Problems with 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. while the vehicle was idling at a traffic light, the contact smelled something burning and rolled down the window. he noticed that the odor was not coming from outside of his vehicle, so he continued to drive. approximately 30 seconds later, he felt a burning sensation on his lower back. he pulled into a parking lot and observed a hole in the driver's seat surrounded by an orange ring. there was a charred mark on his leather belt and the seat was smoking. the dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. the cause of the failure was not determined. the current and failure mileages were 66,800. updated 04-17-09 updated 04/20/09.*jb

Drivers' door controls for windows, locks, quit. courtesy lights did not turn off. took to dealership. found wires broken, in boot, coming from frame to door. had to pay for repairs. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that the heater blows cold air. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they charged $97 for a diagnostic, but could not locate a failure code. she took the vehicle to aamco and they changed a hose and cleaned the vents; however, the failure persisted. she took the vehicle to a private mechanic, who replaced the thermostat and stated that the instrument panel main circuit board failed. a report was filed with the manufacturer and assigned reference number 18091070. the manufacturer stated that the mileage exceeded the warranty; therefore, they would not assist with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 82,000 and current mileage was 83,000. updated 12/22/08. *lj the consumer stated the heat didn't work, but the thermostat would get warm. the dealer informed the consumer that the blender and circulation board needed to be replaced. updated 12/23/08.*jb

2004 jeep gr cherokee stalls briefly, initially above 60 mph but becoming more frequent and now from 40 mph. dealer (moothart jeep/cerritos dodge) has inspected but finds no "fault codes" and as a result takes no action. they and chrysler 800 line's answer is 'wait for it to quit completely and tow it in". going on for four plus months with no answer in sight. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. when bringing the vehicle to a stop, the rpm's dropped below 5 mph. the vehicle also began shaking and shut off. the vehicle immediately restarts, but if the contact does not immediately accelerate, it will stall again. the vehicle has been to the dealer on three occasions and they have been unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the failure mileage was 50,200. updated 10/14/08. *lj the dealer stated idle air control motor was bad, however the consumer continued to experience stalling problems. the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. updated 10/15/08. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that the front and rear driver and passenger side windows would not open and the dome light was constantly illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician replaced the wiring within the driver's side door wiring harness. after the repair the failure recurred six times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000. *tr

I have on two occasions had my door locks and windows stop operating. the first time a wire was found to have cracked in half inside a protected area of the drivers door. this cost $300.00. i became such a headache to the chrysler corp. they refunded me $250.00. the second time we experienced this same problem the dealer found the same wire in a different location under the glove box had just broken in two. this cost me again and chrysler would not help. i have seen this same complaint on this same vehicle on this site. there is a problem that must be studied because of the possible fire hazard. another problem we have had is an intense gas odor towards the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle has been checked many times an no one can find the problem, the odor is very intense at times. *tr

Wiring between the driver's door and the vehicle break, which causes the electric locks and windows not to work. either moving or stationary. this has happened several times since 2008

The interior lights stayed on. and all guages on dash were moving irratically. after google searching, i found that several people with the 2004 cherokee have problems with wires in the driver door breaking. we checked the wires in the driver door boot and the black wire was broke. fixed that problem. now the wires in both front and and rear doors driver and passenger are broken. rear speakers do not work, windows do not roll down, and doors do not lock. sensor for interior light on rear passenger door do not work. window is partially down and no way to put back up. my driver seat is making a rocking movement that just recently started. this is the worst vehicle i have owned by far. i have never had to replace all that i have in a vehicle. this year and model jeep has alot of issues that chrysler doesn't want to aknowledge. they need to be investigated further. i just called the customer service for jeep and they said there are no recalls for my jeep, and they have never had any complaints that i told them about. do they just ignore the consumer or not want to admit their errors in this model. *tr

2004 jeep grand cherokee was damaged by a fire due to the safety recall f17. *nj the consumer stated the day he picked the vehicle up, the seats were still not functioning properly due to the fire damage to the wiring and module. the drivers seat was not reassembled correctly and the lumbar support hit the consumer in the center of his back. after a close examination at a local repair shop, the consumer was told there was no evidence the passenger seat recall was ever addressed. the following morning, the battery was dead, the parking and signal lights continued to burn out and periodically the dash lights and power windows did not work. it was determined that both seats had additional fires and internal heat damage. *jb

I own a 2004 jeep grand cherokee limited......i took my car in for the seat heater recall and since then i have terrible problems with the sudden acceleration of the car....(700rpms to 1800) i constantly have to push the brake down and be very conscious of keeping my foot on the brake. the check engine light then came on with a p0505 code. air intake sensor. well a new one was put in and the problem was not resolved. the mechanic could not control the idle even with the diagnostic computer attached to it. it was found that two wires on the wiring harness were shorting out and melting......then after driving approx 1200 miles the idle starts jumping again.....the check engine light come on about two days later......then within the same day the idle calms down and the check engine light goes off. i have paid lots of money to have this repaired.....i believe that there is a short somewhere from the seat heater recall since the car did not do this prior to having the dealership fix the seat heater with the recall. i really like my car when the idle is right ........i am not comfortable having anyone else drive it due to this issue and do not always feel safe when the acceleration goes wild.....please help.....this is a major safety issue that needs to be addressed quickly before other people get hurt or killed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. while driving 70 mph, the heater and air conditioner failed to properly regulate and function. in addition, the thermostat displayed an incorrect reading. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer multiple times where it was diagnosed that the mode door and the heat actuator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed that the control head needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that the tail lights became inoperable without warning. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the rear light system was replaced multiple times, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 20,000.

Air conditioner blower motor failed to operate due to melting of connection of wiring harness to blower motor resistor. possibility of fire with toxic fumes. part was replaced by dealer and is available.

Loud creaking sound coming from its underside when you turn on your ventilation. there creaking from the dash seconds after shutting the engine off. there strange numbers popping-up on your climate control display. cold blows from one side of the dash even when the heat is turned on. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while parked and running with the seat belt unbuckled, the heater was turned on for the passenger seat and within 10 to 15 seconds, the seat caught on fire. the heater was turned off, and both occupants sustained minor injuries. the service dealer was contacted, but could not identify the problem.

The blend doors on the hvac system do not always function and will blow cold air in the winter and hot air in the summer. this happens when the "auto" mode is activated. 1999-2004 long history of failure and afraid that if i continue to use mine will also fail and will either have to repair myself with approx 8 hours of labor and of course the price of the repair unit or have to pay even higher price to jeep (chrysler) to have a known defect repaired at my cost. *nm

2004 jeep grand cherokee. while driving at any speed vehicle jerks sometimes worse than others at the same time speedometer and rpm gauge drop and come back on engine light blinks and goes off. taken it to dealer many times they told me nothing is wrong after three times they replaced computer and sent me on my way but it did not solve the problem and a year later replaced computer again as well as throttle position sensor and still did not fix problem. this is my only vehicle and i need to have the problem resolved. *tr

The wiring harness connection going to the resistor pack for the blower motor can melt and deform the resistor pack and wiring causing the blower motor for the a/c to stop working. *nm

Interior lights stopped working on 2004 jeep grand cherokee laredo. river oaks jeep replaced right front door harness june 13, 2006. same problem again and wire in front door post harness repaired by chuck nash jeep in san marcos january 13, 2009. same problem again and repaired by bluebonnet jeep in new braunfels august 20, 2010. the wires in the harness are too short and break with the action of the door. was told by bluebonnet this is a common failure with this vehicle but chrysler jeep refuses to recall these vehicles. this is a serious fire hazard. i spoke with a chrysler customer service representative about this and another problem but she seemed unconcerned. internet research showed many complaints about this problem. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the heating unit on the passenger seat caught fire. the vehicle was parked when the contact heard fire trucks. the vehicle was full of smoke. there were flames coming from the passenger seat. a representative from daimler/chrysler came out to inspect the vehicle. the fire department was notified and determined the fire was of an electrical nature. the contact reports having no problems with the vehicle prior to the incident.

2004 grand cherokee electrical units stopped working. *ts while driving on a hot day the vehicle electrical system shut down. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who determined that he problem was with the bcm. the bcm was replaced. a week later, on another hot day, the electrical system shut down again but the engine continued to run. as a result the a/c did not work and the power windows could not be rolled down. the vehicle accelerated suddenly while pulling into a garage striking another vehicle. after repeated attempts to ge the vehicle fixed the dealer found a broken ground wire in the engine wiring harness. after nine months the problems have not recurred. the consumer believes the broken ground wire was the cause of the electrical shut down and sudden acceleration. *nm

I lease a 2004 jeep grand cherokee with heated leather seats. earlier this year the driver side heater went out then i noticed that just the lower back heater came on. one day in february after driving for about an hour and 1/2 i got home and tried to take off my sweatshirt but could not as it was melted to my cell phone case. at first i did not know what had happened then upon later investigation i noticed a burn whole in my car seat that ran up what was apparently the heater wire. i am a paraplegic and if it was not for the cell phone case i could have been burned. my concern is for others like me and due to the severity of the heat which could melt a sweat shirt and a phone case that it potentially could ignite clothing. *jb

Submission in regards to problems experienced with 2004 jeep grand cherokee after a safety recall service at the bayside chrysler jeep dodge dealership certified mail. *ts *jb

During winter months, heat shuts off and turns cold. this happened during a snowstorm and i could not defrost the windshield. i consider this a serious safety issue. i had to stop engine, wait 5 minutes and start engine again. this has happened every time the car is driven. in the summer months, the reverse happens. suddenly, the air conditioner suddenly throws out hot air. *tr

2004 jeep grand cherokee lost all electrical power inside vehicle on multiple occasions. *kb the consumer was told the problem was a faulty bcm. however, the same problem recurred one month later. in oct 2005, the consumer experienced unwanted acceleration while he was pulling into the garage and hit another vehicle. the consumer stated the check engine light would occasionally come on and then go of. then the rear hatch light would come on, the tire pressure light and the security system stopped working. the dealer then found a broken ground wire in the engine harness. the windows were inoperative.*jb

Vehicle not working. *ak

We purchased a 2004 jeep grand cherokee the end of june 2004. the car had approximately 30-40 miles at purchase. three days after purchase the car cut off on my husband and was difficult to start. the dealership told us they could not look at the car because the check engine light did not come on. while on vacation 1 1/2 weeks after purchase our car shut off while traveling 60 mph on a highway. the car would not start and was towed to a jeep dealership in maryland. that dealership replaced the computer in the car. no incidents occurred for 1 1/2 weeks. then upon our return to south carolina the rpm of our car would suddenly drop to 500 while idling at traffic lights or at a stop. the rpm's would also suddenly drop to 0 and the car would cut off while idling. from the middle of july until the end of august the car was looked at approximately 6 times. the skim module and wiring harness were both replaced in the car. after the wiring harness was replaced the car ceased to have problems for 3000 miles. then on december 4th the car cut off while waiting at a traffic light. the rpm's have now started to once again drop down to below 500 and occasionally they go up and down when the car is not even moving. a co-pilot system was installed to record any errors in the car and no codes or misfires were captured from the car. the dealership has been unable to fix the car and chrysler informed us that they were not willing to replace our car even though they are unable to fix the problem.*ak

I purchased my 2004 grand jeep cheroke on may 1, 2004 and i find out today that there was a recall put on the vehicle on march 24 and the company sold me the vehicle that was defected and they knew it. i only found out about this defect because of a problem with the windshield.*ak

On or about february 20, 2004, matthew beller suffered severe burns from a seat heater in the driver's seat of a 2004 jeep grand cherokee limited. he is a parapelgic and did not feel the burn occuring. the seat heater did not turn off after reaching normal temperatures. a product liability action is being bought in the united states district court of oregon.

The idling was set too high. when releasing the brake pedal vehicle could motion by itself up to 10 mph in either drive or in reverse. dealer was notified. they informed the consumer that was the characteristic of the vehicle due to the computer setting. *ak

My 2004 jeep grand cherokee has a defect in the ecm that chrysler is aware of but will do nothing to fix this problem currently. the vehicle's engine has died at stop lights, it has stumbled, and/or hesitated upon accelerating from stop, and runs so poorly at an idle while setting it shakes the whole vehicle. chrysler is aware of the problem but is doing nothing to fix this problem on the 2004 grand cherokee's. i was basically told by chrysler that i would have to live with this problem running the risk of my vehicle's engine stopping unexpectedly when it could result in an accident. my 2004 jeep grand cherokee is basically an accident waiting to happen if the engine should unexpectedly die at the wrong moment when accelerating.*ak

My 2004 jeep grand cherokee has a couple power outlets; they look almost like cigarette lighter receptacles. the outlets are marked "20a" indicating a 20 amp current capability. the jeep book also indicates these power outlets are able to carry 20 amps, and the jeep shop manual calls these 20 amp circuits. when i disassembled some trim to install a 2-meter ham radio, i saw 2 very small wires connected to the rear power outlet. the jeep shop manual says these are 16 gauge wires. here is the problem: 16 gauge wires will not come near the ability to handle 20 amps of current. in fact, 16 gauge wire current capacity in a cable bundle is around the 5 or 6 amp area. my ham radio draws 8 amps when transmitting, and when plugged in the jeep power outlet, the voltage drop was three volts. what this means is that the wires can severely overheat and become a fire hazard if the consumer believes the advertised 20 amp capability. i have no idea how chrysler/jeep gets away with this. there is a 20 amp fuse in this circuit, so anyone using an inverter or other accessory that actually draws 20 amps is going to seriously overheat or melt the wiring before the fuse blows. *la

Consumer concerned about design problem with potential wire harness failure and possible fire, 2004 jeep grand cherokee. *bf the problems involved misleading /incorrect marking on the 12 volt accessory power outlets. the outlets were marked as being able to handle 20 amps. after plugging in a radio which normally drew 7 amps, the consumer noticed the radio would not function in the transmit mode. when trying to transmit, the voltage at the rear vehicle's rear power outlet, it dropped down to about 8 volts. the consumer stated if an owner of this vehicle was to plug anything into the vehicle power outlets that drew more that 5 amps of current there was a good chance that overheating and burning the wires would occur. *jb