Model record
Jeep Grand Cherokee Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Jeep Grand Cherokee model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 202611,374 complaints16 model years
The Jeep Grand Cherokee years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2011 and 2012. Owners named the powertrain most for 2014, and the electrical system for 2011 and 2012.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall in the 2011 to 2021 generation, the Grand Cherokee Jeep called all-new for 2011, and they peak at 2,373 for 2014.
Jeep Grand Cherokee complaints by model year
Every Jeep Grand Cherokee model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Electrical system38%117
- 2011Electrical system46%1,639
- 2012Electrical system49%1,638
- 2013Electrical system46%802
- 2014Powertrain20%2,373
- 2015Powertrain26%1,354
- 2016Powertrain25%308
- 2017Engine28%364
- 2018Electrical system39%847
- 2019Electrical system22%362
- 2020Electrical system29%229
- 2021Electrical system28%400
- 2022Electrical system50%257
- 2023Electrical system46%379
- 2024Electrical system45%239
- 2025Electrical system41%66
Best Jeep Grand Cherokee years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2010Electrical system · 5 recalls117
- 2020Electrical system · 3 recalls229
- 2016Powertrain · 9 recalls308
Most common Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- Electrical systemNamed most in 12 of 16 years3,739
- EngineNamed most in 1 of 16 years2,084
- PowertrainNamed most in 3 of 16 years1,370
- Braking systemNever the top system in a year1,102
- Fuel and power deliveryNever the top system in a year825
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Jeep Grand Cherokee owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the Grand Cherokee years we have read in full (2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015), one count per complaint. Tap a code to read our guide; grey codes have no guide yet.
Jeep Grand Cherokee years to avoid by generation
Jeep called the 2011 and the 2022 Grand Cherokee all-new, so the years in the file fall into three groups. The three-row Grand Cherokee L, new for 2021, has its own entry in NHTSA's file and is not counted here.
2010
Last year before the all-new 2011
2010 most complaints · electrical system
- 2010117
117 complaints · 1 model year
2011–2021
All-new for 2011
2014 most complaints · powertrain
10,316 complaints · 11 model years
2022–2025
All-new for 2022
2023 most complaints · electrical system
- 2022257
- 2023379
- 2024239
- 202566
941 complaints · 4 model years
Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: electrical system5
- 2011Most often: electrical system6
- 2012Most often: electrical system11
- 2013Most often: electrical system10
- 2014Most often: electrical system19
- 2015Most often: engine and cooling10
- 2016Most often: engine and cooling9
- 2017Most often: engine and cooling6
- 2018Most often: electrical system11
- 2019Most often: engine and cooling7
- 2020Most often: backup camera3
- 2021Most often: exterior lighting12
- 2022Most often: backup camera13
- 2023Most often: suspension21
- 2024Most often: airbag system16
- 2025Most often: electrical system4
Jeep Grand Cherokee crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2014Frontal 4–5 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2015Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2018Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44/5
- 2019Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2020Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2021Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 3–44–5/5
- 2022No overall rating—
- 2023No overall rating—
- 2024Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 15 investigations into 14 problems that cover Jeep Grand Cherokee model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Jeep Grand Cherokee years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2014, 2011 and 2012. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2010 drew the fewest complaints: 117. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Across every year in the file, owners named the electrical system most, in 3,739 complaints, then the engine, in 2,084.
Which Jeep Grand Cherokee years have the most recalls?
2023, 2014 and 2024, with 21, 19 and 16 recall campaigns.
What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 5 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.