2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems and Recalls (1,638 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is Electrical (32% of 1,638 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Electrical — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,638 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
526 of 1,638 filings named Electrical (32% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (237 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2010 has 114 reports on file; this year has 1,638. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Electrical 526 complaints · 32.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 53
- Fires 61
- Injuries 47
- Deaths 2
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 526 | 32.1% | 2 crashes · 36 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 237 | 14.5% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 203 | 12.4% | 3 crashes · 6 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 189 | 11.5% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 68 | 4.2% | 5 crashes · 1 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 67 | 4.1% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 36 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 32 | 2.0% | 15 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 31 | 1.9% | 6 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 251 | 15.3% | 3 crashes · 11 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 14V391000 was reported 1,378 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V879000 was reported 1,922 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 51 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 61 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 51 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 63 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 196 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 197 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 50 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V154000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V391000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V530000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V879000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V572000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V813000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE13027 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA14001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP14004 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ15003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE19014 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical.
-
Recall campaign 14V154000
Safety recall 14V154000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- The water inside could freeze and limit the braking ability of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a water diverter shield to the booster after the booster has been tested to confirm it can hold an acceptable amount of vacuum pressure. If the booster inspection confirms an unacceptable loss of vacuum pressure, the booster will be replaced. Repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall campaign number is P14.
-
Recall campaign 14V391000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the vanity lamp wiring shorts, there is an increased risk of fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair any damaged wiring, and install a new sun visor that properly routes the wire, free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P36.
-
Recall campaign 14V530000
Safety recall 14V530000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump relay with one external to the TIPM, free of charge. The recall began December 19, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P54. Note: This recall has been superseded by recall 19V813.
-
Recall campaign 15V879000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- The vanity lamp wiring may short, increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealer will install clearance for sun visor wiring, protection from sharp edges, and replace the sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R71.
-
Recall campaign 17V572000
Safety recall 17V572000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the brake booster shield was not installed properly, the vehicle's braking ability may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake booster shield, correcting the installation as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November10, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T59.
-
Recall campaign 19V813000
Safety recall 19V813000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A vehicle stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) will replace the affected fuel pump relay and related wire harness. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed beginning December 19, 2019. Vehicles that experience a fuel pump failure will receive an interim repair. Owners will receive a second notice when the final remedy becomes available. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 10, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V62.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-14
Showing 8 of 1,638 complaints · page 1 of 66
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed, the A/C unit started blowing warm air, with the battery, ABS, and malfunction indicator warning lights illuminated. The vehicle stalled, and the contact to pulled over to the shoulder. Upon inspection, there was extreme heat and a burning odor coming from the engine compartment. A mobile mechanic jumpstarted the vehicle and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The battery was replaced, but the failure recurred immediately after the next start-up. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V435000 (Electrical System); however, the dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car shut off and I can’t get it back on it does not jump I tried replacing the alternator but that’s not it
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owned a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle rear-ended another Jeep vehicle stopped at the red light; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact mentioned that there was no brake pedal depressed in attempts to stop, therefore the vehicle was going at full speed. The windshield washer fluid warning light was flashing, and there was smoke coming from the driver's side front end of the vehicle after the crash. The contact stated that the radiator was caved in due to the impact. The contact did not sustain major injuries. The vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. A police report was filed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000. The VIN and the License plate numbers were not available.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Car has died while driving 4 times in the last 3 years. Complete loss of power WHILE driving. Lost of power steering, loss of brakes while driving. Chrystler is saying recall was resolved by previous owner but it is still happening. EXTREMELY dangerous. I have paid out of pocket to replace the TIPM (over $3000) and I was not told about the fuel pump relay issue associated and connected with this recall.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I had a recall for my 2011 Jeep grand Cherokee to repair a faulty fuel pump relay causing hard starting now it’s starting to intermittently do the same thing sometimes starts right up then sometimes will crank a long time before starting. This is what it was doing before they did the recall now it’s doing it again
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On February 3, Tuesday drove home from work. The battery light came on. I Drove to AutoZone and they placed it on Diagnostic reader. The diagnostic reader said that the battery had no charge. They told me I need a new battery. I replaced the battery. The next morning, I placed the jeep into auto start. So the Jeep can warm up. When I went outside, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood of the Jeep. I quickly turn off the Jeep and pop the hood. My husband open the hood and can see smoke coming from the alternator. He turned around to turn off his vehicle that was running. I started to video recording the incident and stopped it right away when I started to see flames coming out of the alternator. My husband and I quick action was to grab snow that was next to the Jeep to throw it onto the alternator to put the fire out. It took multiple piles of snow that the husband went and grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed the alternator to extinguish the fire. Once the fire was extinguished. We kept an eye out to make sure everything was good. We left the hood up to cool things down. We called morgan Towing to have the Jeep towed to their location to look at the situation. Morgan Towing picked the jeep up on February 4 Wednesday. They replaced the serpentine belt and the alternator. They called us to let us know the Jeep was done. Picked up the Jeep today, February 5 Thursday. I Drove it literally down the street and I can smell strong odor of smoke along with the battery light came back on. I turned back around and brought it back to Morgan Towing. I called my auto insurance and waiting to hear back from them. I am going to call the Dodge Jeep dealership and see what they have to say if if there’s was any recall on the Jeep. Upon my research so far, I didn’t see no recall but again I’m gonna call the dealership.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My right side suspension has a hard time coming up and I can hear it then it eventually get to right level and my car is freaking out have every light come on and the windshield wipers but it doesn't always do it but I have videos. The codes I get say malfunctional control u1403 and other ones
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle accelerated on its own unable to control or stop the vehicle
Jeep Grand Cherokee Complaint Counts by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners named Electrical most often — 526 of 1,638 reports (32%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.