Year: 2012 Make/Model: Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 L V8, 4WD Mileage: ~140,000 miles Date of Incident: [Insert date] Location: McKinney, Texas (near U.S. 75 exit) Description of the Safety Issue: While driving normally, the Service 4WD System warning illuminated. Seconds later, the lightning-bolt symbol (Electronic Throttle Control) appeared, and the engine stalled abruptly without warning. All power steering and power-brake assist were lost while the transmission was still in Drive. The vehicle rolled backward on a slight grade as if in neutral. Attempts to restart the vehicle failed. Even CarMax technicians, at whose lot the vehicle came to rest, were unable to start it. A strong hot/burning electrical odor was present immediately after shutdown. This indicates a possible overheating or shorting event in the electrical or fuel-relay system (TIPM or throttle-body circuit). Had this failure occurred on U.S. 75 at highway speed (80–85 mph), I would have lost steering assist and braking ability in heavy traffic — a situation that could have led to a severe collision or injury. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency review this case as a potential recurrence or expansion of the existing recall group. The combination of a sudden stall, complete loss of control systems, no-restart condition, and electrical-burn odor constitutes a serious and ongoing safety defect that endangers vehicle occupants and others on the roadway. Supporting Information: – CarMax technicians confirmed the vehicle would not restart. – Recent maintenance included new fuel pump, injectors, hoses, and cooling-system components (~$10 K). – Warning lights: “Service 4WD System” and “Electronic Throttle Control (lightning-bolt)” appeared immediately before stall.
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine complaints
Page 2 of 11: complaints 11 to 40 of 302, newest first, as owners wrote them.
In August 2025 my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo lost engine power and stalled while driving 15 mph. There was no warning. I was able to restart the car and drive. Then while driving in traffic at 45 mph on 18 Oct 2025, my Jeep abruptly lost engine power and stopped, putting my safety and the safety of my passenger at great risk as I had several cars behind me. Again, the Jeep stalled without warning. I was able to put my emergency warning lights on, then after 30 seconds, I put the car in park and restarted the engine with no problem. The Jeep drove normally. This unexpected loss of power while driving at speed in traffic on Hwy 431 could have been catastrophic. This incident appears to be linked to two previous Fuel Pump Relay recalls, the most recent being V62/the federal safety agency 19V‑813. My Jeep was repaired by the Jeep dealer under both of these recalls which were prompted by no-start conditions and ENGINE STALL CONDITIONS. It appears the FCA repair has been ineffective as my Jeep has experienced two engine stalls while driving and does have intermittant problems with start up. This most recent problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer as the Jeep Dealer cannot see my vehicle for another 2 weeks, which puts my safety at risk. There were no warning lamps or messages before the abrupt engine stalls while driving. However, for the past 6 months, I had had intermittant instances of the car not starting immediately, particularly in the morning. I would turn the key fob a few times before my Jeep would start. But it always started.
The car cuts off in middle of the road n won’t shut on brought a new fuel pump and it’s still shutting off the electric light pops up on dash when cutting the engine on the car gives the cranking engine power sounds but doesn’t cut on mechanic put in new fuel pump and now think it’s a electrical problem the steering is tight backing up and it has steering fluid this has been happening since 3 months ago I wanna say it comes n goes I’ve got it inspected twice and they inquired about the fuel pump which I have gotten fixed and the car still continues to shut off in the middle of traffic which can cause an accident
Alternator causing engine stall also electrical issues
While driving the engine power randomly cuts off & steering & brakes lock up veering the vehicle to the left which causes me to have no control of my vehicle. Everything else stays on radio...lights...etc. There is absolutely no warning at all when this occurs. This has happened to me 3 times while driving almost causing me to crash. I brought it to a local Jeep dealer & they couldn't find any codes showing what the issue was. So in fear of getting into a crash that could possibly injure myself or others on the road I haven't been able to drive it safely.
My car apparently overheated which made my oil filter melt and explode, popping my oil filter cap off making oil go all over my engine, ground and everywhere else. I was going about 20 mph when I realized my car was feeling weak on power and it was about to overheat. I then started to smell and see smoke. So I stopped my car in the middle of the street immediately, put on my hazard lights, and turned it off instantly. As soon as I got out, oil started to pour out everywhere. I then popped the hood to see a whole lot of smoke going everywhere. I wasn’t sure what happened, I just got the car 3 and half months ago, they said the car was top of the line, why am I having issues like these now? I did get my oil changed from pit stop (superlube) on lake street in Aurora Illinois, 3 days before that happened. I had to manually push my car to chihuahua tires, where they told me it was my starter, so they fixed my starter, and then told me it’s my gasket. Now apparently my head gasket is gone, and it’s going to take thousands of dollars that I don’t have. I’m already paying off the $800 for this starter repair that I didn’t really need :/ and I’m still playing for a car note on a car I’m not even driving! I can’t get to work, I can’t make money, this is depressing! I got this car because they said at Carfect that my jeep was perfect and in great condition. At this point I had over 10+ mechanical issues wrong with it, now this happened and I cant manage this. This is too much money for me. I need help, direction, a new engine, something! I just got this car! I did nothing wrong, I don’t have thousands of dollars to fix this issue! Please help.
I have 2 issues with this vehicle issue#1 the tire pressure sensor acts up on the front driver side tire pressure goes down to the low 20s then when driving it goes up to 43 and then back down to the 20s , the other is that I was driving from Pennsylvania to New York and the car stalled in New Jersey with no warning I was at the far left side of the highway and came close to getting rear ended twice real bad (my girlfriend who was and is pregnant) was on the passenger seat was hysterically crying because of how close we came to having an accident that would’ve cost us our lives , the car took 5 minutes to start again and we were escorted to safety by tow company that saw us through the cameras they have on the bridges very thankful to them escorting us cause we surely would have died that night
While driving the road whether highway our town… my vehicle will stall out. I can’t safely pass because my car loses power.. check engine light starts blinking then traction control lights come on and then battery light. I have to turn the car off after turning flashers on put it in park and restart after a few seconds. This vehicle is VERY UNSAFE to DRIVE.
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee HEMI. As traveling whether on highway or on streets no matter the speeds the Jeep tends to just stall out out of no where especially when braking and coming to a stop it completely shuts off, no engine, no steering and then must have to engage into park or neutral to push to start up the Jeep again. It is very dangerous and scary any time it happens and even more so when happens on highway. It has been an on going issue since I bought the vehicle in NOV. 2018 but only happens every once in a while and out of the blue when it does. I did reached out several years ago to the manufacturer Mopar Jeep Chrysler but they had no solution for me. I had a case number with them but it was so long ago I cannot remember now. I did have the recall on the fuel pump relay in which I thought that would resolve my issue but unfortunately it did not and I still experience this Jeep stalling out at any point while driving, onto braking, and then to the stop. Any help? Thanks
While driving at normal speeds the engine and everything turns off without any warning. This makes it difficult to get off the road or highway due to loss of power to steering. This happens randomly but with increasing frequency. The vehicle has been at the Jeep dealership since 12 June 2025 and I'm being told they cannot figure it out. Allegedly the dealership service center is contacting Jeep after I had to tell them to do so. Vehicle is at Crown Dodge, 6300 King Rd, Ventura, CA 93033 805‑977‑6526.
While stopped at a stop light 5 separate occasions in Eco mode. Vehicle shut off but would not restart unless I pressed the on/off button. I did not realize that it had happened and was almost rear ended because of it.
See attached document for complaint.
So I just bought this car from a dealer about a year now and I was driving down the fwy. Heading to work And suddenly my car turned off and my steering wheel got really hard to make any turns there was no way I could’ve stopped in the middle of the fwy. To stop and start the engine. luckily I was able to pull over and check the car I was full on gas and I looked up common issues that could turn off a running engine checked all fuses didn’t see any problems with it didn’t see any sort of corrosion in the battery cables and their was no check engine on the dash board. Theirs also been times were it randomly takes a long time cranking and won’t start right away so I literally wait for the engine to sit for a while and start the car. My guess it’s the crankshaft position or the fuel pump going out but that’s why I’m here to find out if theirs any recalls related to this issue. I’ve been told their was a recall for a relay issue
Vehicle was purchased 8/11/23 had it less then two weeks broke down . Was smoking , was put in shop several times . Told it was battery, then alternator. Gotten out of shop a few days later same issue . Had extended warranty , was stuck paying deductible twice even though it was in the shop for same thing . Deductible $200 twice I had to pay . Come to find out the engine had gone bad , they replaced that if I’m not mistaken . Vehicle was in shop almost a month after we had gotten no results from the original dealership service center where we purchased the vehicle. They did not have the proper tools to repair the vehicle, ended up taking the vehicle to a dodge dealership locally . After driving the car a couple months later it started smoking and jerking again would stop and would not crank . Was taken to the dealership again , told this time it was the transmission and extended warranty would not cover it . We were sold a LEMON. Dealership knew exactly what was wrong with this they wanted to get it off their hands . This is something they know from from the start , unsafe to drive keeps smoking . We need answers fast someone is liable for the damage car they sold my son and I.
While driving through the intersection after slowing down at light, vehicle completely stalled, turned off in the middle of the intersection and wouldn't start back up. I had to have it towed to dealership. I have had it in dealer prior to this incident for stalling issues just out of nowhere. They simply said they cannot find a cause. This is dangerous to me because vehicles behind me don't know that I am stalled out and almost hit me. Prior to this last time, I have been able to restart vehicle by putting in neutral and getting it to move on it's way, but still scary while vehicles behind me don't know that I was going to stall out. This last incident, I had to be pushed off of the road and then towed to dealer. Hoping they can find the cause and fix.
My vehicle stalls a lot when driving. At first i thought it was an issue with the tire alignment but i was told by a mechanic that i had good alignment. My car stalls and shakes a lot while speeding up in the highway. I honestly feel unsafe at this point because its gotten worse in a short amount of time. My seatbelts are lose and useless. I love my car but i may change it for a safer option. It is definitely dangerous to go anywhere but it is my only car i have.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the dashboard was wrinkled. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The camshaft has gone bad and unnatural wear to the lifters has caused the issue. Also, after researching the design of the engine, it is obvious that there is a design flaw. The camshaft does not receive sufficient oil in order to be lubricated due to its location in the engine. The vehicle only has 114,000 miles. It has been taken care of, and received the normal maintenance according to the owners manual. This particular version of the hemi engine has such failures well documented by multiple sources. Such an issue and malfunction attributes to premature engine failure. Such a significant engine design flaw can potentially cause injury to all occupants in the vehicle.
I just recently purchased this used 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The problem I am experience, while driving at 74 mph the engine just shuts off. The vehicle would not restart for about 15 minutes. This has happened at least daily. The mechanic shop has checked the engine completely over. However they are stumped, The shop was able to repeat the problem but there are no codes. I know there was a recall on the fuel pump relay and then another on the relay. My mechanic has replaced the fuel pump relay but it still happens. I was reading in numerous blogs of this issue happening to many people. This past saturday night I was coming home from my second job when the car stalled out in the construction zone of 696 in Detroit, I can't tell you how many cars came close to killing me. This problem needs to be fixed by Jeep but there seems to be no movement, I'd hate to see people killed over this KNOWN issue. I know last Saturday night was the most fearful night of my life.
Was stopped at light and 2012 Jeep Cherokee lost all power and engine stalled. Lost lights, radio, heat and engine. It did restart after a minut or two. A week later, while driving, car began lagging/running rough. I felt I could not drive faster than 25 mph. Drove to Jeep dealer. Dealer is telling me it will cost more than $1500 to fix. I suspect this is a problem with the fuel pump relay....
After getting my car back from big o doge in Greenville sc I was on my way to work and stopped at a redlight when the light turned green my car just sat there and didn’t move I pressed the gas but nothing it just revved up like it was in neutral pressed the gas to the floor nothing all of a sudden it was like it jumped and took off…also did the same thing at a stop sign up hill and I had a car coming in the other lane as I was crossing the lane to get into the correct one….I had open recalls and set up for it to be checked when I arrived at the delarship they told me my recalls were closed. My car was not checked or repaired at the time how can you just cancel a recall/campaign after notification and claim parts aren’t available but the car was never fixed? I called the delarship paid 400 for 2 diagnostics and they didn’t put my trans cap back on so now they’ve basically ruined my car and didn’t fix NOTHING
Oil pressure sensor code P0522. The engine oil pressure sensor fails before and after oil changes. This causes the oil temperature to sporadically increase and decrease psi drastically from 20 to 110 psi and vice versa. This has been confirmed with multiple OBD2 sensors along with the check engine light constantly on.
The contact owned a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The contact then stated that the hood of the vehicle started to catch fire. The contact was able to navigate the vehicle off the road. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The fire department was notified, and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed. The contact suffered an asthma attack that required medical attention. The dealer was notified of the failure and the vehicle was towed by the dealer to a tow lot. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unavailable.
I had purchased my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.7 hemi in June 2019. Shortly thereafter, I was driving on the highway when the vehicle stalled out and the wheel became very hard to control. I managed to avoid causing a major accident and made it to the side of the highway where I then sat for over 4 hours stranded. After trying to start my Jeep it just started up out of the blue and I drove home. I was nervous to drive it but I had no other mode of transportation. Over the next few months it would increasingly stall out. Sometimes in mid turn , sometimes on the expressway and sometimes just not start at all. A recall came out and I was able to have the truck " repaired ". Not even a month later it started to do the same thing. Stalling in mid drive. not starting at all or starting in Neutral only. I took it to a different dealership and paid over 300$ for them to do a diagnosis. Their diagnosis consisted of a " walk around " and taking a video of the vehicle. What a waste of money. As I was going to leave the dealership the vehicle wouldn't start. Then after an hour it suddenly started. I had advised service about it and they said that I can leave the vehicle and have them look at it when they had time which they said would be 4 days from then. I said you just looked at it and did nothing and I had to pay 300$ for nothing to be diagnosed. I was able to get the car home and then the car didnt start for a week then started .. would drive it then stalled and have to have it towed home a couple of times. Now the truck has been sitting in my driveway not able to start at all. The fuel pump relay was supposed to be replaced by two recalls I believe. Nothing was fixed and infact it only had made it worse probably causing damage to the rest of my vehicle. I am lucky I didnt crash, or even kill someone because of this. It is extremely dangerous and to not have the part fixed correctly nor even remedied with a replacement of the TIPM is unbelievable.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had an emissions test scheduled and failed due to the check engine warning light. The contact stated that the vehicle engine was idling roughly. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the number two cylinder had been misfiring and needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic referred the contact to a dealer where she had been advised that there had been a manufacturer recall associated with the VIN, however, the recall warranty had expired. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. The contact stated that they were never notified of the extended warranty for the vehicle.
Vehicle stalled without warning. No power whatsoever. Illuminated battery light came on. Noticed a burning odor coming from vehicle. Checked engine bay and noticed heavy smoke coming from alternator for a good 10 minutes. Vehicle would not take a jump nor could I put into gear. Battery is completely dead. PCM also seems to be fried. Will have to be towed to Dealership. Called Jeep costumer care and referenced the t36 recall but my vin does not fall under it even though vehicle fits EXACT description of recall. Also noticed that many others are have same problem with Jeep and them not expanding the recall to their vin. How terrible!! This could have easily been a fatal situation. Jeep needs to take some responsibility and action!
car shuts off while driving 2times in 3 weeks
I have an on going issue with the vehicle stalling while slowing down for intersections, roundabouts and exit ramps. This has been happening since 2018. The vehicle traveling around 35-25 decelerating, the RPMs will just drop to zero and the engine will shut off. No warning lights, codes or indication I have lost power. Latest incident was on 1/14/22 in Mukwonago, WI after have only driven the vehicle for about 10 minutes. Coming from a 55 zone donw to a stop at an intersection the vehicle stalled with no warning around 30-25 MPH. 1/16/22 I was entering a roundabout and saw the RPMs dropping below idle to zero and was able to stop the stall by shifting the transmission into neutral. RPMs immediately went back to idle.
I did the fuel pump relay recall and the problem that it was supposed to fix isn’t fixed.I’ll be driving along and the jeep will stall as I’m driving when turning off the highway and exit ,the power steering and power brakes cut out I pull over put the jeep in park and it starts right up.Then it’s ok for a couple of weeks and it happens again no engine light or close faults . Jeep needs to correct this problem as it is very dangerous
The recall is V62 but after the recall was preformed the vehicle is doing the exact same thing. While slowing down and braking the vehicle will stall without warning, with the vehicle not running the steering and braking systems are disabled which makes getting out of danger impossible. The vehicle needs to come to a complete stop, be put in park, then be restarted. This will be the third time this happened. I had the recall done then I had to pay the second time to get it fixed and now I need to bring the vehicle back to the dealership for the same issue. Chrysler will take no responsibility for the issue.
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