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.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee electrical problems

electrical problem

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2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 39 of 40)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #22

Aug 152013

Grand Cherokee

  • 30,000 miles

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

Total integrated power module: When starting, vehicle stalls. When try to restart, vehicle continuously turns over without starting until it finally times itself out. This happens at least once per week for more than a year. Dealership says they know nothing about the problem and that they cannot recreate the issue so they will not fix unless I choose to replace the tipm at my own expense. I've given them article after article about this issue - to no avail. Warranty company will not cover the issue because dealership says there is no issue.

- New Oxford, PA, USA

problem #21

Mar 122014

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • 33,000 miles
Initially, I was having trouble with it stalling after it started. The dealership installed a new start button, I then had trouble after I would turn the car off, the accessories would not turn off. The dealership replaces the door mechanism and now I am having trouble getting the car to start. I was unable to start it after several attempts and could only start it using the remote start. I have had tons of issues with this vehicle and the start system stalling, then not turning off and now not starting.

- Butte, MT, USA

problem #20

Jul 252014

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • miles
Informed by technician that I have the right rear shock to be leaking oil, causing the car to bounce, poor control, rusty brake pads and possibly more problems in the future. The vehicle also have been selected for an important safety recall (brake booster prematurely corrode. I not satisfied with all these safety problems for a car I paid off, bought brand new, only two years old, with such disturbing problems, constantly taking it to the dealership it is inconvenient. The seat belt is difficult to click, un-click and I am very disturbed. I am constantly at the dealership repairing and worrying about what will be next. Chrysler has sold to consumers like myself a poor quality vehicle.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #19

Jul 292014

Grand Cherokee

  • 26,424 miles

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

Saw smoke coming from passengers visor parked the car in front of the house when out two hours later to find it to be completely burned.. dealership acted like it is no big deal that a leased new vehicle from them catches fire inside... service rep jeff tells me it's not that bad..?? really how can I show you the pictures of this "not a big deal" situation... updated 08-20-14 updated 7/23/2015

- Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

problem #18

Nov 012013

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
The vehicle lost all electrical power, steering and braking while in motion. The vehicle lost all control of steering and breaking when the electrical system shutoff. The electrical issue has happened 3 times within the first 2 year of ownership (~32,000 miles). The following parts have been replaced: Fuel pump relay and overlay harness, wireless ignition node, integrated key fob, tipm kit, 2 key fobs, brake booster. Vehicle almost caused 3 severe accidents while in motion.

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #17

Jul 012014

Grand Cherokee

  • 24,000 miles
I was getting a burning plastic smell I brought the vehicle to manfredi service center in staten island NY they tried to tell me it was my air freshener after pushing for a fix they flushed a coil...immediately called them after picking up the vehicle and was told to bring the car back Monday....Saturday while driving intense smoke filled the cabin from the drivers side headliner I had the car towed back to service where they disconnected the vanity and gave me the car back awaiting parts they also dragged the car onto the tow truck due to no start and replaced the battery and alternator when I received the car the drivers seat belt was inoperable and had to be fixed as well as the car dented.....I am awaotomg parts the smell persists and causes me to have headaches thank you for your time I would appreciate any info on this.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #16

Jul 062014

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • 52,287 miles

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

Noticed faint smell of burning plastic, opened a sunroof to clear the air. Smell got worse immediately, and then a headliner, just above my head (driver side) started smoke. Sunroof started closing and opening by itself, and dashboard showed a message that parking assist needs to be serviced. I pulled immediately of the road, turned off the vehicle, forced the water into headboard and fire stopped. Called 911 in walton county in Florida. Night before we tried to turn the lights inside, and noticed that they were flickering and very weak. I am now 800 miles away from home on vacation, and Chrysler is moving really slow to address the issue, already waiting 5 days for special investigator to check the vehicle.

- Allen, TX, USA

problem #15

Jun 102013

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • 10,811 miles
There have been four incidents while driving my vehicle at speed from 35 to upwards of 70 mph, my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee without warning powers off and engine shuts off. The issues were diagnosed by criswell Jeep service center, whereby the first occurrence was due a faulty and loose ground/ the subsequent re-occurrences were due to failure of totally integrated power module (tipm) which was replaced at mileage of 10,811. Oddly, one year for second on June 10, 2014, same issue recurred. I contracted Chrysler to report the defect and open a file on the matter. They instructed to take to another Jeep service center for secondary assessment on electrical issues identified a year earlier. Darcars Jeep service center could not find nothing wrong even after their technician drove my SUV to his residence and added 62 miles onto my vehicle. In conclusion, I informed a"possible of "fix" but the solution is unproven and not supported by Chrysler. Parts are on order to install a new receiver, antenna-R and antenna-P which should cure what is deem as unidentifiable issue.

- Germantown, MD, USA

problem #14

Oct 172011

Grand Cherokee 4WD 6-cyl

  • 600 miles
Intermittent electrical problem -- alarm sounds, horns honk, lights flash, radio comes on at all hours, day or night, when car is not running, parked in driveway, on its own, without fobs or people nearby. Car does not have an alarm system! panic button on fob not pushed. Racket stops after ~15 minutes, on its own, until the next incident anywhere from a week to several weeks later. June 12, 2014, there were two incidents on the same day, once in the morning, while driving, once in the late afternoon when parked and not running. No error codes in vic. Car starts and runs normal with all the racket the going on, but there is no way to stop the flashing lights. Pulling the two fuses for the horns leaves only the flashing lights, but no horns if they are needed. Headlights switch ineffective. Lights continue to flash when headlights are turned on as if circuit is bypassed.

- Alamogordo, NM, USA

problem #13

May 242014

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 78,000 miles
The car would not start. Was told that the total integrated power module needed to be replaced.

- Madisonville, LA, USA

problem #12

Apr 152014

Grand Cherokee

  • 33,000 miles

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

I been complaining of a smell and a burning smell. No one at the dealership could find the cause. Yesterday 04/15/2014 the cabin filled with smoke and as I opened the window to let the smoke out the fire started. I called 911 and the firemen extinguished the flames. This is a link I found related to this issue. Https://www.google.com/#Q=ceiling+catching+fire+on+2012+Jeep+Cherokee

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #11

Aug 162013

Grand Cherokee

  • 27,000 miles
I have a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was bought brand new in December 2011. In 2013 I experienced my first incident where my Jeep started, ran for 1-2 seconds, then died. I tried multiple times to restart it and could not get it to restart. I finally decided to completely turn off the vehicle and start the ignition process over. Thankfully that seemed to work. Between the first incident and the next service visit (January 2014), this happened approximately 6-10 times. I made the dealer aware of the issue and they noted it on the service sheet; however they told me they saw no error codes and could not recreate the problem. The in February I had an incident where it started then stalled, then the security alarm sounded. I had to remove the push start and use the key in the ignition in order to disengage the security system. Then approximately one week later I started the Jeep to go to work and it died after running for 1-2 seconds. I restarted the ignition process, this time when I let go of the push button start the starter continued to crank for approximately 10 seconds, until I exited the vehicle and locked the car. Now in the last two days the vehicle has started, ran for 1-2 seconds, then died on three separate occasions. I have made an appointment with the dealer and shared the above information with them. I have advised them that I think I have a bad tipm. I am hoping to get this addressed immediately since I have 33,500 miles on the vehicle and do not want this to be replaced after the warranty expires. I am seeing the average cost to replace the tipm at a dealer is $1200-$1400. There are enough similar stories about these sort of issues that Jeep/Chrysler should issue a recall and stand behind their product.

- Frankfort, KY, USA

problem #10

Aug 012013

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 24,000 miles
2012 Grand Cherokee V8 overland summit. Engine won't start at random times. Engine just cranks and cranks but won't fire. Let it sit for a while then will start. Been into the dealer 3 times now since August 2013. They replaced fuel pump overlay harness after checking found no fuel pressure, and found a "star case" with fix. This did nothing as problem still occurs multiple times a week. Dealer claims they have never heard of this problem.

- Hampton, NH, USA

problem #9

Nov 012013

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • 18,100 miles
On 11/11/13, I took my car in for the state inspection and reported the issue of the car not starting / stalling out to huffines Jeep in plano, tx. Huffines diagnosed the problem as a faulty tipm. The replacement tipm was installed on 11/25/13. On 11/29/13, I noticed that every time I use my right blinker, my fog lights flash. Car still does not start/stay running after starting and it has taken up to 8 tries to get it going. Even if it sounds like the car started, it will sometimes die after running a few seconds. I've also noticed that the doors do not always lock when I press the button on the door handle. This is also related to the tipm. Additionally, on 11/29/13, the dash light came on notifying me that the key fob battery was low. I replaced the key fob battery that day but that had no impact on the greater problems of the car not starting and the fog lights flashing when the right signal is activated. Will be taking my Jeep back to huffines tomorrow morning.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #8

Aug 152012

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
The battery keeps dying/vehicle won't start/dies while idling. My Jeep has a push button start, when pushed, the car will cycle through the ignition process (about 15-30 seconds) but won't start. After that the battery is drained enough not to cycle through ignition process. This first started shortly after original purchase of vehicle and I have been forced to keep on a charger, which only works some of the time. I have to have insurance send roadside to jump car at least once a week. It has also started up just to die as soon as it is put into gear, warm or cold. Jeep claims there is nothing wrong with battery or electrical system. This is my wife's car and I am worried that it will stall out with her and 2 year old son inside.

- Brentwood, CA, USA

problem #7

Sep 252013

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 17,500 miles
Jeep (and all Chrysler products) have a known issue with the tipm module (which stands for totally integrated power module). Thousands upon thousands of complaints with the tipm module have been noted by owners of affected Jeep/Chrysler vehicles (a simple google search will evidence same). The high failure rate of the subject part has left countless families stranded when their cars won't start and has also led to vehicles stalling for no reason. This problem obviously poses a danger to owners of these vehicles, especially families transporting young children. Chrysler/Jeep has ignored this problem for too long and has not been diligent in procuring replacement parts. We have been waiting several weeks for a replacement part. We are told it may take another month to get the part in before our vehicle can be fixed. Naturally, going to work and taking the kids to school is problematic since the vehicle rarely starts anymore. When it does start, my wife is afraid to drive it in case she is stranded with our two young children inside.

- Glendale, CA, USA

problem #6

May 082012

Grand Cherokee

  • 2,200 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. On 5/8/2012 the contact pushed the start button on the vehicle, the lights on the vehicle flashed once, and immediately the vehicle turned off completely. Contact pushed the start button again, the lights in the vehicle remained off, and the engine did not start. The vehicle battery was completely dead. Contact attempted to jump start the vehicle in order to drive it to the dealer but vehicle still would not start. Subsequently the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for repair. Dealer determined vehicle had a bad battery. Per the invoice received from the dealer "body ground at battery was not secure" and after installing new battery mechanic noticed "sparking at lower negative cable on body" and that he "found nut for stud laying in the bottom of the battery tray". mechanic then noted he fixed the above problems and re-installed the new battery. Dealer then returned the vehicle to the contact. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and a case was assigned.

- Encinitas, CA, USA

problem #5

Jun 172013

Grand Cherokee 4WD 8-cyl

  • 10,722 miles
My son was driving my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee home. When he was close to my home he noticed an acrid smell and saw a small amount of smoke coming from the area around the control panel, near the rear view mirror, on the ceiling of the vehicle. When he pulled in the driveway he turned off the vehicle but the amount of smoke increased so my son called the fire department. Before they arrived the car had burst into flames. Significant portions of the roof, sunroof and ceiling of the car have been badly damaged... updated 08-20-14 updated 08/25/2014

- Madison, WI, USA

problem #4

Jan 112012

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 300 miles
This Jeep was replaced because the prior Jeep was lemon law. The engine light appeared after about 3 weeks of purchase, the car was brand new. Like the last Jeep, it would stall causing loss of power brakes and power steering. The electrical system would also freeze (navigation and radio) constantly and would not fix itself unless the battery was unplugged. Shave Jeep in thousand oaks, ca upgraded the engine and navigation software, but problems resumed short after. Shaver Jeep then informed me that they would only look at the vehicle if the engine light was on. The engine light would go on and off so it was hard to time it right to bring it into the shop. Because of this "rule, " shaver Jeep will not acknowledge that the car has been brought in for repair 7 times. As of today, the car stalled on a busy freeway and put the passengers in danger. Constant engine code: Crankshaft position sensor.

- Agoura Hills, CA, USA

problem #3

Jun 272013

Grand Cherokee 8-cyl

  • 25,600 miles
Husband driving mv to store, started smelling sharp smell of wires burning, white smoke coming from area around the visor on drivers side, came right home with it, since smoke was burning his eyes and nose, opened sunroof to let smoke out, it continued smoking then started to burn thru material surrounding the visor, then burst into flames. My husband got out the fire extinguisher and was able to put the flames out, before the fire dept arrived.inside of the mv has melted plastic all over.the sunroof will not work, and the electrical system is all screwed up.

- Richford, VT, USA

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