There are 10 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokeein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Twice in recent months the car accelerated on its own while idling. I received no warning or message. Both times the car surged forward a short distance. I applied the brake both times, but it didn’t seem to have much effect. The car seemed to slow on its own. My search of the internet uncovered many instances of sudden unintended acceleration involving the Jeep Cherokee, some resulting in severe injury/property damage, so it is definitely a safety issue. There have been many complaints, over many years, about this same problem, but I could not find mention of a recall notice or service advisory. Apparently there has been no definitive identification of the cause. I would gladly have the car inspected, but suspect that the problem can not be easily reproduced. I have had the vehicle for 5 years and only experienced this problem twice. Of course it only has to happen once to cause serious harm.
28000 MILES +\- DRIVING CAR ON FREEWAY IN HIGH SPEED LANE IN LAS 405 - THE MOST TRAVELED HIGHWAY IN THE US, AND THE CAR SLOWED TO A DEAD STOP. COMPLETE LOSS OF ACCELERATION. ALL ELECTRICAL STILL WORKING, LIGHTS, DASH, RADIO. WOULD TURN OVER BUT WOULD NOT START. HOUR EARLIER CAR WAS IDLING AND IDLED TO A STALL. ALL ELECTRICAL STILL WORKING. POLICE HAD TO COME AND STOP TRAFFIC TO WAIT FOR A FLATBED.
I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY FROM A STOP POSITION, AS I TRIED ACCELERATE THE ENGINE ACTED LIKE I WAS IN NEUTRAL OR PARK! I THOUGHT I HIT THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PARK OR NEUTRAL, BUT I WAS IN DRIVE. IT WENT BACK INTO DRIVE MODE SECOND S LATER. SCARY FEELING WITH TRAFFIC GOING 50 MPH AROUND ME! WELL IT DID IT AGAIN GOING FROM A STOP POSITION TURNING LEFT ONTO A BUSY 3 LANE STREET. NOW I KNOW SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!! SO FAR NO RECALL ON MY VIN #, BUT MANY OTHER 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE HAVE BEEN RECALLED WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR. IT'S VERY SCARY , DANGEROUS, AND HAZARDOUS! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SUDDENLY TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, AND CRASHED INTO A FENCE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER RETRIEVED THE BLACK BOX AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,848. AP*MP CONSUMER STATES THAT INCIDENT HAPPENED AFTER COMING OUT OF A CAR WASH. CONSUMER STATES THAT FOOT WAS NOT ON THE GAS WHEN VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND SMASHED INTO THE FENCE. WHEN VEHICLE HIT THE FENCE IT STARTED REVVING UP BEFORE SLOWING DOWN TO A NORMAL IDLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TILTON AUTO BODY WHERE THE DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED. IT WAS THEN TAKEN TO TILTON AUTO SERVE (TILTON, NH) FOR FRONT END ALIGNMENT. MANUFACTURER ANALYZED BLACK BOX AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE THROTTLE SYSTEM OR ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY. *DL PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
VEHICLE WAS PARK AT DRIVE THRU ATM. VEHICLE WAS PLACED BACK INTO DRIVE AND AS. TAKE BRAKE WAS RELEASED, VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT GAS PEDAL BEING PRESSED. VEHICLE WENT INTO FORWARD MOTION RAPIDLY AND BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED TO STOP VEHICLE. SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN A SHORT TIME LATER WHEN PULLING ONTO STREET. PRIOR THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING. AS VEHICLE WAS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS BUSY HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL AT DETRIMENTAL TIME WHILE TRAFFIC WAS ONCOMING. SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL THEN BACK TO DRIVE HAD NO EFFECT. VEHICLE ENGINE HAD TO BE TURNED OFF THEN BACK ON TO GET VEHICLE TO GO BACK IN DRIVE. THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPENED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. DEALER SHIP WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY REPLACE A WIRE HARNESS. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED REGARDING ACCELERATION ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THEM. DEALERSHIP MECHANICS ADVISED THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM AND SAID BRING IT BACK IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. VERY DANGEROUS. NOT CONFIDENT IN VEHICLE RELIABILITY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE FACING FORWARD. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE CONTACT PUSHED THE START BUTTON AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH INTO THE FRONT LAWN. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A TREE STUMP WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL, WENT AIRBORNE APPROXIMATELY SEVEN FEET OFF THE GROUND, AND LANDED ON THE OTHER END OF THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING ON THE PROPERTY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO SWITCH THE GEAR INTO PARK AND STOP THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 11,600. ..UPDATED 06/08/17 *BF ....UPDATED 06/21/17 *BF UPDATED 7/5/18*JB *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE RESTARTED AND HESITATED TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,002. ...UPDATED 12/28/16 *BF **** UPDATED 01/10/17*LJ UPDATED 01/11/17.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED IT IS UNDETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR AND WHEN IT WOULD OCCUR. THE DRIVER MUST REMEMBER TO PRESS THE OVERRIDE BUTTON ON THE DASH WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED. UPDATED 06/22/2017 *JS CONSUMER STATED THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO LET THE COMPUTER CONTROL STALL THE ENGINE AT ALL TIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS FOR ANYTHING AND THEN WHEN PRESSURE IS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY RESTARTS AND AS YOU CONTINUE TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE IN A NORMAL MANNER AS IF THE ENGINE HAD NOT STOPPED. UPDATED 7/10/18*JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DOWN HILL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,100.
THE VEHICLE LOST ALL ACCELERATION...ON A HIGHWAY...IN A TUNNEL...SURROUNDED BY LARGE TRUCKS. THE VEHICLE COASTED OUT OF THE TUNNEL AND MADE IT TO THE NEAREST SIDING. NO BUTTONS WERE PUSHED AND THE CONTROLS WHERE NOT TOUCHED. BOTH HANDS WERE ON THE WHEEL DURING THE TRIP THROUGH THE TUNNEL. ONCE PULLED OVER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE WAS ON, BUT DID NOT RESPOND TO THE PEDAL. TURNING OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE ALLOWED THE PEDAL TO FUNCTION AGAIN. THIS WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW ONLY TWO AND HALF WEEKS PRIOR. THIS VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO TWO DEALERS AND HAS BEEN WITH THEM FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS. THE PROBLEM CAN NOT BE DIAGNOSED, SO NO REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY CHRYSLER. I EXPECT THIS DANGEROUS EVENT TO REOCCUR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT. CHRYSLER HAS ONLY OFFERED WORDS OF CONSOLATION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND INCREASED IN RPMS. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. UPDATED 09/29/16*LJ
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026