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The 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee is hailed as one of the best SUVs on the market. The company states it helps owners to “leave a lasting impression.” However, the impression left on some isn’t favorable at all. Owners are complaining that their engines shut down with “shift to Park” errors, the brakes fail, causing crashes, vehicles accelerate without warning, and backup cameras malfunction. There are also complaints about Cherokees catching fire
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2014 2018 2019 2021 2022
Contents
- 1| NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 2| Most Common Problems with the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 3| Shift to Park Issues
- 4| Spontaneous Acceleration Problems
- 5| Problems with Brakes Failing
- 6| Backup Camera Problems
- 7| 2020 Grand Cherokees Catching Fire
- 8| What to do if your 2020 Grand Cherokee is a lemon?
- 9| Complaint Data
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Air Bags | |
| Structure:body | |
| Suspension |
Most Common Problems with the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Between December 6, 2019, and January 23, 2023, 67 people laid complaints about the 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
In terms of the way that complaints are categorized by owners, the electrical system, engine, and powertrain cause most of the problems described. But there are significant complaints that owners link to other components and systems including
- backover prevention, which is affected by the camera
- vehicle speed control and forward collision avoidance, which are both affected by random acceleration
- brakes, which may be affected by the electrical system
A very common issue is a “shift to park” error that usually results in vehicles stalling and/or shutting down. Random acceleration is another common issue that sometimes results in crashes. There are also complaints about brakes failing and Grand Cherokees crashing. Backup cameras that malfunction as well as spontaneous engine and electrical fires also featured in ownercomplaints.
Additionally, there are significant issues with airbags that fail to deploy when Grand Cherokees crash and sunroofs that explode or shatter without impact. Other components and systems blamed for problems include the fuel/propulsion system, seat belts, steering, suspension, and the structure of the Jeep.
In April 2020, Chrysler recalled 319,610 vehicles, including the 2019 and 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokees. This was because of issues with rear view images on the backup camera screen that can distract drivers and potentially cause a crash.
In June 2022, they recalled 138,645 vehicles including 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokees. This recall was prompted by fuel starvation that can result in a sudden, unexpected loss of drive power. This also increases the risk of a crash.
Shift to Park Issues
Described by owners as electrical, engine, and/or powertrain problems, “shift to Park” often starts with the Grand Cherokee decelerating and sometimes stopping completely. Drivers also get a message to place the car in Park while they are driving.
This happened to an owner from Florida who was driving at 45-50 mph in busy traffic. He placed the vehicle in Park and it stopped but started up again. The next day it happened again in the same place, but it wouldn’t start up again. His Jeep was towed to a dealership and he was waiting to hear what the problem was.
An owner from Connecticut states that “when (the) drive shuts (the) engine off and tells you to shift to Park. It has done it to me a few times and twice I almost got rear-ended. I took it to the dealer and they say they can’t find anything wrong with it.” The complaint continues, “If you go online a lot of people are having the same issue Jeep just doesn’t want to acknowledge it. This is very dangerous because it does it at any speed.” The dealer tested the battery and found nothing wrong.
An owner from Colorado describes a similar scenario, which he says has happened multiple times. The vehicle stalls, displays the “shift to Park” error message, and the driver shifts the Grand Cherokee into Park. It is then locked in Park and the driver must restart. But it doesn’t always restart. The first time it happened the dealership replaced the batteries. But it happened again. Another Jeep dealership couldn’t duplicate the issue so did nothing. “It happened again after that. This is extremely dangerous and can cause serious accidents since the vehicle is stalled in the middle of the road!”
Spontaneous Acceleration Problems
Spontaneous, random acceleration issues are also listed as electrical, engine, and/or powertrain problems. Most are also categorized as vehicle speed control issues.
An owner from Illinois was backing slowly into a driveway in a new 2020 Grand Cherokee with only 500 miles. Suddenly it accelerated on its own. “I repeatedly hit the brake pedal, but the Jeep wouldn’t stop. Instead, it kept going faster. It smashed into the garage door and the brick wall of the garage, demolishing them.” Because the Grand Cherokee was equipped with a complete safety package, the complaint states, it “should have automatically stopped it before an impending impact.”
When using the rear park assist feature, an owner from Arizona has had a similar experience multiple times, fortunately managing to avoid crashes. The complaint states that the driver’s foot was “completely off the accelerator” when the Grand Cherokee spontaneously accelerated while in reverse. Each time he had to “hard brake” to avoid a collision.
After refueling and beginning to drive out of the service station, another owner states that “the vehicle independently accelerated to 60 mph.” He was able to shift into neutral and drive into a field. The gear shifter also malfunctioned. Although unable to identify the cause of the failure, the dealer’s mechanic located the wiring that failed and was able to return the vehicle to normal function. He also repaired the gear shifter.
Problems with Brakes Failing
When the brakes in any vehicle fail, there’s a chance of a crash. An owner from Mississippi had a 7-month-old Grand Cherokee Trailhawk totaled after the brakes failed and it crashed into a tree. Driving over “a rise in the road” after dark, there were about 10 vehicles stopped about 100 yards from where they were. “I applied the brakes and nothing happened.” Taking his foot off the brake pedal, he tried again… nothing. “I had to swerve off (the) road to keep from running into (the) back of vehicles stopped in front of me.” The airbags didn’t deploy either.
Some complaints describe how they have failed after spontaneous, unwanted acceleration. For example, an owner in New York tried to brake unsuccessfully when the Grand Cherokee accelerated unexpectedly. It went into another vehicle, “swerved out of control and crashed into a pillar, then stopped. The brake remained smashed to the floor.”
An owner from Washington, DC, was parking near the beach when the Jeep “started accelerating and the brakes became unresponsive. As a result, it crashed into the water and was submerged. “I was able to leave through the window before it got flooded.”
An owner from Illinois with a Grand Cherokee that has 2,100 miles on the clock finds that “cruise control ‘sticks’ and fails to disengage at the controls. When the acceleration control is depressed and released, the vehicle will continue to accelerate without capping the increase in acceleration until the system is disengaged with the brake pedal. This “very dangerous” scenario happens at various speeds over 50 mph.
Backup Camera Problems
Many of the complaints about rear view cameras state that the camera screen freezes. Most consumers see it as a back-over prevention and/or electrical system problem.
A typical complaint comes from an owner in Texas. The “screen constantly freezes and it’s unresponsive for long periods of time, then reboots. Then the cycle repeats.” It’s a “serious safety hazard as the backup camera image freezes on the screen and doesn’t change, even though you’re moving and the image video should have changed. This has been happening since the car was bought new and (the) dealership says there’s nothing that can be done.”
This particular complaint was filed in December 2021. Yet, on April 2, 2020, 20 months before, Chrysler issued the recall mentioned in Most Common Problems above. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V191000 states that the radio display software needs to be updated. Over-the-air updates were available from May 1, 2020. According to the recall notice, the “lingering rearview image” that remains on the screen can distract drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Whether some affected Cherokee owners weren’t notified, or some vehicles were omitted from the recall, complaints continue to be filed with the NHTSA. As recently as August 12, 2022, an owner from Mississippi stated that when the Jeep was in reverse, “the backup camera displayed on the screen like normal. However, once I shifted into drive the backup camera image was frozen on the display. It wasn’t until I powered off the radio and back on that it went away. This is a safety issue because it caused a distraction to me while I was in drive trying to figure out what was going on.”
2020 Grand Cherokees Catching Fire
Complaints to the NHTSA about fires state that they either start in the engine or are electrical. And dealerships and the manufacturer aren’t offering any clues.
In a double whammy, a 2020 Grand Cherokee owner from Colorado was evacuating from the devastating Colorado Marshall Fires on December 30, 2020, when his Jeep caught on fire. They were driving in slow-moving traffic “with 100 MPH winds, heavy smoke and debris flying through the air.” The Jeep “just quit.” There was a message about a sensor that wasn’t clear and the engine wouldn’t turn over. “The car was partially blocking traffic and caught on fire approximately 10 minutes after it stopped. Those evacuating were down to one lane and navigating around a burning car.” There was no investigation because the Jeep was “completely burned up.”
An owner from Georgia reports that the Jeep caught fire while parked. An investigation shows that the fire started on the right side of the engine.
An Illinois owner’s Jeep also caught fire while parked. The engine had been off overnight, and while still parked, “an electrical fire started on the front passenger side.”
After getting the “place in Park” error message, an owner from New York also experienced a fire incident. While trying unsuccessfully to restart the vehicle, the owner detected “an abnormal burning smell” and saw smoke coming from the Jeep. It was towed to a dealership but no repairs or diagnosis were available. Later, the valve body, the transmission control module (TCM), and the battery were replaced or repaired. However, the Jeep “continued to have difficulty accelerating and decelerating.”
What to do if your 2020 Grand Cherokee is a lemon?
When problems recur and affect your use or value of a vehicle, this may indicate that it’s a lemon. Lemberg Law has helped many lemon owners get settlements from manufacturers. It’s not always easy, but every year automakers are forced to buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements. Additionally, the law makes Jeep pay legal fees. If you think your 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee may be a lemon, you are welcome to contact us for a free valuation. Just call our Helpline or fill out a contact form. We may be able to get the lemon out of your life!
Complaint Data
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Mar 16, 2023 |
| State | MI |
| Description | Hello dear…. I suffer from a problem when I'm driving my truck and it's as follows: when the gear is on d and my truck stopped ,and I stomp the gas pedal with a little force my truck keep going I can't stopped for 40 seconds after which return to the normal driving state,this situation happened to me 5 times,I don't know if the speed control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the speed control (a stuck throttle could result)..,, |
| Category | Seat Belts |
| Date | Jan 23, 2023 |
| State | MI |
| Description | Within 32000 miles the belt retract failled. Would not lock in place, or retract. Dealler said it was a spring faillure. Could be a bad heat treat that would afect more vehicles. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 14, 2023 |
| State | NY |
| Description | The brakes failed. When I pushed on the brakes the car unexpectedly accelerated into a vehicle in front of me, then swerved out of control and crashed into a pillar, then stopped. The break remained smashed to the floor, and I had a hard time lifting the break to see if it would drive. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Jan 11, 2023 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Transmission failed while driving in traffic. Car decelerated from 45mph to 0, gas peddle would not accelerate, break was locked in place, steering wheel locked, no warning lights appeared, flashing d on gear shift (was in drive), alert appeared on screen “shift to p then desired gearâ€, car would not shift gears and gear shift was locked in place then pressed the push to start button, car restarted and then shook and jerked forward before allowing me to switch gears from drive to park then back to drive. I was almost rear-ended by two pickup trucks and suv. Trucks behind me swerved out of the way to avoid hitting me and almost drove into an 18-wheeler. This occurred 1/10/2023. Problem first occurred in october 2022 in grocery store parking lot while shifting between drive and reverse gear. Same thing happened as stated above. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Dec 14, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | While slowly turning into a parking slot in front of a building, the vehicle surged forward, jumping the curb and striking a metal handrail and the corner of the building. Substantial damage resulted to the front, hood and cooling systems. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 09, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Hello, before two months I bought preowned grand cherokee north edition with 15. 500 miles. When I start driving for the first few minutes I hear a sound like whistling, and it's like the engine is having a hard time getting up to speed. Also very often when I shift the transmission into reverse I hear a knock. |
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling |
| Date | Dec 06, 2022 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving 30 mph and various other speeds, an audible warning sound was heard inside the vehicle and the temperature gauge indicated that engine was overheating. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Nov 17, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Today I was driving on the highway with a high wind advisory, in the morning driving with the wind was causing my hood to flex under the intake pressure. This afternoon driving against the wind on the highway the wind was strong enough to pop the hood open while the latch kept the hood secured, twice. The winds at the time were 15mph with gusts to 35mph. |
| Category | Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery |
| Date | Oct 27, 2022 |
| State | CO |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with an unknown audible alert warning. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to start. Aaa arrived on the scene and jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,500. The vin was unavailable. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Oct 23, 2022 |
| State | CT |
| Description | The vehicle when drive shuts engine off and tell you to shift to park. It has don't it to me a few time and twice I almost got rear ended. I took it to the dealer and they say they can't find anything wrong with it. To shut off the stop start system but it still does it when I stop start system is off. If you go online a lot of people are having the same issue jeep just doesn't want to acknowledge it. This is very dangerous because it does it at any speed stop and go or you could do 65 on the highway and it does it in jeep is aware of this because many people have complained about it and it's going on death years. After some time, the system completely shut off and I was able to drive it without the stop start system. The message that came out was stop start system needs servicing, but the jeep dealer has no idea what that is. They have tested the battery and they said it's ok. It hass to do something on the transmission or something yeah true but this is going to be something if they don't fix someone's gonna get hurt and when they get a lawsuit that's what you're gonna do something for the negligence. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Aug 28, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Faulty transmission at 14,500 miles. Car shifted abruptly from park to reverse in harsh and sometimes in a lunging manner. Similar abrupt shifting occurred from 2nd to 3rd gear. Problem resulted in need for a totally new transmission. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Aug 12, 2022 |
| State | MS |
| Description | When I put my 2020 jeep grand cherokee in reverse, the backup camera displayed on the screen like normal. However, once I shifted into drive the backup camera image was frozen on the display. It wasn't until I powered off the radio and back on that it went away. This is a safety issue because it caused a distraction to me while I was in drive trying to figure out what was going on. I also took a video that clearly shows my jeep was in drive while the backup camera image was still frozen on the display. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 08, 2022 |
| State | CO |
| Description | Vehicle stalls unexpectedly. Error is "shift to park". Driver shifts the vehicle into park. The car is then locked in park and the driver needs to restart the vehicle. The vehicle doesn't always restart. This has happened multiple times. After the first time, we took it back to the dealership where we bought the vehicle and they replaced the batteries. After the batteries were installed it happened again, took it to a jeep dealership and they were not able to duplicate the issue so did not do anything. It happened again after that. This is extremely dangerous and can cause serious accidents since the vehicle is stalled in the middle of a road! |
| Category | Air Bags, Power Train |
| Date | Jul 12, 2022 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep cherokee. While turning left at 10 mph, the contact's vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal and it traveled to the floorboard. The contact stated that an unknown yellow warning light flashed on the instrument panel during the failure. Due to the failure, another motorist hit the rear driver-side door of her vehicle. The bottom and door air bags deployed upon impact; however, the no other air bags deployed. The other driver was taken to the hospital by ambulance; his injuries were unknown. The contact sustained no injuries in the accident. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and later towed to her home where it had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. |
| Category | Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 02, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | On july 1, 2022, in the morning, the right rear passenger door window in my 2020 jeep grand cherokee spontaneously exploded and then, in the evening of the same day, the rear hatch window also spontaneously exploded. The vehicle was purchased new in june of 2020 and has been driven approximately 57000 miles. There was no evidence of damage to the windows prior to the explosions. |
| Category | Suspension |
| Date | May 04, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the front-end of the vehicle suddenly collapsed. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that the rear driver's side tire had deflated. Upon towing the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side control arm was fractured. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 16,319. Case number is [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).†|
| Category | Suspension |
| Date | Feb 24, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Shocks failed at under 50k miles and should not have had this issue at such a low mileage. I have a baby so driving a vehicle with shocks that have busted does not feel safe at all. Dealership has done a diagnostic and no longer under warranty, extended warranty does not cover it as well. Stuck paying a diagnostic fee and shocks are on back order with 250 plus in line to get them. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 11, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Updating nhtsa id number 11382705, 10/22/20. Dealer diagnosed issue on 9/15/21 and it was caused by a defective battery. Battery was replaced and there has been no further issue. Please remove or supplement no. 11382705 |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 30, 2022 |
| State | CO |
| Description | I was evacuating the colorado marshall fires and my 2020 grand jeep cherokee with 20,000 miles just quit while driving down the road. It was slow moving traffic out of the area with 100 mph winds, heavy smoke and debris flying through the air. As I tried to restart it, there was a message about some sensor, but unclear as to what exactly the message was. The engine would not turn over. The car was partially blocking traffic and caught on fire approximately 10 minutes after it stopped. Those evacuating were down to one lane and navigating around a burning car. No investigation is possible as it is completed burned up. I have followed all of the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedules and have had zero incidents with this jeep prior to this. I would like some sort of investigation as to the cause (an assessment of the situation as there is no car left to inspect). I do not want this happening to another person/family as they are trying to get out of a dangerous situation. I was lucky in that there were others evacuating, however, had I been in an isolated area, my dogs and I could have been dead. |
| Category | Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:engine Control Module (ecu/ecm) |
| Date | Jan 10, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with 45 error codes relating to the vehicle not being able to communicate with the blind spot and doors due to battery failure. The battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The contact was uncertain if the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with engine control module (ecm) or body control module (bcm) failure. The dealer informed the contact that the windshield seal was not installed correctly during manufacturing, which caused water to seep in and damage the engine control module (ecm) or body control module (bcm). The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered since it did not have an extended warranty. The failure mileage was 14,787. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Camera System, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 20, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Screen constantly freezes and it's unresponsive for long periods of time, then reboots. Then the cycle repeats. Serious safety hazard as the back up camera image freezes on the screen and doesn't change, even though your moving and the image video should have changed. This has been happening since the car was bought new and dealership says they're nothing that can be done |
| Category | Air Bags, Electrical System, Service Brakes |
| Date | Dec 17, 2021 |
| State | MS |
| Description | I bought my 2020 jeep grand cherokee trailhawk used from carmax and after barely having it 7 months it is now totaled by insurance company. The reason: driving home from work on state highway at approx. 45mph on november 24, 2021 after dark. Came over rise in road to see about 10 vehicles completely stopped in front of me about 100 yards away. I applied the brakes and nothing happened. Took foot off brake pedal & tried again... Nothing. I had to swerve off road to keep from running into back of vehicle(s) stopped in front of me. Was able to safely miss damaging/injuring any other vehicles/people. Struck a tree on the left front of jeep. Applying brakes did not stop or slow my jeep grand cherokee's speed. When tree was struck at approx. 45mph the airbags did not even deploy. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 18, 2021 |
| State | AL |
| Description | My safety as well as other drivers safety are at risk when you down the highway at a speed between 70 & 75 miles an hour and all off a sudden your engine quits, I was told it goes into limp mode, I turned off engine, started it again could not get power, turn off engine again waited a few minutes and it finally gave me some power, was told by the dealership that they could not find anything the computer may have reset itself, in a one week period it did twice, I nearly got hit or the person could have got killed hitting me. This is definitely a safety issue I think this should be a recall. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Oct 12, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Bought jeep in december 2020. Currently at 8000 miles. In october 2021, the vehicle would not turn off. The push button would go between acc and start but not in the off. Dealership has never seen this and after 8 days, are not able to definitively tell me what the issue is. The assumption has been given that the car is not recognizing that the vehicle is in park. This is an assumption as whatever diagnosis that is being done is not finding the error. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 20, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | While driving on the highway I heard a loud sound, like a gunshot and my sunroof had shattered onto me. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Sep 08, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | I was merging onto a highway after work and my sunroof exploded. There were no other vehicles, bridges, or any other objects around me. This could have been a real bad situation if it occurred with other vehicles around me. The local jeep dealership refused to cover the repairs under warranty stating that, "looks like an object hit my sunroof". There are no other markings around the sunroof. |
| Category | Power Train, Steering, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Sep 07, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | The vehicle starts jerking at a high rate of speed that become dangerous. Often times the vehicle will shut off on its own. Also the unconnect system goes out a lot. Another problem going wrong with the jeep is that the back window always makes noise as if it would crack or something. |
| Category | Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Aug 10, 2021 |
| State | NM |
| Description | The contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that after refueling and attempting to drive out of the service station, the vehicle independently accelerated to 60 mph. The contact was able to shift into neutral and drove the vehicle into a field and the vehicle returned to normal function. Additionally, the gear shifter was not operating as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic located the wiring that failed and was able to return the vehicle to normal function. The contact also wanted to state that the dealer was unable to specify what caused the vehicle to independently accelerate. The gear shifter was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 06, 2021 |
| State | NC |
| Description | The sunroof exploded and a sound like a bomb or gun went off. Most of the glass blew out of the car but I had some drop on my head, neck and shoulder. The glass went everywhere. I later found that I had glass fragements in my right eye as well. The doctor took them out. I took the dealership and they were going to replace it and then I got an email saying it was going to be under investigation. 10-14 days or longer. I am a senior adult and work a part time job. This is my only car. The runaround continues. I received an email about the investigation and no phone number. I just want my car fixed. This was my dream car and now its a nightmare car. As soon as it is repaired I will never have another jeep. The service has been terrible. The staff at the dealership tried to be helpful but their hands are tied. Frustrated since I did nothing wrong. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Jul 17, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | Jeep caught fire while parked. Origin of cause states right side of engine is fire origination |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Warnings, Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 09, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | The screen in my car will get stuck on my reverse camera, freeze that way for minutes after I've put the car into drive. It will also randomly cut off and back on which is distracting and annoying. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jul 01, 2021 |
| State | VA |
| Description | The vehicle uconnect radio unit has malfunctioned since I purchased the vehicle, and the rate of the malfuctions have increased in frequency and duration, and now are impacting different functions of the vehicle such as the back up camera, navigation, gps, heat & cooling seat options, radio, blue tooth, etc. (this head unit [radio] controls, the navigation, gps, backup camera, radio, heated seat, cooling seat. Essentially most of the vehicles comfort and safety features run through the vehicles radio/head unit. When it malfunctions you can lose all or part of the jeeps functionality such as the back up camera, gps, navigation, bluetooth, seat temperature controls, etc,. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 12, 2021 |
| State | NE |
| Description | Uconnect is the stereo in this vehicle. It has been replaced 4 times. It glitches and causes the system to freeze and restart itself. The dealership has done all they can do and sent me a picture of the response they received from jeep to wait for an update. I reached out to jeep, they told me to contact uconnect. I did and I get the same response, even from the people in higher positions. My issues are 1) safety - this screen is used for the back up cameras. What if I back over someone or something? 2) heated steering wheel and seats are also controlled from this panel. I live in nebraska and I do not want to freeze my butt off or fry it off just because I can't access the buttons. Again, my number one concern is the safety of not being able to accurately access the back up cameras. I am supposed to wait for this update to happen in june or july. I have been dealing with this since I got the vehicle in april of 2020. This occurs when backing up, hot or cold outside, driving anywhere, forward, backwards, in town, on the highway. Any time, no specific rhyme or reason for when it happens! I have videos as well but it appears that I can not load them because they are a mov file. The mileage and dates provided are the most recent. As stated above, there have been several instances and radio replacements. |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 28, 2021 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, an audible sound was heard as the brakes malfunction message was displayed on the instrument panel. The brakes activated independently causing the vehicle decelerate. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and waited for several minutes before driving to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to john elway's claremont chrysler dodge jeep ram (620 auto center dr, claremont, ca 91711, (909) 962-8100) to be diagnosed. The technician was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000. |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings, Service Brakes |
| Date | Apr 14, 2021 |
| State | DC |
| Description | While I was parking near the beach, the car started accelerating and the breaks became unresponsive. As a result, the car crushed into the water and got submerged. I was able to leave through the window before it got flooded |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 06, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I bought vehicle in may 2020 and have had continued issues with my vehicle since december 2020. Four months ago the radio screen started freezing occasionally. Within a couple weeks it was significantly worse and happening more frequently. The screen would freeze while reversing or would cut off, restart or freeze while driving. I had the misfortune of driving on the highway and and the screen froze. I had to get off at the next exit so I could turn vehicle off and on to unfreeze screen because I needed to use the gps. I brought vehicle in to dealership on 1/14/2021 and was told radio would need to be replaced and the part should take 2-6 weeks to receive part from manufacturer. As of 4/6/2021 the part has not been received. I called dealership to inquire and was told that the manufacturer does not send new only used refurbished radio and they would send replacement once the had one. In the meantime im stuck with a hazardous inferior vehicle. The manufacturer needs to better honor their warranty is especially when theres a safety hazard. The issue now occurs almost daily. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Steering |
| Date | Mar 30, 2021 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Vehicle in motion city & highway. The entire vehicle dies. The engine turns off, all the lights die, no steering, dashboard & radio die. A few seconds later the engine restarts on its own, lights come on, dashboard lights up and radio works. The one remaining issue that indicates the problem is that the radio complete resets to what I believe is the original settings. This problem has been ongoing since the vehicle was acquired. It has been in the dealerships multiple times and they of course can not duplicate so they send me on my way. They have held the jeep to drive but claim they cannot duplicate. Also there are no codes showing when they check. Try driving at 65 mph with a dead car. Again this has been happening for about a year |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Camera System, Back Over Prevention: Warnings, Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 23, 2021 |
| State | NH |
| Description | I have had continued issues with my vehicle for over four months. It started as noticing the "favorite artist" button not working on the vehicle correctly. It then changed to the screen restarting while I was driving down the road, sometimes multiple times. It then progressed to the backup camera freezing, which has almost caused multiple accidents. The dealership upgraded the software, replaced the backup camera, and most recently replaced the radio itself. After multiple visits and time spent waiting for my vehicle to be fixed under warranty, there doesn't seem to be anything else they can do to fix my problem. I believe my vehicle is a lemon, and I do not feel safe with the electrical issues. Since testing and getting replacement parts, my vehicle continues to restart its screen randomly, the backup camera freezes, and the artist button does not work half the time. The screen restarting mid drive freaks me out because it just stops and restarts, and the backup issue is a major safety concern. It often stays frozen for long periods of time. (not able to upload video evidence, only picture of screen). Screen at one point wouldn't let me back up without turning off the parking sensors because it thought their was something behind the car, and there was physically nothing to make the sensor think that way. Have had multiple service calls trying to fix the issue and am now going to venture down the lemon law lane. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 20, 2021 |
| State | ID |
| Description | At first start up sitting in garage, the main display for the speedometer is totally blank, or has a white screen with. No information at all. After you exit the vehicle and return in 10 or 15 minutes to start again the display starts to work this has happened about 6 times in the past year. Dealer can't find any issues after multiple visits. Hard to drive with no visible speed indication |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Feb 20, 2021 |
| State | FL |
| Description | The check engine light keeps coming on it has to do with the emissions control the vehicle does not run properly. It has been in the shop 3 times going on number 4 for the same exact problem. I was told that it falls under the lemon law because the emissions control system is defective in that vehicle. My wife was driving the vehicle with our three month old grandchild and the vehicle would not accelerate would not move at all in traffic on a busy highway with vehicles passing by her at 45 to 50 miles an hour. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention |
| Date | Feb 17, 2021 |
| State | NH |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that the radio display failed to remove the rear view camera image after shifting out of reverse. The vehicle was taken to nucar chrysler dodge jeep ram of tilton (40 e main st lot c, tilton, nh 03276, (603) 729-1167) where it was diagnosed with needing the radio display to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with nhtsa campaign number: 20v191000 (back over prevention) however, the vin was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 26,021. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 18, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I blacked out and went off the road at 40mph at 1 pm in the afternoon.. Car went through a wooded area for 100 yds. Many small trees and brush. Car was declared a total loss by insurance company. No airbags deployed.*dt*jb |
| Category | Electrical System, Service Brakes, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 14, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | Purchased new in september. Currently has 2100 miles. Cruise control "sticks" and fails to disengage at the controls. When the accelerate control is depressed and released, the vehicle will continue to accelerate without capping the increase in acceleration until the system is disengaged with the brake pedal. Very dangerous! This scenario occurs both at lower and higher speeds over 55. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Dec 10, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | 2020 jeep grand cherokee overland. Consumer writes in regards to engine trouble. *ld the consumer stated the engine failed while driving. The dealer and manufacturer were notified. *js |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 28, 2020 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | While driving 60 miles per hour along the southbound express lane of garden state parkway my new 2020 jeep grand cherokee started shaking. Within seconds, I pulled on to the grassy area next to the fast lane where my vehicle died. After getting towed to the dealership, I was notified that my new car with 329 miles on it is in need of a new engine, new batteries and new starter. Of notable concern on the repair order is the following: "what is present inside intake manifold is pieces of metal." while the case is not yet closed, chrysler informed me they intend to fix the vehicle under warranty and return it to me. This is a serious safety concern and I fear the blown engine, dead batteries and starter could have caused additional, unrecognized damage. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Camera System, Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking, Electrical System |
| Date | Nov 05, 2020 |
| State | OH |
| Description | I shifted from park to drive to reverse out of my parking space to shift to drive. I was driving on the road when I noticed the screen stuck on the reverse image. It was bot do anything and remained frozen until I reached my destination. |
| Category | Suspension, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 03, 2020 |
| State | GA |
| Description | There is a thumping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle while in motion. It is getting worse and we are not sure what it is and the service department has been unable to fix it. We are concerned with it getting worse the more miles we put on the car. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Oct 02, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Holding the "+" button down for more than a split second causes the speed to quickly increase in 5 mph increments. While driving on the interstate at 65 mph, I pressed the "+" key and within seconds the speed control setting jumped to 95 mph. I hit "cancel" as fast as I could. In jeep's 2017 and 2019 models that I owned the speed increased gradually when the "+" key was depressed. Th selling dealership checked out the vehicle and reported to me that it was working as designed. See attachment. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Sep 14, 2020 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Transmission lost power while driving. Was not able to keep rate of speed. Car stopped and would not go into gear stranded in traffic. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Aug 21, 2020 |
| State | MI |
| Description | The sos button in the car and the assist button in the car don't work. If you push either you get a busy signal. Sos is for emergy help. I took it to the dealreship. After a couple weeks of fca collecting data they finally told the dealership it is a know problem. I have the car back, but, these features do not work. If my cell phone is damage I can not use sos to get help. They said they would let me know when there is a fix. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Aug 19, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Tl* the contact leased a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle failed to shift into gear and stalled. The "auto park on ,place vehicle in park' message was displayed. In addition, the check engine light was illuminated. The contacted attempted to restart vehicle several times. There was an abnormal burning smell detected and smoke emerging from vehicle. The vehicle was towed to brown's jeep chrysler dodge ram (483 ny-112, patchogue, ny 11772(631) 289-8500) but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 3,800. *dt the consumer stated the valve body, tcm and battery were repaired/replaced. The vehicle continued to have difficulty accelerating and decelerating. *js |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Aug 14, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | I was at a red ight, on a busy road. The light turned green, I was the first car stopped in the turning lane. The light turned green,and as I turned, the car into the lane, it rolled foward for a second when I took my foot off the brake, then it lept forward, stalled, then said on the display that the car needed to be put in park before starting the engine. I was in the middle of the intersection going across oncoming traffic. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Aug 08, 2020 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Wednesday, august 5 2020, was driving about 3 miles from my house when I noticed message on dashboard "place car in park to start car". Thought it was odd because I was driving. I then noticed car was off so placed in park (on the road btw) and started it up again. No more issues that day. Next morning, august 6th, car shut down again in nearly the same location. This time traffic was much busier and I was in right lane with cars behind me traveling 45-50 mph and to the right was a merge lane with multiple cars coming over... Car slowly glided into the merge lane as everyone became aware I was in distress and allowed me to move over. Car would not restart and was actually locked in park, so I was unable to move car from traffic lanes. Called police and tow truck who brought it to a jeep dealership. It was a very dangerous situation to be in during early morning commute time. Now its saturday and I have no communication as to what the problem may be, so I searched some internet and learned this has been going on for awhile with jeeps. I was provided a loaner car by the dealership. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jul 10, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | After only 350 miles my engine started sputtering and had to pull over. By the time we stopped the car the sputtering was violently shaking the vehicle. We had to get it towed only for the dealer ship to take several hours to replace a spark plug. - at almost all time there the air conditioner never seems to get to the desired temperature for more than 20 seconds. When at a stop, the a/c is non existence and temps drop significantly. Unless you have it set to max a/c it will never feel cold/hot. - the transmission is extremely rough at all times, it can jerk you back and forth while it switches gear. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jul 10, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | You cannot properly fill your gas tank without having to manipulate the pump handle the wrong ways. Every time I've had to fill up I have to sit there and constantly have to reset the pump handle because all the pump think the tank is full. This is a safety issue because I never know when the tank is actually full. I've even put the auto fill handle on and when it kicked off the pump went flying out and gas spilled everywhere. I have never had a perfect experience putting gas into my jeep since I've bought it. I'm always afraid to put the auto fill handle on and take my hand off the pump. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jul 10, 2020 |
| State | WI |
| Description | Traveling at 50 mph deer jumped into center of the road I hit the breaks swerving right, the front driver side break locked and didn't release. Very hard pull to the left on the steering wheel as another deer came I tried veering right that tire was locked threw my back passenger tire into the curb bounced the vehicle rear to the left front tire still locked up made the vehicle spin eventually rolling two or three times . |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Jun 17, 2020 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Center display that contains backup camera images, climate control, radio, navigation and many other functions is inoperable most of the time. This problem recurs daily, and the display is inoperable 90+% of the time. The absence of an operable backup camera display is a significant safety issue. *tr |
| Category | Air Bags, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jun 16, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Was pulling into shop on nice sunny day. I turned taking a right off road and some lady swerved right off road and hit me doing 50mpg. This caused me to go forward in vehicle and accelerate at a high speed. I then hit a metal carport which crashed on my roof. Busted sunroof, hit side of brick wall on passenger side and then went down into a steep ditch and partially back up. None of the airbags deployed. I did see one black oval shaped airbag behind the front driver tire afterwards. Jeep was totaled. Front end was demolished looked like a big mouth. Both wheels were turned in and busted. It was crushed.. Sides were completely dented in. Not sure if I accelerated or the vehicle did on its own as I have no recollection. Notified jeep they sent someone out to do a report as I was injured. *tr |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Jun 16, 2020 |
| State | NY |
| Description | Leased my grand cherokee 2020. Drove the car twice. It wasn't even 24 hrs since I had the car, my car broke down the 2nd time I drove it (on a friday). I was waiting on line for my sons graduation. It was a drive through graduation because of covid-19. I was the 1st on line and had 50 cars behind me. When I was asked to proceed my gear didn't shift. I turned the car off and tried restarting it and it didn't start. Had to get the car towed to a dealer. I was told id have to wait till monday. Called jeep to complain. I asked for a loaner and was told I had to pay for it. I find that insensitive, rude & unprofessional. It hadn't been 24 hrs that I had the car, I only had 88 miles on the car and I was being asked to pay for a loaner for a car that broke down because of a manufacture defect. Im assuming because I filed a complaint with jeep, they pressed the dealer to look at the car asap. I received a call to say I ran out of gas. My gas indicator showed I had a half tank of gas. The fuel sending unit which sends a signal to the gas gauge on the dash, letting you know how much fuel is in your the tank wasn't working. The sending unit is integrated with the tank fuel pump & strainer. So both my fuel pumps need to change. The main fuel pump is on back order and I was told I could be waiting weeks or months for the pump to come in. I was told as long as I gas up my car every 200-250 miles I "should" be fine until the fuel tank comes in. I was very disappointed with jeep customer service. Not only were they unapologetically but they did not try to find a way to accommodate me for a problem that they were responsible for. Sadly I just received this car on a 42 month lease. I have to wait for the car to be fixed and pray that I don't get stuck on the road again or any other problem arise. I wouldn't worry about my 42 month lease if I knew I could rely on their customer service. *tr |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 08, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | When changing a flat tire according to the directions in the owner's manual, and on a flat surface and using the jack that was included in the vehicle... After jacking the car up to the appropriate height to change the tire, the jack failed and the car fell. The jack was tweaked out of shape. Luckily no one was injured but the jack is no longer usable. *tr |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Apr 15, 2020 |
| State | WA |
| Description | While I was driving down the road the transmission failed and I had to have the vehicle towed and the transmission replaced. The vehicle only had 460 miles total at that time. The vehicle now has 940 total miles and I am beginning to feel hard shifting and slipping while driving, that seems to me that the new transmission they put in the vehicle is going bad already. I will be taking it back to the dealer to have them look at it. I was on a city street going straight at approximately 30mph. *tr |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Apr 10, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | The car was parked on a city street, and the engine off over night sometime early in the morning with the car still off and parked an electrical fire started on the front passenger side. |
| Category | Vehicle Speed Control, Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control |
| Date | Mar 30, 2020 |
| State | MN |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds with the cruise control activated, the vehicle rapidly accelerated after tapping the plus sign button on the steering wheel without warning. The contact depressed the brake pedal to deactivate the cruise control. Dan welle chevrolet buick, chrysler dodge jeep ram located at (1505 main st s, sauk centre, mn 56378) and juettner motors located at (1900 broadway st, alexandria, mn 56308) were contacted and the contact was informed that the cruise control feature operated as intended. The manufacturer was also notified about the failure and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 1,100. |
| Category | Air Bags, Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 01, 2020 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I was involved in a head on collision with a snow plow mounted to a ford f-250 where significant front end damage was done to the vehicle, and the airbags didn't deploy. There's no way possible these airbags should have not been deployed. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Feb 03, 2020 |
| State | NC |
| Description | Tl* the contact owns a 2020 jeep grand cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was at stand still, heat would exit the vents when using the air conditional. The contact stated he had to open the windows for 10-15 minutes to be able to enter the vehicle, due to the extreme heat inside the cab. The contact was concern that the failure would occur when extreme hot climate weather. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to local dealer victory chrysler dodge jeep ram located at 45 naber dr, shallotte, nc 28470, where made aware of the failure. Diagnosed with needing unknown electronically to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired as of yet. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was 298. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 07, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | When using the rear park assist, with my foot completely off the accelerator, the vehicle has spontaneously accelerated while going in reverse, requiring me to hard break to avoid collision. This has happened multiple times. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Jan 07, 2020 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | With my foot completely off the accelerator, the vehicle spontaneously accelerates under certain conditions. While in standard or sport mode, in second gear going about 20mph, there is a reproducible rpm surge that causes the vehicle to lunge forward. This somewhat feels like being rear ended. |
| Category | Service Brakes, Unknown Or Other, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Dec 06, 2019 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I was slowly backing into a driveway when the jeep grand cherokee suddenly accelerated on its own. I repeatedly hit the brake pedal but the jeep wouldn't stop; instead it kept going faster. It smashed into the garage door and the brick wall of the garage, demolishing them. The jeep was brand new with only 500 miles driven, and it was equipped with a complete safety package that should have automatically stopped it before an impending impact but it did not do so. This was an extremely terrifying experience and it felt like a nightmare. |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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I have a 2020 jeep grand Cherokee that I purchased a few months ago with 6000 miles on it and today the car would not move at a train track it was stuck it wouldn’t shift we couldn’t even get it to go in a neutral to push the car to the side I’m wondering if anybody else had this problem mine is at the shop right now?
2020 Jeep Grand, headlights are not aimed correctly to safely illuminate the road in front of the vehicle. Both lights are too far to the right. Dealer says the headlight fixtures can only be adjusted vertically, there is no horizontal adjustment provision designed into the fixture.
When it rained hard, my whole radio, phone, navigation system went out. The dealer replaced the system. Then I took my jeep to the car wash and when I entered my Jeep, my phone, radio and Navigator was cleared. I had to reprogram the system.
Since I purchased the car about a year ago the steering wheel radio controls stop working at random times, then start working again, my right front directional will malfunction then start working again and I noticed heat blowing eyes the ac was on over the summer. The dealer found no issues.
Whole radio/gps/heat console in the center quits working intermittently and either reboots or malfunctions until the car sits overnight – then it works again. I couldn’t turn my heater on the other day and once the radio was blaring and I couldn’t turn the volume down – I had to turn it off. The back up camera often freezes and causes a reboot.
Slimited Grand Cherokee 2020 towed 3 times in a month this time after 2 weeks been told there are VGR issues and have to wait for imported parts.
All the sudden the AC started blowing hot air
Poor throttle response. It takes a half a second to start from a dead stop. Then powers from the stop like a banshee. When trying to stop in heavy traffic I stand on the brakes and the car continues to accelerate.