2012 Jeep Cherokee: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
33%
525 of 1,640 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
33% of relevant owner complaints on the 2012 Jeep Cherokee are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 64% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
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
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11/05/2017CRASH1 INJURED
CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHEN SLOWLY BEING DRIVEN IN REVERSE IN DRIVEWAY. SHOT BACKWARDS AND EVENTUALLY HIT TREE AND STOPPED. THIS WAS NOT USER ERROR. THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT STUCK. ALL THIS WAS CHECKED.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING06/07/2013FIRE1 INJURED
I WAS DRIVING HOME FOR LUNCH AND SMELLED A VERY SHARP SCENT THAT BURNED MY THROAT AND EYES. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS THINKING IT WAS THE CAR IN FRONT OF MINE. I SAW WHITE SMOKE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AND THAN THE PASSENGER VISOR MELTED OFF THE CEILING AND FOLLOWED IT WAS A FIRE AT THE SIGHT OF THE VISOR HOL…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM09/10/2026
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 r…
Three of 525 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 (11)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6, 5.7, or 6.4 liter engine and previously recalled …
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. …
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
Accessible Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is recalling certain ProCharger Superchargers, model numbers AB037A-100, AB037A-100P, and A037A-100B, sold for installation on 2012-20…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Jeep Cherokee
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
11 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
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.
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.
