4,814 of the
40,071 complaints filed about the Jeep Grand Cherokee
are about the transmission —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2014.
4,814
Complaints
100%
Share of all complaints
787
Crashes
58
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
- The high-voltage (HV) battery system and related hybrid control processor (HCP) software — repeatedly, across three separate incidents (Jan 2026 coolant heater/HCP fault, June 2026 front axle disconnect fault, Sept 2026 full HV battery replacement). Also affected: front axle disconnect actuator (drivetrain). Yes, available for inspection — vehicle is at Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Clifton Park. - Recall 68C: HV battery fire risk (owners told not to charge, park away from structures). Recall 73C: possible loss of drive power while driving, increasing crash risk. Recall 20C: head restraints failing to lock, increasing injury risk in a crash. - Yes — confirmed and repair attempted by an authorized Stellantis dealer (Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Clifton Park) on three separate repair orders (RO #106187, #109788, and the current September 2026 visit), with documented diagnostic trouble codes each time (P29BB, C1463, and the current critical HV battery code). - Inspected/repaired by the authorized dealer under manufacturer recall directives (FCA/Stellantis) each time. No police or insurance involvement, since no accident occurred. - Yes — Check Engine Light (Jan 2026, code P29BB), Service 4WD light (June 2026, code C1463), and Check Engine Light again (Sept 2026, current critical HV battery code). Recall notices (68C, 73C, 20C, etc.) were also received separately as advance manufacturer warnings before some of these symptoms appeared.
NHTSA complaint #11763645 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee suddenly was stalling, and would not re-start, especially when turning the steering. AAA Tech diagnosed as High Diode Ripple Voltage in the Alternator, damaging the Battery. Needed to Replace both Alternator and Battery at a cost of $1068. Car was recalled under T36, and the repair has a repeat failure again. Jeep Declined to repair or re-imburse the repair costs. More importantly its still a major safety issue, and Jeep is failing their legal obligation to provide a permanent fix, not a temporary fix.
NHTSA complaint #11763496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle jumped. The contact stated that while driving 8–9 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was replaced in 2025. The contact was informed that the air bag was not covered under unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. The VIN was unavailable.
NHTSA complaint #11762877 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While maneuvering in a parking garage and switching between reverse and forward, the engine suddenly and unprompted revved excessively, sounding as though the accelerator pedal was floored. The vehicle forcefully lunged forward against braking pressure into a cement wall, causing front-end damage to the vehicle. Cruise control was completely disabled and no check engine light or warning indicators illuminated on the dashboard. At no time did I feel like I had control over the car. I sustained some contusions. No one was in the vicinity at the time; however, other cars and/or people could have been struck. The vehicle has yet to be examined by anyone although I am in the process of arranging for an autobody repair shop. Prior to this, the car was in its usual state of health without any issues.
NHTSA complaint #11762372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Subject: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee – Sudden Loss of Power, PCM Failure, Electrical Failures, and Concern Regarding Recall-Related Symptoms I am filing this complaint because my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee experienced a sudden and unexpected loss of power while I was driving, and I am very concerned about the safety implications and the possible connection to the recall-related electrical problems associated with this vehicle. Before the final failure, my Jeep had been experiencing electrical and starting problems. The alternator failed, the batteries went bad, and I had already paid for multiple diagnostics and repairs. At the time, we did not understand that these problems could potentially be leading to or connected with a PCM failure. I have spent approximately $800 on diagnostics and parts trying to determine and repair the cause of these issues. The most serious incident occurred when I was driving near a school and approaching a stop sign. The Jeep suddenly began losing power and would no longer operate normally. I did not receive an adequate warning that the vehicle was about to completely shut off. The dashboard/screen began flashing, electrical functions began going out, and the vehicle progressively lost power. I was able to slowly move the Jeep toward the right side of the road before it completely shut off. The Jeep then would not start again. This was extremely frightening because the vehicle lost power while I was operating it in an area where there were other vehicles and children nearby. I was concerned about my ability to safely get the vehicle off the roadway and about what could have happened if the Jeep had completely lost power in moving traffic or at a higher speed. The vehicle has since been diagnosed as having a PCM failure. I have already paid for diagnostics rather than simply bringing the vehicle in without any prior information about the problem. Despite this, the Jeep dealershiphas my vehicle now to determine if this is part of recall
NHTSA complaint #11761114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting repeated drivetrain and transmission failures involving my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. The problems began with failure of the driveshaft carrier bearing, which was replaced with a brand-new component by an independent mechanic. The transfer case subsequently required replacement and was replaced with a brand-new unit by a reputable dealership. After these repairs, the original transmission mechanically failed at approximately 99,000 miles. I replaced it with a transmission from a 2021 model that had approximately 45,000 miles. That transmission then failed after only approximately 5,000 miles of use in my vehicle. I am now having another transmission installed, meaning my Jeep is receiving its third transmission. By the completion of these repairs, I will have spent more than $20,000 addressing drivetrain and transmission failures. I am concerned that an underlying drivetrain, transmission, electronic/control, or other vehicle-related condition may be contributing to these repeated failures. Replacing major drivetrain components has not resolved the problem, and I am concerned about the safety and reliability of the vehicle. I am also aware of a similar situation involving my niece’s 2021 Dodge Durango R/T with approximately 60,000 miles. Her vehicle is also on its third transmission, with brand-new replacement transmissions being installed under warranty. I am requesting that NHTSA review these repeated failures and determine whether similar transmission or drivetrain problems have been reported and whether they may indicate a safety-related defect or broader pattern.
NHTSA complaint #11760723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I burned my right fingers when I went to Move the metal sharp gear selector knob,I was trying to reverse And the Dial knob was to hot to touch,I had to find a cloth to cover it so I dident burn my hand again, then I was able to move it to reverse and then drive,this very unsafe. My next problem was that in the parking lot the other day I think it was 8/20/2026,I was at a stop sign and took my foot off brake and the car started bucking and almost hit another car driving by,the car is jumping on its own,the salesmen who just sold me the car said this is normal because it’s a turbo,this is extremely dangerous,and my last problem is that there is excessive orange peel on the entire body of the car,and on the hood also,in which is very distracting and takes my line of sight off the road when driving,this is very dangerous in my opinion,all these issues are very serious ,the dealer already knows about the bucking of vehicle because it’s all over the internet,and I submitted a letter to the general manger about the excessive orange peel paint defect,I am confirming toad that I tell them about. Dangerous shift knob heating up and the bucking sudden jolts also,I am calling service dept and jeep customer service today to report it I will get a case number
NHTSA complaint #11759917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Final drive control module, transfercase control module went out. Causing “Service 4WD” message Check-engine/MIL light 4WD system becoming unavailable Trouble codes related to the drivetrain control module Intermittent 4WD problems Speed issues
NHTSA complaint #11759412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Jeep was giving me a warning sign. It said stop slowly. Your jeep will shut off so I replaced the two batteries. As my Mechanic told me I replaced the alternator. I also replaced the ground wires. Nothing is making my jeep start. We ran the codes on the jeep and it came back as a U0100 code with the PCM system. No connection error. we looked up the recall information and a recall popped up for this 2018 jeep Grand Cherokee. I am being told that I am not affected by this recall.. the jeep was giving warning Saenz before I replaced the battery and alternator. After that. It did not give warning Saenz Anymore. It’s just completely Shut Off With no warning. Leaving me on the side of the road stranded twice. It will not start and it is reading these codes.
NHTSA complaint #11759288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a new 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit equipped with the new 2.0L Hurricane 4 Turbo. The vehicle has a repeatable and potentially dangerous accelerator-response problem. From a complete stop, I can apply substantial/full accelerator input and the vehicle initially provides little or no expected acceleration. The vehicle may begin creeping forward and the tachometer may begin moving, but there is little corresponding engine sound or vehicle acceleration. After approximately two seconds, the vehicle begins responding and accelerating however it is still extremely sluggish and dangerous. The condition has been repeatedly reproduced in both Normal and Sport modes. I have also experienced delayed RPM increase and delayed transmission response/downshift while already moving. The condition has occurred when attempting to enter traffic and creates a safety concern because the vehicle does not immediately respond as expected to accelerator input. The dealership initially told me the vehicle was operating normally based on diagnostic readings amd that because of the computers and software there is no direct throttle response on these drive by wire vehicles anymore. That is simply intrue. The dealership subsequently had the shop foreman test drive with me in the vehicle. The foreman experienced the condition and agreed there was an issue with the lack of throttle response. I repeated the issue multiple times from stop, ehile turning, and at speed. The dealership is now involving a technical advisor. The dealer has told me that a Stellantis service bulletin concerning similar drivability symptoms does not apply to my VIN. I am not alleging that the bulletin applies to my vehicle. I am reporting the actual safety-related behavior because I believe it warrants investigation regardless of whether my VIN is currently included in that service action.
NHTSA complaint #11758823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
CODES C1490-00 REAR DIFFERENTIAL ACTUATOR INITIALIZATION FAILURE. SERVICE INFORMATION STATES TO REPLACE THE ELSD (ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP DIFF.) BEFORE REPLACING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. REMOVED FILL AND DRAIN PLUGS FROM REAR DIFFERENTIAL, ACQUIRED A FLUID SAMPLE. FLUID SAMPLE WAS CLEAN WITH NO SIGNS OF METAL CONTAMINATION, OR EVIDENCE OF AN INTERNAL Differential failure (ESLD) *key word INTERNAL
NHTSA complaint #11758304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On November 23, 2025, I was driving approximately 60 mph in the middle lane of I-495 near Exit 62 in Marlborough, Massachusetts, with a passenger in the vehicle. I signaled to change lanes to pass a slower vehicle, selected Sport Mode, and accelerated. The engine RPM increased sharply and, almost immediately, I heard an extremely loud bang from the engine area. Multiple warning lights began flashing on the instrument panel, the vehicle made abnormal noises, and the engine lost power. The loss of propulsion was immediate while I was traveling at highway speed. Because that section of I-495 slopes slightly downhill and I was already close to Exit 62, the vehicle's momentum allowed me to reach the exit and pull onto the shoulder. Had this occurred in heavier traffic or in a location without a safe shoulder or exit nearby, the sudden loss of propulsion could have resulted in a collision. The vehicle became inoperable and required towing. It was later inspected by an authorized Jeep dealership. The dealer documented a hole in the side of the engine with engine fluid leaking out and determined that the engine requires replacement. The vehicle had approximately 94,298 miles at the time of the incident and had been regularly maintained. The same vehicle had previously experienced a significant engine problem in 2023 at approximately 67,987 miles, involving white smoke, a head gasket leak affecting cylinder 5, and replacement of the cylinder head. I am reporting this because the catastrophic engine failure caused a sudden and complete loss of propulsion at highway speed. The vehicle and failed engine remain available for inspection.
NHTSA complaint #11757968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee equipped with the 3.6L Pentastar v6 has a persistent cylinder 2 misfire (P0302). The cylinder 2 spark plug, ignition coil, and fuel injector have already been replaced, but the misfire continues. Diagnostic testing with a scan tool confirmed that cylinder 2 accumulated 61 misfires during a single test while cylinders 1,3, 4, 5, and 6 recorded zero, and the misfire monitor reported " Fail this trip" the vehicle can appear to drive normally despite the active misfire. I became aware that Chrysler issued warranty bulletin x56 concerning the 3.6L left cylinder head on certain 2011- 2013 vehicles including select 2013 Jeep grand Cherokees. I contact a jeep dealer and advise that my VIN is not included in that warranty extension. I am reporting this because my vehicle is experiencing a similar cylinder specific misfire concerns and I believe this condition should be documented and investigated.
NHTSA complaint #11757745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The transmission goes into neutral. It has gone into neutral on the highway,local streets, also from a stop. From a stop in drive the electronic D on the instrument panel starts flashing. I turn on the hazards put transmission shifter in Park and start engine. This problem is intermittent, it can be cold or hot, it has happened 4x in 2 years. No accidents thankfully. The engine does not stall, the transmission goes into neutral.
NHTSA complaint #11756332 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee suffers from an intermittent but severe 2-to-3-second acceleration lag as well as lunging when attempting to accelerate. This occurs specifically during low-speed or rolling left-hand turns, or when accelerating from a complete stop to execute a left turn across traffic. When the accelerator pedal is depressed to clear the intersection, the engine and transmission momentarily fail to provide propulsion, leaving the vehicle stranded mid-intersection. This defect represents an immediate, severe collision hazard. Because the power cuts out while the steering wheel is turned, I have experienced multiple near-miss accidents where oncoming traffic had to slam on their brakes to avoid a broadside/T-bone collision. The dealer has not yet been able to permanently resolve this dangerous, unpredictable loss of driving power.
NHTSA complaint #11756082 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On the 26th of April 2026, the transfer Case on my 2020 Grand Cherokee (with less 114,000 miles) failed during highway travel. This resulted in a sudden downshift and temporary deceleration followed by illumination of “Service 4wd” display. A short time after, the “Service Electronic Stability Control” indicator displayed followed by another downshift and the unattended transition of the 'Select_Terrain' from 'Auto' to 'Snow'. We were unable to turn off these settings. On the next day, we returned the Jeep to our CDJR dealer for repair. After inspection, the service agent reported that the Jeep experienced a “Transfer Case failure” and further recommended that I consider [purchasing] a new vehicle as these issues seem to be piling up. Failure of this nature is not normal wear. I have purchased 5 Jeep vehicles over the past 40 years and 4 of our Jeeps had over 250,000 miles of service without dangerous, catastrophic engine or drive-train failure such as this. This situation should remediated by the manufacturer and any affected components repaired or replaced. Finally, it should be noted that 3-days prior to the failure, the same CDJR dealer provided a 100,00-Mile 'service' that included "Op1 DMS All wheel Drive Fluid Exchange".
NHTSA complaint #11755784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On August 8, 2026, at approximately 23,959 miles, my 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe experienced a significant loss of propulsion while accelerating in Hybrid mode to merge onto a highway. During acceleration, the check engine light began flashing, then remained illuminated, and the vehicle displayed a “Service Hybrid System Required” warning. The vehicle then provided little to no effective motive power despite accelerator input, making it unsafe to continue the highway merge. I was forced to pull off the roadway and stop the vehicle. The vehicle could not be safely driven and required towing to a Jeep dealership. This vehicle has a prior history of hybrid-system-related repairs and recalls. Previous service included high-voltage battery recall work, control module programming, replacement of the electric coolant heater, and replacement of the auxiliary coolant pump and coolant temperature sensor after earlier check-engine-light, EV-mode, and Hybrid-mode drivability complaints. A prior repair order also documented jerking during deceleration and reacceleration while operating in Hybrid mode. The current dealer has been unable to reproduce the loss-of-propulsion event. During diagnosis, one or more vehicle control modules may have been reset or cleared, which may have removed stored diagnostic trouble codes or other event data associated with the failure. I am reporting this because the sudden loss of propulsion occurred during highway entry and created a serious safety concern.
NHTSA complaint #11755636 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was initially traveling at the posted speed limit of 65 when all of a sudden the engine started shaking profusely, and I lost total power of the vehicle. Therefore, I had to immediately jump onto the shoulder without being rear ended and come to a complete stop while trying to coast safely to a place so I wouldn’t be hit by traffic . My car was then brought to the local Jeep dealership and they had told me that my left camshaft needs to be replaced also the lifters rockers and oil cooler need to be replaced as well. I have not drove my vehicle since it’s been seen by the dealer , I was told that any type of Driving could completely mess up my engine, so it’s been sitting for a couple of months .
NHTSA complaint #11755335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Electronic Throttle Control warning light comes on upon starting vehicle while extended crank occurs. When starting car, the push to start feature will not turn over and continuously cranks multiple times. Issue is intermittent- never know when it will happen which makes it difficult to replicate at service center. Took car into 2 mechanics on separate occasions and finally to the Jeep dealership for service. Because issue couldn’t be duplicated- nothing was done. However, recently while driving, same extended crank pattern noise and unstable/rough propulsion occurred while driving on the highway. Same Electronic throttle control warning light came on along with the check engine light. Also cruise control and the auto On Off feature became disabled. I scheduled service with my mechanic as soon as possible and they found the stored code was related to Technical Service Bulletin 2014-004-25 REV.B. This bulletin lists the symptoms I described yet the dealership did not perform the fuel pressure Test and Replace Fuel Pressure Regulator. I called the dealership to schedule warranty service for this TBS and they gave me difficulty acknowledging the TSB was issued for my make/model/year and scheduling a service appt. I spent the last few hours reading all of the complaints on NHTSA for 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it is alarming how many of the complaint are for this specific issue. It is dangerous for anyone on the road to be driving in a vehicle you can’t rely on to propel you forward when you press the gas or stall due to faulty fuel pressure regulator amid traffic. An investigation should be done. Furthermore, in reviewing other recalls, I found this is a recurrent issue for Jeep. It appears they’ve been various safety recalls issued for this in the past for vehicles made from 2011-2020. How they haven’t addressed it in new models is appalling. For owners of the vehicle, it’s difficult to have any leverage with dealership since it is not easy to replicate on demand.
NHTSA complaint #11754729 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving and making a right turn, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was turned off and restarted and responded as intended upon shifting into drive(D). No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a loss of battery communication with the computer due to a dead battery. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an unknown recall. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a third time, but no further diagnostic information was available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact not to trade the vehicle due to the safety risk. The service manager informed the contact that another repair attempt was required before the vehicle could be considered under the Lemon Law. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10.
NHTSA complaint #11753837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.