Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
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 -
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the plastic interior door handles were fractured. The contact stated that all the interior door handles except the front passenger side door handle were fractured. The contact stated that the sun roof would leak whenever it rained. The vehicle was taken to be inspected and was diagnosed that the roof needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that there was mold and mildew from the water leakage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Headlights began to flicker on and off- unable to see pedestrian - did not hit pedestrian but almost did-have contacted Chrysler and milton ruben where I purchased car- they say they have no parts to fix it even though I received a recall notice September 2015 that said I would receive another notice- I have not received anything else-it is dangerous driving especially at night and when it is raining- is there anything I can do to get this safety recall fixed? Thank you
Electronic equipment shuts off. The engine stays operational. Affected equipment includes A/C, lights (both interior/exterior), wipers, airbags, locks, windows, and dash gauges/components. The electronic equipment is non-responsive, which could result in death or serious injury.
Dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 MPH through an intersection on normal road conditions, the engine stalled and could not be restarted. There were no warning lights prior to the incident. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, who diagnosed a fuel pump and fuel injection pump failure, both were replaced. After this incident, the vehicle presented transmission problems. The contact noticed a loss of power while driving 65 MPH on a highway. Intermittently, the transmission made noise when shifted to second gear. The vehicle had been taken to the dealership 20 times, however no error codes identified the defect. In one of the incidents, the yellow malfunction light illuminated and the dealership identified the defect as the computer control module and the driver shaft, both were replaced, however the transmission problem persisted. …
Drivers side window on 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee on first occasion, May 2007 came out of power window track, wedged between mirror and door frame and the pressure resulted in spider cracked throughout window. This is a hazard due to potential window exploding onto driver while in transit. Also inability to close window during inclement weather could result in traffic crash. Initial repair resulted in window motor also needing to be replaced, motor warranted by Chrysler, but labor was charge to customer. Second occasion September 16,2007, same drivers side door window came out of power window track and wedged between mirror and door frame. This time window did not crack, however, Chrysler dealer would not cover under warranty, charging customer. Story Chrysler Jeep, advised window track parts to repair the molding was back ordered for 3 weeks. …
While driving the entire electrical system fails; lights start flashing, heat goes out, all system warning lights flash ( brakes, tire pressure, service 4 wheel drive system, check engine light comes on), I was able to continue to drive the car but the lights flashed continuously for approximately 15 miles. This has happened multiple times since I purchased the SUV June 2005. The dealership runs test by say they cannot find anything wrong. I have read on the internet that this is happening to many owners of the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the dealers and mechanics at the dealership cannot find anything wrong. This is a dangerous situation as many people also loose power and the SUV shift into low gear. I am afraid to drive my Jeep now because the check engine light keeps coming on and off. …
On a cold day, my husband was sitting in his 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the defrosters on. He heard a pop and saw the windshield crack from left to right. The car was not moving and nothing had hit the windshield. There had not been a chip or crack before this happened. The windshield cracked for no apparent reason.I called Chrysler to report the incident. The service rep told me that the same thing had happened to her. I was told to take it to a Jeep dealership to have it looked at, which I did. After 6 days of giving me the runaround, Chrysler said that they will not pay to have it repaired because it is out of warranty.I looked on the internet and saw that other people have had the same problem. The dealership told me that they had just had a Jeep with the same problem the previous week. A second service rep at Chrysler had told me that she had the same problem. …
Dt*: the contact stated while changing the gear from drive to reverse there was a clicking noise. This occurred intermittently. While attempting to apply pressure to the accelerator pedal the engine made a roaring noise and the vehicle failed to pick up speed. The dealership rebuilt the transmission, however no other repairs have been made. The manufacturer has been alerted. Updated 6/27/2006 - the vehicle battery would not hold a charge. The headliner had to be replaced because it was unraveling.. The sunroof motor had to be replaced. The transmission was rebuilt on 2-27-06 with on 90000 miles. The memory seat did not move back at times when the key was removed from the ignition. The tire pressure monitoring system was inoperative. The power steering pump was binding and had to be replaced. The air bag light illuminated on the dash. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the interior door handle fractured and she was unable to exit the vehicle. The dealer advised the contact that there were no recalls and that she would have to repair them at her own expense. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was 85,000. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000. The consumer stated to date, she has replaced the left rear door at a cost of $ 425. The right rear door has been inoperable since early 2009. The left front door is almost inoperable and the right front door is showing signs of breaking. The left fron door window regulator had to be replaced, updated 01/19/12
Window & Wiper complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 1% of the model year's 2,051 complaints. The component named most often is power window devices and controls (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.