My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee suddenly was stalling, and would not re-start, especially when turning the steering. AAA Tech diagnosed as High Diode Ripple Voltage in the Alternator, damaging the Battery. Needed to Replace both Alternator and Battery at a cost of $1068. Car was recalled under T36, and the repair has a repeat failure again. Jeep Declined to repair or re-imburse the repair costs. More importantly its still a major safety issue, and Jeep is failing their legal obligation to provide a permanent fix, not a temporary fix.
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission problems
102 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 68,000. 4 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 102
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- typical mileage
- 68,000
- crashes
- 4
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Transfer case (4-wheel drive)1
- Driveline: driveshaft1
- Automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Jerking 24Whining noise 18Hesitation 17Slipping 6Harsh shifting 5Won't shift 5
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Escape. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V813000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), but the failure worsened. The contact stated that after the vehicle was retrieved from the dealer, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, a week after the vehicle was repaired, the traction control warning light, the check engine warning light, and the yellow light with an arrow across were illuminated. The message "Service 4-WD" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road and failed to restart. The contact left the vehicle on the side of the road. The following day, the contact sent someone to pick up the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact called the dealer and was informed that a diagnostic cost would be charged, and the contact refused. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact requested a field inspector to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that the dealer stated that the failure was not related to the recall, and no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The cuts off in the Middle of the street in front of a school .The vehicle will not start up.I try to Crank it on vehicle make a loud screeching sound like metal to metal .Dash lights 4wd pop on then a lightning symbol came on.The vehicle wont change gears steering wheel lock ,wheels lock ,The front left turning signal does not work all the other lights do.My wife and I avoided a collision when the vehicle shut off while driving .Thank God no one were hurt.Bought this vehicle in October 2025.
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.
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the RPM fluctuated before the transmission slammed into gear. The contact stated that the ABS warning light and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with transmission failure, and a failure with the accelerator pedal. The accelerator pedal was replaced, and other unknown parts were replaced on the transmission. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle immediately and the vehicle stalled. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was towed back to an independent mechanic, and it was diagnosed that the throttle had failed and needed to be replaced, and the accelerator pedal also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that recently the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH while driving. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and ABS system warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
The transmission is messed up for no reason for such low miles
Re: AQ14-003-FCA-Consent-Order-7-24-2015 & 2019 Safety Recall [Manufacturer Recall Number V62 & the federal safety agency Recall Number 19V‑813]. FCA hasn't been in compliance with either of them regarding 'my' vehicle. 2015 Consent Decree implies should have been notifying car owners of any type of recall. 2017 recall was cancelled & 2019 safety recall was issued 4 years after the decree, 1 year after I bought the car, a safety recall was issued. Wasn't notified. 2 years later "I" contacted FCA (now Stellantis) to get my vehicle remedied by repair or replacement. Parts were shipped to a dealership but they used it on one of their customers. I asked for another set of parts. After that, absolutely nothing has happened up to now. Keep in mind FCA had my information (email, phone & address) either from me emailing or speaking with a customer rep. It's been over 3 years since last heard from FCA. On my side I no longer have ability to contact them directly since they became Stellantis. 49 U.S.C. § 30166(f); 49 C.F.R. §§ 573.6(c)(10); 577.5(a), 577.7(c)(1), & 49 U.S.C. § 30165(a)(1); 49 C.F.R. § 578.6(a) the federal safety agency fined FCA/Stellantis > $100 million for 'not' making an effort to send recall notifications of any type of recalls directly to owners of their vehicles within a reasonable amount of time also to remedy the issue. If they don't comply $7,000 per violation & only remedy is replacing the vehicle in question. It's exact issue! Been over 7 years waiting within a reasonable remedy, it never happened. This is a safety issue. I was assured it'd be fixed, never was. I'm putting my life at risk & others driving. Unbelievably the part sent to me the dealership without my consent & knowledge gave it to one of their customers. I called to complain & expected another part to be sent out to another dealership. It never happened. I never spoke to anyone at FCA since then 3 years ago. There doesn't need to be a lengthy investigation. It shows my recall status as open. Proof of noncompliance.
This Jeep has had 2 recalls and repairs related to the fuel pump relay. The first recallrepair did not fix the issue, Jeep then replaced the relay again, which did not fix the issue. Then there was a NEW recall and repair, which also did not fix the issue. The car still has the exact same issues, the car will randomly stall soon after being started. I’m not sure what to do at this point bc I feel unsafe driving this car and it is my only vehicle.
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.
The transmission shifts strangely, and it seems like it cannot decide which gear it needs to be in for normal operations. It also causes the vehicle to stall while driving. Also, at times it stays in only one gear, and you cannot even shift gears manually. Intermittently, the vehicle starts out in a higher gear, and it doesn’t correct itself, so acceleration is way below what it needs to be. I have been fortunate to avoid a few crashes due to the stalling.
Questions about the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission
Does the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 102 complaints about the transmission of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 68,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Jeep Grand Cherokee have bad transmission?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee model years with the most transmission complaints are 2014 (477 complaints), 1998 (425 complaints) and 1999 (385 complaints).
Other 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems
Electrical 837Engine 302Brakes 289Fuel system 248Steering 100Lights 56Airbags 43Acceleration 35Suspension 32Visibility 32Body 26Driver assistance 25Seat belts 12Seats 12Tires 10Wheels 10Locks 1
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