Last updated: 2026-10-10
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Toyota Highlander: Reliability Compared
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander comes out ahead of the Jeep Grand Cherokee on reliability, with a clear edge. Repair costs run lower, and it has fewer recalls and fewer owner complaints. Both land in good standing, so the gap is real but not a gulf.
How Do the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Toyota Highlander is more reliable than the Jeep Grand Cherokee, scoring 73/100 vs 66/100.
A clear edge goes to the Highlander. Both models stand well, and both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year with a 13% chance that a repair is major. The Highlander pulls ahead on everything else: lower yearly repair cost, fewer recalls across the same nine model years, and fewer complaints per 10,000 sold. The Grand Cherokee's complaints also lean toward frightening failures, such as sudden acceleration, steering cutting out, and engine shutoffs while driving. The Highlander has serious items of its own, but the Jeep carries more of them.
Key Differences
- 1Toyota Highlander costs $177 less per year to repair
- 2Toyota Highlander has 31 fewer total recalls
- 3Toyota Highlander scores 7 points higher in reliability
Category Scoreboard
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Toyota Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Jeep Grand Cherokee | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 66/100 | 73/100 |
| Years Tracked | 9 | 9 |
| Total Recalls | 97 | 66 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 6.8 | 5.8 |
| Annual Repair Cost | $666/yr | $489/yr |
| Repair Frequency | 0.3/yr | 0.3/yr |
| Major Repair Risk | 13% | 13% |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2026 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 1 | 8 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander?
Loss of control dominates the Jeep's worst reports. Owners describe sudden acceleration while parking, engines shutting off while driving, electric power steering cutting out, and transmissions that slip, lunge, or need full replacement. Camshaft and rocker arm wear on the 3.6L Pentastar V6 is the top engine complaint. The Highlander's problems are more specific. Its transmission whines and then fails after the 60,000-mile warranty, brakes can seem to surge at low speed, and front bumper covers detach on the highway. Its air bag complaints are the most worrying, with front impacts that often show no deployment. Steering is a crash-linked problem area for the Grand Cherokee only.
| Component | Jeep Grand Cherokee | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2.2Low | 0.4Very Low |
| POWER TRAIN | 0.7Very Low | 1.5Low |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 0.9Very Low | 0.8Very Low |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 0.5Very Low | 0.5Very Low |
| STEERING | 0.6Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| AIR BAGS | 0.2Very Low | 0.5Very Low |
| ENGINE | 0.4Very Low | 0.2Very Low |
| STRUCTURE | —None | 0.5Very Low |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | —None | 0.3Very Low |
| SUSPENSION | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 0.1Very Low | 0.1Very Low |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| SEATS | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FUEL SYSTEM | —None | 0.1Very Low |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | —None | —None |
| LANE DEPARTURE | —None | —None |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | —None | —None |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | —None |
| TIRES | —None | —None |
| SEAT BELTS | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Jeep Grand Cherokee or Toyota Highlander?
How Does Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Toyota Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Jeep Grand Cherokee | Toyota Highlander | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 70/1002R / 0C | 84/1000R / 0C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2025 | 75/1003R / 59C | 76/1008R / 40C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2024 | 66/10020R / 204C | 67/10016R / 198C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2023 | 63/10022R / 363C | 73/10013R / 140C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2022 | 62/10014R / 192C | 74/1007R / 186C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2021 | 63/10015R / 427C | 70/1006R / 403C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2020 | 72/1003R / 207C | 71/1008R / 269C | Jeep Grand Cherokee |
| 2019 | 67/1007R / 336C | 70/1003R / 414C | Toyota Highlander |
| 2018 | 60/10011R / 804C | 72/1005R / 242C | Toyota Highlander |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee scored 72/100 and the 2022 Toyota Highlander scored 74/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Jeep Grand Cherokee vs the Toyota Highlander?
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Toyota Highlander: Common Questions
- Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?
- No. The Highlander has a clear edge. Both are in good standing, but the Highlander has lower repair costs, fewer recalls, and fewer complaints per 10,000 sold. Shop-visit frequency and the chance of a major repair are the same for both.
- Which has more recalls, the Grand Cherokee or the Highlander?
- The Grand Cherokee has more. Federal recall records show 97 recalls across nine model years, against 66 for the Highlander. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls, since owners often reported the Highlander's bumper cover repair part as unavailable for months.
- Which costs less to repair?
- The Highlander costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $489 a year for it and $666 for the Grand Cherokee. Over five years that is roughly $885 less. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year.
- What is the biggest Highlander problem to watch for?
- The transmission is the biggest. Owners report a high-pitched whine under acceleration that grows until the transmission fails, mostly just past 60,000 miles. Dealers quote $8,500 to $10,000, and some owners waited months for a backordered unit.
- What goes wrong most often on the Grand Cherokee?
- Electrical complaints lead, with 846 reports. The most serious are sudden acceleration while parking and engines shutting off while driving. Transmission trouble, power steering cutting out, and camshaft and rocker arm wear on the 3.6L V6 are also common.
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Decided between Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Highlander
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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