2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems & reliability
138 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 8 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 47 | 34% |
| Power Train | 23 | 17% |
| Engine | 22 | 16% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 11 | 8% |
| Steering | 11 | 8% |
| Unknown OR Other | 10 | 7% |
| Wheels | 10 | 7% |
| Structure | 9 | 7% |
| Tires | 9 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 60,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 87,560 miles), based on 110 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When the airbag light comes on and is visible on the dashboard, this action shorts out the ac, heat, as well as the defroster. This airbag light is a constantly lit up and will not go out. I have been told that there is a problem with the clock spring on this vehicle. This has been an on going problem for several…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 18, 2025
“Clock spring shorts out the electrical system. It causes the AC and heat not to work and no blower motor. This could cause others problems as well”
Air Bags · filed Jul 18, 2025
“The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to put the key into ignition; however, the key was inoperative. The contact stated that the key was intermittently was stuck in the ignition. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle remained at…”
Electrical System · filed May 30, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
52 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The 10 most recent:
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
Plate - Planetary
101232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2024
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010RevB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire. Upon investigation, it may be found that there is excessive camshaft lobe wear/lifter wear (roller failure) on one or more cam…
S1709000010 RevB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2022
Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1. All Promaster (VF) 3.6L/62TE equipped vehicles. If the transmission bracket to the transmission case fasteners are removed during servicing, the fasteners (Part Number…
9004009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2021
NAG1 Transmission Before installing the transmission with the engine, check for dowel pins (2) for alignment. If the pins are missing request to add the dowel pin first and then install the transmission
9004361 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 31, 2021
NAG1 Transmission Before installing the transmission with the engine, check for dowel pins (2) for alignment. If the pins are missing request to add the dowel pin first and then install the transmission
9004361 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 31, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 60,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.