2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Reliability Report

Loss of drive at speed is the core complaint. The engine revs but the transmission stops sending power, often on the highway, and the dash tells the driver to shift to park and restart. Other reports describe harsh or confused shifts when cold, a car stuck in its lowest gear, a blinking D indicator, Service Shifter warnings, and lurching when selecting a gear. Several cases start on new cars with only a few thousand miles. Dealers frequently cannot duplicate the fault. One complaint involves a crash.

Internal failures on the 3.6L engine stand out. Blown head gaskets bring misfires, rough idle, and smoke from the tailpipe. Worn lifters, rockers, or camshafts announce themselves with ticking or tapping and a flashing check engine light, with reports between roughly 57,000 and 87,000 miles. Oil cooler and oil adapter leaks also appear, and one was followed by engine failure. Several complaints describe sudden power loss at highway speed, and a few here actually concern the transmission.

A wheel that sticks or seizes mid-drive, then breaks free suddenly, is the main pattern. Reports describe a wheel that will not return to center after a curve or highway merge, often in left turns, and needs extra force to straighten. Mechanics in several cases pointed to the steering rack. Other complaints describe stiff steering when the car's electrical system shuts down while moving. A warning light usually does not appear. Two complaints involve crashes, including one into a guard rail.

Airbags that fail to deploy in serious crashes are the gravest pattern. Reports describe frontal and side impacts that totaled the car with no deployment, and these crashes account for 6 injuries. The more common nuisance is a Service Airbag System warning that flickers on and off, which at least one dealer traced to wiring under the driver's seat. Other reports cite a passenger sensor that does not detect an occupant and a headrest airbag that deployed while the car sat parked.

A front lower control arm separating while driving is the most serious report here, leading to loss of control and a crash. Other complaints describe front-end creaking at low speed, vibration through the wheel and brake pedal on the highway, and steering that pulls hard to one side. Dealers often find nothing. Air suspension service warnings return after repairs. Some complaints filed here concern the open ABS recall, which owners say still lacks parts. Three complaints involve crashes.

Active headrests that burst open with no collision are the main complaint, sometimes with a loud bang while the car is parked or moving. Repair quotes run from $600 to over $800, and owners say a warranty extension covering earlier model years does not apply to this one. Other reports describe a driver's seat bolster collapsing within a year, a burning odor and holes in a rear seat a dealer linked to the heating element, and a second-row seat that lurches forward when released.

Unintended acceleration is the main concern here. Reports describe the car surging on its own, including in reverse, and a gas pedal that stays down after the driver lifts off. No warning lights appear beforehand in these cases. Other complaints describe the transmission dropping into neutral with a shift-to-park message, and power loss traced to a leaking head gasket. Reports are few, but one involves a crash with heavy property damage.