RoadVitals

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
42
Latest Jul 26, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
11%
of 399 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words

Exterior lighting
Filed Jul 26, 2026

I was driving back from the airport and as it began to get dark, it became apparent I had no headlights. I somehow managed to drive the last two hours home on parking lights and lights from other vehicles.I took it to a Chrysler Jeep dealership Goldies in Huntington, West Virginia. The exam that I put a bulb in the driver side. In the passenger side, the LED portion is still glowing, but is yellow green and they told me it would require a headline assembly which would call somewhere between 1500 and $2000. The bulb alone was just over $500. They told me that the filaments had cracked in the bulb despite no apparent damage to the vehicle. I owned an accurate T from 2008 to 2021 I and it never required new bulbs. I actually don’t do much nighttime driving so they could not have many hours on the lights. I don’t know what but something is wrong here.

NHTSA ID
11752887
Incident
Jul 11, 2026
Exterior lightingPowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal and attempting to overtake another vehicle. The RPM was extremely elevated; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and restarted the vehicle before resuming normal driving. The contact became aware that, when shifting between automatic and manual driving modes, the vehicle operated normally without hesitating. The vehicle was taken to several dealers on several occasions; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure or determine the cause of the failure. In addition, the headlights occasionally shut off unexpectedly while driving at night. The contact would pull over and wait for the headlights to return before resuming normal driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls associated with the VIN for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID
11729494
Incident
Apr 1, 2025
Mileage
50,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the headlight switch set to the Automatic Off/On position, the headlights blinked continuously, the bulb became red, and then the headlights became inoperable. While the headlight switch was in the on position, the headlights operated as designed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V950000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID
11723113
Incident
Mar 6, 2026
Mileage
70,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 7, 2026

Car has 28k miles. It is driven by a [XX] year old. It is a Jeep GC Summit which is top of the line for Jeep. Both headlights were blown and the dash warning system never alerted that the lights were out. Car is equipped with the headlight monitoring system. She never drives at night so I cannot give you an exact date but we think it has been out since 2024 which is the last Texas inspection it had and passed. Contacted Jeep Wave with concern and was blown off and sent to a VM which was never returned. You have a recall for the Laredo and Overland models but not the Summit. The DRL lights thankfully are bright but you still need headlights. Car has been set to auto for headlights due to her age. I am hoping you give this a serious look. I posted on Facebook and other people are having the same issues with the Summits. You have no headlights and nothing saying they are out. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11716392
Incident
Feb 3, 2026
Exterior lighting
Filed Oct 1, 2025

The high beam lights are not working. Dealer said the shutter door internal to headlamp assemblies are unresponsive. BOTH headlamps went out at the same time. Dealer said they haven't seen any issues before with the high beams.

NHTSA ID
11690738
Incident
Sep 17, 2025
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the low beam headlights were inoperable. The contact attempted to set the headlight knob from automatic to manual however, the low beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact stated that the high beam headlights and running lights operated as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who checked the fuse box and determined that the fuses for the lighting system were functioning as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V950000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ID
11646439
Incident
Feb 21, 2025
Mileage
77,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Dec 26, 2024

When the lights are set on Auto mode the high beams feature will not work. You push the steering column cluster switch forward to turn on high beams and it kicks it back immediately and will not turn on high beams. This is a huge safety issue. We've had to drive through wooded areas at night with elk and deer on the roads and almost been hit. Jeep needs to recall this and modify to allow high beam while using the Auto headlight setting.

NHTSA ID
11632506
Incident
Dec 26, 2024
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 5, 2024

High beams will not activate while car is in "Auto Headlamp" mode. If you toggle the high beam stalk nothing happens. I have to physically hold the high beam stalk down for the lamps to work while in "auto" mode. If I want to use the high beams without holding the stalk down I have to switch the Headlamps to the "on" position using the headlamp control switch. Using my hand to hold down the stalk in order to access my high beams is a huge safety hazard requiring me to have only one hand on the steering wheel. Switching the headlamp mode to auto to access my high beams is more hazardous as I have to take my eyes off the road to find the control switch. There is no "automatic high beam" mode available through my vehicles on board options. This has been an issue since I purchased the vehicle new. Unfortunately weighing my options I an unable to use the high beams because it is too much of a hassle to do so. I thought this issue was recalled but after speaking with Jeep and my dealership I was told otherwise.

NHTSA ID
11623699
Incident
Sep 16, 2021
Exterior lighting
Filed Aug 13, 2024

My low beam headlight has blown for the second time now since owning the car. THIS IS NOT NORMAL!!! There clearly must be some electrical issue and I’m past the warranty. Headlights don’t blow like that. I’ve owned cars for over 6 years and never had a headlight blow.

NHTSA ID
11608251
Incident
Aug 13, 2024
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another driver alerted the contact that the taillights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA ID
11584551
Incident
Apr 12, 2024
Mileage
19,000 mi
AirbagsExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Apr 8, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V544000 (Exterior Light), 21V873000 (Air Bags), 23V413000 (Suspension) and 24V132000 (Suspension, Steering) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11581694
Incident
Apr 8, 2024
Driver assistanceExterior lightingSuspension
Filed Sep 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting), 23V413000 (Suspension) and 23V577000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID
11543919
Incident
Sep 11, 2023
ElectricalEngineExterior lighting
Filed Aug 14, 2023

Two days in a row - the jeep didn't start in the morning. After I started it with a starter. The first day, the buttons on the steering wheel and the safety system control stopped working. Incorrectly shows the fuel level. The second day when the car started with the help of a starter, the dashboard stopped working (completely went out). The battery was checked - it is 100% working The dashboard didn't work during the day. Everything worked in the evening. The engine speed does not rise above 3000 revolutions per minute. Now it doesn't show the fuel level in the tank correctly. Very often, security systems such as lane control and proximity to another car fail

NHTSA ID
11538367
Incident
Aug 11, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 13, 2023

PER THE INFORMATION I CAN FIND - THE PREVIOUS RECALL # IS "21V797000" - I took my Jeep GC L in for the recall per the campaign and the work was complete yet it was not corrected. I have been back to the dealer 3 separate times no one can provide an update as to why this issue is not able to be corrected. I still cannot turn my high beams on without having to move the headlights to the 'on position.' Per the info available on the previous recall, "When the master lighting switch is set to the auto position, the high beam headlights will not activate unless the master lighting switch is first changed to the 'on" position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

NHTSA ID
11526792
Incident
Oct 14, 2021
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 12, 2023

Manufacturer has not timely provided repair for tail light recall NHTSA incident number 22V-544 (Jeep Recall Z50).

NHTSA ID
11526599
Incident
Jun 12, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11518139
Incident
Jul 28, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Apr 5, 2023

Recall was announced back in August of 2022 and a stop sale was issued on all unsold vehicles due to safety concern. Here we are seven months later and my vehicle still hasn't been repaired. If it was to unsafe to sell then we shouldn't be driving it unfixed. Not sure why the NHTSA isn't forcing this issue to be fixed. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2022/RCMN-22V544-1970.pdf

NHTSA ID
11515537
Incident
Aug 30, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 24, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11513563
Incident
Jul 28, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Mar 3, 2023
Fire reported

On Feb 14th 2023 I hit a deer. Got out of my jeep to check damage. Had a broken headlamp overall seemed OK & repairable. Got back in the jeep & continued driving. When I got home & parked in my garage I noticed an odd smell. Looked at the jeep noticed a small fire. Backed the jeep out of the garage & called the fire department. By the time the fire department arrived the entire front of the jeep was on fire. My jeep ended up being a total loss. What is going on with the lights that they would catch fire?

NHTSA ID
11509960
Incident
Feb 14, 2023
Exterior lightingSuspension
Filed Feb 20, 2023

1) Back up camera goes blank periodically. A few times the monitor would not come on at all. Frightening when I am using it for directions. 2) Service System 4WD light has come on. Jeep dealer said it is a Disconnect Acetutor (?). I have appt to repair but am concerned it might not be safe to drive. 3) Cannot figure out how to get high beams to automatically turn off when oncoming vehicle is approaching.

NHTSA ID
11508218
Incident
Feb 10, 2023
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Feb 14, 2023

On 12/31/2022, I received six notifications from my app regarding “theft alarm triggered”. Go outside horn is honking. Turn off and continued. January 2, 2023 I brought vehicle into jeep as my entire dash was glitching in and out. Couldn’t see my speed limit. Interior lights were turning on and off. Back light on interior tailgate was blinking. They had my car a few days and it was “fixed”. February 3, 2023 vehicle wouldn’t start. Replaced battery. Vehicle dash began glitching, interior lights turning on and off and theft alarm notifications. Brought into jeep they said it was the battery even though we just replaced battery. They replaced battery and called me to pick up the next day. 2/7/2023 same issues began occurring. However, when car was powered off, a buzzing sound was heard and interior lights were turning on and off. 2/8/2023 vehicle would not start. Had to be towed to dealership. Concerned there is an electrical issue that could cause a fire. Unsure if issue was reproduced but I have several videos all time stamped and dated to show delegates what is happening.

NHTSA ID
11507297
Incident
Dec 31, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 13, 2023

Hi, I wish to submit a compliant as Jeep have still not issued a remedy for my 2021 vehicle. This is a new expensive vehicle that I'm unfortable driving my young children in so I'm suprised and dissapointed it is taking Jeep so long to resolve.

NHTSA ID
11507061
Incident
Feb 13, 2023
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 10, 2023

Unknown

NHTSA ID
11506636
Incident
Aug 9, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 8, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V544000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID
11506221
Incident
Sep 8, 2022
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that he had to manually hold the high-beam headlights switch with his left hand while driving for the high-beam headlights to operate as needed. The contact stated that the high-beam headlights would deactivate and not operate as needed without the switch being held. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and made them aware of the failure, but the vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V797000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

NHTSA ID
11505360
Incident
Aug 1, 2021
Mileage
100 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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