There is not a single car buyer who wants to buy a vehicle only to have it come with all types of issues. That said there are plenty of car owners who were immediately faced with 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems as soon as they got their car. This is especially with model years 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
All these vehicles are fourth-generation Jeep Grand Cherokees. The fourth generation was introduced with the 2011 model. In this post, we will take a look at the 2015 model especially and see which major problems plagued this model year.
- 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Best Year For Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Cherokee Reliability
- Cherokee Years To Avoid
- Grand Cherokee Transmission
- Frequently Asked Questions
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Before we can even start with the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems, let’s start by pointing out that the model comes with some good features.
The ride is comfortable and the interior is well designed. The infotainment system is responsive and very user-friendly.
This Jeep Grand Cherokee tends to fair well compared to some other luxury SUVs in the market. That said the annual costs of maintaining the vehicle are above average.
1. The Price
The price of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee varies widely and you can get this car for between $21,000 and $53,000. That said the average price of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee sits at around $26,600.
The difference in prices comes about due to the mileage, or the condition of the car.
If the used Jeep Grand Cherokee has over 150,000 miles on it, then on average a buyer will assume that it has about 50,000 more miles left before repairs become uneconomical. Such a vehicle therefore will come at a lower price compared to one that has just 50,000 miles on it.
Let’s also consider the condition. Just because a car has few miles isn’t necessarily a reflection of its condition. This comes down to how the previous owner maintained the car. A car for instance may have 100,000 miles on it but still cost more than one that has 60,000 miles on it. This is if it is in a better condition and is better maintained.
2. Cost Of Ownership
Understanding the price of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is one thing, but you will also need to know how much it will cost you to maintain this model.
This model has an estimated five years cost of about $29,427. This cost includes fuel costs, insurance, repairs as well as maintenance.
These costs are well higher than the average costs of maintaining a similar-sized SUV.
3. Buying New Vs Buying Used
If you are weighing your options and wondering if you should buy a used Jeep Grand Cherokee vs a new car consider this, a new 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee will cost about $31,000. This is about $5,000 more than a 2015 model.
Considering the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee performed poorly when it comes to reliability, you may find that you are much better off getting a new car. Not only will the newer models perform better, but they also come with some extra features that you are likely not going to find with the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
This includes safety features such as blind spot monitoring, rear parking sensors, cross-traffic alerts, and a rearview camera. You may also get rear parking sensors.
Furthermore, you can also get a 7-inch touch screen which comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Furthermore, the newer models including the 2019 model will also come with a larger engine and more horsepower as well as better fuel economy.
4. Perhaps The Wrangler?
If however, you still want to save on cash you may consider going for the 2018 Jeep Wrangler over the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee model. The Wrangler has even better off-road features. This is because the Jeep Wrangler is built with offroading in mind. So if you intend on doing a lot of this then the Wrangler can prove a great choice.
Moreover, the Wrangler will cost you anywhere from $23,995 to $41,445. With this car, you get a soft top that lets you enjoy open-air driving, and the turning radius is tighter.
That said, the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee will still outperform the Jeep Wrangler 2018 model when it comes to the pure on-road driving experience. This is a car that unlike the Wrangler isn’t designed with offroading in mind even though it is quite capable off-road. This is something that you may want to consider.
Furthermore, you will get more cargo space in the back with the 2015 Grand Cherokee plus some neat features such as keyless entry.
Best Year For Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2015 Grand Cherokee is part of the fourth generation Grand Cherokee which also includes the 2019 Grand Cherokee. The fourth generation started with the 2011 model.
The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the better models of the generation plus getting one will save you a decent amount of cash.
The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a larger engine as it came with an updated V6 with plenty more horsepower than in the previous models. It was also more fuel efficient and had keyless entry. That said the 2016 model is likely to cost you more than the 2015 model.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Reliability
There were several 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems that resulted in multiple recalls. They range from a total inability of the car to drive, cruise control, issues with the transmission, and issues with the supercharger bracket.
There were recalls due to fault brake calipers, a fractured rear lower ram as well as security issues.
That said under proper maintenance, the Jeep Grand Cherokee can last hundreds of thousands of miles.
A Variety Of Trims
One thing to note is that when it comes to the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, you can get up to 6 trims. These include the Limited, Overland, Laredo, Laredo E, Summit, and the Grand Cherokee SRT.
The base model of the Laredo featured a six-speaker stereo, automatic climate control, a 5-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, a steering wheel with leather wrapping, paddle shifters, and audio controls.
You will also get satellite radio with the Laredo E. Furthermore you will get a driver’s seat that is power adjustable.
The limited edition of the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee features leather-trimmed seats, power-adjustable front seats, heated seats, and a rearview camera. You would also get this model with either a V6 engine or a V8 engine capable of producing 360 horsepower.
Then there’s the Overland trim. This one features more opulent features compared to the other trims that we’ve mentioned so far. This one comes with ventilated front seats, leather seats, an 8.4-inch screen, voice recognition, and steering wheel control.
Then there is the Summit trim that features an audio system with 19 speakers, noise cancellation, and wood trim.
Finally, we have the SRT trim whose main defining future is the larger 475 horsepower V8.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Years To Avoid
The Jeep Grand Cherokee first came out in 1993 and immediately gained popularity in the North American market and around the world.
In 2011, Jeep released the fourth generation of the Grand Cherokee. This one came with many upgrades to the previous models and generations. However, it still came with many problems.
One thing about Jeep is that it has a very loyal following. This however does mean that Jeeps are free of problems. This is evident with the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems.
If you are in the market for a Jeep Grand Cherokee you may want to avoid buying the 4th generation model years.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011 model is the one that came with the most complaints at around 741. Compared to the other model years, including those in the fourth generation, this one proved the least reliable.
One of the issues had to do with the TIPM sensor. The engine would fail to start and was often delayed and this is an issue that many owners complained about. The 2011 model of the Jeep Grand Cherokee had over 10 times more issues with the engine compared to the 2012 model year.
This resulted in a lawsuit being filed.
Considering that the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was the first model of the fourth generation, it is not surprising that it came with the most issues. Generally speaking, pioneer models of every generation tend to have the most issues in that particular vehicle generation.
The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee also received multiple recalls owing to the high number of issues.
As we noted, one of these had to do with the TIPM fault which tended to occur around 50,000 miles. This would cause the engine to suddenly stall. This issue would cost the owner around $1000 to fix.
The other major issue had to do with the brake booster. Rusting would often cause damage. This would impair the car’s ability to brake.
There were also frequent issues with the wiring and electrical system which resulted in a fire hazard when driving the car.
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee came with a much better styling, better electrical system, and a better and more powerful engine compared to previous model years. The goal was to improve some of the issues of the 4th generation Grand Cherokee thus far.
That said, there were still plenty of issues that were reported with the engine, the braking system as wells the electrical system.
The main issue that came with the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee had to do with the transmission. Many car owners complained about it being too hard and stiff as well as being too jerky. There were even accidents and damages caused by the failure of the transmission to engage the parking from the drive.
1. The Recalls
The 2014 Grand Cherokee received 12 recalls from the NHTSA. Some of the more significant issues with the recall include:
There were multiple issues with the leaking of the brake fluid. This resulted in the car using up brake fluid at a much faster rate compared to normal cars. This also resulted in more frequent recalls.
The electrical system also came with multiple issues including short-circuiting which made it difficult to shut down the cruise control. This causes the vehicle to either increase or maintains its speed.
There were also problems with the accelerator where if the driver removed their foot on the gas pedal the vehicle would still continue to accelerate. This increased the chances of an accident when on the highway.
2. Other Frequent Issues
There were airbag issues as a result of the OCR module. There were also issues with the front as well as the side airbags deploying. Furthermore, there was also a failure of the indicator light. It failed to alert the driver to the issue.
Problems with the brake booster shield were another issue. This issue was often caused by corrosion which would then allow water to seep and would then freeze. The result was issued with braking.
Problems with the Electronic Stability Control were also common. Software issues with the Steering Column Control Module caused these main ones. This caused a lack of proper control of the car. In turn, this resulted in a heightened chance of getting into a collision.
3. Other Common Issues
Another main problem had to do with the alternator. If the alternator was faulty or damaged, the car would experience a sudden stalling which would put the driver at risk of an accident.
Yet another issue was problems with the car’s electronics. There were issues with software especially when the car was equipped with a radio. In such cases, there was a likelihood of unauthorized third parties accessing the radio units and making modifications.
Finally, the more common issue has to do with a faulty automatic transmission system. This would cause the gear to shift to parks and then lock. This would make it extremely hard to park on sloped roads.
2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee
The 2015 model also came with the same 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems with the transmission that the 2014 model year had. In fact, the issues were hardly new when it came to the 2015 Grand Cherokee. These were similar to what you would find in other problematic cars like the 2013 Ford Taurus.
There were multiple recalls that were made over common issues such as:
The car’s electronic system especially on vehicles that had radio units problems with hacking by third-party individuals. This would allow modifications and third-party control of the systems of the car.
There were also issues with the brakes. There were units that had multiple issues including problems with the brake calipers and the brake fluid leaking.
This would cause a high chance of collisions as the driver was forced to start applying the brakes much earlier to allow the car to stop at the right spot.
Just like in the 2014 model, the 2015 Grand Cherokee had problems with the automatic transmission. This involved the shifting of the gear to park and locking. This made it especially difficult to park the car.
Finally, there was an issue with the wiring system which was not specific to the vehicle model but caused short-circuiting. This stopped the driver from turning off cruise control, which would cause the vehicle to increase its speed.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Transmission
The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee in particular came with some serious transmission problems as well as electrical problems. May car reviewers gave it a poor rating considering the frequency of the problems and the fact that they tended to occur at relatively low mileage.
When it comes to transmission problems in particular the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee was notorious for these. There were over 200 complaints with the 2015 model and 36 % of these were specific to the transmission.
The majority of complaints concerned issues with shifting and car owners said that the gears felt rough. There was also plenty of jerking as well as hesitation when it came to the shifting of the gears. This was also an issue with the 2014 model of the Grand Cherokee.
Issues with the transmission tended to occur within the first 6,000 miles. The problem started out with power transmission performance. Then when the vehicle reaches 7,500 miles there were problems with the repair costs.
Some Improvements
Jeep has tried in recent years to make sure that their models didn’t come with any transmission issues.
It is easy to go for a model because it hasn’t had any transmission issues reported by drivers.
But the one thing to keep in mind is that some of these issues will only show up after the vehicle has had some miles on it.
So you might be wondering what are the most common recalls that were made due to the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems with the transmission that drivers should know about before they commit to buying this model.
These are:
- Slipping of gears
- Failure of the transmission
- Rough shifting
- Probes with the acceleration
- Jolting forward
- Grinning drug driving
- Grinding when shifting gears
If you are planning on getting a Jeep Grand Cherokee, these issues might put you off. By understanding the problems you will be able to decide for yourself which model year of the Jeep Grand Cherokee is the best for you.
Transmission Recalls
One of the recalls that were made due to the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems had to do with the transmission. This was an issue that also affected the 2014 models of the Grand Cherokee. The issue mainly affected Grand Cherokee models from 2012 to 2015.
One feature that was common with these vehicles is that they came with 8-speed automatic transmission. The transmissions had a nonstable gear selector. This often had the issue of the gear shifting out of the park.
In cases where the drivers step outside while not closing the car door, there was a chance that the driver could end you being directly injured if the gear shifts out of park and causes the car to move.
A part of the problem was that the vehicle would fail to alert the driver that the gear had shifted out of park position. There are instances where the driver would step outside of the vehicle as they thought that the car was still in the park position.
This could cause the vehicle to roll away and cause even more injury and damage to other people close by.
This problem was fixed by Jeep by updating the transmission software. The good thing is that Jeep made their customers aware of the issue.
Complaints With Other Models
Granted the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee is known to have the most issues with the transmission. However, this is not to say that other models didn’t have similar issues.
The 2016 model, as well as the 2017 model, also come with other issues. For mistake car owners complained that the vehicle would lunge forward without pressing the foot on the gas pedal.
This especially occurred when turning. This in turn could heighten the risk of an accident.
There were also drivers who reported that the vehicle would surge forward whenever they took their feet off the gas pedal.
This was a problem that occurred commonly when driving on the highway and even in the city. It could also occur when driving slowly or even when in the parking lot.
There have also been reports of the transmissions failing completely. This issue causes the vehicle to suddenly stall. This resulted in either need to repair the transmissions or a need to flush out the transmissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Jeeps Reliable
The Jeep received a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5 from Repairpal. It was also ranked 15th out of a total of 32 cars. The rating was based on averaging the scores of over 345 cars. Jeeps have an average annual repair cost of $634. This means above-average maintenance costs.
How Long Does A Jeep Grand Cherokee Last
Under good and careful driving as well as good maintenance and service the Jeep Grand Cherokee can last over 200,000 miles. This can translate to over 20 years when averaging 12,000 miles a year.
Where Is The Jeep Grand Cherokee Made
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is built in the Mack Assembly Complex. The facility is built on the Mack Avenue Engine Complex located in Detroit Michigan.
