CarComplaints.com Notes: The fourth generation Grand Cherokee took the relatively trouble-free run of the 3rd-generation and flipped the script.

From 2010 to 2011, complaints about the vehicle not starting increased 10-fold. In fact, the 2011 model year is riddled with engine problems and a defective TIPM might be to blame. The TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) distributes power to all the eletrical components in the vehicle, so when it starts acting funny so do numerous other components in the car. Orders for new TIPMs were so abundant that parts became scarce, prompting a class-action lawsuit claiming Chrysler ignored this obvious defect.

By 2012 complaints dropped back down by about 80%. Needless to say, if you see a used 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee on a lot just keep walking.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
7 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 1
Average Mileage:
46,770 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine problems

engine problem

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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #35

Jun 072022

Grand Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Malfunction of the engine RPM governor, adaptive cruise control, or Electronic Throttle Control (ETC), or some combination of all of the above. On June 7-9, 2022, spontaneous high engine RPM occurred, which resulted in vehicle speeds that were above urban speed limits unless heavy braking pressure was applied. Additionally, on rural highways, the speed setting for the adaptive cruise control was exceeded without driver input. This also required manual breaking in order to control speed. During this situation, the -??driver override -?? message would appear although no accelerator pedal pressure was being applied. Additionally, the ETC warning light would randomly light up and then clear. When the vehicle was stopped and placed in park, the engine would rev to approximately 4000-5000 RPM. Especially in congested traffic conditions, this runaway engine RPM condition is a terrifying situation. This malfunction has occurred on this vehicle before, and to a similar extent. However, the Jeep dealer could find no underlying cause. The vehicle will also occasionally operate at a higher than normal RPM, but not to the extent described here. I do have an appointment with my local Jeep dealer for June 21. I will describe the issue with them in detail. My purpose for entering this report is to add my issue to any potential list of other Jeep owners who may have reported a similar issue.

- West Richland , WA, USA

problem #34

Jul 202021

Grand Cherokee

  • 66,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while pulling into a parking space with the foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the steering wheel and crashed into a building. During the crash the air bag deployed and the driver sustained injuries to the head back and neck which required medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 66,000.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #33

Nov 012020

Grand Cherokee

  • 146,867 miles
For the past few weeks, my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been stalling while driving. The first time it happened, I was in a line of traffic, had just come a up a hill, I pressed the gas pedal, my car bucked, and then my car "stalled". thankfully, we kept coasting, because, like I said, we were in a long line of traffic going 50 mph on a major road. I pulled over, shut my car off, turned it back on, and was able to drive us the two miles to get back home. I no longer feel safe driving my two children in my Grand Cherokee, therefore my husband has been driving my car and I've been driving his. So far this week, the Grand Cherokee has stalled six times while my husband is driving, usually while he is accelerating to get onto the highway. There is a recall on the Grand Cherokee; 19V-813, which describes a faulty fuel pump relay. However, there is no fix available through Jeep. We have contacted several authorized Jeep dealers in the our area and no one will offer any assistance that relates to the recall. I believe that the problem is not just the fuel pump relay, but the totally integrated power module or tipm. I'm having numerous other electrical problems with my Grand Cherokee, but none that pose such a safety hazard as the stalling. I have been reading other Grand Cherokee owner complaints, and many site this is the problem, stating that they have had their fuel pump relay fixed, but theur car is still stalling. My other car problems are as follows, which point to the tipm: While key fob in within vehicle, dash stating key isn't in car or fob is damaged, car turns on but shuts back off quickly on its own, the A/C only works on the passenger side of the car, the tire pressure light blinks constantly though pressure is fine, the "service 4 wheel drive" warning comes on while driving, but shuts off when car is turned off, and check engine light comes on and off.

- Gales Ferry, CT, USA

problem #32

Jan 092020

Grand Cherokee

  • 74,800 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Two recent events, when braking in slow traffic there was sudden acceleration with foot on brake. Even with stronger and forceful brake pressure the Jeep was still moving and wanting to keep going with engine revving. Had to shift into neutral and then engine quit revving and things returned to normal. I have this Jeep 10 years and am very familiar with it. Never any wrecks. No medical problems. The floor mat was not interfering with any pedals. The dealership was not aware of any recalls about this problem but they serviced the throttle-body after the first incident. This apparently was not the problem as the unintended acceleration when braking occurred a second time. In googling this problem a blog mentioned this could be the Jeep brake-booster which has been recalled and was replaced on my Jeep 2 years ago. Google brings up this sudden acceleration as a common search but no clear answers. I know about the Toyota acceleration problem in the 1990's, that they never found or admitted anything mechanical and assumed it was granny using two feet. This is absolutely a mechanical problem with my 2011 Jeep. Will take to dealership but they already said they aren't aware of this being a Jeep defect. I registered this complaint with Jeep customer care and they said if the dealership can't find the problem to call them back and they will work with the dealership to resolve this. They worrisome thing is they will do something for $1000 and then I have this brake/acceleration occur a 3rd time and it causes a crash!

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #31

Dec 072019

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While exiting a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated without warning. As a result, the driver crashed into another vehicle. The driver sustained foot and back injuries, but did not require medical attention. The other driver was not injured. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Bayamon, PR, USA

problem #30

Feb 032016

Grand Cherokee

  • 110,000 miles
All electronic components flicker or shut off and smelled like wires where burning. This all happens when the vehicle is running

- West Springfield, PA, USA

problem #29

Nov 022018

Grand Cherokee

  • 145,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While accelerating to merge onto the highway, the check engine light came on and I could not accelerate above approximately 45 mph or 3000 rpms. I let off the gas thinking the Jeep would slow, but it didn't slow down. I was able to decelerate by braking (obviously). However, I was still unable to go faster than approximately 45 mph or 3000 rpms. I took it into the shop twice before because the check engine light came on, and I was told the oil pump was stuck on low (?) this has been an ongoing issue for the past four months. There has always been something wrong with this vehicle despite regular service maintenance visits.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #28

Jul 312018

Grand Cherokee

  • 110,000 miles
On multiple occasions in the last few days, the brakes have failed to respond (extreme force is needed to push down on the brake pedal), which delays braking time/distance significantly. This is happening specifically when trying to disengage from cruise control. This almost caused a crash. The car had a break booster recall in 2017 and this repair was completed at that time.

- Chocowinity, NC, USA

problem #27

Jul 122018

Grand Cherokee

  • 106,540 miles
Went to activate cruise control using the buttons on the steering wheel. Would not activate even after repeated attempts. Took it to dealer who exclaimed "recall" but after checking, he said the recall doesn't apply to my vehicle. Then found out other options do not work either. Plan on taking to a different dealer to have rechecked. This "defect happens whether moving or not.I became aware of this while on hwy 45 going from milwaukee to hartford, wis but showed it to the russ darrow dealer upon my return while stationary in his shop.

- Brown Deer, WI, USA

problem #26

Mar 122018

Grand Cherokee

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owned a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. After backing into the driveway and attempting to place the vehicle in park, the vehicle accelerated in reverse without warning. As a result, the person behind the vehicle was struck and pinned underneath the tires. The victim was fatally injured. The vehicle accelerated all the way through the garage and traveled up a three foot high concrete wall behind the garage where it finally came to a stop. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to one ten towing and then towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was declared a total loss. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Plaistow, NH, USA

problem #25

Feb 152018

Grand Cherokee

  • 96,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Since September 2017, my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been in the repair shop four times due to the vehicle not starting. The alternator and battery was checked once per month up until December, but each time I was informed that both parts were in good condition based on the diagnostics. However, after each repair visit the vehicle would not start after a few days. Between repair visits a number of other issues occured: *automatically accelerating at high speed (Jan '18) *engine stalling while driving (Jan '18) *blowing cool air on one side and hot air on the other (Sept '17) *doors locking and unlocking when unattended (Sept '17) *windows going down half way when unattended (Oct '17) *radio powering on when turned to the off position (Nov '17) the most recent incident happened two weeks ago when the car stalled and stopped in the middle of a busy stretch of road with three vehicles in close proximity. Due to ongoing issues, this week I had the car towed to Jeep for another assessment. The Jeep adviser called me back the next day stating my battery and alternator needed to be replaced for $1282 otherwise the car wouldn't start without a constant charge. The battery was just replaced a year ago in June 2017. With all of the issues mentioned it's clear that the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a design issue/flaw that poses a major safety concern for consumers. The issues that need to be investigated or re-investigated for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee are the alternator and power module replacement. Most, if not all of the issues mentioned could be directly linked to the tipm. My request is that cas, NHTSA, and Chrysler consider or reconsider the above mentioned for both safety concerns and the undue repair expenses paid by consumers that appear to be directly linked to faulty design.

- Mansfield, TX, USA

problem #24

Oct 012017

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
At times while driving on the highway or city street, while in cruse, brake apply automatically without any vehicle braking in front of me. Also at times while in motion, cruse system do not take for weeks, then without any notification, I would set it and it works as it should.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #23

May 022016

Grand Cherokee

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger side windows randomly lowered without warning. The contact had to use the electronic function to wind the windows up each time the failure occurred. The cruise control failed to engage and disengage, which caused the contact to have to turn off and restart the vehicle. The service engine light illuminated when the cruise control failure occurred several times. The vehicle was not inspected and diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Mequon, WI, USA

problem #22

May 282016

Grand Cherokee

  • 76,500 miles
On May 28, 2016 while navigating my driveway, my car suddenly accelerated forward and crashed into the back wall of my garage. Damage was done to my home and my car. I had no control over the vehicle. Hitting the brake and trying to hit the ignition button did nothing to stop the vehicle. On another occasion, about two weeks earlier, I had parked the car at walmart, pressed the brake and the ignition button to turn it off. While in park and the engine off, the vehicle lurched forward and bumped the SUV sitting in front of me. I am now afraid to drive this vehicle! I have reported this incident to my local auto dealership and chysler Corp. The damage is being repaired at my cost.

- Canton, NC, USA

problem #21

Mar 012015

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
Issue: Intermittent stalling started after completion of tipm fuel relay recall repair. Stalls while driving, de-accelerating from highway speed (60mph+) between 30-40mph when braking preparing to make a turn, causing loss of vehicle control. Has never happened with in town driving. Intermittent. No stutter or shutter. All engine power ceases with no power brakes or steering. All electronic stay on. No cel or stored codes. Always restarts by placing transmission in neutral and pushing the start button. Recall performed: Crowe auto group, 1-21-15 90,578mi began: March 2015 32 days at a dealer, 5 dealer visits, 2 dealers. Still no fix. Dealer has experienced stalling. Have full list of time line and service paperwork.

- Toulon, IL, USA

problem #20

Oct 172014

Grand Cherokee

  • 5 miles
Prior to receiving the current recall on my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I was merging onto the freeway and my Jeep lost complete power. I started to panic because there was nothing I could do to control my Jeep. Luckily, I was on the outside lane and just coasted to a stop. Then, I sat there for about 10 minutes while I called my wife to let her know she would need to come get me. Then, I went to see if my Jeep would drive one more time and it drove off just fine. Then, when I received this notice I called the Jeep dealership to ask them to fix my Jeep due tot he recall and they told me that they were waiting on parts and would let me know when they come in. However, now my air bag lights are on as well as my traction control light is on. I also intermittently when I push on my brakes it will feel as if I have been rear-ended. When I look behind me there is nothing there that would indicate I have been rear-ended.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #19

Jul 272015

Grand Cherokee

  • 42,000 miles
7/27/15 I was at a complete stop before I was going to turn into the parking space. I waited until a van passed and again, was at a complete stop. I gently pressed the gas pedal when within seconds the car took off on its own. Within seconds my car revved on its own and took off; slamming me into a concrete wall barrier that saved me from driving into a dry cleaning store window.during this entire time, my foot barely pressed the accelerator and my car took off. Thankfully a man came to me and told me to just put the car in park as I was hitting the break and my wheels were still spinning. The barrier was literally keeping me from going through the large window. It wasn't until then that my car stopped. According to the police report I was going 5 mph. If this was the case, why did I crack the concrete barrier, burn rubber into the asphalt so much that my wheels made deep black marks on the road and my entire front bumper all the way to the rails were completely crushed. Would 5mph cause $7,000 worth of damage" I don't think so. In addition my seatbelt did not lock upon impact. My head slammed into the steering wheel before the seatbelt locked resulting in whiplash. My air bag also did not deploy. At the rate I was going and with the force of impact I hit the barrier with there was no reason for my seatbelt not to instantly lock and my airbag not deploy to protect my head and neck. My car is currently being fixed but I do not feel safe with that car nor selling it to anyone else, lest this happen. What if a family buys this car and dies due to this" I know I am not the only one with this issue and I want someone to take responsibility and admit there is something going on with these cars. Three major recalls for the 2011 and one that I feel lead to my accident. How many people have to go through this before an investigation occurs.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #18

Jul 272015

Grand Cherokee

  • 42,000 miles
7/27/15 I was at a complete stop before I was going to turn into the parking space. I waited until a van passed and again, was at a complete stop. I gently pressed the gas pedal when within seconds the car took off on its own. Within seconds my car revved on its own and took off; slamming me into a concrete wall barrier that saved me from driving into a dry cleaning store window.during this entire time, my foot barely pressed the accelerator and my car took off. Thankfully a man came to me and told me to just put the car in park as I was hitting the break and my wheels were still spinning. The barrier was literally keeping me from going through the large window. It wasn't until then that my car stopped. According to the police report I was going 5 mph. If this was the case, why did I crack the concrete barrier, burn rubber into the asphalt so much that my wheels made deep black marks on the road and my entire front bumper all the way to the rails were completely crushed. Would 5mph cause $7,000 worth of damage" I don't think so. In addition my seatbelt did not lock upon impact. My head slammed into the steering wheel before the seatbelt locked resulting in whiplash. My air bag also did not deploy. At the rate I was going and with the force of impact I hit the barrier with there was no reason for my seatbelt not to instantly lock and my airbag not deploy to protect my head and neck. My car is currently being fixed but I do not feel safe with that car nor selling it to anyone else, lest this happen. What if a family buys this car and dies due to this" I know I am not the only one with this issue and I want someone to take responsibility and admit there is something going on with these cars. Three major recalls for the 2011 and one that I feel lead to my accident. How many people have to go through this before an investigation occurs.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #17

Apr 032015

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • 57,626 miles
While driving my 2011 Grand Cherokee and my speed was 50mph the car start losing power, start dropping from 50mph to 45pmh to 40mph to 35mph and I was not able to accelerate at all, and I realized that the car going to stop, so I was lucky to enter to parking lot area were my car stalled. I tried to start the car on but the car wont start. After being towed to the dealer and tell them about the including the dealer called me after couple hours and told me that the fuel pump is not good and I need to replace it. Three months ago I had my car in the same dealer for the P54 recall were my car was inspected and installed external fuel pump relay were the mileage were 54,224. When the incident happen the mileage were 57,626. My car never lost power before, I think this happen after performed the P54 recall into my car. The dealer is asking for $ 823 to replace the fuel pump. I thank god cause I was lucky to enter the parking lot area cause otherwise my car would stall in the middle of a busy road and lead to risk of crash.

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #16

Nov 012014

Grand Cherokee

  • 33,000 miles
Cruise control stopped working.

- Nine Mile Falls, WA, USA

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