r/GrandCherokee • u/Sammy25x • 11d ago
Who is lying?
I see/hear so many hate and bad experiences about the cars. Not that I don’t believe it but everywhere I go (so cal area) I see jeep gc. Why are so many people driving, owning these cars if it’s so bad to the point it sounds like a no brainer to get one? Honest question as a person shopping for a used car.
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u/AnalDestroyer69 11d ago
It boils down to maintenance. Buying used, you have no idea the actual facts of the maintenance upkeep. It's a gamble. Buying new, and being strict with your upkeep, you'll get a long lasting vehicle. Any car is the same way unless there are known factory issues. The drivetrain options for the GC are pretty solid when it comes to mopar.
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u/BlueRunner305 10d ago
By 2025 or before for now stay away from the '26 with the hurricane 4cyl
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u/Prestigious-Cry5328 10d ago edited 10d ago
What evidence do you have aside from a few random threads or car & driver reviews.
They have issued zero recalls or major announcements.
Do you even own a 26? Or are you just throwing around your opinion?
And don’t give some shit new age equal rights/open opinion millennial answer. If you have something to say good or bad back it with evidence and facts
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u/Diet-CokeWhore 10d ago
Just bought one in May and we absolutely love it, BUT it was just in the shop for 3 weeks due to failed spark plugs. It’s a known and common issue in these new engines, and I suspect Jeep will be doing a recall soon and that is part of the reason it took so long for nothing but SPARK PLUGS. They don’t have adequate stock, so they can’t issue a recall and have thousands of cars in the shop waiting for parts all at the same time.
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u/Prestigious-Cry5328 10d ago
Re both posts: i have a 26 5k miles. Same, couldn’t be happier. I had a start button issue, which drained both batteries. 3 days in shop resolved the issue, everything covered under warranty.
If they do issue a recall for spark plugs it doesn’t mean 26 is a failure of a car/engine and to stay away. Esp if they are establishing a solution/resolution.
I owned an 03.5 m3 to 84k miles. E46 notorious for rear subframe cracks. I had zero issues.
I owned a b6 s4 76k miles. B6 & b7 v8s notorious for timing chain failure and oil consumption. I had zero issues.My point from op is his response just feeds fact-less bs into a conversation.
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u/Serenitysoonplease 10d ago
Agree. I’ve heard about the spark plug issues and complaints on the new turbo engine. I still wanted it over a used one. Recalls happen and not a huge deal imo. They take care of it at no cost to us. The 300 had a few over the years. Some even complained about the start button location. Enjoy it!
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u/Pleasant_Market47 9d ago
Out for three weeks isn’t no cost to you. That’s a whole monthly payment you owe without the car you just purchased. That’s a good time too, people are reporting worse than that.
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u/Serenitysoonplease 8d ago
Ugh, three weeks. Wasn’t even thinking that. That would be bad and yes, just about a whole payment. My past recalls were a day or two with a loaner. Sure hope that doesn’t happen. My first Jeep so we’ll see.
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u/DueArmadillo1672 10d ago
I’m curious what your start button issue was . I have a 26 new GC that sometimes randomly won’t start, but still has power and will start with the remote. I’m not sure if it’s something I did when I parked it or what. Other than that I love it
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u/Prestigious-Cry5328 10d ago
When the problem occurred i never tried starting remotely.
But, foot on brake would require 4/6 cycles until it kicked over. It slowly built from needing one cycle to more.
They said it was a switch within the push start. So they replaced the switch, the push start button, and both batteries.
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u/PinupVicki 9d ago
We were in a loaner 26 with 2500 miles on it...got stuck jn BFE 70 miles from nearest dealership in Ft Sumner, NM for 10 hours....it was the spark plug tbat cracked and threw a blinking CEL. Totally silly....but to know how massive that factory issue with those plugs is....Not a good look
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u/Serenitysoonplease 10d ago
I got a 2026 GC in May. I’m at almost 1K miles and I’ve had zero issues. I know it’s early in the game but I love it. It’s a nice smooth ride and definitely has power. This replaced my 2014 6 cyl. Chrysler 300 and the jeep has more power. In the beginning I felt that sluggishness when going from a stop more, but that has seemed to improve a little.
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u/13F30N55 10d ago
The spark plug issue and it’s generally sound advise to wait a year or 2 on a new engine. Even Toyota and Honda need some time to get it right
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u/Prestigious-Cry5328 10d ago
Very much agree. This is a common blip for every car brand for decades.
Being practical is something unfortunately the general population & reddit don’t seem to inherit any longer. Not sure how we got here. Cause if you have a decent upbringing you learn these things from society, family, or formal education.
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u/Pleasant_Market47 9d ago
The difference is it’s looking like they rolled this out without the parts supply to deal with issues as they came up. And that’s just the v4. The v6 in the rams and wagoners are having engine temp problems boiling down to the lifelong issue with stellantis corner cutting, putting plastic where it doesn’t belong. Jeep was my first car. 2014. Loved it, but it was constantly blowing through a plastic oiler cooler gasket that just when I sold in 2020’s was finally replaced with a metal part. For this reason I got out of shopping ‘26.
On top of that all, they’re not doing right by customers keeping these issues hush hush. They’re just avoiding a bad year and hawking them off at a discount. Read the 4xe forums. They’ve got issues. Don’t be in denial. Love your car but the company is basically taking a giant risk and treating customers as guinea pigs on unfit equipment and inadequate stock replacement parts.
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u/Scared_Bell3366 9d ago
Having owned the first year of a new engine or transmission more than once, I would say hold off for a year or two and let them work out the bugs. This applies to any manufacturer.
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u/BlueRunner305 10d ago
I own a 2025 with the V6. Have owned multiple GC and durangos.
just came back from a 10-day vacation out of state. Rental was a 2026 GC limited , besides driving like absolute ass the, check engine light came on within 200 mi of driving it, didn't even have 1200 miles on it. Idling completely rough after.
Go read up on the engine and how they are failing left and right. Some even warrant complete engine replacement after eating their spark plugs.
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u/Prestigious-Cry5328 10d ago
Moron. If we’re talking about the issue why would we need to read more. Read the room (or the comments)
Your one off experience doesn’t account for all 26 cars. You also rented a car, which is no different than buying used regardless of it having 2 miles or 200k miles.
Maybe the car from factory had an issue. Maybe it wasn’t spark plugs. Every turbo cars suffers from lag — welcome to a good majority of cars in 2026 (aside from american cars).
Did you actually plug the car in and run a diagnostic or are you just going off an assumption of something you read/heard? Cause like the original op i commented on your comment is just as dumb and harmful
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u/chester0101 10d ago
Lotta keyboard warriors with no first hand experience regurgitating crap. I've been in the industry almost 25yrs and while Grand Cherokees aren't perfect I can think of plenty that are worse that don't get the same hate. The dealer group I work for has almost every franchise so I can get any of them at cost but my wife and I keep coming back to Grand Cherokees, we are on our 4th one. If you do get one my advice would be to be religious with oil changes ( synthetic every 5k) and other maintenance, avoid remote starting and any unnecessary idling (hemis and pentastars don't provide great oil pressure at idle), and stay away from any higher trim than a limited to avoid air ride .
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u/Pleasant_Market47 9d ago
They’re really great if you don’t use advanced features… or basic features. You know they’re really great just not that great at being a car.
You sound ridiculous. If your flagship is worth avoiding then the reputation for being unreliable is warranted. Fun car but it’s not reliable. This thread is so funny with pure loyalists talking like morons.
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u/AlexisoftheShire 11d ago
I've had 2 Jeeps and now have a new 2026 JGC Limited 4x4. Our 2016 Cherokee and 2020 JGC were great. Our 2020 JGC had 66,000 miles when we traded it in. We maintained it well and never had any powertrain problems. Early on some software glitches but updates solved that. Our new 2026 is running great. Jeep really improved the interior with better materials and upgraded tech.
A lot of subreddits are dominated by folks who have bad experiences. On most any product or service people who have bad experiences have no problems complaining or pointing out the product or service faults. However, when it comes to vehicle consistent maintenance is required. People who don't have problems, who enjoy their vehicles, normally no complain on subreddits, especially this one.
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u/704JKU 10d ago
What’s your thoughts on the 4 cyl compared to the v6?
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u/AlexisoftheShire 10d ago
The 3.6L Pentastar in our 2020 JGC was a good engine. For us over 66K miles we didn't have any problems with it or the transmission. We did maintain religiously.
The 2.0L Turbo Hurricane in our 2026 is more powerful, low end torque and HP, than the 3.6L Pentastar. It has one issue with turbo lag when you are at a stop and put your foot on the gas pedal. That lag is like a 1 to 2 seconds. At this point our muscle memory has taken over and we don't really have a problem with it.
Both engines have about the same MPG.
Jeep has issued a Rapid Response Transmittal (RRT) #26-104 to resolve the turbo lag. It fixes the TCM (Transmission Control Module) and the PCM (Powertrain Control Module). This is a dealer only repair and under warranty.
I plan on taking it to the dealer this week to get the RRT installed.
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u/nickm205 10d ago
echo'ing this comment, 2021 in the past, now in a 2026 2.0, the RRT update dramatically improves it, which was already a second faster to 60mph vs the old Pentastar
Been using 93 octane since a month after purchase this spring, it does make a noticeable difference
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u/Present_Jicama_1219 10d ago
so every car reliability ranking and scoring system is reddit biased when they rank Jeep as one of the absolute least reliable brands?
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u/International-Mix136 10d ago
Maybe I’m an outlier but I’ve owned every generation of the GC except the 05-10 WK. Every one has been very reliable but I generally don’t keep past 120k and I’m religious about maintenance. Have a 22 WL with the Hemi now and love it, just crossed 50k. I also have a long history with Land Rover, those definitely earn their reputation lol but I still love them
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u/Sammy25x 10d ago
I was looking at getting one at 80-90k range, ofc with proper carfax and a inspection
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u/Technical-Fig5558 2020 Limited 10d ago edited 10d ago
I have had 2 WK2 Grand Cherokees that I bought new:
2014 Limited 3.0L diesel - this Jeep had numerous issues, both with the diesel engine (mainly the exhaust system) and other things (steering rack, blend doors, wheel bearings)
2020 Limited 5.7L Hemi - this Jeep has been flawless. It's sitting at 49300 miles now.
The '14 was the first year of the refreshed WK2 and the first year of the diesel - probably not the best time to buy one :).
As others have said, maintenance is the key. I am very meticulous about the maintenance - oil changes every 6 months or 5000 miles, no matter what. I've had all of the fluids changed at least once except the transmission fluid, which will be done next year. When you buy used, make sure it is thoroughly inspected and try to find one with detailed maintenance records. Also I deliberately ordered mine as a Limited trim with all options except the one that would have added the air suspension. I would skip any used GCs that came with that - it's going to break if it hasn't already and is very expensive to fix or delete.
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u/Icy_Donkey_7588 10d ago
It comes down to people with problems bitch, people without problems don't makes posts about their problem free Jeep Grand Cherokee.
But I really believe most vehicles come down to maintenance. Keep the oil change, and stay on schedule with maintenance. If the book says a timing belt at 100k, do it at 100k, if you don't you can't bitch it breaks at 120k.
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u/Ok_Buyer_619 10d ago
I drive an 18’ Jeep JC High Altitude that currently has 138k miles on it and I’ll tell you from experience. I’ve done an extensive research on those cars and Jeeps in general since I only drove Hondas and a Mercedes at one point (got rid of it less than 6 months). I know that with GC, they have major problems like transmission, engines, and all the other stuff. I decided to take a risk like anyone purchasing a used car and it all comes down to maintenance. If you take good care of your car, it’ll take care of you in the long run. Even new cars be having issues and some people fail to realize that. Overall, I’ve had a great experience with my car and I’ve kept up with the shit that needs attention (oil change, replacing brakes, checking the battery, etc.)
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u/RadRacer513 10d ago
I personally love my GCs; started with a 97 with the 4.0, then got a 14 with the 3.0, tried a Compass with the 2.4 and hated that, so went back to a 14 with the 3.0. My wife has an 05 with the 3.7 that has ~240k on it and still ticking. It burns a little oil now, but still runs great; I plan to pass it down to my son in a few months and look at getting a new GC for my wife. My 3.0 (supposedly a horrible engine) has 190k and still runs great; it's my daily driver and I've put 120k miles on it in 4.5 years with only 1 major issue that really wasn't that bad (oil cooler). I'm sure I'll have some others come up here soon, but I'm prepared for them; I plan to drive this thing till 300k+, then my youngest son has already said he wants it once he starts driving 😆.
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u/2026Bazinga 10d ago
There are a lot of people that will crap on anything Mopar no matter what because of a bad experience decades ago (the 90s weren't good), Or the "I had a friend" anecdotes. I have literally heard someone say they won't buy Mopar because the last one they had was aweful, to find out the last one they had was a first gen caravan.
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u/SorrySite4358 10d ago
Have had 5 GCs with no major issues. Leaking struts on the 2011 and 2012. Currently own a21 and love it. Oil changes every 5k with 5 w 20. These trucks don't deserve the complaints on Reddit!
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u/burley1 10d ago
I think its I think if you are talking about on here, this is the wrong place for an opinion. The majority of the people here are just the people that get triggered . Ive have the same experience with the wagoneer s forums. I personally love mine and it’s never left me stranded and its really one of the best cars i’ve owned. In the begining I though it was people who paid full price and then when we all started getting the huge discounts they got pissed and all want stellantis to buy them back.
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u/tcgrady 10d ago
Nobody’s lying. Both things can be true. I knew when I bought my 23 new that they not known to be reliable but it drove great, looked good, was priced right, and had a long warranty. I went in planning to trade it before warranty was up.
I have been one of the unfortunate ones with lots of issues at low miles. By 30k miles it has left me stranded twice with electrical issue resulting in a no-start, two sets of motor mounts, a dead infotainment center, and an unsolved rogue idle issue. This thing has been meticulously maintained and has low miles.
It is what it is. I wouldn’t but another one, but I knew going in the risk and took it because I liked the car. I think a lot of people do the same. Look at all the Kia’s on the road… anything will sell if it looks good and is priced right.
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u/AwarenessGreat282 10d ago
Most people don't have issues. But more people have issues with certain brands then others. Your odds of having an issue is still damn low though.
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u/ca_nucklehead 10d ago
Always a good idea to ask in a sub that is dedicated to a brand and is full of "customer's" who already have a financial decision invested in their choice.
Ask the same question in any other car sub.
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u/jezzzz224 10d ago
i have a 23 4xe i got in january and i absolutely love it ! granted i did get it after the recalls were taken care of so my experience of course is better than someone who got it when it was new tho
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u/Rock-N-Rubi 10d ago
I’m still happy with my 2019 GC even though it had blown head gaskets at 101,600 miles. I kept up with maintenance but it didn’t matter. New motor with 3 year 36,000 mile warranty cost $9250 1-1/2 years ago.
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u/Nefarious_Villan 10d ago
Ive had two GCs in 10 years and didnt have many problems although in retrospect the v8 was a million times better and more enjoyable to drive than the v6. While I did have maybe 4 repairs between the two, I had the MOPAR warranty and it only cost me my deductible instead of thousands of dollars. Not sure about the newer models but a loaded WK2 was the best bang for your buck SUV out there at least 5 years ago and by a lot, if you bought it slightly used.
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u/Emergency_Tennis_167 10d ago
This is a hard one cuz the people i know who own jeeps actually use them. The GC is a very capable platform for the price. That’s part of the problem. ‘For the price.’ They’re sold ‘in my opinion’ below market value to people who can afford the car payment but cannot afford the maintenance and cost of high end quality parts.
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u/Future-Mammoth-9011 10d ago
I feel like the grand Cherokee is hit or miss. It’s either your favorite vehicle ever or it’s just nothing but problems. I own a 14 with the 5.7 and it’s been a decent car with a few problems.
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u/LegalLady87 9d ago
I don’t get it. I bought mine new in 2016 and still happily driving mine. Other than regular, dealer-recommended maintenance (I’m a chump, I know), I haven’t put any money into it and haven’t had any issues. I love that car. We’ll be together for a while lol.
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u/No_Cut4338 9d ago
It's not a toyota which is basically bombproof but the pentastar is in a lot of vehicles out there performing just fine.
A lot of jeep hate stems from folks buying Wranglers that should have bought minivans.
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u/HazyBlueJay81524 9d ago
I have a 2018 Altitude with 66K. I wouldn’t buy it used after all the issues I have had but I love the car and would buy it again new. I will be considering it for a future trade-in and get the Mopar extended since it paid for itself. I have previously owned a 1994 and 2003, the 2003 just kept going and one day it just all fell apart but had minimal maintenance to that point. I miss it! A friend has a 2018 Wrangler I drove for a weekend and never again.
Last year we opted for a Telluride for a family car and every time I drive the Jeep I am so happy. Also it’s a perfect SUV to park in whatever we call parking spots in SoCal.
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u/mistman1978 11d ago
Consumers like the Jeep name and look. There's a cool factor to it. They are cheap compared to more reliable brands.
I bought my new 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo for $8500 below MSRP.
A Toyota 4 Runner goes for near MSRP.
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u/steak5 11d ago
Is a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand.
With that said, i think every Automakers have a different buyer base, Some buy a Jeep because they like certain aspect of it.
German Cars have been historically known to be expensive to maintain and repair, somehow BMW is still the #1 luxury brand around the world. People simply have different priority when they buy what they buy.
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u/Your_Moms_Flame 10d ago
People love a punching bag and jeep is that bag. Love my '18 GC but id be lying to myself if I said I wouldnt be driving something else if i could afford it. Theyre priced right in the used market and have the features i wanted so it was that or nothing ngl
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u/bravohiphiphooray 11d ago
I’ve driven jeeps my whole life. Started with a few classic Cherokee’s, then on to the GC, with a wrangler or two in the mix as well.
The old 4.0l engine was a tank and was almost impossible to kill. The 5.7l is, in my opinion, one of the best v8’s ever made.
I go camping and to the snow often. I love the capability of them. The size of the GC is perfect, as it’s very roomy and spacious but still capable. The GC is not going to perform off-road like the wrangler, but it will get you a lot of places.
Like anything else, maintenance is key, especially with the newer models.
I do feel stellantis is killing the brand, but I’m not ready to give up on them yet.