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2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
151 of 413 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 59% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 67 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 31%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
151
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
480
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
16
23 crashes · 15 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM140 · 29%
STEERING118 · 25%
POWER TRAIN70 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER68 · 14%
ENGINE68 · 14%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING44 · 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
44%
894 of 2,375
2015
48%
574 of 1,355
2016
57%
163 of 308
2017
58%
195 of 364
2018
27%
215 of 853
2019
33%
108 of 365
2020
42%
91 of 236
2021
37%
151 of 480
2022
35%
147 of 439
2023
31%
141 of 471

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 midsize SUVs with no elevated signal in 2021

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

AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE07/29/2025CRASH1 INJURED
Was pulling into a parking spot on the 2nd level of parking garage and the Jeep accelerated and hit the cement wall at front of garage space. It accelerated on its own. The front of the jeep was crushed, and I ended up with a fractured sternum and a seat belt hernia which I will have surgery in the next couple of wee…
ENGINE03/14/20231 INJURED
Check engine light comes on vehicle shuts down has occurred 2xs now with in 25, ooo miles!
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS09/08/2026
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle jumped. The contact stated that while driving 8–9 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made awa…

Three of 151 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 (16)

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles not equipped with automatic high beams. When the master lighting switch is set to the aut…
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles equipped with smart lighting modules (SLM). An incomplete SLM software update may cause o…
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. A radio software error may prevent the rearview image from displaying. As such, these v…

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

Before you buy a 2021 Jeep Grand 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. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.