8.4

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,540
Average Mileage:
78,650 miles
Total Complaints:
15 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace the alternator (7 reports)
  2. not sure (4 reports)
  3. replaced alternator, battery, pullies and serpentine belt (3 reports)
  4. replace alternator and battery (1 reports)
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problem #15

Feb 192022

Grand Cherokee Limited V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 126,000 miles

My battery light came on in my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee on my way to work. I was able to start it after work and drive home with the light still on. The next day I drove all around town without the light on no problem. I knew I was in trouble when I parked and hit my key fob to lock it there was a hardly a beep. I replaced my battery last year so I figured it wasn't that?

Tried to start it No luck! Tried to jump it No luck! Had it towed to my mechanic and was updated on the process. Changed battery which was still under warranty, changed alternator which was internally fried along with wires. The jeeps computer also had to be replaced!

Why isn't this listed on the recall list? I see this happening a lot with the 2011 Jeep Cherokees!!

2,500 dollars for the mechanic and 100 for the tow.

- amyt9280, Springfield, US

problem #14

Feb 032020

Grand Cherokee Overland 54.7 V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,500 miles

I didn't trade in the 2009 Jeep Compass to get this vehicle, and I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I'd be royally screwed!

I just got this 2011 Grand Cherokee used back in October of 2019. Aside from a couple annoying little quirks expected with a used vehicle, everything was great. Then, this past Monday, the battery light came on suddenly on the way to work (I drive for FedEx, and I leave my work truck at the shop where we have them worked on). I was lucky to get there at all, because by the time I arrived (10 minutes) my Jeep was shuddering violently, the electronics inside were going berserk and there was smoke curling out from under the hood.

I parked it and shut it down and looked under the hood to be sure there was no fire. In the two hours that passed afterward, when the shop looked at it, the battery was completely drained. In fact, they drained two jump boxes just trying to get it started to get it inside a bay.

Now, three days later, I'm told it isn't charging and the problem may have been a malfunctioning PCM that shorted out the alternator and caused the catastrophic failure of the electrical system.

I know my warranty only covers the engine and drivetrain, but I've only had the vehicle for a little over 90 days and put maybe 3000 miles on it. Am I expected to continue making my payments as well as footing the bill that looks to be $2k AND CLIMBING?

I will be calling FCA Customer service and getting some much needed answers...

- Ryan W., Roseville, MI, US

problem #13

Jul 242021

Grand Cherokee Laredo 5.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 121,000 miles

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Started car in airport garage, and then heard a strange noise coming from under the hood. I shut the car off and opened the hood. Smoke was coming from the alternator and an electrical component was glowing red. A component in the alternator smoked and glowed red until the battery died.

The electrical fire was caused by a faulty alternator. This should be covered by the alternator recall Jeep has on the 2012 - 2014 model years. The 2011 models have faulty alternators too.

- Ray B., Saucier, MS, US

problem #12

Apr 122020

Grand Cherokee Limited Edition 3.6ltr V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,810 miles

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited edition 122,039 kilos. On the 12 April 2020 I was driving when all of a sudden the battery light came on. I thought this was strange, due to the fact, that I just replaced the battery not a year ago. I made it to work (10min later) and pulled to the road shoulder side, I then noticed smoke and engine part burning smell coming out of somewhere in the engine compartment. I locked my call as complaint to the Jeep customer service line and their response was I cannot be assisted due to the lockdown restrictions that only permit the dealership to attend to vehicles rendering essential Services but after the relaxing of the restrictions I should take my car to the nearest dealership to diagnose the problem.

Later I call the dealer to check if my vehicle is not covered by the alternator recall champagne, they reply that it is not covered for the alternator but I still have recall/s that are outstanding for my cover, what wonders me is I was never notified for those recalls and that shows the type of service delivery we receiving from our dealership.

I have decided to fixed my car out of my pocket since I am pressurized by the fact that it's the only vehicle I have and I'm using as my transport.

- Godfrey L., Kimberley, South Africa

problem #11

Aug 072019

Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L Hemi

  • Automatic transmission
  • 184,000 miles

I was driving for about 30 minutes and smelled a burning odor. and heard a whining noise from under the hood. Stopped, opened the hood to see my alternator was incredibly hot and smoking profusely. Could not touch, but poured a bottle of water to put out the fire in the alternator. After waiting 10 minutes Jeep would not start. Waited another 10 minutes and it started. I drove directly to the Goodyear Repair shop, less than 1 mile away.

They replaced the Alternator, but could not start the Jeep. Mechanic tried jumping it with no success. The key FOB became stuck in the ignition, and with the key turned to off, the windshield wipers turned on in the very slow mode, while the dashboard warning lights came on, warning of 4-wheel drive problem. Goodyear theorized that the problem might be the Wireless Ignition Node--(WIN), having been shorted by the defective alternator. And, suggested that I take it to Monroeville Jeep, which I did 15 minutes later--(AAA). While there they tried to jump start it, with no success. Said they may not be able to get to it for several days. I've seen the video for replacing the WIN, and it appears to be simple. Since Jeep Repair shops are aware of this problem, why not simply take the 30 minutes to pop out the old WIN and try the new one, rather than leave me without a vehicle for days.

My shop person, one of four dealing with customers, didn't acknowledge that the WIN might be the problem. I TOLD him that after viewing YouTube videos, that this might be the easiest and cheapest first fix. He said they were booked for days, but will try to get to it ASAP--(but he is going on vacation this Monday, and will turn it over to his supervisor if he can't schedule Friday morning.)

It's 4:30am Friday morning, and I'll be on their nerves as soon as the shop opens. The alternator should be a Recall Item in the 2011 Grand Cherokees, as it is in the 2011 Wranglers, and later year Cherokees. Why would they not include the 2011 Grand Cherokee considering the many complaints I've seen online?

- mebelee, Pittsburgh, US

problem #10

Aug 122018

Grand Cherokee

  • Automatic transmission
  • 67,500 miles

Slow start, repeat start failure, wrong time on clock, radio continued to play after vehicle was turned off causing a restart and additional ignition turn off, un-located humming sound and melted cap on battery booster.

- Anita N., Mound Bayou, MS, US

problem #9

Jul 282016

Grand Cherokee Laredo V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 129,000 miles

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 129K miles. I was driving when all of a sudden the battery light came on. I thought this was strange, due to the fact, that I just replaced the battery not 2 months ago. The car seemed to drive ok other then a 'whining/hum' coming from the speakers as the rpm's changed. I made it to work (10min later) and pulled in to parking lot, I then noticed smoke coming out of the engine compartment! Called a tow-truck and had my Jeep towed to Chrysler dealership where I purchased the car ( I have it serviced there too, nowhere else due to extended warranty) The service guys know me by name ( That's how many problems I've had with this Jeep!!!!). They knew immediately what it was because they had another costumer come in earlier that day with same year/make/model of Jeep with the same exact problem!!!! It took them 1 week to fix Jeep because the service department is so busy (says a lot about the quality of automobiles they sell). Thank goodness I bought the medium level life-time extended warranty on this car because it covered the replacement of the alternator repair. The warranty has paid for about half the repairs/problems I've had with the car. I usually drive my cars for about 200k miles and this is the first car that has had so many problems!!!! The service guys seem to blame the Texas heat a lot for failures but this is the only car I've owned that doesn't like the Texas heat!

- Chris D., Dallas, TX, US

problem #8

May 252017

Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,749 miles

God helped me by saving me getting stuck on a busy highway with no controls working and due to the inertia I could barely make to an emergency stop area. Had to wait two hours to get help (tow truck) to deliver my car to the authorized Jeep service. My craziest experience ever with any vehicle. Have used all brands of cars but this is my first and worst experience. Guys, I would never ever recommend anyone to buy a Jeep. I just got my car out of a major engine job 2 weeks ago after a $10,000 bill and here I was on the highway stuck for two hours. seems my alternator and computer (????) has to be fixed. A bill of $3000.

- Prince C., Doha, Qatar

problem #7

Mar 282017

Grand Cherokee Limited 3.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,438 miles

Blown Alternator - very little warning - battery light come on dash , air con stopped, radio stopped , electric windows stopped then power reduced and then NO STEERING - had enough room to pull off the road ! Very upset as this could have been a very dangerous situation. I see there is a recall shown on this site for Alternator repairs in the United States - RC P6014.PDF however there has NOT been a recall in Australia ? We have owned this car since brand new and have maintained it under log book service requirements. The quotes to repair in Australian $ so far ranges from $2,500 to $4000. This includes replacement alternator, new battery and labour. There is little to no availability for aftermarket alternators for this vehicle in Australia - We are very unhappy customers of Jeep and will not be buying another one.

- Vicky M., Cairns, Australia

problem #6

May 262016

Grand Cherokee Overland 5.7L V8 Hemi

  • Automatic transmission
  • 41,500 miles

The battery light turned on in my Jeep a few weeks back. I looked at the battery terminal (under the hood) and the positive terminal had melted plastic all around it. The battery tested good and the alternator was supposedly charging the battery but there has been an extreme amount of over heating associated with it. The dealership said it is not safe to drive and that the short needs to be fixed asap or there is a risk of fire. The repair cost is $2,600 for a new alternator, wiring harness, fuse lines, and more... This jeep has been garage kept in pristine condition and has only 41,500 miles on it (out of warranty). Can someone please explain to me how this is not Jeeps fault for poor manufacturing?

- Peter T., Fort Walton Beach, FL, US

problem #5

May 182016

Grand Cherokee 3.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 59,030 miles

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee suffered rapid failure of alternator after being driven for less than half a mile. Almost resulted in a fire...smoked for an hour after being turned off. Resulted in total shutdown of the electrical system.

According to Chrysler Recall p60 from this is exactly why the 2012 - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokees were recalled for last year. Also 4 Chrysler models 2011 to 2104 were recalled for the same reason. This cost over $2000 to fix and I should not be the one who should be footing the bill.

Hopefully everyone that owns a 2011 Grand Cherokee that had this problem will convince Chrysler to recall 2011's as well. I'm lucky this happened on a short trip close to home. Just came back from a road trip and if this had occurred while driving it could have resulted in vehicle shutdown or under hood electrical fire. Kind of scary to think that I could have been in a serious accident if this had happened at high speed on a freeway.

- morty, Sudbury, ON, Canada

problem #4

Oct 262015

Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.6L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 37,500 miles

Today my wife and my two year old daughter were driving in the Jeep. My wife called me on my cellphone to tell me the battery light came on. I told her to proceed on home and park the car and do not use it, as the alternator might be bad. She was less than a 1/2 mile from home, when the car died. She panicked, freaked out, and called me crying. I told her to cool her jets, and I called my brother who happens to own a flatbed tow truck. Fast forward to when I got home from work, I changed the battery and alternator. Guess what.... The car is not charging, and when the car is off, the battery drains on it own. I am talking it went from 12.2 volts, to less than 8 in like 20 seconds.

I called the Jeep Dealer where I bought it, spoke to an adviser, he suggested that there might be a short in the electrical system, possibly a bad TIPM. I said, "You have got to be kidding me. The car only has 37,500 miles on it." This really sticks in my craw, as we bought the car brand new. The whole point was to not have these type of issues.

- Peter C., Barryville, NY, US

problem #3

Sep 262014

Grand Cherokee V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

2011 Jeep GC, purchased from used car dealer Nielsen Dodge in New Jersey on March 30, 2013. June, 2014 driving down a busy street in Brooklyn, NY, go to stop the truck, the brake pedal goes to the floor, truck isn't stopping. I pump the brake pedal a few times, comes back about halfway, try to press it down again, truck starts to slow down but not stop. Eventually and thankfully, the truck stopped without me slamming someone from behind. I pull over and try to park it, again, the brake pedal not working. I throw it in park where it was and called my mechanic.

I call my local Jeep dealership, explain the issue, tell them I received a notice about the brake booster being recalled, said I had to be put on wait list, the parts were not available and that I'd be called when they were. Hello?? Did you not hear me, the car would not stop and that I have a child that's in that truck on a regular basis... I told them they need to take this truck and give me a rental until the part is available. They had my truck for 3 weeks before the part came in, and for the life of me, could not find a rental anywhere in NY with the amount of money they alot you per day for a rental. Called and fought with Chrysler daily and I mean every day. They finally offered to pay my car payment for the previous month as a courtesy and finally got the truck back.

Fast forward to September, 2014. The charging system light comes on one day. I waited to see if it would go off, it did, then a few days later, comes back on. I'm driving down the road, the truck sputters and dies....get it to the mechanic, my alternator is shot! Seriously, they tell me it needs to be replaced to the tune of over $1,000!! I get it fixed because well, I need my truck. Had to order a new one so it took two weeks. I get the truck back, 2 weeks later, stupid light comes on again. Maybe it's a fluke, I wait a few days. Of course it goes on and off.

Now I get the TIPM recall notice. I called Chrysler this morning regarding the alternator, was told they are still investigating years 2012 through 2014 and not the 2011's. Funny, I read somewhere that they were investigating 2011 through 2014. She took my name and number and my email and said that when the results of the investigation are done, if my year is included, I will be notified. Bull, I'll be calling them once or twice a week until I get an answer. I asked if my alternator is in fact recalled, will I be reimbursed, she said yes.

Hey Chrysler.... Are you for real? There are many, many people out there driving YOUR vehicles, the least you could do is get the f'in parts and fix these trucks. Are you waiting for someone to get into a serious accident and/or seriously hurt and/or die before you to fix these issues on these POS trucks? Before this truck, I had a 2004 JGC, drove like a dream, no problems, nothing ever major went wrong with it... I loved that truck and still kick myself for trading it in! I'm not paying another dime out of pocket for any repairs, I'm not Rockefeller and I certainly don't have thousands of dollars to hand out to mechanics...

- Angela D., Apex, NC, US

problem #2

Oct 252014

Grand Cherokee Limited 5.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles

WHILE DRIVING THE BATTERY LITE CAME ON AND CELL LITE. CODE CAME UP "LOW VOLTAGE". TESTED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ALTERNATOR NOT PUTTING OUT. REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND CHARGED THE BATTERY. LITE STILL ON, TESTED AGAIN AND THE BATTERY WAS BAD ALSO. HAD TO REPLACE IT ALSO FOR $275.00. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AFTER 31/2 YEARS AND 68,000 MILES. THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN PURCHASE THE PROPER PARTS IS CHRYSLER.

- budbrooks1, Warrington, PA, US

problem #1

Jun 272014

Grand Cherokee Laredo X V8

  • Automatic transmission
  • 53,438 miles

There is no charging failure light in the dash. The only way you know you have a problem is when the battery is too low.

Actually, my alternator is changed but not charging the battery because of the tipm failure but there is absolutely no light's on in the dash.

- Patrice T., Saguenay, Quebec, canada