2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

23 complaints on file, page 1 of 2.

1. Filed Sep 24, 2026Failure Sep 23, 2026Defiance, MOPower train

   I was driving on the highway on 9/23/2026 at approximately 5pm CST. A disabled vehicle ahead warning flashed on the dash and I experienced sudden, unprompted high RPM surges while driving. My car started making a very loud engine sound and I could smell something burning. I could not surpass about 20 MPH. I put on my hazard lights immediately and pulled off the highway and drove to a safe space. My safety and others were put at severe risk because my car immediately slowed to 20MPH on a highway at rush hour. I could have been rear-ended and severely hurt at the speed cars behind me were traveling. Others in the cars behind me could have been badly hurt as well. I couldn't get initial assistance from the dealership despite trying to contact them repeatedly and talk to a live person and instead kept being transferred to a virtual chatbot. My husband was able to reach a live person and the dealership then sent out a rental car and picked my car up. I told the dealership it should not be driven and a tow truck should pick up the car. When I typed the incident into the Internet, it said you should not drive it after this as it could cause further damage. However, they sated that they were going to drive it to the dealership and they had a service manager on standby if needed. I told them that it was in limp mode and couldn't go over 20mph. It is currently at the dealership, and I am waiting for them to call me once they have inspected the car and run diagnostics. I have started a case with JeepCares.

   NHTSA complaint 11766630
2. Filed Sep 22, 2026Failure Jul 31, 2026Des Allemands, LAEngine, Fuel/propulsion system

   Vehicle jerks head back and forth from hesitation and roughing when accelerate in 1st gear from stop to 10 miles hours. Very unsafe and have brought to dealership several times to diagnose and they have one recall On spark plugs replacement that did not change anything. Very unsafe driving like that.

   NHTSA complaint 11766134
3. Filed Sep 10, 2026Failure Sep 10, 2026Redondo Beach, CAAutomatic emergency braking, Warnings, Unknown or other

   My wife was driving our 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with our child as a passenger on a public roadway. Traffic ahead slowed because another vehicle was turning into a parking area. There was no collision. The Forward Collision Warning/Automatic Emergency Braking system activated unexpectedly and applied the brakes. Immediately afterward, the vehicle appeared to stall or shut off while still in traffic. The instrument cluster displayed a message instructing the driver to press the Stop/Start button to restart the vehicle. The vehicle did not restart immediately and required approximately 10 seconds before it could be restarted. During this event the vehicle lost propulsion in traffic, creating a safety concern. The vehicle had approximately 3,258 miles at the time of the incident. The vehicle is currently at a Jeep dealership for diagnosis. No injuries or crash occurred.

   NHTSA complaint 11763506
4. Filed Sep 9, 2026Failure Aug 9, 2026Port Republic, MDEngine, Power train

   August 9, we were driving home when the vehicle jerked 2-3 times then the engine shut off (while in motion). This happened on a windy backroad with no way to pull over. We were able to restart the vehicle and make it home safely. Contacted Jeep on the 10, they said it was due to a spark plug recall. When driving to the dealership that morning service AWD light turned on, Jeep replaced the spark plugs and stared that fixed the problem. Driving home once picked up and service AWD light turned on again. Dealership is now stating it is the Drivetrain control module.

   NHTSA complaint 11763014
5. Filed Sep 7, 2026Failure Aug 21, 2026Lake Charles, LASun/moon roof assembly

   I purchased my vehicle on Monday, 8-17-2026. While I was driving my car on Friday, 8-21-2026, I heard a loud explosion, which later I discovered the sunroof had shattered! I was the only vehicle on the road at that time! This should not have happened to a new vehicle a week old! The dealership is NOT taking any responsibility at all! This is a factory defect! My insurance should not have to pay for this defective sunroof! I demand a RECALL!

   NHTSA complaint 11762556
6. Filed Sep 6, 2026Failure Sep 6, 2026Rockvale, TNEngine, Power train

   The turbo lag in this vehicle creates an unsafe condition when trying to turn onto a busy road, street or highway. It’s inconsistent and in the heavy 3 row SUV completely unpredictable. Today my wife narrowly avoided an accident.

   NHTSA complaint 11762500
7. Filed Sep 6, 2026Failure Sep 5, 2026Killeen, TXEngine, Automatic emergency braking

   I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. The vehicle has emitted an audible warning, the engine has shut off while the vehicle was still moving, and the D drive indicator began flashing and automatically switches to P park. When this occurs, the vehicle loses propulsion and I am only able to coast to a stop. I then have to manually place the vehicle in Park and restart the engine before the transmission will operate normally again. This has occurred with a quick break due to rapid stopping and this has also occurred after making a right turn with no rapid stop. I did include a photo of the message that appears when this happens that states " autopark engaged shifter autocorrect active". I am currently working with the local dealership for diagnosis of the problem.

   NHTSA complaint 11762444
8. Filed Sep 5, 2026Failure Aug 27, 2026Fort Cavazos, TXUnknown or other

   The car would stall and shut off coming to a stop or slowing down while driving. The shift to park sensor/ indicator would come on , the knob to park lights would flash as well as the emergency brake would be activated and would not allow the vehicle to go back into drive until the vehicle was shut off completely . Twice it almost caused an accident .

   NHTSA complaint 11762320
9. Filed Sep 4, 2026Failure Aug 28, 2026Rochester, MNEngine

   Sparl Plug recall on Jeep Grand Cherokee 2026 L Laredo 4x4. While driving my 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Laredo 4x4, the vehicle occasionally jerks/shudders when I shift into Drive and begin moving. The vehicle feels sluggish and does not respond smoothly when accelerating. This has happened even after the vehicle has been running for several minutes. The vehicle is new, and I am concerned that this may be related to a powertrain or transmission problem.

   NHTSA complaint 11762146
10. Filed Aug 21, 2026Failure Jul 6, 2026Swansea, MAExterior lighting

    I purchased a brand‑new 2026 Jeep in June 2026. Shortly after taking ownership, I began experiencing significant condensation and visible water buildup inside the tail lights. This is not minor moisture — there is standing water and heavy fogging that I have documented with clear, detailed photos. Despite providing this evidence, the dealership refuses to replace the tail lights, stating they “cannot duplicate the issue.” The water intrusion is recurring, and I have multiple documented instances showing the defect. Their refusal to address the problem leaves me with a vehicle that may have compromised lighting performance, electrical risk, and reduced rear‑visibility safety, especially during braking or nighttime driving. This is a new 2026 vehicle with a clear manufacturing defect that should be covered under warranty. Water intrusion in lighting assemblies is a known safety hazard, and the dealer’s refusal to repair or replace the defective components puts me at risk. I am requesting NHTSA review this issue, as it appears to be a defect affecting the safety and reliability of the vehicle’s lighting system. Thank You

    NHTSA complaint 11758431
11. Filed Aug 13, 2026Failure Aug 13, 2026Athens, ALEngine, Unknown or other

    Vehicle: 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Location: [XXX] Safety Issue Description: When using the remote auto‑start with the key fob, the engine starts briefly and then shuts off. When the vehicle is manually started, the check‑engine light immediately illuminates and begins flashing, and the vehicle jerks violently even while in park. The flashing check‑engine light indicates an active engine misfire, which poses a significant safety risk due to potential engine stalling, sudden loss of power, and potential catalytic‑converter damage. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

    NHTSA complaint 11756863
12. Filed Aug 13, 2026Failure Jul 1, 2026Swansea, MAEngine, Power train

    Vehicle is very jerky while transmission is downshifting. With no pressure applied to gas pedal vehicle lurches forward on own forcing me to step on brakes to correct lunging forward. At parking lot speeds and while in reverse vehicle is very sluggish and feels like stalling will occur if pressure is not applied to gas pedal. Vehicle is also sluggish and does not respond right away while entering highway , there is a delay with acceleration , this also could cause an accident as the vehicle is not speeding up correctly.

    NHTSA complaint 11756647
13. Filed Aug 8, 2026Failure Aug 8, 2026Mustang, OKEngine, Automatic emergency braking, Fuel/propulsion system

    I am reporting a serious safety concern with my 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L. On multiple occasions, while driving and needing to slow down quickly behind another vehicle, the vehicle has emitted an audible warning, the engine has shut off while the vehicle was still moving, and the "D" drive indicator began flashing. When this occurs, the vehicle loses propulsion and I am only able to coast to a stop. I then have to place the vehicle in Park and restart the engine before the transmission will operate normally again. This has happened more than once and appears to occur during firm or rapid braking/deceleration. The braking was not an emergency stop or collision. The vehicle simply required quicker-than-normal deceleration due to traffic ahead. I am concerned that this could occur at highway speeds or in heavy traffic and create a serious risk of a rear-end collision or other crash because the vehicle unexpectedly loses engine power and propulsion while still in motion. The vehicle is very new. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this is a powertrain, transmission, engine-control, braking-system, or software-related safety defect affecting the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L.

    NHTSA complaint 11755645
14. Filed Aug 2, 2026Failure Jul 25, 2026Andover, MAEngine

    Engine failure while driving on the highway. Jeep dealership confirmed failure due to a cylinder 4 misfire. Spark plug in cylinder 4 porcelain came out of the plug and resulted in damaging the pistons and valves. My family's safety was put at risk because we were driving on a highway and suddenly the engine stopped working. Could not accelerate or keep the engine running. Issue confirmed by the service team at local Jeep Dealership where car broke down. The team provided images of exploded spark plug and pieces of it in pistons and valves. Vehicle is in process of being transferred to dealership where car was purchased so that it can be inspected further by manufacturer. Police was not involved. A claim has been opened with insurance company, but they have not inspected it yet. There were no warnings prior to the engine failure. It just happened out of the blue.

    NHTSA complaint 11754252
15. Filed Aug 1, 2026Failure Jul 29, 2026Burke, VAEngine, Warnings, Automatic emergency braking

    Two issues- 1. When pulling out into traffic the engine/gas did not catch and we slowly creeped out across lanes before the gas took. This almost caused us to become t-boned by a passing car. When the gas took the car lurched forward fast which could have been another accident. 2. When driving with adaptive cruise control the forward collision warning fault light and service adaptive cruise control light kept turning on and off with a service needed message on the heads up display. This flashed on and off repeatedly causing driver distraction and also limiting vehicle safety. This vehicle has been taken to the dealership multiple times since purchase with various resets done (Transmission control module, powertrain control module) and still numerous panel error lights turn on (engine malfunction light, traffic signal recognition fault light) and issues occur (ac stops blowing cold air, inside screens freeze) but can never be replicated or fault code founds. The biggest safety issue is the lagging engine/gas that randomly occurs from a stop as you can’t predict when it’s going to happen and it will cause an accident at some point.

    NHTSA complaint 11754199
16. Filed Aug 1, 2026Failure Jul 16, 2026North Fort Myers, FLEngine, Power train, Unknown or other

    On 7/16/2026 exactly 1 week after i purchase the vehicle after fueling i drove about 1 mile when the car started to misfire, when attempting to accelerate. Check engine light flashes a few times and then went off. I then attempted to reverse into my driveway and when attempting to do so the vehicle shut off completely. But started right back up. I then called the dealership and was asked to bring it in. The dealership has the vehicle about 2 days and said it has been repaired it had bad spark plugs. When to get the car it drove fine with no issues until 7/28/2026 when i made an attempt to drive to work, i had driven about a mile from my home and car to a red light when the light turned green i attempted to accelerate and the vehicle was hesitate. Then a few warning lights came on that showed issues with electronic throttle control and electronic stability system service. The car would not accelerate over 20 mph and would shake when i attempted to press on the accelerator, the car was then towed to the dealership and much it has been at since 7/28. I received a online request for service approval from the tech on 7/29 in which they stated cylinders 1 &4 were showing misfired and they would look into replacing the spark plugs but that they would continue to work on the car. I then received a message from my service advisor on 7/31 that stated the spark plugs were replaced but the vehicle was still having issues, i should wait until 8/3 for an update. I have not even had the vehicle for 30 days and it’s been in the shop twice for the same issue with about 1,000 miles on it.

    NHTSA complaint 11754118
17. Filed Jul 29, 2026Failure May 4, 2026Cedar Park, TXEngine

    I am the owner of a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee L equipped with the 2.0L Hurricane 4 Turbo engine. At approximately 3,500 miles, the vehicle experienced a spark plug failure/breakage. The vehicle was taken to Nyle Maxwell dealership in Austin, Texas, where a spark plug was found broken and was replaced under warranty on 5/15/2026 after a lengthy wait for the parts of 11 days. This same failure occurred a second time at approximately 4,900 miles on 7/13/2026. The vehicle was again taken to the Nyle Maxwell dealership for repair. Both failures occurred while operating the vehicle on 87 octane regular unleaded fuel, which is the fuel grade stated as acceptable in the owner’s manual. I am concerned this is a widespread issue, as other owners of this same engine report similar spark plug failures using 87 octane fuel, per online owner forums. I am filing this complaint to document the pattern and request that NHTSA investigate.

    NHTSA complaint 11753546
18. Filed Jul 27, 2026Failure Jul 26, 2026San Dinas, CAEngine

    While driving my 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the check engine light began flashing (a flashing, rather than steady, check engine light typically indicates an active engine misfire). At or around the same time, the vehicle began shaking/vibrating noticeably, consistent with the misfire condition indicated by the flashing light. Separately, I experienced a failure of the vehicle’s push-button Start/Stop ignition system. When attempting to shut the engine off by pressing the Start/Stop button, the engine did not turn off as expected. The button had to be pressed several times before the engine finally powered off.

    NHTSA complaint 11753146
19. Filed Jul 27, 2026Failure Jul 24, 2026Wesley Chapel, FLEngine

    New 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee overheated at 1,900 miles; engine hit red zone, A/C shut off, coolant low\. Vehicle towed\. Request full warranty repair, diagnosis, and reimbursement for towing, rental, and hotel costs\.

    NHTSA complaint 11752962
20. Filed Jul 25, 2026Failure Jul 24, 2026Wesley Chapel, FLEngine, Unknown or other

    While driving from Tampa to Miramar Beach, Florida, the vehicle operated normally on the highway. However, shortly after exiting the highway and driving in slow traffic, the engine temperature gauge suddenly rose into the red zone, and the air conditioning automatically shut off. I immediately pulled over and allowed the vehicle to cool. The engine temperature returned to normal, and after the engine cooled completely, I found that the coolant reservoir level was only slightly below the MIN mark. There are no visible coolant leaks, no check engine light, and no warning messages currently displayed.

    NHTSA complaint 11752766