2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems: Electrical (1,640 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee is Electrical (36% of 1,640 owner reports). There are 11 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 1,640 complaints · 11 recalls
What problems show up on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
594 of 1,640 filings named Electrical (36% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (215 reports).
There are 11 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Electrical, and Engine. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2011 has 1,638 reports on file; this year has 1,640. 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 594 complaints · 36.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 45
- Fires 105
- Injuries 34
- Deaths 0
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) | 594 | 36.2% | 0 crashes · 73 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 215 | 13.1% | 14 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 190 | 11.6% | 3 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 167 | 10.2% | 1 crashes · 14 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 85 | 5.2% | 4 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 74 | 4.5% | 3 crashes · 2 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 32 | 2.0% | 0 crashes · 9 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 29 | 1.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 25 | 1.5% | 7 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 218 | 13.3% | 8 crashes · 6 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 14V104000 was reported 788 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V391000 was reported 385 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V634000 was reported 483 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V879000 was reported 929 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V435000 was reported 1,489 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17E061000 was reported 2,025 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 80 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 85 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 81 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 90 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 124 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 47 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 49 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 54 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 64 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 37 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 52 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 56 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 11V487000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V104000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V154000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V391000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V634000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V115000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V879000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V435000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V572000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17E061000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V813000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE12020 | |
| 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 (11)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Brakes, Electrical, and Engine.
-
Recall campaign 11V487000
Safety recall 11V487000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- CONNECTING ROD FAILURE MAY LEAD TO ENGINE SEIZURE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 18, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
-
Recall campaign 14V104000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- If the driver experiences a hard brake pedal, the driver may not push the pedal as intended, lengthening the distance needed to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS module software, free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number associated with this recall is P05.
-
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 14V634000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will replace the alternator, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P60.
-
Recall campaign 15V115000
Safety recall 15V115000
- 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. The recall began on August 7, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R09. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 14V-530. 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 17E061000
Engine
- Report date
- Component:
- Engine (ENGINE)
- Consequence:
- A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. Owners may contact ATI customer service at 1-913-338-2886.
-
Recall campaign 17V435000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the alternator fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. There is also the possibility that the alternator may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator and depending on the part number, will replace the alternator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T36.
-
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 6 of 1,640 complaints · page 1 of 66
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The engine / power cuts off with no warning causing steering to lock up to left & brakes lock up causing the vehicle to veer to the left and unable to use brake to stop vehicle. Happens randomly while driving which makes it unsafe to operate to drive.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The alternator failed. It was the Safety Recall P60 (NHTSA 14V-634) remedy alternator, installed by an authorized FCA dealer when the recall was completed on 08/30/2021, as FCA confirmed in writing. On 09/24/2026, at 41,275 miles, the vehicle had no electrical power and would not start. An independent New York State registered repair facility diagnosed the failure as "no power," "not starting," and "bad alternator (burning)," and replaced the alternator assembly the same day. The remedy alternator failed about 5 years after installation. The vehicle averages under 3,000 miles per year. The mileage at installation is in FCA's records and is UNKNOWN to me. Safety risk: the P60 recall states that these alternator diodes can fail rapidly with no output or a short to ground, which can disable ABS, electronic stability control, and the engine and body controllers, and can cause vehicle shutdown while driving and an underhood electrical fire, with limited or no warning to the driver. This failure is consistent with that description: total loss of power and a burning alternator. Had it failed while driving, the vehicle could have shut down in traffic. Warning lamps or symptoms before the failure: UNKNOWN. Availability of the removed alternator for inspection: UNKNOWN. FCA has not inspected the vehicle or the component. It declined to cover the repair, first stating that the recall was completed and no recall is open, then stating that completed recall repairs are covered for only 24 months. It made no finding that this failure differs from the recall condition. In its 14V-634 report, FCA stated that the remedy alternators used the same diodes as its 180 amp alternator, which it said did not exhibit the condition. In 2017, FCA recalled 180 amp alternators (NHTSA 17V-435) for diode thermal fatigue. I ask NHTSA to evaluate whether P60 remedy alternators are failing in service and whether the P60 remedy was adequate.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Recall R71 was marked as completed on this vehicle, but the headliner caught fire exactly as described in the original defect narrative. SUV caught fire, blew up and took out four other vehicles and a parking structure.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Here’s the final version of your NHTSA complaint text — rewritten for clarity, precision, and compliance. You can copy and paste this directly into the “Description of the Problem” box on the NHTSA form.Recall Number: V62 – Fuel Pump RelayMy Jeep is under recall V62 for the fuel pump relay. Stellantis confirmed that the recall is active and that the remedy is listed as “available” in their system.However, Stellantis has not provided the recall repair. The recall agent told me: • “If the part is discontinued, you will be looking for an aftermarket part.” • “I cannot look [up discontinuation] in my system.” • “We need to hear it from the dealership.” • “We can try filing for reimbursement.”These statements conflict with 49 U.S.C. § 30120, which requires the manufacturer to remedy the defect without charge, even if the part is discontinued, and to provide repair, replacement, or refund if repair cannot be completed.Stellantis is shifting responsibility to me to locate parts, refusing to verify part availability, and delaying the recall remedy. The recall remedy is listed as available, yet Stellantis will not provide it.I am requesting NHTSA intervention to ensure Stellantis complies with federal recall law and provides the required remedy.✅ Component to select: Fuel/Propulsion System ✅ Crash / Fire / Injury / Death: Select “No” for al Recall: Yes → Enter “V62”Manufacturer failed to remedy: YesOnce you submit, NHTSA will assign a case number and forward your complaint to Stellantis for formal response.If you’d like, I can help you draft a follow‑up letter to Stellantis referencing your NHTSA case or create a summary of violations for your records.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee suddenly was stalling, and would not re-start, especially when turning the steering. AAA Tech diagnosed as High Diode Ripple Voltage in the Alternator, damaging the Battery. Needed to Replace both Alternator and Battery at a cost of $1068. Car was recalled under T36, and the repair has a repeat failure again. Jeep Declined to repair or re-imburse the repair costs. More importantly its still a major safety issue, and Jeep is failing their legal obligation to provide a permanent fix, not a temporary fix.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Alternator smoking. it is available for inspection. Filled interior of vehicle with smoke the engine stopped running while driving. Took to dealership for a 2nd sun visor recall and had them diagnose the smoking alternator. The voltage light came on just before the alternator started smoking
Jeep Grand Cherokee Complaint Counts by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners named Electrical most often — 594 of 1,640 reports (36%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA lists 11 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Electrical, and Engine. 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 2012 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.