a broken handle. Again the passenger door is cracked at the handle. The count is now three of the four doors requiring replacement. I take great care of my car and this is a clear safety violation as the doors were made with substandard materials. I am now at 121,647 miles and would like to know if issuance of a recall to fix all of the doors will occur on the Jeep Grand Cherokee made in 2005. Thank you
The door handles on two doors have failed and broken off. This is a safety issue as door can only be opened from the outside and so far I have been quoted $1100 to replace and repair these handles as the entire inside door component must be replaced.
Interior door handles are defective. The plastic surrounding the interior door handles has become brittle and broken allowing pieces to fall inside the door. This breakage has rendered the door handles inoperative and prevents the door from being opened from the inside. In the event of an accident the occupants of the vehicle would be trapped inside, especially if the power windows also became inoperative.
I am at the end of my rope with this same story. My story is exactly like the other 824 complaints posted here. My indoor handles, on my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, have broken. My children and I cannot exit my vehicle without rolling down windows. Heaven knows what will happen if we are ever in an emergency situation which includes the failure of my vehicle's electronic system, because we would literally be trapped inside without the use of our windows. I have complained, and complained and complained to the Chrysler company. No one will help me. My quote, to repair each door, is $750. As a single mother who works very hard to pay my vehicle payments as it is, I am now faced with the burden of having to pay another $3,000 in order to keep my family safe. Enough is enough. I have never sued anyone in my life, nor have I ever considered doing so, but this is the final straw. It is time for a class action lawsuit, people! I see no reason why the Chrysler company can't produce a strong, failproof repair kit in order to keep their loyal customers safe. This is absolutely ridiculous.
The interior door handles on my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee are all broken. Two of them are inoperable. The cheap material used by the manufacturer should be recalled as it cracks very easily. Once the inside handle is broken the door can not be opened from the inside. This is a safety concern in case of a fire or accident. The dealer says the whole door panel would have to be replaced and not just the handle, as they are attached together. The cost of each panel is approximately $700 each.
Rear door handle plastic around base began cracking & currently driver door hand is about to fall off. This is dangerous! this plastic surrounding the door handles began with small cracks then huge chunks fell out. This could cost a life of my grandchildren or even myself as driver. Nevermind anyone owning one. This safety hazard should be an immediate safety recall! I am astounded at the numbers of Jeep owners reporting same or similar incidents.I hope to hear it has been issued.
I bought this Jeep brand new and it is garage kept. We are older and have no young kids riding in our car. It still looks like its brand new. My 1998 Jeep which I still own has 86,000 miles on it doors are perfect. My 2005 has three interior door handles that are cracked or completely broken. The back door has to be open from the outside. This is a safety matter. It's really unfortunate the amount of complaints but no recall. Will it take someone getting in a firey crash or running into a pond and not being able to get out of their car?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Lake Wylie , SC, USA