Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When driving in my neighborhood which is a 25 MPH zone I applied brakes lightly after just coming out of a turn. At this time I felt a large pop and I had lost complete control of my steering. I immediately struck a parked car that was sitting in the road. A couple hours after my truck was towed to a local Chrysler dealership where a claim was processed and sent in. Two weeks following an adjuster came and looked at it immediately denying my claim. I got a letter in the mail saying it was not a faulty part and it was not chryslers responsibility. The manager at this Chrysler dealer stated that he almost got arguing with the adjuster because he claimed my arm was twisted but there was not a single twist in it. I contacted several people and they all have looked at it giving me letters of opinion that this is due to a faulty part. …
As I was leaving a shopping center about 40 miles away from my house my Jeep and as I entered onto the interstate the Jeep acted like I was having a flat tire with the steering wheel shaking and giving me a lot of vibration and the flop flop sound you get from a flat tire. I stopped and got out but no flat tire, loose lug nuts or anything I could find. Put flashers on and headed up the road slowly not going over 45 MPH. It finally quit and I was able to increase speed. It continues to have this wobble sound along with the steering wheel shaking off and on. I did some research and the only thing matched what happen was the Jeep death wobble. Some vehicles have had a recall on this but I don't see any for my year.
Every day I crank up my Jeep I give it 5-10 mins before I move it because it has this shake or vibration to it really bad it stops and then once I have exceeded 45-55 MPH and start to come to a stop it shakes the entire front end. Now if I'm below 45 it don't really do it as often! When I turn or hit a bump in the road the front end rattled or vibrating from it! Some days when I'm trying to make a u turn it seems as if it's having a hard time turning! Check engine light constantly on and off! Had it checked nothing is coming up indicating a misfire or anything! The gas mileage sucks! Get a full tune up and it will run better spending all my money and it's still a piece of crap!
Won't speed up and when is does it gets jammed and it shakes and when I break its shakes even when I turn. I just bought it and they are telling me that it's either the motor messed up or the computer. They told me that it'll cost me 3,000 I don't have that. I saved up for a head to by it. And a month after I got it it's messing up. But when I first bought it. I took it to a shop and it threw no codes nothing was wrong with it. It took all of a month to break down on me. And the battery won't stay charged they put in a new battery when I first got it. Then I had to warranty another because that one stopped working. I just need help to figure out what is going on.
Dt*: the contact stated after two months of purchase the windshield wipers suddenly stopped working. The vehicle was taken to the service dealer who repaired the wiper motor. Later, the vehicle began to sway while driving 30-60 MPH. One day, while the vehicle was swaying, it left the roadway and struck the guard rail. The incident was not reported to the police and no one was injured. The dealer inspected the vehicle and determined, the accident damaged an axel part and it needed to be replaced. The part was not replaced and the vehicle continues to sway, vibrate and pull to the right. Updated 5/10/2006 -
We have only had this Jeep for 2 years when we got it looked good it only had 80,000 miles on it now 118,000 front ball bearing broke while we were driving it fortunately we were in a alley behind our house the auto mechanic said if we were driving it on the main road we could of flipped it over and we could of got killed he checked the other side and said it was going bad too. It costed us 774.14 to fix this after we had it fixed there was a recall on it the ball bearings this happened on 10-25-1015 I was wondering what else can I do
The rear drive shaft is causing a rumbling as you speed up or maintain speed. It feels like driving over small speed bumps or rubble strips, even when there is nothing in the road. It is a safety concern because it is a leak in the oil of the drive shaft. It is also a pretty expensive problem to fix. Jeep and mopar need to fix this safety issue. Like yesterday.
As I pulled into my apartment complex around 5:30 am on 8/08/2013, I noticed a loud "thud" sound and my Jeep became stalled in the driveway. I pressed gently on the gas pedal to move my vehicle out of oncoming traffic, but the Jeep wouldn't move and then finally jolted into drive without me pressing on the gas pedal. I was able to coast to a parking spot. The service 4-wheel drive indicator light came on the dash before I shut the ignition off. The vehicle has been serviced appropriately and efficiently over the past 2 years since I purchased it. I called shore tire on 8/9/2013 to set up an appointment for a mechanic to look at my vehicle. I was able to drive the Jeep at 10mph a mile down the road on 8/12/2013 to the service shop. …
Dt: on September 10, 2005 while driving on the road and the vehicle shook. Originally thought it was a flat tire, but there was not a flat tire. Vehicle is at dealership, there are no codes showing up, have to wait for the problem to happen again, it shakes as if as going down road at 55 MPH with a flat tire. The steering wheel was shaking and the vehicle seemed sluggish like it did want to go. When slowing down the vehicle the vibration would slow down. Then, on September 22, 2005 went to apply the brakes and the light came on in the dashboard . After another five or six miles the brake pedal started vibrating, but like a smaller vibration compared to the vibrating. The dealership is looking at the brakes now also.
Our 2005 Jeep Cherokee has 16,000 miles on it. I was stopped at a stop light. I made a right turn and in the middle of my turn, the left front wheel fell off. I lost my breaks but because I was going so slow I soon came to a stop. I called lone star Jeep Chrysler and had it towed to them. A Chrysler engineer came to inspect the vehicle and determined I had a collision. In essence they said I was lying. No airbags were deployed and I stated the incident exactly as it happened. The vehicle is still being repaired and it will be at our cost. The dallas morning news has reported today that there has been a history of the upper ball joints separating in jeeps yet Chrysler refuses to take responsibility.
Suspension complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the suspension of the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1% of the model year's 2,051 complaints. The component named most often is front (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension problems?
No. NHTSA lists no suspension recall for the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 3 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 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to suspension 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.