2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 404 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 16th highest complaint count among 26 Grand Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 20 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 13 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraJun 13, 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Dodge Durango, 2021-2023 Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Ram 1500, 2500, 3500, Chrysler Voyager, 2022-2023 Jeep Compass, Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer, and Ram Promaster vehicles. The radio software may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera image that does not display decreases the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the radio software or the software will be OTA, "Over-The-Air," free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning July 9, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's numbers for this recall are 66B and 79B.
Campaign 24V436000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, front, control arm, upper ball jointFeb 22, 2024
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The upper control arm ball joint and steering knuckle may separate and cause the wheel to fall outward, resulting in a loss of vehicle control.
A loss of vehicle control increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the upper control arm pinch bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 2, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 10B.
Campaign 24V132000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, display functionAug 14, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, and 2022-2024 Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer vehicles. The Central Vision Park Assist module (CVPAM) software may prevent the rearview image from displaying when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview image that does not display while in reverse decreases the driver's visibility of the rear view, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Dealers will update the Central Vision Park Assist Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 31, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 56A.
Campaign 23V577000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rear, springs, coil springsJun 8, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The rear coil springs may have been incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.
Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and if necessary, repair the rear coil spring assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 29, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 64A. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall 26V051. All vehicles will need to have the new recall remedy performed.
Campaign 23V413000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, columnMay 18, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. An incorrectly assembled steering column intermediate shaft may disconnect from the u-joint, and result in a loss of steering control.
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the intermediate shaft and assembly parts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 6, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 58A.
Campaign 23V352000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, tail lightsJul 28, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The tail light side marker assemblies may be damaged and not illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamp, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
A tail light side marker that does not illuminate can reduce vehicle visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace both body-mounted tail light assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 8, 2023. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z50.
Campaign 22V544000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, exhaust system, emission control, gas recirculation valve (egr valve)Apr 28, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee WK, 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles equipped with 3.6L engines. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may stick open, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the EGR valve assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Z31.
Campaign 22V284000 on NHTSA.gov
Child seat, vehicle tether anchorMar 24, 2022
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. These vehicles may have been built with a missing weld from the seat back frame to the child seat tether anchorage. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
A missing weld may allow the child seat tether to separate from the seat frame during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second-row seat back frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Z24.
Campaign 22V180000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, lighting control module, softwareDec 9, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles equipped with smart lighting modules (SLM). An incomplete SLM software update may cause one or both headlights to become inoperable. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Inoperable headlights can reduce visibility for the driver and oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the SLM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y72.
Campaign 21V950000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, air bag/restraint control module, softwareNov 10, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Jeep Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may have incorrect software which can disable the driver, passenger, and knee air bags without warning.
Disabled air bags can increase the risk of injury to occupants in a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the ORC, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 2, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y79.
Campaign 21V873000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, headlightsOct 14, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles not equipped with automatic high beams. When the master lighting switch is set to the auto position, the high beam headlights will not activate unless the master lighting switch is first changed to the 'on" position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Difficulty activating the headlight high beams may result in reduced visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will reprogram the vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 28, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y66.
Campaign 21V797000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, rearview mirrors/devicesSep 21, 2021
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
FCA US LLC will update the radio software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 28, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is Y67.
Campaign 21V729000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
404 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Jun 21, 2024
Vehicle shuts down puts itself in park and applies the parking brake and states that the hood is not closed when it is and has not been opened. It also disable the auto stop/start . It does this at traffic lights or when ever a vehicle comes to a stop creating a potential rear end collision due to having to manually restart the vehicle, disengage the parking brake and put the vehicle in drive.
Seat belts, Jun 11, 2024
Per the Jeep Dealership that currently has my car, they said the Drivers side seatbelt failed, the buckle will not lock. The male part will not go into the female part. There is no foreign object in the female part of the seat belt. My safety is put at risk every moment I'm in the car without a seatbelt on along with it being against the law to not have your seatbelt on. There is no warning lights that came on as the computer thinks the seatbelt is actually clicked in because its broken. A seatbelt should never fail especially on a 3 year old vehicle, however my extended warranty won't cover the "safety restraint system" and Jeep doesn't feel that they should have to replace it either.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 30, 2024
I was driving approximately 55 MPH on the highway when my vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration. I received an alert on the dash and a chime - the alert stated "Shift to P to Start" - with no other warnings and no CEL or Check Engine light. Pressing the gas, even to the floor, did nothing. I was forced to brake the car to a stop on the shoulder, shut off the engine, and restart the vehicle. Afterwards, I experienced some slight hesitation which resolved, and then was able to drive the rest of the trip without issues. Having the vehicle lose all power on the highway without warning is a serious safety issue.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 28, 2024
Vehicle shuts off (engine) randomly during driving. This is the third occurrence. After waiting a few minutes vehicle is ‘fine.’ Dealership is not able to ‘replicate’ the issue. Serious safety issue. How can I operate my vehicle ethically, when I know it could shut off randomly … particularly on a fast moving highway? Dealership says it sees no error codes or issues. My hunch is an issue with the fuel pump? Perhaps a fuel sensor? PLEASE HELP! I am scared to death of driving my vehicle, and I feel I am not being offered the assistance I need. I don’t want to see anyone get hurt. Thank you. Best, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, May 20, 2024
The sunroof glass above the driver/front passenger seats suddenly exploded/shattered while driving on a highway at about 55 mph, for no apparent reason. The sunroof was closed at the time, same as the sun shade underneath it and it was not operated either.
Electrical system, May 17, 2024, fire
On [XXX], at approximately 9:30AM, I was driving my daughter’s 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L (VIN: [XXX]) to my home to detail it for her. After turning onto [XXX] from [XXX], Spring Branch, TX, the digital screens in front of the driver and in the center console turned off and went blank. Approximately 3-5 seconds later, the screens turned on, but then they went blank again after about 5 seconds. At this time, the engine felt as though it was stumbling as though it was running out of fuel. I then began to smell what smelled like melting plastic and then I saw dark colored smoke beginning to come out from under the center console on the right side of the vehicle. I slowed down and looked for a safe place to pull the car off of the road. The entire scenario appeared to have lasted 1-2 minutes, but I really don’t know exactly how long it was before I was able to exit the vehicle. In order to see where I was going, I rolled down the front windows and as soon as I did so, I saw flames appearing from underneath the center console on the right side of the vehicle. I was able to stop the vehicle on the right shoulder of the road and then I placed the vehicle in park and I exited the vehicle. I moved away from the vehicle and called 9-1-1. Bulverde – Spring Branch Fire & EMS and Comal County Sheriff’s Department arrived several minutes later and when they arrived, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Service brakes, May 12, 2024
[XXX] just south of Grapevine, CA, is a 4-lane freeway, speed limit 70 mph. It is quite steep, perhaps 4 or 5 %. It is very heavily traveled, and is used by a large number of 18-wheelers. It has a slow lane on the far right, for trucks and cars pulling trailers. I was in the #1 lane, traveling at 70 mph. About 5 miles south of Grapevine, CA, the car completely lost control of the steering. I came within inches of impacting the guard rail, and hitting a large tractor-trailer. By braking gently, and making greatly exaggerated steering inputs, I was able to maneuver to the slow lane, and, driving at less than 15 mph, was able to get to a truck stop parking lot, where the car was towed to a Jeep dealer. This is the third catastrophic safety failure this car has suffered. The first was explosion of the front transfer case, scattering transmission parts all over the road, the second was the failure of the left front axle boot. which spread grease onto the brake disc. Fortunately, both of these problems occurred at very low speed, so accidents were avoided. This last failure almost killed me, my wife, and my little dog. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Wheels, Engine, May 4, 2024
While driving on the highway Friday [XXX] in the middle lane the whole vehicle just shut down and locked up. Speed roughly about 20-30 mph in rush-hour traffic. No warning lights at all. Full tank of gas. Zero power to anything. Wheels locked up completely. Shifter nonresponsive to try Neutral. No hazard lights. No brake lights. No way of giving other vehicles a warning. Could not open doors or windows. 911 was called to the scene and I was very thankful not to have been seriously injured or lose my life during this whole situation. I was transferred into the fire truck as to get out of traffic. Fire department had to google where to find locking mechanism for the wheels in order to push it over to the right lane. I have a police case number on hand. Vehicle had to be towed to a body shop. The vehicle was sent into service TWICE before for electrical/battery issues in March & April of 2024. Service Dealership: BROWN DODGE-CHRY-JEEP INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Apr 30, 2024, crash
April 8th 2024 jeep was at total stop then car jolted forward and unable to stop the vehicle from driving forward lost control of car until it hit a car then fence then a brick wall total loss both air bags deployed
Steering, Suspension, Apr 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the dealer determined that the upper control arm pinch bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Exterior lighting, Apr 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver alerted the contact that the taillights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Other or unspecified, Apr 17, 2024
I was driving my usual route home from work during rush hour on [XXX] in Seattle, Wa when my sunroof glass exploded on my 2021 Grand Jeep Cherokee. My first thought was that a tire had blown, it was so loud! Experiencing no loss of control, I quickly realized that the sound was my sunroof glass disintegrating when I heard glass shards rattling overhead. Thankfully my sliding visor was closed as I usually have this open. Of course had it been open I would have had glass shower down on me causing an accident and possibly seriously damaging my vision! I got home safely where I called my car insurance to report what happened. I asked if they wanted me to send photos of the exploded sunroof glass they told me there was no need since it should be a simple fix. Well it has not been so. Insurance sent me to a local collision shop a few days later which turned me away since there was no collision. I called several glass places after this myself and was told by each one they don't deal with replacing sunroof glass. I contacted a Jeep dealership told them my situation, what had happened. The dealership scheduled for me to come in 30 plus days for an inspection since that was first availability. I called several dealerships to try to get seen earlier they were all a month out give or take for appointments. Given the suddenness of the explosion and the apparent absence of any external cause, it seems to me that it was caused by a manufacturing flaw, or design defect, in the glass or its frame. Although I am a longtime owner and fan of Jeep vehicles I find that this was unacceptable since this is obviously a potential safety issue, as well as a major inconvenience. I also feel Jeep should cover the expense on this! I owned a Jeep Compass prior to my Grand Cherokee that had a sunroof and never had an issue. I don't want this to happen to others and this goes for anyone who has a sunroof that this could happen without any warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering, Suspension, Apr 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Steering, Suspension, Apr 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the dealer determined that the upper control arm pinch bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
One day I smelled something burning after driving. I didn't see anything the first time but i kept smelling the burning smell and noticed a few days later oil dripping from underneath the car. Oil made its way ALL under the car, it traveled on various parts and created an oil coating. I made an appt to the Jeep dealership (Keffer jeep in Charlotte, NC) and they said the oil cooler failed. There were no obvious signs other than a slow leak from under the car, no warning lights, no change in performance. However had I not noticed coolant could have mixe in with oil and ruined the engine. Less than 32,000 miles on the car when it occured.
Steering, Suspension, Apr 9, 2024
There is an open recall and a remedy was released about 2 weeks ago. I have attempted to get this fixed but the dealership stated the manufacturer will only allow each dealership to order two parts at a time. There is an extensive waitlist resulting in the issue to continue without fixing it in a timely manner and continuing to put mine and my family’s lives at risk as well as other motorists.
Suspension, Exterior lighting, Air bags, Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V544000 (Exterior Light), 21V873000 (Air Bags), 23V413000 (Suspension) and 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Seats, Apr 1, 2024
Seat started moving to the 1st saved memory position while driving. This happened over and over and over until I got home. Now the seat memory for the 1st position has stopped working and number 2 is what the 1st use to be.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 28, 2024, crash
UNKNOWN, reared ended an 18 wheeler and the findings do not show that forward collision or steering operated to prevent the accident.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Service brakes, Air, Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would vibrate without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they discovered that all the vehicle's brake rotors had warped and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance module was not working as needed. The contact stated that the warning light illuminated and remained illuminated without any vehicles being nearby. Additionally, the light remained illuminated and failed to deactivate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with defective wiring and that the Forward Collision Avoidance module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Steering, Suspension, Mar 6, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Seat belts, Mar 6, 2024
Driver seat belt is very slow some times it stops the door from closing service said need new belt Jeep only had 16000 miles on it Waiting for call from them Plus if its safty part should be on recall?
Wheels, Mar 4, 2024
I was notified that my vehicle is involved in a recall for Potential Steering Knuckle separation. I proceeded to contact Jeep (both dealer and Recall department) to know what is going to be done about this. I proceeded to inform the agent that I was concerned with my safety regarding this recall, and was told by the agent that at the moment they have no means to repair the problem, they cannot provide me a solution in regards to a safer car, and if the car had issues related to this recall that I would just have to deal with it. The company denied providing me a lease or rented car in the mean time, denied me any timeline for a solution and disregarded my safety concerns regarding this risk. I am and my family is at risk of serious injury/death in the event that the wheel can fall outward while driving as a loss of “clamp load” defects.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 3, 2024
It has been observed that the antifreeze and oil are intermixing in the antifreeze reservoir, causing the check engine light to illuminate and the system to register a code of PC304. This particular code is indicative of a cylinder misfire, which can cause the car to stop functioning properly and eventually lead to potential engine damage. To resolve this issue, it is imperative to replace the oil cooler filter adapter and flush the engine. This will ensure that the antifreeze and oil are no longer mixing and the engine is functioning efficiently. Therefore, it is highly recommended to take immediate action and get the necessary repairs done to avoid any further damage to the engine.