Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On 10/21/21 myself and my child (rear passenger in booster safety seat) were in a solo vehicle accident that resulted in our vehicle hitting an embankment before rolling 3x landing on the wheels again in the right position on the same side of vehicle we originally had impact. We were less than 1 mile from our home, headed to school, there was no unsafe conditions, and I don't have any memory of the morning or accident due to severe injury and brain injury, but there's no reason or logical reason for me to be driving in the manner or at the speeds that I was. I passed a car in front of me on a very rural road right as we came upon the almost figure 8 curves on a road I drive everyday. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving at various speeds, whenever the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle failed to accelerate. While at a stop sign, the contact attempted to accelerate forward, but the vehicle was unable to move. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the driver side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front hood, driver's door, the front frame and panel, the fuel injector, and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the vehicle was inoperable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While backing out of the driveway, the accelerator pedal became stuck. The vehicle crashed into a fence and then a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. There were no injuries. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000. Updated 01/24/2017
While parallel parking, with my right foot on the brake pedal, I shifted the automatic transmission out of reverse. Immediately the engine rapidly revved up and lurched forward. I pressed more firmly on the brake, causing the car (a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee) and motor to pause, then the motor rapidly revved up again, overcoming braking. Horrified, and unable to stop the car, I watched as the car raced into the vehicle ahead of me. Immediately after the impact, the engine returned to normal idle. I then checked the car: cruise control was off, my hands were still gripping the steering wheel in order to provide additional leverage for my foot on the brake pedal, my right foot was still firmly in the middle of the brake pedal and not near the accelerator pedal, and the gear shift lever was in neutral. The vehicle ahead of me sustained damage to its bumper and tailgate. …
I was stopped at a stop sign. Had put the car in park and when putting the vehicle back into drive, it accelerated in reverse and hit the truck behind me. I was able to get the vehicle in drive however, it accelerated forward. The entire time I had my foot on the brake. I accelerated through an intersection over the curb and I believe because I turned the wheel as I was heading towards a block wheel the Jeep spun and I hit a tree. The insurance company has investigated the event. There are skid marks and I have pictures, witness behind me stated my brakes were on the entire time and there was evidence from the investigation that the brakes had been applied. However the investigator could not get the vehicle to duplicate the problem and the throttle was not sticking.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, but the technician could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V673000 (air bags) and stated that the part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 16,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
This is horrible and I was scared. But I was driving slowly up my street and it started to race, I was trying to brake as I turned in my parking space my car was still racing and wouldn't brake and I ended up driving into my property, it seemed to accelerate as I kept braking and up the steps the car went and the car then stopped inches from my door. It was racing as I was braking and it would stop not until it hit the porch step. It was horrible, this car has never launched like a rocket. It was like it magically accelerated. I have had this car for years and keep it maintained. I see there have been recalls about this, why did I not get a card. I am glad I or anybody did not get hurt. Jeep is in shop.
After starting the vehicle, it accelerated without warning hitting a wall. The vehicle was towed. The cause was not determined please provide more information. Spontaneous acceleration coming off a car wash line. When the car wash attendant turned on the ignition the vehicle too off by itself after a huge power surge and charged out of the car wash hitting a fire hydrant and dragging it across five lanes of traffic, through another parking lot and hitting two parked cars and stopping by hitting a brick wall. The brakes were applied the entire time but it did no good. The vehicle was going 40 MPH until the final crash.
Driving 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee ltd on service road of i75 in dallas. Normal road conditions and visibility. Sudden engine acceleration which could not be slowed by braking and shifting into neutral. To avoid a rear end collision, the Jeep crashed head-on through iron fencing and into trees. The airbags did not deploy. Car was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. I had the car inspected by master mechanics before it was taken off by the insurance company. Their report said that the "throttle cable linkage sleeve slid under the throttle body pivot causing the throttle to remain open."
"Takata recall" my driver's seat has been replace once, at my own expense, due the seat becoming extremely "wobbly" and being broken from the bease frame and frame under seat. I was on highway driving when the seat first became slightly unstable, had I unfornatunately been struck from the rear, I would've been violently thrown forward. I have researched this matter and found that there had been a recall for the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee laredo wj, yet I found nothing on this site. It costs me $600, which is a lot for a disabled veteran. But my safety comes first. Please look into this
Acceleration complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 77 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6% of the model year's 1,295 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 8 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 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 31 crashes, 0 fires and 13 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.