3 Jeep Grand Cherokee Model Years To Avoid At All Costs!
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has long been one of the most popular SUVs. If you’re looking to buy one, you may want to know the Jeep Grand Cherokee years to avoid. Like many vehicles, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has had its share of consumer complaints and recalls over the years. It’s important to be aware of these issues as they may continue to affect the safety and performance of older Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Table of Contents
- What are the worst years for the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- Why Should I Buy A Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- Are Older Jeep Grand Cherokees Reliable?
- Jeep Grand Cherokee Years You Might Want To Avoid
- Learn About The Actual Jeep Grand Cherokee For Sale
What are the worst years for the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Jeep Grand Cherokee years to avoid include 2011, 2014, and 2015. There were numerous complaints and recalls related to engine issues, shifting, airbags, cruise control, brakes, and electrical components during these years.
Though the Jeep Grand Cherokee commonly has recalls and complaints any given year, the problems were more pronounced from 2011 to 2015. This marked the first years of the fourth generation of the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
As with any vehicle, it’s often better to draw from newer models when looking to buy a used Jeep Grand Cherokee. Newer models will generally have more advanced technologies, durable construction, and less mileage.
Why Should I Buy A Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Jeep Grand Cherokees are a great vehicle when it comes to riding comfort, durability, and pricing.
They are good midsize SUVs for drivers that want spacious interiors and all-terrain driving capabilities.
Driving a more dedicated off-road vehicle like a Jeep Wrangler might be too rugged for everyday driving.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee from any year offers a wonderful balance between city and off-road driving.
It works well for everyday commutes and weekend drives to mountains, beaches, and forests.
For these and many other reasons, a new or used Jeep Grand Cherokee can be a great car to buy.
Since it’s generally popular among used car buyers, a Jeep Grand Cherokee should maintain good resale value if you decide to sell it later.
Are Older Jeep Grand Cherokees Reliable?
Though it’s had its share of problems, older Jeep Grand Cherokees from more recent years are usually quite reliable.
Older cars of any make and model will usually have dated engineering and parts, which can make it hard to service at modern auto shops.
So it’s typically wise to stay away from Jeep Grand Cherokee models released before 2009.
Most models from 2009 to the current year are reliable, but there are a few years you might want to avoid.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Years You Might Want To Avoid
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee from 2011 had among the most complaints and recalls from any year since its launch in 1992.
2011 was the first year of Jeep Grand Cherokee’s fourth generation, which may have been a big reason there were so many problems with the car that year.
Each generation of any car often produces new designs, engineering, construction, materials, and electronics, so there are bound to be inefficiencies compared to models within the same generation.
Models within the same generation don’t change as much and often have problems resolved from previous models in the generation.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee had significant issues with electronic components, brakes, and wiring.
There were also complaints about the general style of the car, which is understandable when consumers are presented with a new look and feel.
Many consumers often get attached to certain design elements and may not accept new designs with open arms.
This is generally a subjective problem that takes shape from a consumer’s personal preferences.
Once consumers get accustomed to the new designs and features, many of the complaints will subside.
The electronic issues affect the fuel pump causing sudden stalls around the 50,000-mile mark.
Brake problems with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee came about from rusting in the central brake booster.
Having dependable brakes are important for any vehicle, but it’s especially important for an SUV like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
One of the main selling points for the Jeep Grand Cherokee was its ability to drive through rain, dirt, and other non-standard conditions, so it was a bit alarming for the 2011 model to have problems with braking.
Braking is such a key function when it comes to driving in varied road and weather conditions.
Even if the car can drive smoothly across a given surface, it won’t serve the driver and passengers well if the car doesn’t stop effectively.
The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
After the 2011 model was released, there were fewer issues with the Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014, the Jeep Grand Cherokee saw a resurgence of issues that brought about a significant increase in complaints and recalls.
Though some issues were related to the vehicle’s interior design, I don’t consider style issues to be as much of a problem as functionality issues.
There were plenty of functionality issues with the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee that may raise eyebrows for used car buyers.
Some of the most outstanding issues involved gear shifting and speed control.
Being able to dependably set a vehicle to park, drive, and reverse are crucial for safety and performance.
Anything that affects the accuracy of gear shifting should be a cause of concern for anyone.
The automatic transmission shifter in the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee made it difficult for some drivers to shift gears, particularly putting the car into park.
As a driver that prefers an automatic transmission, I expect gear shifting to be a smoother and safer process compared to manual transmissions.
It can be very dangerous to not be able to put a car into park, especially when many people and vehicles are around.
Putting a car into park is also vital when it comes to parking on sloped surfaces since the car might otherwise roll down and cause a collision.
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee continued to experience problems in 2015 with issues relating to electronics, brakes, transmission, and suspension.
Problems related to electronics tend to occur more in newer vehicles since older models generally have fewer electronics integrated into their construction.
Software connected to electronic components is vulnerable to unauthorized access and other security issues due to programming bugs, malware, and hacking.
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee had software issues that compromised digital control features.
There were also issues with the cruise control system that prevented some drivers from releasing the cruise control.
The continued acceleration of the cruise control made it difficult for drivers to slow down, which presented a major danger to drivers and passengers.
Along with brake and gear shifting issues, the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee had suspension issues that affected the stability of the rear suspension.
Having suspension issues affecting ride quality was surprising for an off-road vehicle like the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Learn About The Actual Jeep Grand Cherokee For Sale
With all the past problems of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, I’d probably still pick any post-2008 model of the car over any previous model since the overall designs and technologies are more modernized in later years.
Also, many of the problems were likely to be fixed through manufacturer recalls and owner servicing.
As a car buyer, you should make sure to get all the maintenance and repair history of any Jeep Grand Cherokee before you buy it.
Though a car may have had problems before, it doesn’t mean they still have those problems.
On the flip side, just because a car had a recall doesn’t mean the owner took the car in for repairs, so you should be mindful of that as well.