The 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s electrical and transmission issues, chipping paint, loose panels, and an alarming cruise control recall make this year a bit worrisome.
Key Points
- Dozens of 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee drivers have been reporting service shifter warnings flashing, pointing to electrical issues with the transmission.
- The Grand Cherokee has struggled with poor paint quality, in which bubbling would occur, often leading to the paint chipping off altogether.
- Powertrain problems on the 2017 Grand Cherokee make the top of our list, as even a minor issue might have you waiting a month to get your vehicle back.
- The 2017 model’s most concerning recall has to do with its cruise control failing to disengage. Over 4.8 million vehicles were affected, with the 2017 Grand Cherokee just one of many models involved.
Some 2017 Grand Cherokees Suffer from Faulty Shifter Light Problems and Transmission Woes
There’s nothing like a Jeep vehicle. They’re fun, rugged, tough, but no matter what make and model, something will go wrong sooner or later. For the 2017 Grand Cherokee, it’s the transmission. The good news is that the SUV’s powertrain troubles might not demand a whole rebuild or replacement. The 2017 has 190 complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with engine, powertrain and fuel/propulsion issues as the dominant concerns, at 43, 35, and 20, respectively.
The recurring pattern: The service shifter light pops on, and then the transmission goes out or fails to shift. If you’re lucky, it’s a computer problem, and your control module needs to be updated or replaced.
If your transmission issues are accompanied by electrical issues, you’re probably looking at a cheap fix. For instance, a Pennsylvania driver reports a voltage warning, and then, “It [the vehicle] shut off almost immediately, leaving me with no steering or brakes.” That sounds scary, but at least it means that it’s not a mechanical issue, but an electrical one.
Here’s the weird part: In some instances, Jeep dealers will simply swap out the whole transmission without bothering to diagnose the problem. If you’re still under warranty, the cost of a software update is the same as a whole new transmission, but one of those fixes takes a few minutes, and the other might take a few weeks.
For this reason, the 2017 Grand Cherokee’s transmission problems make the top of our list, as even a minor issue might have you waiting for a month to get your car back.
2017 Grand Cherokee Electrical Complaints Range from Innocuous to Dangerous, but They Don’t Pinpoint Any One Particular Problem
As you might have guessed from the previous section, the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee has plenty that can go wrong with the electrical system. It’s not just the transmission
A Texas driver reports the tachometer dropping to zero rpm, and the engine going out. They coasted to a stop where “The vehicle would not restart for approximately 20 minutes.” A driver in Mississippi reports the dashboard blacking out at random.
Sometimes these electrical hiccups are fairly harmless, with radios and interior lights going out. Other times, the problem is quite dangerous, as in the case of a Pennsylvania driver who lost steering and brakes while on the road.
In total, electrical issue complaints represent 44 reports on the NHTSA website. Still, there are a lot of other issues that point directly to electrical problems, but are reported under different categories, such as the New York driver whose steering wheel locked in place, almost causing a crash.
While only 44 complaints are specifically attributed to electrical systems, the fact is that most of the car’s steering, braking, powertrain, engine, propulsion, and speed control issues stem directly from the 2017 Grand Cherokee’s fidgety onboard computer modules. Outside of a handful of structural and equipment issues, almost everything that goes wrong with this SUV can be blamed directly on electrical problems.
Peeling and Bubbling Paint and Loose Body Panels are a Common Problem on Some 2017 Grand Cherokees
The biggest issues facing 2017 Grand Cherokee drivers not related directly to the SUV’s seemingly endless electrical problems have to do with the structure of the vehicle. The most basic of these complaints concerns the car’s paint, which may have a tendency to bubble and flake. The more concerning complaints have to do with the car’s overall build quality, with body panels coming loose, tailgates popping open, and sunroofs simply exploding.
Recall for Faulty Cruise Control Affects 4.8 Million Vehicles, Including 2017 Grand Cherokee
The 2017 Grand Cherokee has been recalled four times, which isn’t bad for a five-year-old Jeep. The biggest recall involving the SUV was a May 2018 Chrysler recall on nearly five million Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep vehicles for cruise controls that wouldn’t deactivate.
We probably don’t need to go into too much detail on why this is a problem. If you can’t stop your car when you need to, accidents are less a matter of “if” than “when.”
The recall has already been issued with no follow-ups or investigations; we can probably consider the matter settled.
Overall, the 2017 Grand Cherokee is a Winner, and While it May Have a Few Faults, Few are Serious Enough to Ignore it Altogether
The last three recalls involve an EGR cooler that may internally crack, a bracket that may damage the ABS line, and a loose tow hook bracket. Only the cracked EGR issue affected more than 100 units. Considering these, and the limited number of serious complaints reported, we consider the 2017 Grand Cherokee to be a fine SUV in its class, definitely worthy of at least a look.
Photos: Stellantis
