Electrical system, powertrain, and brake issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Jeep’s original Wagoneer is dubbed the father of luxury 4×4 SUVs. Launched in 1962, it was way ahead of its time, with the first independent suspension and automatic transmission in a 4×4 vehicle. At the time, Jeep advertised it as the all-new, all-Jeep.
But there have been many new Jeeps since then. The first Grand Wagoneer was the 1984 model. It’s changed a lot since then and is now what the current owner, Stellantis, calls a premium extension of the Jeep brand. Although different from the Jeep Wagoneer, both SUVs are regarded as American icons.
The Wagoneer is big and luxurious, and the Grand Wagoneer is bigger and more luxurious. But even icons have faults as complaints to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show.
There are 9 complaints that are logged with the NHTSA to early September 2022. These relate to 11 components and systems and they are very varied.
Electrical issues top the list, with powertrain and vehicle speed control issues a close second. But it’s not always about the number of complaints, and just one that highlights brake issues is worth highlighting.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Steering | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | |
| Structure:body | |
| Visibility/wiper |
Sometimes electrical system problems follow a trend, but the issues raised by NHTSA complaints are varied. Here are two examples.
An owner from California was driving at about 35 mph and tried to stop in a short distance because of a “should I go or not” situation at a traffic light. But the Jeep shut off in a blink of an eye.
“Soon after I noticed it, I tried to imitate the incident to make sure I wasn’t mistaken, and it happened three times in a row.” According to the complaint, the incident can only be seen at night, when light from the headlight is visible, because it happens so quickly.
“It wasn’t just about (the) headlight. The engine shut off and turned back (on) momentarily as well. Thankfully each event didn’t last longer than a second and there weren’t any vehicles nearby.”
The other complaint, from an owner in New York, draws attention to a potential electrical-system safety hazard.
“The wiring harness in my engine compartment is mounted on the firewall below the cowl. It runs from the driver’s side to the passenger side. On my vehicle, it has a significant drop on the driver’s side, almost hitting the master brake cylinder cover. The wiring harness does move significantly on the driver’s side. “
The concern is that there is no way to “attach the wiring harness to the firewall to keep it permanently up and away from the driver-side master cylinder brakes.”
Even though no problems or failures are noted, the complaint draws attention to the fact that it is a potential safety hazard. It “could lead to electrical shorts, major components failure, and a possible fire hazard when the vehicle is in motion due to vibration wear, including off-road use.”
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Powertrain and vehicle speed control issues appear to be related. But they don’t follow a specific pattern.
A complaint from Washington describes how, when driving at about 52 mph, “the cruise control inadvertently disengaged and the vehicle was unable to accelerate as needed.” An unidentified warning light flashed, followed by a message to service the vehicle.
An owner from Arizona stated simply: “Vehicle loses power randomly, have to pull over and turn it off and back on.”
A much more complicated complaint was sent in by a Grand Wagoneer owner from Colorado. The issue started with the transmission dropping out of gear and the rpm revving up. It happened about 5 times over the course of 1.5 hours while they were driving “normally.”
The owner called the closest Jeep dealership, assuming the drivetrain might have been the issue and the transmission might need to be reprogrammed. But while driving to the dealership, it all got worse.
“We were going to try to coast our way slowly to the dealership to avoid being stranded and try not to accelerate much.” But, within minutes there was a big noise under the car, “and it was very obvious something was wrong.”
Despite “an enormous amount of grease on the frame by the rear right wheel/inside, everything looked fine. There were no warning lights, errors or messages of any kind on the dash throughout all of these issues. The diagnosis is that the CV boot ruptured and the axle separated from the frame, also destroying the differential.”
The owner’s final conclusion was that the vehicle wasn’t assembled correctly at the factory.
“Jeep is repairing it but not buying it back. This vehicle is unsafe and no one in their right mind would want to drive this car again with the unknown.”
Brake failure of any kind can be a nightmare for anyone driving any kind of vehicle.
When the owner of a 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer from Colorado hit a medium-sized pothole, the brakes failed.
“The vehicle lit up several warning lights (ABS, traction control, etc.) as well as the check engine light.” Predictably, the driver applied the brakes, but they went to the floor. Fortunately, he was able to coast into a roundabout and eventually into a parking lot and stop the Grand Wagoneer. Once the vehicle had stopped and was restarted, it had brakes again.
The dealer had the vehicle for a couple of days, did some software updates and replaced the battery. But about a week later, the driver hit another medium-sized pothole on a major interstate highway at 65 mph and the same thing happened.
According to the complaint, the car went back to the dealer. “Luckily traffic was very light as the time and driver was able to exit the freeway and coast to a stop.” The car was brought to the dealer again and had already been there for a month with no resolution.
Only a small percentage of any vehicle make and model turns out to be a lemon, but lemons are a reality. So, it’s important to be aware that if there are issues that impact the value, use, or safety of your 2022 Grand Wagoneer, that you might have recourse with the manufacturer.
There’s nothing to stop you tackling Stellantis on your own and demanding compensation or some kind of settlement if your Jeep Grand Wagoneer is a lemon. But it’ll be a lot easier for you if you let an experienced firm of lemon law attorneys like Lemberg Law tackle them for you.
All you need to do is contact our Helpline or fill in a contact form. It’s free. When it comes to lemon law, the manufacturer, not you, has to pay the legal fees.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 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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