Grand Cherokee is one of the most notorious members of the off-road vehicle industry. Now, you might wonder why it’s so notorious, and how it might affect you.
Starting from 1993, the manufacturer of Grand Cherokee has introduced several models & generations to their followers so far. But unfortunately, some of those models got huge customer complaints and bad ratings due to their repair issues & costly maintenance.
So, if you want to buy any used Grand Cherokee, you will have to know properly about the Jeep Grand Cherokee Years to avoid. Mostly, you should be away from the 2011 and 2014 versions of this popular Jeep brand if you want to have a safe ride.
In this article, I am going to talk about which jeep grand cherokee years got the most complaints and why.
What are the Jeep Grand Cherokee Years To Avoid?
Based on the raw information of several websites including Carcomplaints, Consumer Reports, Car Forums or Discussion & Auto-mechanics, we have listed the most complained and bad rated years of Jeep Grand Cherokee.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the first model of generation- 4 that encountered the highest negative reviews of the customers according to CarComplaints.com.
In general, any upcoming model of this Jeep brand comes with some additional features that make it different from all other models of the previous years.
But in the case of 2011, it was launched with lots of technical and other problems. Even the company didn’t expense sufficient time for actual consumer testing and additional developments. As a result, the people who bought the 2011 Grand Cherokee faced many difficulties with their Jeeps.
Electrical System Problems of 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee created several electrical problems such as TIPM system issues, the non-starting confutation of engines, alternator failure, power loss & unintentional acceleration. For this reason, the owners had to spend an extra amount to repair those electrical issues.
1. TIPM System: Many owners of the 2011 Grand Cherokee found their TIPM System troubling whenever it came to 51,000 miles which caused the engine not to start. To solve that problem, they had to either replace the entire TIPM system or repair the damaged part spending about $1180.
2. Non-Start Condition of Engines: Again some owners found the engines were not starting without any previous warning. They had to repair either the TIPM, fuel pump, ignition switch, or the alternator which caused an average cost of $870.
3. Alternator Failure: When the Jeeps reached about 70,000 miles, the alternators suddenly blew out. As a result, the owners had to replace or repair the alternator spending about $1380. Besides, the battery, the serpentine belt, or the pulleys also needed to be replaced sometimes.
4. Power Loss: Sometimes the power supply of the 2011 Grand Cherokee shut down due to problems in the electrical system. This was also related to the TIPM system which required $2000 for the repair.
5. Unintentional Acceleration: After 73,000 miles, many owners found their Jeep accelerating on their own. That was a fairly significant problem of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Engine Problems of 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
The engine is considered to be the heart of any vehicle whose impairments cause huge amounts of investments to get repaired or replaced. Unfortunately, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokees created that kind of horrible situation for their owners. Some of the most incurring engine problems were the engine stalling, check engine light, engine cranking, engine failing, and weird noises from the engine.
1. Engine Stalling: Engine stalling was the most reported problem with the 2011 Grand Cherokee. This problem mostly arose around 67,000 miles and caused the replacement of either the TIPM module, fuel pump, alternator, throttle body, or position sensor. The average repairing cost of this problem was $1700.
2. Check Engine Light: Check engine light gives the signal of internal mechanical problems. But many 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners found this light illuminating without any solid reason. This problem compelled them to replace either the cylinder head, the filler tube, the ESIM switch, or the crankshaft. On average, this repairment costs about $170.
3. Engine Cranking: When the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokees reached around 74,000 miles, many of those Jeep’s engines started cranking. To resolve this issue, drivers needed to remove the fuel pump from the TIPM for about $800.
4. Engine Failing: The most costly engine problem that made many 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners install a new engine of about $5,740. Most of these engine failures occurred at vehicles around 80,000 miles.
Interior Problems of 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
There were lots of problems with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee interiors and accessories. Most of them were related to the leather, doors, dashboard, and backup camera.
1. Dashboard Leather: Many owners of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee expressed great frustration due to the damages in the dashboard leather after about 60,000 miles. This caused the replacement of the dashboard for about $1,620.
2. Lock of Doors: Some 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee caused their owners to replace the lock mechanism of doors, panels, or TIPM to fix the issues of door locks. The average cost for this maintenance was $350.
3. Backup Camera: Again, some Jeep required the backup cameras to be replaced for about $110 when they already drove around 60,00 miles.
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
The latest model of generation-4, Jeep Grand Cherokees of 2014 made lots of improvements such as installing a more powerful engine, better electrical system, and a more luxurious & comfortable interior. However, this model year also got several complaints from the customers about the unit’s engine, interior accessories, and brakes.
The Most Reported Problem of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
According to CarComplaints.com, most owners of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee complained about the transmission, especially rough or jerky gear shifting. Sometimes, they got injured due to the unsuccessful shifting from drive to park that let the vehicle roll when the engine was off.
However, some experts claimed that the users were more responsible for that problem. Because the vehicle’s alarm makes a sound when the park mode is not activated or if the shift is unsuccessful so that the driver can be alert. So, it was the driver’s responsibility to avoid the occurrence of transmission problems.
As most of the Jeep owners were not familiar with the electric gear shifter of the 2014 Grand Cherokee, they confronted such type of transmission issues.
Recalls of 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
NHTSA issued 12 recalls with this model year due to several problems.
| Time of Recall Issuance | Reasons Behind The Recalls |
| March 2014 & September 2017 | The shield which protects the booster was prone to corrosion. |
| June 2014 | The accelerator of this vehicle was potentially risky to lose its control over the speed. |
| October 2014 | The front & side airbags were unable to function. |
| October 2014 | The ESC of 2014 Grand Cherokee had a likelihood of being disabled due to the SCCM software issues. |
| October 2014 and July & November 2017 | Due to the failure in the alternator. |
| July 2015 | The software vulnerability issues of Units with radios. |
| April 2016 | The difficulty in movement & shifting to park mode. |
| October 2017 | There was a problem with the brake fluid. |
| May 2018 | Due to the short circuit in the wiring system. |
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is another model year that a buyer should keep away from the list of his favourite off-road vehicles.
The engineers of Grand Cherokee reduced the problems of brakes & engines in their 2015 Grand Cherokees. Still, there were the same transmission problems as the model of 2014. Engineers didn’t make any notable adjustments to resolve these issues.
The Most Reported Problem of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Unreliable shifting was the main problem of the 2015 Grand Cherokee that most of the drivers experienced. This problem naturally occurred when the mileage reached around 12,000. This is why the owners had to spend about 7,500 USD to resolve this problem. The next problem was related to the poor transmission performance which generally occurred at around 6,100 miles.
Recalls of 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee:
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee got six recalls from NHTSA.
| Time of Recall Issuance | Reasons Behind The Recalls |
| July 2015 | The rear suspension in some of the units of the Jeeps. |
| July 2015 | The software vulnerability issues of Units with radios. |
| March 2016 | There were some problems in the brake fluids and the brake calliper. |
| April 2016 | The difficulty in movement & shifting to park mode. |
| May 2018 | Troublesome wiring system. |
Conclusion
You just went through the detailed explanation of Jeep Grand Cherokee years to avoid. It will help you to avoid the worst years of Grand Cherokee at the time of purchasing any used Jeep.
Apart from those troublesome models, you may choose any other model years of the Jeep Grand Cherokee according to your requirements. 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2016 are the most favorite years of Grand Cherokee that are really suitable for most off-road journeys.
So, do your research well before getting caught with the wrong model! I hope that this article has helped you a lot to choose the right year model.
