For decades the Jeep Grand Cherokee has been a staple of Jeep’s SUV lineup. Even today the first generation ZJ is still highly prized by the offroad crowd. But with great power comes great responsibility, something Jeep has been aware of when it comes to the Grand Cherokee. Pushing the envelope of performance with a new platform in 2022 brought a more modern driving experience, but also a host of problems.
The information presented below was collected from NHTSA.gov complaints, recall information, various Facebook groups and online forums plus experience from covering the industry for the last 15 years.
4xe Hybrid Problems
Jeep jumped into the plug-in hybrid fight back in 2021 with the Wrangler 4xe then followed in 2022 with the Grand Cherokee 4xe. While the hybrid technology did help with fuel mileage, it was at the cost of greater complexity. Only a year into production the 2022 Grand Cherokee 2.0L plug-in hybrid was hit with NHTSA recall 23V-412 due to the vehicle just…shutting down suddenly while driving along. While the root cause is still under investigation, a main factor seems related to the Transmission Control Module and the Hybrid Control Processor not talking to each other. Like a lot of modern vehicle problems, the remedy was a software update. Unfortunately over on the 4xeforums owners are still reporting issues with their hybrid Grand Cherokees shutting down without warning.
Hybrid vehicles need a battery pack and the one put in 2022-2024 Grand Cherokee 4xe models was recalled due to a potential fire risk. According to NHTSA recall 24V-720 an issue with the internal battery separators could cause a fire. The concern was great enough that Jeep advised owners to park affected vehicles away from anything that could be damaged by a fire. One complaint filed with the NHTSA states:
“I have been explicitly instructed not to park the vehicle in a garage or near structures and to avoid charging the vehicle due to an increased risk of fire. This situation has created significant hardship and safety concerns. I am unable to safely use or store my vehicle as intended.“ NHTSA ID #11733607
Jeep did an update to the Battery Pack Control Module (BPCM) and replaced entire traction batteries where necessary. There is also a class action lawsuit linked to 2022-2024 Grand Cherokee 4xe battery fires, so we’ll have to see how the court rules in the future.
It is worth mentioning that Jeep dropped the 4xe hybrid program after 2025.
Suspension Problems
“Rear right coil spring violently detached and flew across my garage. Fortunately we were not driving it on the Florida Turnpike at the time and none of my family was in the garage when it explosively ejected.“ – NHTSA ID #11739986
Rear coil springs should not just fall off, but that’s exactly what NHTSA recall 23V-413 was about. Roughly 330,000 2022-2023 Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models might have been shipped with the rear coil springs installed incorrectly. Luckily those who opted for the air suspension option aren’t affected. The fix was to inspect the rear coil springs on potentially affected vehicles and put things where they were supposed to go in the first place.
Nobody thinks about the hardware that holds a suspension together until something goes wrong. In the case of NHTSA recall 24V-132 a batch of upper control arm pinch bolts used on 2022-2023 Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models may have been damaged during assembly. The damaged bolt might snap allowing the upper control arm ball joint to separate from the steering knuckle, which is very bad. Swapping out the old suspect bolt for a new one is the fix.
Rearview Camera Glitches
Rearview cameras are an amazing safety feature, especially when trying to back up a SUV in a parking lot. So when a driver shifts into reverse and the dash screen shows…nothing…that is a problem. Turns out a large swath of Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Ram vehicles were hit with the same software issue. In particular 2022-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models were affected according to NHTSA recall 24V-436. Something in the radio software was keeping the rearview camera image from being displayed. No surprise, the fix is a software update from the dealership.
Airbags Not Deploying
Airbags save countless lives every year, but only if they deploy at the right time during an accident. In the case of 2022-2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2023-2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L models there may be situations where the side air bag doesn’t deploy correctly during a crash. While the side airbag may still deploy, it may be delayed which could affect how well it reduces injuries. According to NHTSA recall 26V-328 a software issue with the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) affects how it handles faults generated by the door airbag pressure sensor. A software update to the ORC is the official remedy.
Shifting Issues
Complaints from drivers about transmission shifting have been reported on Reddit and Jeep forums. One complaint (#11730027 filed with the NHTSA) states: “…jerking during acceleration and deceleration with stored transmission-related fault code P0734.“ While not under any recalls, Stellantis did issue Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) #21-049-24 about the issue. The TSB specifically addresses 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee models equipped with either the 850R or 8HP50 eight-speed automatic transmission. In these cases problems like erratic shifting or hard 1-2 downshifts mean there is a problem. Updating the transmission control module should fix the issue.
Conclusion
Back in 1993 the Grand Cherokee redefined what buyers should expect in a luxury SUV that could actually perform offroad. Today the Grand Cherokee is still a major player in the segment while competing with the likes of the Lexus GX and Land Rover Defender. While Jeep has been working to correct issues like those listed above, anyone looking to buy a fifth generation Grand Cherokee is well served to check out the NHTSA recall website. A third-party pre-purchase vehicle inspection is also a wise idea.
