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%).
Looking at a specific Grand Cherokee?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
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
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission 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 transmission.
16 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 transmission 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. Combined across 4 body styles NHTSA files separately.