UsedScore

2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee: Best bet

Owners filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee in its first five years on the road, about 71 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical Grand Cherokee year. That's among the fewest of any Grand Cherokee year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (18% of complaints).

Complaint index
0.4×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Grand Cherokee year
Rank
1st of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
40
first five years; 71 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
2
campaigns
3rd generation (WK), 2005–2010 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2008–2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Photo: 2008–2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Powertrain18% · 7 complaints
  2. Engine20% · 8 complaints · median 32,000 miles
  3. Wheels and tires25% · 10 complaints · median 48,000 miles
  4. Electrical18% · 7 complaints
  5. Body and structure18% · 7 complaints · median 21,000 miles
  6. Brakes8% · 3 complaints
  7. Speed control8% · 3 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion3% · 1 complaints
  9. Air bags3% · 1 complaints
  10. Seats and belts3% · 1 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Engine

Owners describe their Grand Cherokees stalling or losing power unexpectedly while driving, sometimes along with loss of power steering. Many report dealers being unable to find or fix the cause, leaving the problem unresolved.

Warning signs:
Some owners noticed the check engine light, rough idle, warning lights illuminating, or high RPM before the vehicle stalled or lost power.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the stalling, though some replaced a thermostat or updated the PCM software with the failure sometimes recurring.
Mileage:
most between 40,000 and 85,000 miles, among 26 complaints that give it

“The vehicle would intermittently stall without warning”

“The ignition switch goes into accessory and the engine shuts off..jeep has no power steering or power to control the vehicle”

Powertrain

Many owners describe transfer case and transmission problems, including failure to shift into neutral or 4WD low, sudden loss of gear engagement, or rolling backward unexpectedly. Several say these issues appeared or worsened after a related recall repair, and dealers sometimes struggled to permanently fix the problem.

Warning signs:
Owners report warning lights such as "service 4WD system," check engine codes, sudden deceleration, loss of steering feel, or the vehicle rolling backward without warning.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate the problem, replaced transfer case actuators or wiring harnesses, performed the N23 software recall, or replaced the transmission or transfer case entirely, sometimes repeatedly.
Mileage:
most between 30,000 and 75,000 miles, among 18 complaints that give it

“Jeep shifted to neutral upon startup and rolled downhill in park.”

“Transmission will disengage while driving at any given speed.”

Wheels and tires

Owners commonly report that tire pressure sensor valve stems corrode and snap off, causing sudden flats often preceded by a dashboard warning light. A few also describe cracked wheels or tread separation, with repairs sometimes not preventing the problem from happening again.

Warning signs:
Many owners noticed a tire pressure warning light or hissing noise just before or as the tire rapidly lost air.
What shops did:
Dealers, tire shops, or mechanics typically replaced the broken or corroded valve stem, though several owners report the failure recurred on the same or another tire.
Mileage:
most between 30,000 and 60,000 miles, among 14 complaints that give it

“The contact noticed that the valve stem retracted inside the rim”

“The dealer stated that the valve stem was corroded and fractured”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (2)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 13V175000May 2013295,345 vehicles

    Electrical system · Power train: transfer case (4-WHEEL DRIVE)

    Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 11, 2004, through March 9, 2010; and 2006-2010 Jeep Commander vehicles manufactured January 31, 2005, through March 10, 2010. A transfer case electrical failure may result in an unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position.

    Risk: If the vehicle shifts into neutral, it may roll away increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury.

    Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will reflash the final drive controller which governs the transfer case, with new software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 09V118000April 20094,314 vehicles

    Air bags: frontal · Air bags · Electrical system: wiring

    Chrysler is recalling 4,314 my 2009 dodge journey, jeep grand cherokee, commander and wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. The driver's airbag may not deploy as intended.

    Risk: In the event of a crash, the driver's airbag may not properly inflate and may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect the driver's airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Jeep sent NHTSA 52 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2009 Grand Cherokee. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 101232 · October 2024Plate - Planetary
  • S1709000010 RevB · March 2022Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire.
  • S1709000010RevB · March 2022Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire.
  • S1709000010 · March 2022Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire.
  • 9004009 · April 2021Transmission Kit with Torque Converter 1.
  • 9004361 · March 2021NAG1 Transmission Before installing the transmission with the engine, check for dowel pins (2) for alignment.
  • S1709000010 Rev. · January 2021Customer complaints may include abnormal engine noise, rough idle, lack of power, misfire.
  • 9004178 · November 2019DAMPER, Transfer Case Reman Transfer Case will arrive equipped with the Transfer Case Damper.

All 2009 Grand Cherokee bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee reliable?
Owners filed 40 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee in its first five years on the road, about 71 for every 100,000 sold: 0.4× the rate of a typical Grand Cherokee year. That's among the fewest of any Grand Cherokee year. Ratings compare Grand Cherokee years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2009 Grand Cherokee problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (18%), the engine (20%) and the wheels and tires (25%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the most recent in May 2013 (electrical system). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Jeep. The 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee on NHTSA.gov · How we rate