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Jeep Grand Cherokee Gen 4 (WK2) (2011–2021)

What ownership is like, what breaks at what mileage, what the repairs cost, and what to check before you buy one.

2011–2021

Gen 4 (WK2)

Vehicle Bright and CarBuzz give the WK2 as 2011 to 2021. Model year 2021 overlaps the next generation: Car and Driver reports the outgoing Grand Cherokee continued for 2021 while the new three-row Grand Cherokee L (the WL) launched, with MoparInsiders putting L production at March 2021 and a two-row WL at August 2021. Our generations put every 2021 in the WK2, so the 2021 figures (506 NHTSA complaints across 208 listings, 2.43 per listing) cover both the old body and the early L. That figure sits at the generation median, so 2021 is not flagged. Check the VIN and the body before you read a WK2 or WL guide for a 2021.

NHTSA complaints per catalog listing fall from 9.59 for 2011 (1,640 complaints across 171 listings) to 1.13 for 2017 (364 across 321), against a generation median of 2.43. 2011 is 3.9 times that median, 2012 is 3.4 times (8.22: 1,644 across 200) and 2014 is 2.3 times (5.48: 2,384 across 435). All three also clear the ad-mention test with the 'rust' flaw excluded, so our rule flags them, but the ad margins are thin (see 'Years flagged'). 2013 has 5.00 per listing (805 across 161) but its ad rate equals the median, so it is not flagged. Stivers CDJR's blog names 2011-2014 as the years to be careful with, which agrees with our flags. Owners most often name the electrical system, brakes, seats and the power train.

What happens at what mileage

Miles	Item	Cost	Notes
age-driven	Air suspension (Quadra-Lift) air springs and compressor on Overland and Summit trims	$1,865-$1,945 per RepairPal air spring estimate; $2,000-$4,000 in an owner thread; $8,000 for a full system quote on a 2011	RepairPal prices an air spring replacement at $1,865-$1,945. A Jeep Garage thread says $2-4k depending on what needs replacing, and one 2011 Overland owner was quoted $8,000 by a dealer to fix all of it. YourMechanic lists an air bag replacement from $327, which is a part-and-labour floor for one bag. Ask whether the Jeep has air suspension, and check that it rides level after sitting overnight.
reports start around 50,000-60,000+ miles	3.6L Pentastar oil filter housing and cooler leak	$900 (one owner, aftermarket aluminum part) to $1,100-$1,900 (shop quotes)	The plastic housing on top of the engine cracks and leaks oil and coolant into the valley. Go-Parts says shop quotes run $1,100-$1,900 because the intake manifold has to come off. A 2017 owner paid almost $900 for an aluminum part at an independent shop. Look for oil or coolant smell and residue in the engine valley.
one owner reports 93,000 miles; not otherwise stated	5.7L Hemi camshaft and lifter wear (MDS cylinder deactivation)	$3,500 (CarCareCamp) to $6,000 (owner quotes on a 2013 Grand Cherokee)	Owners report camshaft and lifter failures on the 5.7L. CarCareCamp says a 5.7 Hemi lifter job can reach $3,500; two owner threads report $6,000 quotes on Grand Cherokees. RepairPal's lower figure of $1,172-$1,545 is for a camshaft alone. Ask for oil change records and have a shop listen to the engine.
any	Brake-transmission shift interlock solenoid (recall 16V249000, MY2016)	Free at a Jeep dealer when the recall is open	NHTSA's record says the interlock solenoid may have a loose electrical connection and lose function, on 2016 Grand Cherokees built May 2015 to February 2016. Confirm the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Buying one — check these

Ask whether it has air suspension; sit it overnight and see if it sags, and check for a warning message.
Look in the engine valley and under the intake for oil or coolant residue on a 3.6L; ask for proof of any housing replacement.
On a 5.7L Hemi, ask for oil change records and have a shop listen to the engine on a cold start.
Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm every open campaign was completed.
For a 2021, check the body and VIN to see whether it is a WK2 or an early Grand Cherokee L.

Years flagged

A year is flagged by our rule only when all three hold: (1) its NHTSA complaints per catalog listing is at least 2.0x the median for its generation, (2) the share of ads that mention a problem is above the generation median, and (3) we track at least 30 listings for that year. The cutoff was fixed before we looked. Ad mentions are not failures, and a flag is a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict on any one car.

2011 — flagged by our rule: NHTSA complaints are more than twice the generation norm, and ads mention a problem more often than the generation median, including with the 'rust' flaw left out of the ad count. The margin on the ad-mention test is small, so treat this as a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict. Owners most often name the electrical system, brakes and engine. Check those and confirm recall work. complaints 9.59 complaints per listing (1,640 NHTSA complaints / 171 listings) vs generation norm 2.43 (Gen 4 median) · ad mentions 9 of 129 enriched ads = 7.0% (Gen 4 median 4.3%); with the 'rust' flaw excluded, 4 of 129 = 3.1% (median 2.8%) · n=171
2012 — flagged by our rule: NHTSA complaints are more than twice the generation norm, and ads mention a problem more often than the generation median, including with the 'rust' flaw left out of the ad count. The margin on the ad-mention test is small, so treat this as a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict. Owners most often name the electrical system, brakes and engine. Check those and confirm recall work. complaints 8.22 complaints per listing (1,644 NHTSA complaints / 200 listings) vs generation norm 2.43 (Gen 4 median) · ad mentions 10 of 146 enriched ads = 6.8% (Gen 4 median 4.3%); with the 'rust' flaw excluded, 8 of 146 = 5.5% (median 2.8%) · n=200
2014 — flagged by our rule: NHTSA complaints are more than twice the generation norm, and ads mention a problem more often than the generation median, including with the 'rust' flaw left out of the ad count. The margin on the ad-mention test is small, so treat this as a reason to inspect harder, not a verdict. Owners most often name the electrical system, brakes and engine. Check those and confirm recall work. complaints 5.48 complaints per listing (2,384 NHTSA complaints / 435 listings) vs generation norm 2.43 (Gen 4 median) · ad mentions 25 of 330 enriched ads = 7.6% (Gen 4 median 4.3%); with the 'rust' flaw excluded, 10 of 330 = 3.0% (median 2.8%) · n=435

Complaints add up over a car's whole life, so older years in a generation can look worse here than they are. Read this flag next to the complaint details below.

WK2 Grand Cherokees in our catalog clear around $5,995-20,950 depending on year (2,267 cleared sales, 2011-2021 model years). The lowest yearly median is 2011 and the highest is 2021. We track 2,938 listings across 2011 to 2021.

Federal complaints, 2011–2021 model years (NHTSA)

Year	Complaints	Top components
2011	1,640	Electrical System, Service Brakes, Engine
2012	1,644	Electrical System, Service Brakes, Fuel/propulsion System
2013	805	Electrical System, Service Brakes, Fuel/propulsion System
2014	2,384	Seats, Power Train, Electrical System
2015	1,368	Seats, Power Train, Unknown Or Other
2016	312	Engine, Power Train, Electrical System
2017	364	Power Train, Engine, Unknown Or Other
2018	855	Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Engine
2019	370	Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Unknown Or Other, Electrical System
2020	241	Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Engine
2021	506	Unknown Or Other, Steering, Exterior Lighting

source: NHTSA complaints database (api.nhtsa.gov). Complaints are owner reports, not confirmed failures.

Other Jeep Grand Cherokee generations

Own a Jeep Grand Cherokee, or pricing one? See what they're actually selling for →

Questions people actually ask

What Jeep Grand Cherokee years should you avoid?

We don't tell you to skip a year; we flag by a fixed rule (see 'Years flagged'), and five years trip it: 1999, 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2014. For 2011, NHTSA complaints are 9.59 per catalog listing (1,640 across 171) against a WK2 median of 2.43; 2012 is 8.22 and 2014 is 5.48. The ad-mention margins on the WK2 years are small. Stivers CDJR's dealer blog also names 2011-2014 as the years to be careful with. 2013 had a high complaint rate (5.00) but its ad rate equals the median, so it is not flagged.

How much does Grand Cherokee air suspension repair cost?

RepairPal prices an air spring replacement at $1,865-$1,945. A Jeep Garage thread says $2,000-$4,000 depending on what needs replacing, and one 2011 Overland owner was quoted $8,000 by a dealer to fix the whole system. YourMechanic lists an air bag replacement from $327. Only Overland, Summit and some other trims have it, so check the build before you worry.

How much does a 3.6L Pentastar oil filter housing leak cost to fix?

Go-Parts says shop quotes run $1,100-$1,900 because the intake manifold has to come off. A 2017 owner reported almost $900 for an aluminum aftermarket part at an independent shop. Autos of Chicago says the plastic housing cracks past 60,000 miles on the 2014-2021 3.6L, though that is one shop's view.

Does the 5.7L Hemi in the Grand Cherokee have camshaft and lifter problems?

Owners report it. CarCareCamp says a 5.7 Hemi lifter replacement can cost up to $3,500, and two owner threads report $6,000 quotes on Grand Cherokees. RepairPal prices a camshaft replacement alone at $1,172-$1,545. We could not find a source that counts how many Hemi Grand Cherokees are affected, so we do not claim a rate.

What are the Grand Cherokee generations?

ZJ 1993-1998, WJ 1999-2004, WK 2005-2010, WK2 2011-2021 and WL 2022 to the present (Vehicle Bright, Elk Grove CDJR, CarBuzz). Production-date sources such as EncyCARpedia run each a year later. Model year 2021 had both: the outgoing WK2 and the new three-row Grand Cherokee L, and Wikipedia says Jeep still sold the WK2 alongside the WL for 2022.

Is a 2021 Grand Cherokee a WK2 or a WL?

Both. Car and Driver reports the outgoing Grand Cherokee continued for 2021 while the new three-row Grand Cherokee L launched, and MoparInsiders dates L production to March 2021 and a two-row WL to August 2021. Our generations put every 2021 in the WK2, so the 2021 figures (506 NHTSA complaints across 208 listings, 2.43 per listing) cover both. Check the VIN and the body style before you read a WK2 or WL guide for a specific 2021.