Reliable Auto DB

2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee holds 310 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 34 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Grand Cherokee years here — under the median of the other years, which is 80. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Engine and engine cooling, Fuel pump, and EGR valve.

2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

310

Per year

34

Recalls

9

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (78 of 310), then Engine (76) and Electrical system (61). Those filings include 27 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 16 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Grand Cherokee has 1,359 complaints, 130 per year, and the 2017 has 364 complaints, 40 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (9)

Recall Engine and engine cooling 2023-06-08 · NHTSA campaign 23V411000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Remedy Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 3, 2023. Some owner notification letters were mailed October 31, 2023. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated July 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 66A. This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-475.
Recall diesel fuel system, delivery, fuel pump 2022-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 22V406000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and 2014-2019 Ram 1500 vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. A high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failure may introduce internal debris into the fuel system, potentially resulting in fuel starvation.
Remedy Dealers will replace the HPFP, and inspect and replace, if necessary, additional fuel system components, free of charge. Interim notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed July 21, 2022. Owner notification letters for were mailed for Jeep Grand Cherokee owners starting January 11, 2024. Owner notification letters for Ram 1500 owners were mailed March 7, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLS's number for this recall is Z46.
Recall engine and cooling, exhaust system, emission control, EGR valve 2020-11-12 · NHTSA campaign 20V699000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with the 3.0L EcoDiesel engines. The Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) cooler may crack and allow pre-heated vaporized coolant to enter the EGR system. This mixture may combust inside the intake manifold.
Remedy FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will replace the EGR cooler, free of charge. Dealers will also inspect and, as necessary, replace the intake manifold. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on December 21, 2021. A second notification will be mailed when parts are available, currently expected to be around March 11, 2021. The recall began March 11, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US LLC's number for this recall is W79.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, diesel 2020-08-13 · NHTSA campaign 20V475000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ram 1500 and 2014-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Remedy FCA US will notify owners, and dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion by reading the camshaft position signal in the event that the crankshaft position signal is lost, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 13, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-2002. FCA US's number for this recall is W58.
Recall electrical system, wiring 2018-05-17 · NHTSA campaign 18V332000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, gasoline, turbocharger 2017-10-19 · NHTSA campaign 17E061000
Summary Accessible Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is recalling certain ProCharger Superchargers, model numbers AB037A-100, AB037A-100P, and A037A-100B, sold for installation on 2012-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and SRT vehicles. The supercharger mounting bracket may contact and damage the ABS line, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.
Remedy ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. Owners may contact ATI customer service at 1-913-338-2886.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2016-11-10 · NHTSA campaign 16V814000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 10, 2016, to April 28, 2016 and equipped with a 3.6L engine built at the Saltillo engine plant. During the assembly of the engine, the fuel rail crossover tube may have been damaged, which, over time, may result in a fuel leak.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly for damage to the fuel rail crossover tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 23, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S85.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, park/neutral start switch 2016-04-27 · NHTSA campaign 16V249000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured May 15, 2015 to February 19, 2016. The brake transmission shift interlock solenoid may have a loose electrical connection which could result in a loss of solenoid function.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter assembly, free of charge. The recall began on May 27, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S28.
Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2016-03-23 · NHTSA campaign 16V168000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured December 9, 2015, to January 14, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the left front brake caliper may crack due to being made from an incorrect material.
Remedy Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front left brake caliper and depending on its casting date, replace it, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on May 12, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S16.

Complaints by component (310 total)

Powertrain
78
Engine
76
Electrical system
61
Fuel and propulsion system
28
Service brakes
22
Speed control
22
Steering
16
Diesel fuel system
12
Electronic stability control (ESC)
12
Air bags
11
Seats
11
Structure
11
Exterior lighting
10
Engine and engine cooling
8
Wheels
6
Fuel system, gasoline
5
Forward collision avoidance
4
Seat belts
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Hydraulic brakes
3
Suspension
3
Tires
2
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

27

Fire-flagged

7

Injury reports

16

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

432016312017272018332019382020162021212022472023222024172025152026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly sputtered and then stalled. The contact stated that there was a whining sound coming from the vehicle…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-09-22
  • "While attempting to remove a child's car seat situated in the rear left passenger seat of the jeep, the release latch failed to allow the seat belt to be released. We had to use a pry bar to physically pry the seat belt…"
    Seats · filed 2026-09-19
  • "The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under previous ownership under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V699000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the recall…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-07-29
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the front driver seat head restraint deployed inadvertently and struck the contact in the neck, causing the contact to swerve…"
    Seats · filed 2026-07-09
  • "#2 cylinder misfire code P0302. A known problem with this engine. A compression test reveals a common defect with this engine"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-02

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT SUV 4WD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV 2WD 4 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV 4WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Grand Cherokee two-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 22 30 25 MPG $3750
Grand Cherokee two-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Rear-wheel drive 19 26 21 MPG $3100
Grand Cherokee four-wheel drive 5.7L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 14 22 17 MPG $4350
Grand Cherokee four-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 21 28 24 MPG $3950
Grand Cherokee four-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 8-speed Four-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Grand Cherokee SRT8 four-wheel drive 6.4L, 8-cyl Automatic 8-speed All-wheel drive 13 19 15 MPG $5300

Specs and fitment

WK2 generation, 2012–2021
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 (3.6L); 5W-30 (5.7L HEMI) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 265/60R18 to 265/50R20 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 7,200 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-475 covers certain 2014-2016 Grand Cherokees with the 3.0L EcoDiesel (shared with Ram 1500): the crankshaft-position sensor tone wheel may delaminate so the engine cannot sync injector and cam timing and may stall; dealers update PCM software to fall back on the cam signal (FCA W58). Diesel-only—gasoline WK2 trucks are outside that campaign. Confirm open Takata and other VIN-specific campaigns on NHTSA before purchase; WK2 also appears on multiple FCA air-bag and fuel campaigns by year.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Next year 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee See every Jeep Grand Cherokee model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee holds 310 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 34 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Grand Cherokee years here — under the median of the other years, which is 80. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Engine and engine cooling, Fuel pump, and EGR valve.

What are common problems with a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (78 of 310), then Engine (76) and Electrical system (61). Those filings include 27 that report a crash, 7 that report a fire, and 16 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Grand Cherokee has 1,359 complaints, 130 per year, and the 2017 has 364 complaints, 40 per year. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee been recalled?

The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owners have filed 310 complaints about the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee is 20.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Grand Cherokee take?

5W-20 (3.6L); 5W-30 (5.7L HEMI)

What does NHTSA recall 20V-475 cover on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Recall 20V-475 covers certain 2014-2016 Grand Cherokees with the 3.0L EcoDiesel (shared with Ram 1500): the crankshaft-position sensor tone wheel may delaminate so the engine cannot sync injector and cam timing and may stall; dealers update PCM software to fall back on the…

What generation is the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

WK2 generation (2012-2021).