2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee

I am reporting recurring safety defects in our 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve, delivered XXX. Since delivery, it has exhibited severe bucking, jerking, rough running, unexpected surging, hesitation, and failure to accelerate when I press the accelerator. Before delivery, [XXX] Jeep replaced four main-chamber spark plugs on XXX, at only 4 miles (RO #104686). At approximately 1,400 miles, Douglas Jeep found excessive oil or unburned fuel on the plugs and replaced all eight (RO #XXX), without explaining or correcting the underlying cause. On XXX, at approximately 1,181 miles, the engine stalled completely after a jolt shifting from reverse to drive. On XXX, it nearly stalled at 25–30 mph near [XXX] and [XXX] with our granddaughter aboard. On XXX, it nearly stalled at approximately 45 mph on [XXX]. On XXX, at approximately 60 mph, it hesitated sharply and jolted, feeling as if it might stall. Also on XXX, in approximately five miles of stop-and-go traffic moving 5–10 mph, it repeatedly bucked, jerked, surged, and failed to accelerate normally, bringing us dangerously close to vehicles ahead. Forceful jolts pushed us hard against our seats. The Jeep was at Douglas Jeep XXX . The symptoms persisted after repair. On XXX, its service order recorded “chug and buck,” with no correction available. On XXX, the service director attributed the behavior to “atypical throttle engagement,” although incidents continue. The SOS/ASSIST system also repeatedly fails to connect; on XXX it displayed “Feature not active,” and the sheriff’s department contacted us about 15 minutes later. These frequent failures could leave us unable to summon help after a crash or breakdown. We request NHTSA investigate possible engine/powertrain defects, repeated plug fouling, stalling/loss of propulsion, and emergency-call failures. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11776372

Incident

Nov 5, 2026

While driving the vehicle, it completely shuts down unexpectedly. This issue is not related to the auto-start functionality. When the vehicle dies, it goes completely dead. The first time it happened, it restarted on its own but shifted into park and activated the emergency brake. During the next two occurrences, the vehicle also shut off, and I had to manually restart it. No warnings or anything; it just completely goes dead. This puts me and my family at risk. The car can shut down on a major highway suddenly, causing a multi-car accident or, worse, a fatality. The vehicle has been to the dealership (Chrysler) the first time I was told its because my battery is dead, but since I am below 80%, Chrysler will not replace the battery so the batteries were recharged however I was told I will be back for replacement batteries eventually. The second time, the technican drove the car home (it stayed over night) and the car shut down on him while he was driving also. Chrysler says this only happens when I jump start my car and its not a manufacture issue. The result in this visit is my engine blown a 150v bold (something) and this is causing the shut off. Chrysler refused to fix saying Its not including in warrent since I only have 7k miles. The dealership took the cost and repaired the car. The third time it happened, Im still waiting for the dealership. I have not taken the car for the third incident. This issue has been confirmed by the dealership (seen twice ) and the manufactor (Chrysler)

NHTSA ID

11776145

Incident

Oct 9, 2026

Since car was 2 days old, you would have to stop short of a stop sign or parking spot because the transmission would lunge up to 30 feet. Then once that happened, you could pull up to the stop or parking spot or whatever. Took it to the dealership and they acted like I was nuts. Got bad enough at 4900 mi, I told the service manager to drive it home. She called me and said it needed a new transmission and had put in with Jeep for a replacement. Jeep was contacted and they offered to replace the car under a trade in assistance program. Replacement car was found and at last possible minute, they cancelled the assistance. Went to dealership with my car and was told the factory engineer went to another dealership and that transmission also slipped and mis shifted. Told tech to open a 2nd star case about the engineering defect. Car is still at dealership. This is a safety issue with no answer. I have a disability and do not know what kind of stop to expect. Stellantis case 98378921 Star case They refused to give me number.

NHTSA ID

11774720

Incident

May 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle with the RPM elevated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road where the failure persisted. The vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The dealer informed the contact to retrieve the vehicle. The contact later discovered that prior to the purchase, there were several repairs performed on the vehicle; however, the contact was not notified of the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact stated that an initial case was filed and the case was escalated. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

NHTSA ID

11774502

Incident

Jun 16, 2026

Mileage

2,000 mi

The contact owns a 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted and taken to the dealer, where the battery for the Auto START/STOP system was replaced; however, the failure recurred several days later. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, where a reconfiguration was completed as per the manufacturer’s instructions. The contact stated that both batteries were charged and tested, and the contact was informed that the batteries had passed the test; however, the voltage went from 12.5 volts to 11.7 volts in three days. The check engine warning light was illuminated, and the messages "Battery Needs Charging" and "Battery Low" were displayed. The vehicle was returned to the dealer a third time and remained for additional diagnostic tests. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by the dealer. The failure mileage was 791.

NHTSA ID

11774209

Incident

Sep 30, 2026

Mileage

791 mi

The engine hesitates when accelerating from a stop. Especially while turning. This happens 100% of the time. If you are accelerating very slowly, then no issue. However this is not common. The hesitation has resulted in several near accident situations.

NHTSA ID

11773871

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

New 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee (2.0L turbo I4) has open, unrepaired safety recall 26V-559 (FCA 54D): the tire pressure monitoring system may not detect low tire pressure or illuminate the warning telltale; remedy is an RFH module reprogram. The vehicle also has an open manufacturer campaign for 2.0L engine spark plug replacement and additional software flash campaigns. I scheduled service for these recalls at an authorized FCA/Stellantis dealer (Larry H. Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, Boise, ID). I dropped the vehicle off on a Wednesday at 7:00 AM; the dealer kept it nearly 4 full days and returned it Saturday evening with zero recall work performed, citing shop scheduling delays. The service advisor told me to call/email the following Tuesday to reschedule; those calls and emails were not returned. Voicemails and emails to the dealership's service manager and general manager have also gone unanswered. As a result, I am driving a new vehicle with an incomplete safety recall and no dealer remedy scheduled. No crash, fire, or injury has occurred. Problem has not been inspected by the manufacturer. I have escalated to the manufacturer and am attempting to book the recall at an alternate dealer. I am reporting that the manufacturer's dealer network has failed to remedy this safety recall in a timely manner.

NHTSA ID

11773363

Incident

Sep 30, 2026

While driving approximately 65-70 mph on a highway, my 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 with approximately 15,000 miles suddenly jerked to the right and a loud knocking/clunking noise was heard from the drivetrain area. Immediately afterward, vehicle performance decreased significantly and the vehicle struggled to accelerate. The sudden loss of power at highway speed created a safety hazard due to surrounding traffic. No warning lights or messages appeared. The condition persists and the vehicle continues to have acceleration problems. This was very unsafe because either myself or other couldve been injured. I called jeep and they told me to drive it in to the Dodge dealership in Andrews TX, I want to emphasizes this is very unsafe, because it wont accelerate as it should. I have to drive down a road that oil tanker semis drive on as well.

NHTSA ID

11773028

Incident

Oct 22, 2026

Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) Unavailable – Service Required Message In Cluster

Rattle Noise Over Bumps Or Over Rough Road From The Body In The B-Pillar

Engine Coolant Leak The customer may comment on the following: SYMPTOM: ● There is an external coolant leak near the exhaust side of the engine block. This bulletin involves performing a drive cycle of at least 40 miles (64 km) to verify the presence of a coolant leak. At the completion of the drive cycle, the vehicle odometer must not exceed 60 miles (97 km). If a coolant leak is confirmed, diagnose the source of the leak and perform the necessary repairs as required

Revised Customer Satisfaction Notification 66D – Spark Plugs - Dealer Notification

R1H U43.17 Software Update - FOTA Customers may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● CarPlay® application crash. ● Intermittent CarPlay® connection or extended connection time. ● Apple CarPlay® radio lagging, freezing or display glitches. ● Audio intermittently cuts out. ● Radio display blank. ● Intermittent Android Auto® / CarPlay® reconnection concern. ● Abnormal radio screen display when adjusting audio volume using the steering wheel controls after extended Bluetooth audio playback from an Android device. ● Unable to add or pair a device to the Head Unit (HU) while the vehicle is in motion. ● Bluetooth-enabled devices cannot be discovered when attempting to pair a phone, even when the device is inside the vehicle. ● Turn Signal Activated Blind Spot View activates slower when the left turn signal is used compared to the right turn signal. ● Android Auto® launches automatically with a blank screen. ● Radio display goes blank while audio continues to play, and radio functions become inoperative. ● Vehicle Settings page becomes unresponsive or frozen. ● Android Auto® fails to connect. ● FamCAM softkey requires multiple presses before launching. ● Radio resets or reboots while driving. ● Flashing odometer. ● Selectable Tire Fill Assist application displays an illegible "Save as Preset" softkey. ● Surround View Camera (SVC) guidelines remain displayed after the guidelines setting has been turned OFF through the radio. In addition, the following software enhancement is included: ● Improved Wi-Fi connectivity performance.

R1H U43.17 Software Update - FOTA Customers may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● CarPlay® application crash. ● Intermittent CarPlay® connection or extended connection time. ● Apple CarPlay® radio lagging, freezing or display glitches. ● Audio intermittently cuts out. ● Radio display blank. ● Intermittent Android Auto® / CarPlay® reconnection concern. ● Abnormal radio screen display when adjusting audio volume using the steering wheel controls after extended Bluetooth audio playback from an Android device. ● Unable to add or pair a device to the Head Unit (HU) while the vehicle is in motion. ● Bluetooth-enabled devices cannot be discovered when attempting to pair a phone, even when the device is inside the vehicle. ● Turn Signal Activated Blind Spot View activates slower when the left turn signal is used compared to the right turn signal. ● Android Auto® launches automatically with a blank screen. ● Radio display goes blank while audio continues to play, and radio functions become inoperative. ● Vehicle Settings page becomes unresponsive or frozen. ● Android Auto® fails to connect. ● FamCAM softkey requires multiple presses before launching. ● Radio resets or reboots while driving. ● Flashing odometer. ● Selectable Tire Fill Assist application displays an illegible "Save as Preset" softkey. ● Surround View Camera (SVC) guidelines remain displayed after the guidelines setting has been turned OFF through the radio. In addition, the following software enhancement is included: ● Improved Wi-Fi connectivity performance.