2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 2,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

I had stopped at a red light and the auto start/stop turned off the car. It would not restart. The fault caused it to stay in Park and could not get out of Park to move vehicle. This not only caused a road hazard but made me and others unsafe. The cause was a enclosed fuse box that made batteries go bad. I feel Jeep should be responsible…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Constant problems with starter engaging and not starting vehicle. This form only gave me one option for date; This has happened multiple times. This is a defective part, I went to Dick Scott dealership, tech wrote to check car and did not note defective starter; Wanted me to pay $118 to inspect the jeep. In the warranty jargon, it stated…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Steering is erratic while driving. Car is shifting left and right by itself while driving down the road feeling like the tires want to go different directions from one another. Steering wheel makes noticeable movement on its own left and right while going down a straight smooth road.Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while making a left-hand turn, the wheels on the vehicle failed to follow the trajectory of the movement and failed to function as intended, and moved toward the curb. The vehicle came to a stop when it hit the curb. It was unknown if any warning lights were…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 127,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 21,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

Oil Filter Housing/Oil Cooler Failure Causing Oil and Coolant Contamination, Serpentine Belt Failure, and Engine Overheating My 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo E, equipped with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine, has developed a significant oil leak originating from the oil filter housing/oil cooler assembly. A mechanic has identified this…Owner complaint, filed 2026

-Thermostat -car died in traffic -not that I know of -it was diagnosed by the dealer -no warning lights or lamps -not that I’m aware ifOwner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 31,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The failure was a persistent failure. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 65,000 miles

Repeated cam shaft failure. The vehicle had a sudden loss of power. This has happenbed three times in the last 12 months. It is currently at a stellantis dealership in michigan. There is usually n o prior warning. The check engine light comes on as soon as the issue starts.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (19), Warning (15), Assist (13).

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

My son’s car drifted to the right past the white line and he ended up hitting a hydrant and continued at least 100 ft before stopping. Our dash cam showed a slow smooth drift to the right without any lane assist being activated to pull the car back. All safety features were activated and turned on the day we bought the car for him. It…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Software update was pushed on or around 11/22/2024. After update front collision system warning light on dash. Doors fail to auto lock when driving off. Options to toggle front pedestrian breaking now missing that would turn off the light. Jeep Facebook groups show multiple people with same year having the same problem after software…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 18,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving back from the airport and as it began to get dark, it became apparent I had no headlights. I somehow managed to drive the last two hours home on parking lights and lights from other vehicles.I took it to a Chrysler Jeep dealership Goldies in Huntington, West Virginia. The exam that I put a bulb in the driver side. In the…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the headlight switch set to the Automatic Off/On position, the headlights blinked continuously, the bulb became red, and then the headlights became inoperable. While the headlight switch was in the on position, the headlights operated…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 70,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving 65 MPH on a highway in high traffic and the Fuel propulsion system failed without any lights or warning. It just stop responding to accerlation. It was extremely dangerous and CDOT had to come rescue us. We are lucky we were not hurt or killed. The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee is only 5 years old and has 46,000 miles on it. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026

On [XXX] while driving in northeastern colorado on hevily traveled [XXX] without warnin lamps, messages or other symptoms my vehicle stopped running. I was in a lane of traffic and since car had stalled out I had limited steering, braking etc. I did manage to get my vehicle out of the lane of traffic, however, still close to traffice…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 32,000 miles

Upon parking my car in my driveway (which has a slight slope), I put it in park and turned it off. I then opened my door and got out. Before I could close the door my car began to roll backwards and I had to jump back in the car to stop it very quickly. The door was open and got caught on the cement wall that lines my driveway as it…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 36,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Every time I hit a bumb or hole. The back end slides around. I’ve almost wrecked 100 times. And my tires wear down on tge back. Pleaee do something befor I kill someone or myself. The jeep is not safe. This is my 4 jeep and have had alot of problemsOwner complaint, filed 2026

Over the past year, I've noticed a suspension-related squeak - increasing in frequency - coming from the rear of my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited vehicle. I brought this to the attention of the Jeep dealer service dept where I purchased the vehicle, as well as to another independent auto repair shop, and both indicated they could not…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The leather of the dash that covers the airbag area has become unglued completely and is wrinkled all across the dash, and I am concerned the safety crash features will not work correctly now with premature failure of the adhesives that hold such a large area on the dash.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact was informed that there were no records indicating…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 27,914 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

When the cruise control is activated and the set(+) button to accelerate the car continues to accelerate after the button is released. The vehicle will accelerate to 100mph or higher. I have to deactivate the cruise control to get it to stop accelerating. The vehicle is available for inspection. +Unsafe to use cruise control for fear of…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling abnormally fast. Additionally, the contact stated that upon releasing the brake pedal, while the vehicle was in drive(D), the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact stated while driving 25-35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal to make a…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 53,354 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Driver's seat belt retractor doesn't retract all of the time. Hangs up & leaves slack. Bought car & wasn't as bad. Didn't talk to dealer until now. Drove car 800 miles & 4 months since purchase. Dealer service dept says no extended warranty etc. I'm past the original warranty period & the 3 month certified used car warranty. Car was sold…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Passenger seat lumbar inflated out and won't go back down. It has also popped off the back plastic on the seat. This is a known issue as we have found multiple incidents online. It is causing discomfort and pain when sitting. No inspections yet as we fear it could cost thousands to fix with less than 50k miles on the vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to formally notify you of a serious and dangerous safety defect involving the vehicle I purchased from Carvana on February 2, 2026. On April 9, 2026, while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, my truck stopped abruptly after experiencing a critical wheel failure. Upon exiting the vehicle, I notice that…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Manufacturer's full size tire as made by Nexen was defect from the factory and is unsafe to use. However neither the Jeep Dealer nor the Tire manufacturer will make good on a replacement. The Full Size Spare has never been used and has over 7 parallel gouges on the inner sidewall. It came like that from the dealer. No one wants to make…Owner complaint, filed 2024

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

My 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit with approximately 39,000 miles. The leather dashboard is delaminating and separating from the substrate. My Jeep dealer has inspected it and checked my VIN. They confirmed that Jeep previously provided extended coverage for essentially this type of dashboard delamination on 2011, 2014 Grand Cherokees…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to use the key fob to open the hatch, the hatch failed to open. The contact opened the hatch manually, and a bolt became loose, and the hatch struck the contact on the back. The contact’s back was sore from the impact and hurt…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 82,000 miles