2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,327 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 65/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2009–2010, 2016–2017, 2019–2022.
Avoid
Where 2012 sits among all Grand Cherokee years
What owners report
“Takata recall my visor caught fire while i was driving, vehicle shakes when stopped, check engine light remains on after numerous maintence check ups”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
“Brakes failed while driving at highway speed. Vehicle had 93,260 miles on it when the failure occurred. The jeep dealer replaced the brake booster, and the problem was repaired. The brake booster itself had been replaced in a recall in 2014.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
“Unexpected engine stall while driving on freeway. This is the second time experiencing unexpected stall out while drive after the recall was completed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
“The car will start then the power to the fuel pump cuts out. Then the car will not start for more than 5 minutes. It is recall 19v-813 that was identified a year ago and it is the fix to a fix of the original problem.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
“We have had this jeep grand cheroke service three times and before having it service, the car has cut off while driving on the highway without warning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
“Power steering fluid leaking; according to dealer, power steering fluid is highly flammable and may cause a fire forcing me to pay the $1,600 for a new steering rack. 2012 jeep grand cherokee, 26k miles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Grand Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,426 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,922 miles. Half of those reports fall between 42,000 and 96,660 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6, 5.7, or 6.4 liter engine and previously recalled under NHTSA Recall 14V530 or 15V115. The fuel pump relay inside the Totally Integrated…
Fix: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) will replace the affected fuel pump relay and related wire harness. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed beginning December 19, 2019. Vehicles that…
Accessible Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is recalling certain ProCharger Superchargers, model numbers AB037A-100, AB037A-100P, and A037A-100B, sold for installation on 2012-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and SRT vehicles. The supercharger mounting bracket may…
Fix: ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. Owners may contact ATI customer service at 1-913-338-2886.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent water from entering the brake booster and limiting braking…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake booster shield, correcting the installation as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November10, 2017. Owners may contact…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have electro-hydraulic power steering (EHPS) and are equipped with…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the alternator and depending on the part number, will replace the alternator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 12, 2018.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured December 3, 2009, to September 1, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the wiring for the vanity lamp in the sun visor may short circuit,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealer will install clearance for sun visor wiring, protection from sharp edges, and replace the sun visor, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2016.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured September 17, 2010, to August 19, 2013, and equipped with a 3.6, 5.7 or 6.4 liter engine, and 2012-2013 Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured January 18,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump relay with one external to the TIPM. The recall began on August 7, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010, to January 2, 2014, and equipped with a 3.6L engine and a 160…
Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will replace the alternator, free of charge. The recall began on February 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured January 5, 2010, through December 11, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the wiring for the vanity lamp in the sun visor may…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair any damaged wiring, and install a new sun visor that properly routes the wire, free of charge. Owners may contact Chrysler customer…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013. The subject vehicles have a brake booster with a center shell that may…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a water diverter shield to the booster after the booster has been tested to confirm it can hold an acceptable amount of vacuum pressure. If the…
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 11, 2011, through October 1, 2012. Under certain braking events, the Ready Alert Braking System (RAB) may result in…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update the ABS module software, free of charge. The recall began on April 3, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number…
CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHRYSLER VEHICLES, INCLUDING 200 AND TOWN AND COUNTRY MODELS, DODGE VEHICLES, INCLUDING CHARGER, DURANGO, GRAND CARAVAN AND JOURNEY MODELS AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 31, 2011,…
Fix: CHRYSLER WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE ENGINE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 18, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHRYSLER AT 1-800-853-1403.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 15V879000.
Led to recall campaign 14V391000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?
The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee drew 2,327 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 65/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee are electrical (894 complaints), brakes & stability (308), and engine (302).
At what mileage do 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems around 67,922 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 42,000 and 96,660 miles.
Does the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.