Jeep Grand Cherokee Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 2,201 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the Jeep Grand Cherokee across 31 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (486). The words owners use most often: “air bag” (27% of reports).
- 2,201air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 490mention a crash
- 356mention an injury
- 14related recalls
- $870typical repair cost reported by owners
- 29%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.
- Air bag: mentioned in 598 of 2,201 complaints (27%)
- Bags deploy: mentioned in 118 of 2,201 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the Jeep Grand Cherokee at $870, and half of them between $550 and $1,050.
Based on 30 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2002–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 949 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 2,201 complaints, 490 mention a crash, 11 a fire, 356 an injury.
Jeep Grand Cherokee air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Grand Cherokee | 5 | 7% | 14,538 |
| 2024 Grand Cherokee | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2023 Grand Cherokee | 11 | 3% | 5,900 |
| 2022 Grand Cherokee | 9 | 3% | 29,600 |
| 2021 Grand Cherokee | 20 | 5% | 34,957 |
| 2020 Grand Cherokee | 17 | 7% | 34,000 |
| 2019 Grand Cherokee | 19 | 5% | 16,600 |
| 2018 Grand Cherokee | 24 | 3% | 14,777 |
| 2017 Grand Cherokee | 15 | 4% | 34,945 |
| 2016 Grand Cherokee | 12 | 4% | 12,040 |
| 2015 Grand Cherokee | 104 | 8% | 70,000 |
| 2014 Grand Cherokee | 210 | 9% | 51,978 |
| 2013 Grand Cherokee | 33 | 4% | 61,816 |
| 2012 Grand Cherokee | 43 | 3% | 73,173 |
| 2011 Grand Cherokee | 60 | 4% | 56,500 |
| 2010 Grand Cherokee | 11 | 9% | 42,250 |
| 2009 Grand Cherokee | 11 | 8% | 117,000 |
| 2008 Grand Cherokee | 40 | 5% | 109,852 |
| 2007 Grand Cherokee | 29 | 3% | 68,000 |
| 2006 Grand Cherokee | 60 | 5% | 103,218 |
| 2005 Grand Cherokee | 95 | 5% | 88,500 |
| 2004 Grand Cherokee | 326 | 25% | 120,000 |
| 2003 Grand Cherokee | 256 | 34% | 112,000 |
| 2002 Grand Cherokee | 486 | 33% | 124,750 |
| 2001 Grand Cherokee | 26 | 3% | 65,200 |
| 2000 Grand Cherokee | 59 | 4% | 103,000 |
| 1999 Grand Cherokee | 83 | 5% | 116,516 |
| 1998 Grand Cherokee | 36 | 4% | 98,245 |
| 1997 Grand Cherokee | 36 | 4% | 135,298 |
| 1996 Grand Cherokee | 34 | 4% | 130,000 |
| 1995 Grand Cherokee | 30 | 4% | 109,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (14)
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module:software
Model years: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2023-2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. A software error in the occupant restraint controller module may cause the delayed deployment of the side air bags during a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: Delayed air bag deployment during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the occupant restraint controller module software, free of charge. Some owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 18, 2026. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is 01D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2022, 2023, 2024
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2021-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L vehicles. An improperly secured connector for the front seat side air bags (SAB) may prevent the air bags from deploying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers secured the connector, free of charge. All affected vehicles have been remedied. Owner notification letters were mailed December 17, 2024. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is B3B.
Air bags:frontal; structure:body:bumpers
Model years: 2024
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The front bumper may be missing energy absorbing foam, which can cause the front air bags not to deploy as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Front air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the vehicles and install the foam as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 41B.
Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette; steering:column
Model years: 2023
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) (Stellantis) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Ram 1500, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wagoneer, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Chrysler Pacifica, Ram 3500, Ram 3500 cab chassis, Ram 2500, Ram 4500 cab chassis, Ram 5500 cab chassis, 2023 Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis with a GVWR less than 10,000 lbs., and Chrysler Voyager vehicles. The steering column control module may not be welded properly, which can prevent the driver's air bag from deploying in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy in a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering column control module, as necessary free of charge. Some owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024 through June 20, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's numbers for this recall are 14B, 33B, 34B, 35B, 36B.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module:software
Model years: 2021
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Jeep Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may have incorrect software which can disable the driver, passenger, and knee air bags without warning.
Risk: Disabled air bags can increase the risk of injury to occupants in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the ORC, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 2, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y79.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2004
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured March 29, 2003, to July 3, 2003, and 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured May 27, 2003, to May 20, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module and the side impact sensors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R60.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2002-2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, to March 28, 2003, 2002-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, to May 23 2003, and 2003-2004 Dodge Viper vehicles manufactured November 1, 2001, to June 30, 2004. Due to electrical noise beyond the tolerance of the air bag electronic control module (ECM), a component in the ECM may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the air bags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler dealers will replace the air bag control module and side impact sensors as required, free of charge. This recall remedy was applied during earlier recall campaigns of these vehicles under safety recalls 12V527 and 13V040. All owners that have not had the recall repair performed under safety recalls 12V527 or 13V040 are strongly encouraged to have it performed and not wait for the final remedy to be deployed to the field. The recall began on December 29, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R06.
Seat belts; air bags
Model years: 2014
Problem: Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2014 Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured June 2, 2013, to June 28, 2014, and 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 30, 2012, to April 30, 2014. Due to a fault within the Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module, the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags may be disabled. The malfunction indicator light ÂMILÂ should illuminate to initially warn drivers of a failure.
Risk: If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates use of the passive restraint system.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the ORC module, free of charge. The recall began on April 27, 2015. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is P67.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2002, 2003, 2004
Problem: Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2002 and 2003 Jeep Liberty vehicles manufactured January 9, 2001, through March 28, 2003, and 2002 through 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 13, 2001, through May 23, 2003. A component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front airbags, side curtain airbags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.
Risk: Inadvertent deployment of the airbags may increase the risk of injury and the possibility of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will install a supplemental jumper harness to the airbag control module, free of charge. Owners were notified of the recall by interim letter in January 2013. The remedy for affected Liberty vehicles is expected to be available in April 2013. The remedy for affected Grand Cherokee vehicles is expected to be available later in the year. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-247-9753.
Air bags:frontal; electrical system:wiring
Model years: 2009
Problem: Chrysler is recalling 4,314 my 2009 dodge journey, jeep grand cherokee, commander and wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. The driver's airbag may not deploy as intended.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the driver's airbag may not properly inflate and may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the driver's airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2009. Owners may contact chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2006
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the inflator connector for the driver's air bag may have been incorrectly assembled.
Risk: The air bag may not inflate properly which can increase the risk of injury in certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will repair the driver's front air bag inflator free of charge. The recall is expected to begin the week of august 2, 2006. Owners should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2002
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, the passenger air bag wiring harness was improperly manufactured.
Risk: This could cause improper air bag deployment in certain crash conditions.
Fix: Dealers will add a wiring jumper to the existing circuitry to correct this condition. Owner notification began april 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Air bags:frontal
Model years: 2000
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. The passenger air bag inflator assembly contains an incorrect inflator charge amount.
Risk: This condition could increase the risk of a passenger occupant injury under certain accident conditions.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag module with a correct module.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 1997
Problem: The electrical circuit design allows the potential for an inadvertent air bag deployment upon vehicle ignition shut down.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in occupant injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the air bag electronic control module with a newly designed module.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 10/10/26 I was struck in the neck and back of head from the headrest on the passenger seat as my wife was driving on us 41 there was no collision.
The contact owned a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH on a curvy highway road, the vehicle started skidding to the right and crashed into a barrier, causing the vehicle to slide to the left and to strike another barrier. The air bags…
On April 21, 2025, at approximately 6:30 a.m., I was operating my vehicle on a public roadway near the intersection of 98th Street and Indiana Avenue in Lubbock, Texas. While I was traveling at approximately 45 miles per hour, another driver operating a pickup truck pulled out of a grocery store…
This last Monday, September 28, the Active head restraint in headrest broke/blew out and exploded into my head while driving on street (no collision, pothole, bump or jarring) causing pain, panic, and avoidance maneuver. Worried it will happen again possibly to someone else in passenger seat, and I…
The driverâs seatbelt sensor constantly goes off as not detecting that the seatbelt is buckled, while driving; this causes the alarm to continuously beep and also disables the airbag. Aside from the seatbelt issue, there is a standalone airbag issue that has been detected by the carâs health…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Jeep Grand Cherokees have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 2,201 owner complaints about air bags for the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Jeep Grand Cherokee air bags?
Yes: 14 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
Owners report a typical cost of $870 (half paid between $550 and $1,050), from 30 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 598 of 2,201 complaints, followed by “bags deploy” (118).
Other Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
- Electrical System problems (7,478)
- Power Train problems (4,329)
- Engine problems (2,879)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (2,328)
- Seats problems (1,613)
- Service Brakes problems (1,504)
- Visibility problems (1,454)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (1,408)
See all Jeep Grand Cherokee problems.