| Issue ID | 836387 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10374411 |
| Manufacurer | CHRYSLER GROUP LLC |
| Brand | JEEP |
| Model | GRAND CHEROKEE |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 05/12/10 |
| Component | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | Latches/locks/linkages in december 2010 at 42,000 miles our 2005 jeep grand cherokee (limited) developed a crack in the drivers' door handle housing causing the inside door handle to come loose from the inside door panel. (the door handle is set in a hole made of thin plastic that functions as a pivot hinge. Once the plastic cracks then the handle just pops out of the door panel.) then in january 2011, the right rear door handle developed the same problem and this door handle also came out of the handle housing, and it can no longer be opened from inside the car. Upon inspection we discovered that both the right front passenger door and rear left passenger door have developed cracks in the plastic in the same place, and will likely break soon. We note that there have been 42 identical complaints lodged on the nhtsa site involving this same problem on the 2005 jeep grand cherokee. Here in florida, with frequent opportunities to run off the road into lakes or canals, this problem is extremely serious, possibly causing persons to drown in the car when unable to unlatch the door in an emergency. Chrysler customer service has said they do not have a record of this issue and they do not feel that they should cover the repairs if the vehicle is out of warranty. Some other persons who have reported the issue state that to repair the door handle requires a complete replacement of the side door panels at a cost of over $700 per door. It is entirely unreasonable that a car would have no workable door handles after just 5 years or 42,000 miles of use. This is not normal wear and tear, nor is it reasonable wear and tear. We rarely have back seat passengers in this vehicle. It is clearly a defective design and substandard materials. Chrysler needs to recall these vehicles to correct this dangerous situation. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 42127 |
| Number of Occurences | |
| Source of the issue | PORTABLE SAFETY COMPLAINT FORM (PDF) |
| City and State | CORAL GABLES, FL |
| VIN pattern | 1J4HR58NX5CXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | |
| Anti-lock brakes | |
| Cruise control | |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 0 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |