Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am not sure how, but the rear passenger door panel cracked and door handle fell off leaving back seat passengers vulnerable (a child rides back there). In addition, there is a large crack in the panel of the front passenger door as well. I have 70,500 miles on the vehicle with a service contract of 7 years/85,000 miles maximum care still in effect. I took the vehicle to my local dealership (hall Chrysler Jeep in virginia beach) and was quoted $475 for a back ordered door panel (which to replace both doors comes to $950...unacceptable!) I refused to order the unit since this is a safety concern, and should be covered by my service contract. I contacted Chrysler group, llc and was told that "handles and plastic parts are not covered"...the handle isn't broken, the panel needs to be replaced in order to correct this issue. …
After 4+ years of consumer complaints about his very serious safety hazard, still nothing has been done. The door handles of my 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee started crumbling and cracking about two years ago at about 38,000 miles. A year ago, the first door handle simply broke off amongst shards of paneling around it, making the door inoperable. Today, three out of four panels have desintegrated around the handles to the point where they are inoperable as well, effectively trapping someone in the back of the vehicle if I dared to to have passengers and got into an accident. The driver's side is hanging by a thread. I am unable to drive my clients anymore due to liability issues and the danger that stems from this awfully poor design and quality. …
I have a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee laredo with only 60,234K miles and the door panels on 3 of the 4 doors so far have broken out just with the normal use, interior door handle crack, plastic breaks,handles go limp and handles fall off. The plastic panel components are fragile and cheap. This is a major safety concern for me especially with two children of 1 and 12 years olds because in an event of fire or and accident the boys can not get out from inside the car due the broken door handles. Cant find part to replace the door handles because the complete door panel has to be replaced and the cost for each of one are more than 500.00 dollars and that's not including the labor cost. I have call Chrysler Jeep and they offer no recall or solution for this serious matter.
I have a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited with only 50K miles and the door panels on 2 doors so far have broken out and now you can't get out of the vehicle from the inside. I have already had both front door panels/handles replaced. The plastic around the door handles is very thin and cheap and breaks very easily. This is a major safety concern for me especially with children. If these door handle/panels break then you have no way to get out of the car safely. Jeep doesn't seem to care about it and accepts no responsibility. I have done research on my own and found out that is a very common occurrence with this Jeep model, across several years models. I am extremely frustrated about the poor quality of the vehicle compartment and service by Jeep.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the door handles began to crack from the interior of the vehicle. The metal door part was no longer attached to the plastic. The vehicle was taken to two authorized dealers who took pictures of the failure but could not provide a reason for the failure. One dealer advised that the failure was caused by vandalism. The contact stated that the front door handles were progressively worse than the rear handles. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who advised that they would not be able to assist. The current mileage was 30,225. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While attempting to open the drivers side door from the inside the contact noticed that a piece of plastic near the handle hinge was broken. When the door was closed the handle would not return to its correct position. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the door panel needed to be replaced. There were no prior warnings. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were 49,000. Updated 09/22/10. The consumer stated the inside door handles were defective. The plastic surrounding the hinge broke off. Updated 09/23/10
All four door handles on my 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee have broken. Two of the door handles were rendered inoperable due to the breakage. The other two are currently working but the breakage is getting progresivley worse. I believe this to be a serious safety issue for two reasons. One, an individual May not be able to egress the vehicle if an emergency arrises. Two, the breakage creates sharp jagged edges which May harm children. When I contacted Jeep they refused to address the issue because th evehicle is out of warranty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated all of the interior door handles have cracked; therefore, the contact was only able to use the outside handle to open the door. The contact called the dealer regarding the cracked handles and the they stated the entire door panel needed to be replaced. The contact stated there were numerous complaints regarding the faulty door handles for her year, make, and model. The manufacturer did nothing to remedy the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Door handles opening and closing during normal use on all four doors at approximately 50000 miles caused interior door panel to crack. This causes door handle to not function properly which is a safety issue if someone needs to exit vehicle quickly such as during an accident. I spoke with Chrysler who insists it is a cosmetic issue, which it certainly is not. Entire interior door panel needs to be replace on each door at cost of $600 each to fix this and this has not been done as of yet.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that all four interior door handle pockets were fractured. The contact stated that the fractures began at a screw located on the handle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the failure where the contact was advised that all four doors panels would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 71,000. Updated 03/22/11 updated 1/4/11
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 1,280 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2006 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 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
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.