CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012 Grand Cherokee hasn't seen the same complaint volume as the 2011, at least not yet.
It's worth noting both model years are part of a class-action lawsuit that focuses on a defective TIPM and a long wait for replacement parts.
The 2012 also received national attention after it failed a Swedish Magazine's "moose test". The test measures a vehicle's ability to swerve out of the way of an obstacle you wouldn't want to hit while driving down the road ... like a moose.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 83
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,548 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.
When I was driving on the high way.my Grand Cherokee stalled then stopped.after a short time it started again and I drove it to the mopar service centre of the dealer. The dealer told me that the car was not recalled for detective alternator. So they will replace the alternator and drained battery at my expense and also charge for the labour cost. I find this very strange and unjustified. The car maybe was not recalled but the fault now is exactly what the recall was for. So how come they refuse to replace what was originally recalled. This is against the rules and regulations of NHTSA. Please guide me.
I have 4 recurring problems with my Jeep. First, the driver's heated seats periodically will not work. Second, upon starting my car, it will just stall or shut down. This happens 2 to 3 times a week. Third, the check engine light continuously comes on and off (and when I get it checked, I am told something about the thermostat, but have had no problems with it overheating). Finally, the cruise control on/off button will not work sometimes. I have to physically hit the steering wheel for it to work. I have read about tons of recalls for my year Jeep, but my VIN number is not included. I am starting to think it should be.
As I was driving my A/C stopped blowing cold air. Battery light came on then all the dash indicators started blinking wrong including my seat belt indicator, radio shut off, etc. Car drove as if it had little power then steering jerked as if car was going to shut down. Pulled over and turned off car and car would not restart. Took to the mechanic who confirmed is the alternator. Vehicle only hs 60K miles.
Sudden electrical system failure while driving in town over my lunch hour. Warning light illuminated and was able to drive to a safe place to stop before the alternator started smoking. Powdered extinguisher did not stop the smoke so had to call the fire department. Their liquid flame retardant was able to cool the alternator and prevent the fire from spreading. Jeep has a current recall for the 160 amp alternator, but I have the 180 amp alternator. I reported the issue to Jeep and they were able to confirm that they haven't even started an investigation for this issue. This is the exact same failure as is described in the 160 amp alternator recall and the issue was fixed the same way, by replacing the alternator. Please make Jeep expand the recall before someone dies in a fire or accident due to this issue. If I was on the highway as I was over the holiday weekend we would not have been able to stop in a safe place as quickly and definitely would not have had a quick fire response!
The alternator on our Jeep had the same issue as the P60 recall for this model year and engine equipped with the 160 amp alternator. Our vehicle has the 180 amp alternator and is not covered. My question/complaint is that if the Chrysler warranty rep told me that she is seeing this issue more and more than why isn't the 180 amp alternator covered under the warranty also. The car was running perfectly fine and instantly started squealing very loudly and we could smell the electrical issue we are unsure of a fire issue but it looked like the alternator could have started something else..luckily we were able to pull the vehicle over and when I lifted the hood the alternator was pouring out smoke and had soot around the cooling fins. We returned to the vehicle 3 hours later and we could still smell the burnt wire smell. Our dealer tried to jump start using a power pack and it instantly drained two power packs that can jump seams from a dead battery. Our vehicle had to be towed to the dealer. Now we are waiting to find out what our charged will be. As I said earlier, the Chrysler warranty rep said that this is being reported more and more and she advised me to file a complaint hoping that a recall will be started due to the number of complaints they are seeing. Is there anything I can do in the meantime while I spend 500$ on a tow and a alternator? thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).?
- Algona, IA, USA
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Driving down hwy. For 10 minutes and battery light came on, short time later vehicle died. Battery cables on jumper side hot, strong smell of burned rubber. Battery and alternator very hot and could not be touched. Seem to be direct ground on 180 amp alternator. Had to replace battery and alternator just to get power back. Now more checks needed on computer. Same as P60 recall, however, Chrysler tells me the 180 amp is not involved.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a complete loss of electrical power intermittently. All the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to semi valley Chrysler Dodge Jeep, but the dealer could not replicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 110,080.
The contact owns a 2012 (na) Jeep Cherokee. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and completely lost power. In addition, the malfunction, electronic throttle control, and acc indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler of simi valley, California, but the dealer could not duplicate or determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 110,093...updated 08/30/17
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While the vehicle was stationary with the engine running, the vehicle would not turn off when prompted. The contact stated that the vehicle began to smoke due to fan that continued to run. On one occasion, the vehicle stalled without warning and lost power completely. Mike smith Jeep of beaumont, Texas attempted to repair the vehicle numerous times, but the failure continued. The water pump was replaced after the coolant oil began leaking into the pump. In addition, the traction control indicator illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and instructed the dealer to check the tipm; however, the failures recurred even after numerous repairs. The failure mileage was 114,000.
Alternator failed with no warning. It began violently smoking like it was about to catch fire even though it was turning freely. Turned car off and it was still smoking badly. Grabbed fire extinguisher but it never flamed up. In the process, it burned my battery up also. Jeep had a recall on the 160 amp alternator for the same issue but said mine was not covered because it was 180 amp. I have read where several others have had the same issue with the 180 amp alternator. Had the car towed to former dealer I bought it from(he was the new car dealer at the time), he said he had never seen a battery that hot after sitting for awhile and couldn't understand how it didn't burn up. Cost of repair was over $1000 for a new alternator and battery
Alternator Chrysler has a recall for alternators from 2011 - 2014 but my VIN is not covered. Same issue as the recall. Sudden power loss, smell of burnt wires. Total electrical loss. Car has 90,000 miles on it. Recall should extend to this issue. $800 fix
This happened June 2016 in calgary, ab. Canada. I was upset then and am still upset now, enough to complain here. I was driving on street at low speed, the battery light came on, I pulled over less than a minute later, engine was squealing badly, turned off engine, there was a large amount of smoke coming from under the hood, I opened hood and was hit with a blast of smoke, I thought engine was on fire. After smoke dissipated, I could see smoke was coming from alternator. It appeared to have overheated and melted a connector/wiring. I had the alternator replaced, but the PCM was also fried, so had to have it replaced as well. $2000 later I was back on the road. I checked fca for recalls. Fca say the 160 amp alternator is covered under a recall but not the 180 amp. I have the 180 amp alternator. I talked to 3-4 people at fca and emailed them all the info and invoices and the said "we are very sorry and that is unfortunate but there is no recall or coverage" for my alternator or PCM. However, they did say that with enough complaints that possibly in the future there will be a campaign to recall the 180 amp alternator and told me to keep my receipts. So everyone keep your receipts and keep complaining as I believe they will eventually recall this alternator, and we will get some reimbursement.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving approximately 30 mph, the battery warning indicator illuminated and smoke and a burning odor appeared under the hood. The instrument panel lighting began to flicker and the vehicle began to lose power and eventually failed. The contact had the vehicle towed to jim smallich Chrysler dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery and alternator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V634000 (electrical system). The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the alternator failed while driving 45 mph. In addition, the windshield wipers engaged independently, the lights on the instrument panel flashed and immediately became dim, and the engine stalled. The contact also noticed a burning rubber odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to hill view motorist Chrysler dealer in luxor, Pennsylvania (724-834-8440) where it was diagnosed that the alternator failed and caused the battery and power train control module to burn. The vehicle was repaired and the alternator, battery, and power train control module were replaced. The manufacturer stated that the alternator in the vehicle was one hundred eighty amps and was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V634000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 62,407. Updated 08/04/17
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While the vehicle was parked with the air conditioner and radio still operable, the contact exited the vehicle. Upon returning to the vehicle, he noticed that the air conditioner and radio stopped working, but the windshield wiper blades were moving at slow speed. The contact shifted into drive, but the vehicle was moving slowly and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was stopped, shifted into park, turned off, and failed to restart. The voltage warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a faulty alternator and battery that needed replacement. The parts were replaced, but the mechanic noticed that the computer was damaged and could not be repaired. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic who diagnosed that the PCM needed replacement and there was an alternator recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had the vehicle towed to jt Chrysler Dodge Ram of lexington (located at 4838 sunset blvd, lexington, SC 29072 (803) 957-2010) for repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V674000 (electrical system). The failure mileage was 113,002.
We have had this Jeep grand cheroke service three times and before having it service, the car has cut off while driving on the highway without warning.
While driving on freeway, battery warning light lit up, followed by (incorrect) error messages on instrument cluster menu that driver seatbelt was unfastened. All electrical equipment in the vehicle ceased operation, including ac and stereo. I pulled off of freeway and opened hood to find the alternator smoking heavily. This was the exact same failure situation described in Chrysler recall P60, but because my alternator was 180amp instead of 160amp, it was not covered by the P60 recall. The alternator had to be replaced. The alternator failure also resulted in a blown-out PCM, which had to be replaced. This is an extremely dangerous failure that could have caused a car fire, or traffic accident. Chrysler recall P60 should include the 180amp alternators, as well, because they have the same fault and safety issues.
Although a recall on the 160 amp alternator my 180 amp alternator failed exactly like the 160 - smoke and left me in traffic, failed while driving in houston traffic. There are hundreds of cases with the 180 online but fca will not do anything unless you say so. So for now $1995 out of my pocket. M.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/grand_cherokee/2012/engine/engine.shtml next source
My alternator and then my ECU computer were damaged exactly in the same way that was described in the P60 recall. Unfortunately I realized that my VIN is not listed in the recall. How can I get reinbursed from the dealer all the expenses that I paid if my VIN is not in the recall although it has the same damaged that is described in the P60 bulletin, please advise marcelo
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Dubai, CA, USA