2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Engine Problems
Owners have filed 285 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 74,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “fuel pump relay” (11% of reports).
- 285engine complaints
- 74,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Fuel pump relay: mentioned in 31 of 285 complaints (11%)
- Stalled without: mentioned in 23 of 285 complaints (8%)
- Put park: mentioned in 18 of 285 complaints (6%)
- Chrysler dodge: mentioned in 15 of 285 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 225 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 285 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 17 a fire, 1 an injury.
Jeep Grand Cherokee engine complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: 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, through september 13, 2011, that are equipped with 3.6l engines. These engines may experience connecting rod bearing failure due to debris inside the engine block.
Risk: Connecting rod failure may lead to engine seizure which may increase the risk of a crash.
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The engine / power cuts off with no warning causing steering to lock up to left & brakes lock up causing the vehicle to veer to the left and unable to use brake to stop vehicle. Happens randomly while driving which makes it unsafe to operate to drive.
Problem was Oil Filter housing made of plastic. It was cracked and no warning light that oil had leaked out. Car SUDDENLY DECELERATED as I was merging into traffic on freeway causing vehicles coming up behind to brake rapidly including a semi truck which had been 200 yards back. I rolled onto…
The engine power cuts of randomly while driving with no warning at all. When it happens the steering locks up veering the vehicle to the left so you have no control and at the same time the power brakes lock up and you are unable to stop the vehicle. Everything else works when this happens lights…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokees have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 285 owner complaints about engine for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee (17% of the 1,644 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 74,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “fuel pump relay”, in 31 of 285 complaints, followed by “stalled without” (23).
Other 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
- Electrical System problems (837)
- Service Brakes problems (278)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (216)
- Power Train problems (102)
- Steering problems (100)
See all 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems or engine problems across all Grand Cherokee years.