Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable than the Honda Passport?

No. The Passport has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its model years against 97 for the Grand Cherokee, and its repair costs are lower. Both models share the same good standing and the same 0.3 shop visits per year, so the gap comes from recalls, cost and crash-linked complaints.

Which has more recalls, the Grand Cherokee or the Passport?

The Grand Cherokee has far more. Federal recall records list 97 recalls across 9 model years for the Jeep and 29 across 8 model years for the Passport. Check any used car's VIN for open recalls before buying, whichever model you choose.

Which costs less to repair?

The Passport. Independent repair-cost data shows about $521 a year for the Passport and $666 for the Grand Cherokee. Over five years that is roughly $725 less. The Grand Cherokee also carries a 13% chance that a given repair is major.

What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?

Owners most often report the engine failing to restart after Auto Idle Stop, which can leave the car stuck in an intersection. Phantom braking is next. Dealers often cannot reproduce it, and a front camera fault can switch off collision braking, with owners quoting $1,800 to $2,500 to fix it.

What goes wrong most on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Electrical complaints lead, at 846, with sudden acceleration while parking the most serious pattern. Transmission trouble, including harsh shifts and full replacements, and electric steering that cuts out also appear. On the 3.6L Pentastar V6, camshaft and rocker arm wear is the most repeated engine failure.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda Passport

Good

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Good

Reliability favors the Honda Passport over the Jeep Grand Cherokee, with far fewer recalls and a lower repair bill. Both rate good overall. The Jeep's larger count of crash-linked complaints on brakes, steering and electrical systems widens the gap.

How Do the Honda Passport and Jeep Grand Cherokee Generations Compare?

Most used Passports you will see belong to the third generation, which ran from the 2019 through 2025 model years and got a facelift for 2022. The 2019 and 2020 cars came at the start of that run and are the weakest years. The fourth generation (YF9) began with the 2026 model year. For the Grand Cherokee, the fourth generation (WK2) covered 2011 through 2022, so 2018 to 2020 cars sit late in that run. The fifth generation (WL) began with 2021 and overlapped the WK2 for two model years, so confirm which body a 2021 or 2022 car has.

Verdict

The Honda Passport is more reliable than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, scoring 74/100 vs 66/100.

Reliability favors the Honda Passport, and the edge is clear. Both land in good standing, but the Passport has far fewer recalls and costs less to keep running. The Grand Cherokee's complaints also include more serious failures: sudden acceleration, steering that cuts out, and transmissions that need full replacement. The Passport has its own faults, mainly phantom braking and engine restart trouble after idle-stop. Those show up with far fewer crash reports. For a shopper who wants fewer surprises, the Passport is the safer bet.

Key Differences

1Honda Passport costs $145 less per year to repair
2Honda Passport has 68 fewer total recalls
3Honda Passport scores 8 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

3Honda Passport

—

1Jeep Grand Cherokee

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Passport	Jeep Grand Cherokee
Reliability Score	74/100	66/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	29	97
Complaints per 10k Sold	11.6	6.8
Annual Repair Cost	$521/yr	$666/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Year Wins	6	2

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Passport and Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Crash-linked reports separate these two. Both models have crash-linked complaints in all five main problem areas, but the Grand Cherokee's counts are much larger. Its list includes sudden acceleration in parking spots, electric steering that cuts out, a front brake that locked during a swerve, and Pentastar V6 cam and rocker arm wear. The Passport's top complaints are an engine that will not restart after Auto Idle Stop, phantom braking, a transmission that drops into neutral, and front rotors that wear out within a few thousand miles. Phantom braking is tied to one crash.

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Passport	Jeep Grand Cherokee
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.6Low	2.2Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.2Low	0.9Very Low
POWER TRAIN	1.2Low	0.7Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	1.4Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	1Very Low	0.5Very Low
ENGINE	0.7Very Low	0.4Very Low
STEERING	0.1Very Low	0.6Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.5Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.2Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None
TIRES	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	0.1Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Passport or Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Repair costs favor the Passport by $145 a year. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $521, against $666 for the Grand Cherokee, which adds up to about $725 over five years. Both models see 0.3 unscheduled shop visits per year, so the gap comes from the cost of each repair, not how often you go. The Grand Cherokee has a 13% chance that a repair is major. No major-repair figure is given for the Passport.

How Does Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Passport	Jeep Grand Cherokee	Edge
2026	84/1000R / 0C	70/1002R / 0C	Honda Passport
2025	82/1000R / 11C	75/1003R / 59C	Honda Passport
2024	79/1001R / 12C	66/10020R / 204C	Honda Passport
2023	75/1004R / 24C	63/10022R / 363C	Honda Passport
2022	74/1003R / 45C	62/10014R / 192C	Honda Passport
2021	68/1005R / 119C	63/10015R / 427C	Honda Passport
2020	68/1008R / 84C	72/1003R / 207C	Jeep Grand Cherokee
2019	59/1008R / 253C	67/1007R / 336C	Jeep Grand Cherokee

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Passport scored 79/100 and the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee scored 72/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Passport vs the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Buy the Passport if you want the lower-risk choice. It has fewer recalls, a lower repair bill, and fewer serious crash reports. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 cars rate best, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven. Test the idle-stop restart and ask whether the front rotors have been replaced. Watch the camera system, because owners quote $1,800 to $2,500 to fix a front camera fault. Pick the Grand Cherokee only if you will check the car closely. Its 2020 model year is a strong one, while 2018 and 2022 are the weakest and are best avoided. Have a shop inspect the transmission, the steering and the 3.6L V6 for ticking or misfires. Ask for recall completion records, since the Jeep has far more recalls than the Passport.

Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee: Common Questions

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable than the Honda Passport?: No. The Passport has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its model years against 97 for the Grand Cherokee, and its repair costs are lower. Both models share the same good standing and the same 0.3 shop visits per year, so the gap comes from recalls, cost and crash-linked complaints.
Which has more recalls, the Grand Cherokee or the Passport?: The Grand Cherokee has far more. Federal recall records list 97 recalls across 9 model years for the Jeep and 29 across 8 model years for the Passport. Check any used car's VIN for open recalls before buying, whichever model you choose.
Which costs less to repair?: The Passport. Independent repair-cost data shows about $521 a year for the Passport and $666 for the Grand Cherokee. Over five years that is roughly $725 less. The Grand Cherokee also carries a 13% chance that a given repair is major.
What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?: Owners most often report the engine failing to restart after Auto Idle Stop, which can leave the car stuck in an intersection. Phantom braking is next. Dealers often cannot reproduce it, and a front camera fault can switch off collision braking, with owners quoting $1,800 to $2,500 to fix it.
What goes wrong most on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?: Electrical complaints lead, at 846, with sudden acceleration while parking the most serious pattern. Transmission trouble, including harsh shifts and full replacements, and electric steering that cuts out also appear. On the 3.6L Pentastar V6, camshaft and rocker arm wear is the most repeated engine failure.

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Decided between Honda Passport and Jeep Grand Cherokee? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Honda Passport and Jeep Grand Cherokee

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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