2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems & reliability
1,641 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 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 components.
24 complaints report injuries (35 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles were involved in 74 fatal crashes with 23 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 → | 836 | 51% |
| Engine → | 284 | 17% |
| Service Brakes → | 277 | 17% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 216 | 13% |
| Unknown / Other | 119 | 7% |
| Power Train → | 102 | 6% |
| Steering → | 99 | 6% |
| Air Bags → | 43 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 35 | 2% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 34 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 32 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 995 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 66,450 miles (middle 50% between 42,000 and 95,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Here’s the final version of your NHTSA complaint text — rewritten for clarity, precision, and compliance. You can copy and paste this directly into the “Description of the Problem” box on the NHTSA form.Recall Number: V62 – Fuel Pump RelayMy Jeep is under recall V62 for the fuel pump relay. Stellantis confirmed that…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Sep 17, 2026
“Alternator smoking. it is available for inspection. Filled interior of vehicle with smoke the engine stopped running while driving. Took to dealership for a 2nd sun visor recall and had them diagnose the smoking alternator. The voltage light came on just before the alternator started smoking”
Electrical System · filed Sep 10, 2026
“My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee suddenly was stalling, and would not re-start, especially when turning the steering. AAA Tech diagnosed as High Diode Ripple Voltage in the Alternator, damaging the Battery. Needed to Replace both Alternator and Battery at a cost of $1068. Car was recalled under T36, and the repair has a…”
Power Train · filed Sep 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
- Post 14V-391 Headliner Fires
Recall Query RQ15003 · opened May 1, 2015 · closed Jul 6, 2016 · led to recall 15V879000
- Totally Integrated Power Module Failure
Defect Petition DP14004 · opened Sep 25, 2014 · closed Jul 24, 2015
- Headliner Fires
Engineering Analysis EA14001 · opened Jan 10, 2014 · closed Aug 12, 2014 · led to recall 14V391000
- Headliner Fires
Preliminary Evaluation PE13027 · opened Aug 19, 2013 · closed Jan 14, 2014
- Power steering hose failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE12020 · opened Jul 19, 2012 · closed Dec 7, 2012
Technical service bulletins
258 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The 10 most recent:
Qudra Lift Reman Compressor Excessive Repairs on Quadra Lift Reman Compressors Part Numbers: 68041137AF / R8572790AA / 68087233AA / 52124932AE / 52124934AE / 68064343AC Purpose The Star Parts Catalog has been updated to…
9100897Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 10, 2026
Qudra Lift Reman Compressor Excessive Repairs on Quadra Lift Reman Compressors Part Numbers: 68041137AF / R8572790AA / 68087233AA / 52124932AE / 52124934AE / 68064343AC Purpose The Star Parts Catalog has been updated to…
9100897 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 3, 2026
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
Tube - fuel injector supply & gasket - none
105038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2025
Tube - fuel injector supply & gasket - none
105039 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2025
RAIL - FUEL
102812 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 13, 2025
FUEL PUMP/LEVEL UNIT MODULE For vehicles with Saddle Fuel Tanks, need to determine if there are any DTCs in wiTECH. Follow Service Diagnostics published prior to making any changes. Review any existing SOL or TSBs…
9100494 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2025
HEADREST Incoming Vehicles with Deployed Active Head Rest (AHR) should have a through enquiry. If there is no Broken Pieces or Electrical failure, Direction to follow the RESET Procedure in service Library to RESET the…
9100448 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 4, 2024
Plate - Planetary
101232 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 30, 2024
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
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 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee has 10 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 2012 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 66,450 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.