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2010 Jeep Cherokee: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
38%
41 of 107 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

38% of relevant owner complaints on the 2010 Jeep Cherokee are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 56% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 10 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 35%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
41
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
117
this model year
Fires reported
4
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
10 crashes · 4 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM46 · 39%
POWER TRAIN22 · 19%
ENGINE21 · 18%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13 · 11%
SERVICE BRAKES12 · 10%
AIR BAGS10 · 9%

The years either side

2010
38%
41 of 117
2011
38%
596 of 1,638
2012
33%
525 of 1,640
2013
30%
227 of 802
2014
73%
1,868 of 2,645
2015
72%
1,244 of 1,785
2016
66%
895 of 1,406
2017
64%
836 of 1,333
2018
63%
418 of 683
2019
73%
1,148 of 1,630
2020
71%
202 of 292
2021
74%
109 of 157
2022
76%
32 of 49
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other compact SUVs with no elevated signal in 2010

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE06/20/2022
Driving 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee with HEMI engine on the freeway and the car lost engine power causing it to rapidly slow. Was able to make it safely to the side of the freeway, although multiple cars had to avoid, and had the car towed to our mechanic. The mechanic stated that the car needed an entire new engine as …
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE10/21/2020
WIN MODULE FAILURE CAUSE CAR TO STALL WHILE DRIVING AND NOT STARTING
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER07/20/2020
IN DECEMBER 2019 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE V51 FOR AN SYSTEM UPDATE TO THE POWERTRAIN (POWER CONTROL MODULE). ON 1/30/20 I TOOK MY BELOVED JEEP TO PUTNUM CHRYSLR JEEP IN BURLINGAME, CA TO PERFORM THE UPDATE. ON 4/24/20 I WENT TO PERFORM A STAR SMOG AND I FAILED DUE TO OBD11 NOT READY (OXYGEN SENSORS). I COULDN'T BELI…

Three of 41 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (5)

POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010; and 2006-2010 …
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER 300, DODGE CHALLENGER, CHARGER, JEEP COMMANDER, GRAND CHEROKEE AND DODGE RAM VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEE…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 22 THROUGH NOVEMBER 12, 2009. THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG MA…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2010 Jeep Cherokee

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.