Jeep Grand Cherokee Srt
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Jeep Grand Cherokee Srt, model year by model year — ranked from 604 federal NHTSA complaints across 2016–2020.
No recall campaigns appear anywhere in the SRT's five model years of complaint data, which makes the pattern of owner-reported problems the whole story here. Engine stalling and transmission shifting trouble open the record in 2016 and 2017 — stalling at idle due to fuel system failure, unexpected transmission shifts, and steering malfunction causing loss of control all appear in 2016, while 2017, despite a lower total of 107 occurrences, carried four safety-severity complaints against only nine distinct problems — the highest share of safety-tagged issues of any year in this model's record — including brake system failures with unexpected shutdowns and unreliable headrest deployments.
Everything changes in 2018. Total complaints jumped to 366, the highest in the dataset, and the top five problems are almost entirely electrical: touchscreen delamination and malfunction (61 occurrences), a related infotainment screen delamination complaint (21), phantom touches on the same touchscreen (20), and features activating without any user input — random function activation and uncontrolled seat heaters, 19 occurrences each. It's a strikingly software-and-electronics-driven year for what's otherwise a performance-oriented trim.
Volume drops sharply after that. The 2019 model year (115 occurrences) shifted back toward transmission malfunctioning and brake hydraulic issues, with zero safety-severity complaints, and 2020 fell further still to 44 occurrences — though two of those were safety-tagged, including a steering system failure causing loss of control and unintended acceleration blamed on an electrical malfunction.
Taken together, 2018 is the year that demands the closest look on a used SRT, particularly around the infotainment system and any electrical features tied to seat heating, while 2016 and 2017 carry more of the mechanical stalling and shifting complaints. None of this points to one runaway defect so much as a car that had a rough middle year; a pre-purchase inspection and full service history remain the better guide than model year alone, since these are self-reported complaints rather than a measured defect rate.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Srt problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016worst | 107 | 14 | 3/7 | Engine Stall at Idle Due to Fuel System Failure Fuel system · 19 complaints |
| 2017worst | 101 | 9 | 4/5 | Engine malfunction with check engine light and performance issues Engine · 26 complaints |
| 2018worst | 251 | 55 | 5/19 | Touchscreen Delamination and Malfunction Electrical · 61 complaints |
| 2019 | 104 | 20 | 0/12 | Transmission Malfunctioning Transmission · 14 complaints |
| 2020 | 41 | 12 | 2/8 | Electrical System Issues Leading to Screen Freezing and Restart Electrical · 9 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2016–2020. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.