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Jeep Grand Cherokee 2021–2025

5th generation (WL)

NHTSA data through 12 August 20262,370 complaints, 243 with mileageMethod

On this generation, 41% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 5 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.

10%

500

25%

5,422

Median

17,000

75%

36,000

90%

60,000

Tallest bin: 134 complaints between 0 and 20,000 miles. Based on 243 complaints that record mileage. Bin width 20,000 miles.

What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.

What fails, and when

Each bar spans the middle half of reports for that system; the tick marks the median.

1. Electrical system16,000median 15,500 miles, middle half 4,000 to 35,000
2. Engine17,000median 16,750 miles, middle half 8,000 to 32,000
3. Forward collision avoidance4,000median 3,900 miles, middle half 200 to 8,000
4. Steering19,000median 19,146 miles, middle half 6,000 to 36,000
5. Transmission and driveline18,000median 18,000 miles, middle half 11,000 to 47,000
6. Suspension31,000median 31,400 miles, middle half 11,000 to 62,000

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 17,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The electrical system accounts for 23.5% of complaints (556 reports, 58 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 15,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,000 and 35,198 miles.

The engine accounts for 13.1% of complaints (311 reports, 40 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 16,750 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,100 and 32,000 miles.

Forward collision avoidance accounts for 8.1% of complaints (191 reports, 10 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 3,900 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 200 and 8,000 miles.

The steering accounts for 7.3% of complaints (174 reports, 21 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 19,146 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 5,900 and 36,000 miles.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.1% of complaints (168 reports, 28 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 18,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 10,782 and 46,811 miles.

The suspension accounts for 4.8% of complaints (114 reports, 16 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 31,400 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 11,000 and 61,600 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2023 model year drew the most — 674 complaints — while 2025 drew the fewest at 126. The median year sits at 473.

One caveat on the year figures: in 2021, 2022, the manufacturer sold both this generation and the previous one at the same time, and NHTSA records do not distinguish between them. Complaints filed under that year may describe either vehicle.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 34 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around the reversing camera and sensors (6), the airbag system (5), the exterior lighting (4). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 2,370 complaints filed against this generation, 97 reported a crash; 16 reported a fire; 64 reported an injury; 3 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 4.1% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 41% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.

On inspection, the electrical system and the engine are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The electrical system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 15,500, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

By model year

Recalls (34)

What owners reported

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds over bumpy road surfaces the front end of the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on two separate occasions. The dealer test-drove the vehicle on a road surface that was not bumpy, and…

2021 · 20 miles · Suspension

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-25 MPH, the GPS navigator screen inadvertently turned blank. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the…

2021 · 31 miles · Electrical system

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that he had to manually hold the high-beam headlights switch with his left hand while driving for the high-beam headlights to operate as needed. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights would deactivate and not operate as needed without the switch…

2021 · 100 miles · Exterior lighting

I was driving my new Grand Cherokee with 121 miles on the odometer. As i was moving forward with the vehicle in drive and was attempting to turn around to- re-enter a highway the engine stopped. I immediately put the vehicle in park and attempted to restart the vehicle numerous times with no luck. The vehicle was…

2021 · 121 miles · Steering

Built from 243 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page

Other generations

• Grand Cherokee 1993–1998
• Grand Cherokee 1999–2004
• Grand Cherokee 2005–2010
• Grand Cherokee 2011–2020