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2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 56.5.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 9 of 78 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports

Power Train complaints

12 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 14, 2026
Power Train

On April 24,2026 , as pull out my driveway heading to work only to get a 1/4 mile from home car stopped in highway. As I power and restarted tried to select a different gear never went in gear. Towed by to dealership as confirmed transmission was stuck with inly 67000. They replaced with new transmission & drive shaft, costing…

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On April 24,2026 , as pull out my driveway heading to work only to get a 1/4 mile from home car stopped in highway. As I power and restarted tried to select a different gear never went in gear. Towed by to dealership as confirmed transmission was stuck with inly 67000. They replaced with new transmission & drive shaft, costing over $7,000. Warranty company paid part of rent car but still out of $300

NHTSA ODI #11737978

Mileage unknown · May 5, 2026
Power Train

I brought my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L to the dealership for its scheduled ~40,000 mile service. During that visit, I specifically reported that something felt off with the transmission/drivetrain. The dealership inspected the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. Approximately one week later, the vehicle experienced a…

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I brought my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L to the dealership for its scheduled ~40,000 mile service. During that visit, I specifically reported that something felt off with the transmission/drivetrain. The dealership inspected the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. Approximately one week later, the vehicle experienced a sudden and severe drivetrain failure. While driving approximately 45 mph on a surface street and accelerating to cruising speed, the vehicle began shaking violently. There were loud mechanical noises from underneath the vehicle consistent with components coming apart. At the same time, the vehicle lost all ability to accelerate. Pressing the accelerator produced no forward movement. Due to the loss of power, I was forced to coast out of active traffic and onto a side street where I was able to safely stop. The condition was sustained and the vehicle was not drivable after the incident. When attempting to assist the tow truck driver, I shifted the vehicle to drive and pressed the accelerator. The engine revved but the vehicle did not move. When shifting back to park, the vehicle displayed an error message: “Cannot shift to Park, vehicle moving too quickly,” despite being stationary. This failure created a safety hazard due to loss of acceleration and unpredictable vehicle behavior. This is particularly concerning because a drivetrain issue was reported during a service visit shortly before the failure and was not identified. There were no warning lights or messages prior to the failure. The issue occurred suddenly and without advance indication. The vehicle had recently been serviced and cleared by the dealership despite a reported drivetrain concern. A failure of this nature at speed could significantly increase the risk of a crash, depending on traffic conditions.

NHTSA ODI #11735755

Mileage unknown · Apr 20, 2026
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

While stopped at a red light, the auto start/stop feature of the vehicle failed to re-start the car causing complete failure. My wife was the first vehicle at a the light in a busy intersection with a [XXX] old in the vehicle. The electronics of the vehicle completely failed causing complete shutdown and unable to restart. Veh…

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While stopped at a red light, the auto start/stop feature of the vehicle failed to re-start the car causing complete failure. My wife was the first vehicle at a the light in a busy intersection with a [XXX] old in the vehicle. The electronics of the vehicle completely failed causing complete shutdown and unable to restart. Vehicle was towed after blocking intersection for 30 minutes. This has happened before but not for total and complete failure. This failure caused a complete battery drain leading to the need for two new batteries. The vehicle has a history of electronics/software issues and failures and associated start/stop system issues. This failure was diagnosed to be caused by a faulty relay and costed me $2000 in repairs. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11732439

Mileage unknown · Apr 1, 2026
Electrical SystemPower TrainService Brakes

Vehicle: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Issue Type: Electrical System / Loss of Power / Braking System While operating my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L on Interstate 40 at approximately 70 miles per hour, with two minor children in the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly and without any prior warning began to rapidly decelerate, despite c…

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Vehicle: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Issue Type: Electrical System / Loss of Power / Braking System While operating my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L on Interstate 40 at approximately 70 miles per hour, with two minor children in the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly and without any prior warning began to rapidly decelerate, despite continued pressure on the accelerator pedal. At the time the deceleration began, there were no warning lights, alerts, or indications of any malfunction. The vehicle exhibited a significant loss of power, and it felt as though it was being mechanically restricted or “dragging,” severely limiting its ability to maintain highway speed. Only after the vehicle had already begun to decelerate did a brake system warning indicator appear on the dashboard. This sequence of events indicates that the warning system did not provide advance notice of the failure. This sudden and uncommanded deceleration created an immediate and serious safety hazard, particularly given the vehicle’s speed and surrounding interstate traffic. The inability of the vehicle to respond appropriately to acceleration input placed occupants at risk of a rear-end collision or other serious traffic incident. Although the warning indicator later turned off, the vehicle continued to operate abnormally, with ongoing reduced acceleration and diminished responsiveness. This incident occurred without prior warning, and the delayed activation of the brake warning indicator raises serious concerns regarding a potential defect involving the vehicle’s electrical, braking, and/or powertrain control systems, including possible failure of system monitoring or alert mechanisms. Given the circumstances including highway speed, sudden loss of propulsion, delayed warning notification, and the presence of child passengers. I respectfully request that this issue be formally investigated as a safety-related defect.

NHTSA ODI #11728679

Mileage unknown · Mar 30, 2026
Electrical SystemPower Train

At 78,800 my truck started experiencing "stuttering" trying to pick up speed like the transmission wouldn't shift into gear and the Uconnect stopped working simultaneously. Also seems to be burning through more oil. It happens every single time you take off from a stop until the vehicle finally shifts into gear, it's very scary …

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At 78,800 my truck started experiencing "stuttering" trying to pick up speed like the transmission wouldn't shift into gear and the Uconnect stopped working simultaneously. Also seems to be burning through more oil. It happens every single time you take off from a stop until the vehicle finally shifts into gear, it's very scary and very dangerous when you're trying to merge onto a beltway and you can't pick up speed correctly.

NHTSA ODI #11727878

75,700 miles · Mar 20, 2026
Power Train

The contact’s wife owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee L. The contact was informed that the “Service 4WD” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not informed of which part had failed or needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were not available to perf…

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The contact’s wife owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee L. The contact was informed that the “Service 4WD” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was not informed of which part had failed or needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were not available to perform the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 75,700.

NHTSA ODI #11725776

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainSuspension

Started driving home and heard the vehicle making clinking noises. Then the service 4wd light came on. It slips in shifting almost like the vehicle shuts down for a sec and then comes back. When you are sitting the vehicle will randomly jerk forward even in park mode. Like the brake releases and then comes back. It's very unsafe…

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Started driving home and heard the vehicle making clinking noises. Then the service 4wd light came on. It slips in shifting almost like the vehicle shuts down for a sec and then comes back. When you are sitting the vehicle will randomly jerk forward even in park mode. Like the brake releases and then comes back. It's very unsafe and with it shifting the way it does the actuator is failing which in return will cause a very bad accident. This car can just shut down at any given moment.

NHTSA ODI #11700225

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2025
EnginePower Train

Jeep grand Cherokee L, the 3.7L V6 engine in the Jeep has experienced camshaft and valvetrain issues, often related to wear and lubrication problems. Sides a ticking and rough running/banging engine. Caused by faulty camshafts. The company knows the cam shafts are faulty, in Michigan the part is on back order by over 10,000 par…

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Jeep grand Cherokee L, the 3.7L V6 engine in the Jeep has experienced camshaft and valvetrain issues, often related to wear and lubrication problems. Sides a ticking and rough running/banging engine. Caused by faulty camshafts. The company knows the cam shafts are faulty, in Michigan the part is on back order by over 10,000 parts. The company is no longer creating the camshaft because of its known issues but also is not offering a replacement part or solution to the problem, repair and replacement of the camshaft through the dealer is 6months to a Year out due to the shear volume or parts and repairs currently needed by current owners. Leaving owners without a vehicle as they cannot drive the car once the issue arises due to potential damage to the head gaskets.

NHTSA ODI #11684310

93,000 miles · Aug 6, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidancePower Train

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on an interstate and depressing the brake pedal to avoid a crash, the automatic emergency braking system suddenly engaged, and the vehicle experienced a drivetrain failure. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. There was n…

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The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on an interstate and depressing the brake pedal to avoid a crash, the automatic emergency braking system suddenly engaged, and the vehicle experienced a drivetrain failure. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the drive shaft, the transfer case, and the drivetrain control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The drive shaft was replaced, but additional repairs were needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the case was closed, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI #11678672

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2025
Power Train

The vehicle has twice gotten stuck in third gear. While driving, as it's shifting from third to fourth, will get stuck in third and clunk, and then rev. The engine light will come on, and it forces you to pull over. The manual shifters do not work either. You have to pull over, shut the car down, and restart. The engine light co…

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The vehicle has twice gotten stuck in third gear. While driving, as it's shifting from third to fourth, will get stuck in third and clunk, and then rev. The engine light will come on, and it forces you to pull over. The manual shifters do not work either. You have to pull over, shut the car down, and restart. The engine light comes on but no errors are logged, and the engine light clears itself a few restarts later. The first time this happened to me, I was driving with my son and it startled us that the car didn't seem to go but revved high. The most recent time, July 18,2025 I took pictures. My whole family was in the car, and we were driving through a campground with people walking around. I didn't have time to make a decision to pull over. There wasn't anywhere safe to park, so we had to coast bit to find a spot.

NHTSA ODI #11678301

Official recalls

4

26V562000 · Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

Sep 1, 2026

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Grand Cherokee 4XE vehicles. The rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear coil spring lower isolators, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed September 29, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 89D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 9, 2026. This recall replaces NHTSA recall numbers 26V051 and 23V413. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recalls will need to have the new remedy completed.

26V051000 · Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

Jan 29, 2026

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach from the vehicle while driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Rear coil springs that detach from the vehicle while driving increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the rear coil spring assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 12, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in March 2026. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 20D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 30, 2026. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 23V413. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

25V083000 · Back Over Prevention:display Function; Equipment:electrical:infotainment:video (touch)screen/monitor/unit

Feb 13, 2025

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The center stack upper display (DCSD) contains a transistor that may overheat and prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers replaced the DCSD, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been repaired. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 11C.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Equipment:electrical:infotainment:video (touch)screen/monitor/unit

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The center stack upper display (DCSD) contains a transistor that may overheat and prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers replaced the DCSD, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been repaired. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 11C.

Back Over Prevention:display Function

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. The center stack upper display (DCSD) contains a transistor that may overheat and prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Consequence: A rearview image that does not display reduces the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers replaced the DCSD, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been repaired. Owner notification letters were mailed February 27, 2025. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 11C.

24V897000 · Air Bags:side/window

Nov 27, 2024

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. An improperly secured connector for the front seat side air bags (SAB) may prevent the air bags from deploying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers secured the connector, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2024. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is B3B.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ25005 · Recall 23V-413 Post Remedy Failures

Opened Dec 11, 2025 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

On June 8, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, LLC (FCA) filed Safety Recall 23V-413 affecting certain 2022–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and2021–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles to address rear coil springs that may not have been properly installed during vehicle production. An improperly installed rear coil spring may detach while the vehicle is in motion, creating a road hazard that can increase the risk of a crash for following motorists and may result in injury to other road users. Since the filing of Recall 23V-413, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received twenty (20) unique consumer complaints alleging rear coil spring detachments occurring after the recall remedy was performed. These reports raise concerns regarding the effectiveness of the recall remedy and suggest the possibility of additional factors not addressed by the original recall campaign. Accordingly, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of FCA’s remedy procedure under Recall 23V-413 and to evaluate the root cause(s) of post-remedy coil spring detachments. ODI will review complaint data, field reports, and FCA’s technical analysis to determine whether further action is warranted. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, visit NHTSA.gov.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

On June 8, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, LLC (FCA) filed Safety Recall 23V-413 affecting certain 2022–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and2021–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles to address rear coil springs that may not have been properly installed during vehicle production. An improperly installed rear coil spring may detach while the vehicle is in motion, creating a road hazard that can increase the risk of a crash for following motorists and may result in injury to other road users. Since the filing of Recall 23V-413, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received twenty (20) unique consumer complaints alleging rear coil spring detachments occurring after the recall remedy was performed. These reports raise concerns regarding the effectiveness of the recall remedy and suggest the possibility of additional factors not addressed by the original recall campaign. Accordingly, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of FCA’s remedy procedure under Recall 23V-413 and to evaluate the root cause(s) of post-remedy coil spring detachments. ODI will review complaint data, field reports, and FCA’s technical analysis to determine whether further action is warranted. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, visit NHTSA.gov.

Suspension:rear:springs:coil Springs

On June 8, 2023, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US, LLC (FCA) filed Safety Recall 23V-413 affecting certain 2022–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and2021–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles to address rear coil springs that may not have been properly installed during vehicle production. An improperly installed rear coil spring may detach while the vehicle is in motion, creating a road hazard that can increase the risk of a crash for following motorists and may result in injury to other road users. Since the filing of Recall 23V-413, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received twenty (20) unique consumer complaints alleging rear coil spring detachments occurring after the recall remedy was performed. These reports raise concerns regarding the effectiveness of the recall remedy and suggest the possibility of additional factors not addressed by the original recall campaign. Accordingly, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening this Recall Query (RQ) to assess the adequacy of FCA’s remedy procedure under Recall 23V-413 and to evaluate the root cause(s) of post-remedy coil spring detachments. ODI will review complaint data, field reports, and FCA’s technical analysis to determine whether further action is warranted. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, visit NHTSA.gov.