2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 1,641 owner complaints for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It has 1 open investigation that names this model year.

Recalled components: electrical system and brakes. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (442 complaints, 27%). Most-reported area: electrical system (780 complaints, 48%; median mileage when it happened: 62,500).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Year to avoid

6 safety recalls for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 5 investigations that name the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee; 1 is still open. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 1,641 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Grand Cherokee. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Stalling or shutting off442 · 27%
  Median 74,000 miles at failure, from 372 reports with mileage
• Won't start185 · 11%
  Median 56,000 miles at failure, from 175 reports with mileage
• Power steering problems or locked steering83 · 5%
  Median 75,000 miles at failure, from 69 reports with mileage
• Fuel pump failures74 · 5%
  Median 75,000 miles at failure, from 63 reports with mileage
• Smoke or a burning smell63 · 4%
  Median 81,000 miles at failure, from 51 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode62 · 4%
  Median 88,000 miles at failure, from 55 reports with mileage
• Check engine light62 · 4%
  Median 78,600 miles at failure, from 54 reports with mileage
• Brake failure or a soft or hard pedal48 · 3%
  Median 65,700 miles at failure, from 40 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Electrical system780 · 48%
  Most named: alternator/generator/regulator (12) · Median 62,500 miles at failure, from 559 reports with mileage
• Engine343 · 21%
  Median 69,000 miles at failure, from 288 reports with mileage
• Brakes331 · 20%
  Median 60,000 miles at failure, from 174 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system247 · 15%
  Median 65,200 miles at failure, from 185 reports with mileage
• Powertrain90 · 5%
  Median 64,100 miles at failure, from 82 reports with mileage
• Steering86 · 5%
  Median 78,900 miles at failure, from 72 reports with mileage
• Air bags60 · 4%
  Median 56,500 miles at failure, from 46 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other134 · 8%
  Median 92,000 miles at failure, from 93 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Jeep Grand Cherokee recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2014 Grand Cherokee drew the most (829) and the 2011 drew 167.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2011 Grand Cherokee MPG

Questions