The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a hot-selling SUV from the legendary brand and it did make modern buyers familiar with the Jeep culture. Despite all the popularity along with distinctive American styling, the Grand Cherokee did inherit the curse of FCA in terms of reliability, and the 2016 Grand Cherokee isn’t spared either. Despite numerous reports against the vehicle, the 2016 model has only seen 193 complaints so far which feels negligible in comparison to the 212,273 units sold and there are 7 official recalls as well. The majority of the complaints faced by the current model are related to the powertrain, electrical system, and braking system with the last one being a safety issue. Presently, the SUV competes against the Ford Explorer, the GMC Acadia, and the Chevrolet Traverse.
Jeep Grand Cherokee user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Uncontrollable acceleration: In several 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee models, the owners faced uncontrollable acceleration issues. The failures occurred while driving at slow speeds such as during parking. In several cases, the vehicles started to accelerate uncontrollably right after the transmissions were slotted into drive mode. The failures even caused crashes in some cases as well.
- Engine stalling: A majority of the powertrain-related complaints against the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee mention sudden engine stalls. The complaints state that while driving, the powertrains just stalled without any warning. In some cases, the owners were not able to turn the engines on and had to tow the vehicles.
- Start-stop system failure: Alongside the engine stalling issue, several owners report the start-stop system failure as well. The system malfunctions while driving, causing the engine to stall most of the time.
Electrical problems
- infotainment system and instrument cluster fault: A lot of buyers have faced issues with the infotainment system and the instrument cluster of their Jeep Grand Cherokee. The reports state that the instrument cluster went dark in the affected vehicles all of a sudden and refused to turn back on. The infotainment system issues were that the Uconnect system failed to work correctly.
Safety problems
- Brake squeal: The brake squeal issue has been reported by numerous owners. The issue started in vehicles having low driven miles and repairs from an authorized dealership failed to solve the problem for a lot of owners as well.
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
March 23, 2016 |
16V168000 |
Front Left Brake Caliper May Break |
A cracked brake caliper may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increase the risk of a crash. |
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front left brake caliper and, depending on its casting date, replace it, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on May 12, 2016. |
|
2 |
April 27, 2016 |
16V249000 |
Brake Transmission Shift Interlock Failure |
If the solenoid loses function, the transmission may lock in the Park or Neutral position when the vehicle comes to a stop, possibly rendering the vehicle disabled in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter assembly, free of charge. The recall began on May 27, 2016. |
|
3 |
November 10, 2016 |
16V814000 |
Damaged Fuel Rail Tube may cause Fuel Leak |
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire. |
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly for damage to the fuel rail crossover tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. |
|
4 |
October 19, 2017 |
17E061000 |
Supercharger Bracket may Damage ABS Line |
A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. |
ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. |
|
5 |
May 17, 2018 |
18V332000 |
Cruise Control cannot be Canceled |
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash. |
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began on June 4, 2018. |
|
6 |
August 13, 2020 |
20V475000 |
Crank Position Sensor Tone Wheel may Delaminate |
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. |
FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal if the crankshaft position signal is lost, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. |
|
7 |
November 12, 2020 |
20V699000 |
EGR Cooler May Crack Internally |
Combustion in the intake manifold can increase the risk of a fire. |
FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EGR cooler, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and, as necessary, replace the intake manifold. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on December 21, 2021. A second notification will be mailed when parts are available, currently expected to be around March 11, 2021. The recall began on March 11, 2021. |
Should you buy a used Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one such vehicle that blends comfort with impressive off-roading abilities graciously. Moreover, the upscale cabin ensures that you remain comfortable even if the tarmac beneath you isn’t. Despite all the positive traits, the troublesome reliability side of the SUV has given it a bad name in the segment. Going ahead with a used Grand Cherokee surely involves plenty of risks and you need to conduct an extensive inspection of the vehicle you’ll finalize.
