Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2 recalls have not been taken care of by the manufacturer. I purchased this vehicle 2 years ago and have noticed that the seats do indeed over heat. The airbags haven't deployed thankfully, but I'm not comfortable taking any chances. Do I have to pay a dealer to complete these repairs? Also, since I have had this vehicle, my blinkers and brake lights do not work consistently. They were in operable for almost a month. I had a Mechanix check them, and they said they were dine. Homer's auto shop florence oregon) I didn't drive at night for almost a month. Then my blinkers just started working again. All the fuses are fine, and no other electrical issues. Brake lights started working also. Up until 3 days ago, a driver behind me pulled around next to me at the stop light to tell me the brake light was out. I checked it when I got home and it was fine.
Driver's seat frame/bracket broke in front of driver's seat, allowing the driver seat to lean detach from the floorboard and move backward toward the rear seats. When researching this specific issue, it seems that this is a common issue and is an obvious safety defect. If the driver seat frame cannot hold up to normal use, how will it hold up to the forces exerted upon it in the event of a rear-end collision? This is an obvious safety defect and based on the volume of other consumers that have had this issue, it is unbelievable that action has not been taken to resolve this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side seats over heated and burned a hole in the seats. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnose that the wires for the heater unit burned through the seat. The contact spoke to the manufacturer and was told that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA recall campaign id number: 03V117000 (seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler). The failure and current mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving at an unknown speed, the front driver seat fractured without warning. As a result, the contact fell backwards into the rear seat. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact had the front driver seat replaced three times. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000. Updated 11/20/15
2003 Jeep Grand cheeokee larado - I was rear ended (stopped and hit by another car at about 20-25 MPH) the drivers seat colapsed into the back seat. None was in the back seat but if there was they surely would have been injured.... I sustained no injuries in the crash.
Front seat brackets for power seats snapped and separated causing seat to no longer be attached to floor. Seat wobbles from side to side especially in curves and turning. Renders seatbelts useless in an accident.
We are the original owner's of our Jeep Grand Cherokee (2003) and the front driver's seat started wobbling from side to side, which makes driving disorienting particular when going around curves. When taken in to the shop we were told that the brackets attaching the seat frame have failed and are broken and need to be welded or need a replacement seat. After researching this issue we found that this is a common issue and replacing the seat or re-welding the seat brackets will only result in this happening again because brackets are made of cheap metal. I am very fearful that the seat will cause an accident (due to the disoriented it causes when driving) or that an injury will occur because the seat will completely detach in which case the seat belt is basically worthless in preventing injury during an accident. …
We are the original owner's of our Jeep Grand Cherokee (2003) and the front driver's seat started wobbling from side to side, which makes driving disorienting particular when going around curves. When taken in to the shop we were told that the brackets attaching the seat frame have failed and are broken and need to be welded or need a replacement seat. After researching this issue we found that this is a common issue and replacing the seat or re-welding the seat brackets will only result in this happening again because brackets are made of cheap metal. I am very fearful that the seat will cause an accident (due to the disoriented it causes when driving) or that an injury will occur because the seat will completely detach in which case the seat belt is basically worthless in preventing injury during an accident. …
My front driver seat bracket has snapped in 4 spots. This now leaves my front seat very un-secure to the vehicle and is very shifty. This is a safety issue that needs to have a recall as this has happened to many other people with the same model Jeep as mine. The seat brackets and mounts are of poor quality and break easily. As result of this, my seat belt is useless because if I don't have a seat that is secured to the vehicle, what good will a seat belt do in a collision? Chrysler is aware of this problem yet are doing nothing about this. They beg for our tax dollars to bail them out of financial hardship but yet they wont help consumers that buy their products with real safety concerns. I just hope it doesn't take a death to occur for them to open their eyes. Recall the [redacted] seats!!!
2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Consumer requests reimbursement for repairs to heated seat elements recall notice. The consumer stated the seat heater was not working properly. He became aware of the recall and had the dealer check, but was informed that his vehicle was one of the few that was not included in the recall of seats that posed a danger of catching on fire. The consumer stated he was LED to believe, that his vehicle was not included in the recall, because the heated seat element posed no danger of fire. Having been LED to believe the part posed no fire hazard, and that it May have just worn out, the consumer agreed to pay the cost to replace the heated seat element. However, when the element was replaced by the dealer, it was discovered the part was not worn, but clearly damaged by fire.
Seat complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 46 complaints about the seats of the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6% of the model year's 762 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › recliner (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats recall for the 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 117,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 4 injuries to seats problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.