2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe stalling or a sudden loss of power, frequently with a "shift to park" message and a need to restart the vehicle, along with hard or failed shifts in the transmission. Engine complaints center on rough running, misfires and valvetrain noise, and a separate group of owners reports fuel smells or fuel pump failures, several referencing diesel fuel system recalls. Many reports cluster between roughly 30,000 and 90,000 miles, though some appear much earlier or much later.

1. 1
   Engine

   Stall at a stop or while driving with a "shift to park"

   • 44 complaints (14%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (35 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off at a red light, at low speed, or occasionally at highway speed, sometimes with a "shift to park" or gear-selection message on the dash. Owners say the vehicle often restarts only after shifting to park and cycling the ignition, sometimes needing several attempts, and a few describe the same thing happening repeatedly. Dealers in several reports either could not reproduce the problem, cleared codes, or diagnosed a fuel pump or wiring issue. Mostly reported between roughly 25,000 and 90,000 miles, often at stops or low speed, with some at higher mileage.

   Recall 23V411000Recall 20V475000Recall 22V4060001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the battery and charging system have been checked and whether any transmission or powertrain software updates were applied. Note during a test drive whether the engine stumbles or cuts out when idling or pulling away.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On january 22, 2021 at 0645hrs, I was driving on a city street in queens ny and while stopped at a steady red light my vehicle stalled. When the traffic light turned green I noticed on the dashboard read 'shift to p' and I had to shift to park, press engine start, shift to drive and continue on my way home. This is the second time that this happened.”

   NHTSA complaint #11389424, filed 2021-01, 44,500 miles

   “While driving 10-15 MPH on a desolate residential street, my heads up display read 'shift to p' with no response with the gas pedal pressed and the engine turned off but acc was on and I was able brake to a stop, put the vehicle in park and press push to start to restart the engine. The vehicle operated properly afterwards and I was able to drive half a block to my house and park. If I was on the highway I might be dead.”

   NHTSA complaint #11378576, filed 2020-12, 44,300 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Rough idle, misfire and valvetrain noise

   • 49 complaints (16%)
   • median 42,800 mi at 4.2 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe rough running and shuddering at idle or at a stop, the check engine light on, and codes for cylinder misfire or a stuck high-lift intake valve. Some owners report vibration and abnormal noise while driving and were told the camshaft needed replacement. Others mention coolant or oil leaks found during engine work, and a few report engine seizure or smoke and fire after a stall. Spread from about 40,000 to over 150,000 miles, with several reports in the 80,000 to 130,000 mile range.

   Recall 20V6990005 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for ticking or rattling from the top of the engine and feel for idle vibration; ask whether any camshaft, rocker arm or lash adjuster work has been done and whether the latest engine calibration was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was at a red stop light and when the light turned green I lifted my foot off the brake and onto the gas pedal and realized my 2016 Grand Cherokee would not move and had completely stalled. I checked to make sure the gear was not in neutral and read an error message on the dash that said something along the lines of 'shift the gear into park and then into desired gear.' I could not put the car into drive and had to completely shut of my vehicle and restart it to get it into drive. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11292505, filed 2020-01, 35,000 miles

   “While driving the vehicle and towing my boat (approx 4500lbs) for the previous hour or so on state highway between 50-65 MPH with some stoplights (not interstate), the check engine light (cel) came on and the driver interface on the instrument cluster came on displaying something to the effect of service electronic throttle control system . Continued driving approximately 2 miles to get to an intersection to turn off the main road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11375815, filed 2020-11, 70,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel odor in cabin or fuel pump failure

   • 22 complaints (7%)
   • median 42,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe a strong fuel smell inside the cabin while stopped or after refueling, and in one case a dealer diagnosed the fuel rail crossover tube as needing replacement. Diesel owners report hard starting, sputtering, jerking and intermittent loss of power that dealers attributed to the high-pressure fuel pump or fuel system wiring. Some note the vehicle stalled and required towing, with repairs repeated later. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 60,000 miles, with diesel fuel system reports continuing past 100,000 miles.

   Recall 16V814000Recall 22V406000

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel rail and, on diesel models, the high-pressure fuel pump recall work was completed for the VIN, and check for a fuel smell around the engine bay and inside the cabin after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving down the highway and lost all power. Will not restart. Towed to dealer they say it's fuel pump related. It is a fuel pump relay which is a very known issue (recall) on 2011-2013 but not on anything newer.”

   NHTSA complaint #11353565, filed 2020-09, 42,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V406000 (Fuel System, Diesel) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle jerked. The contact also stated that the vehicle intermittently lost motive power. An undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11538648, filed 2023-08, 120,000 miles
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission will not shift out of park or sticks in gear

   • 66 complaints (21%)
   • median 21,000 mi at 2.8 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners report the shifter refusing to move out of park at startup, the vehicle staying in first gear from a stop, or the transmission jumping to manual mode with a roaring noise. Some describe loss of power and the vehicle not exceeding low speed. Complaints mention dealers resetting modules, replacing the rack on the steering side, or being unable to find a cause, and several note their VIN was not covered by a related recall. Reported from about 30,000 miles upward, with many between 60,000 and 90,000 miles.

   Recall 16V2490001 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a cold start, confirm the shifter moves freely out of park and through the gears, and ask whether the brake-shift interlock recall work was completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was pulling out onto the highway from a stop position, as I tried accelerate the engine acted like I was in neutral or park! I thought I hit the gear shift into park or neutral, but I was in drive. It went back into drive mode second s later. Scary feeling with traffic going 50 MPH around me! Well it did it again going from a stop position turning left onto a busy 3 lane street. Now I know something is not right!! So far no recall on my VIN #, but many other 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee have been recalled with something similar. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11330867, filed 2020-06, 32,000 miles

   “Vehicle was in park at startup. With foot on brake, I pushed the start button. With engine running, transmission would not shift out of park. After turning the engine off and back on multiple times, it finally allowed me to shift (3rd time after it set for a few minutes). This problem looks very similar to the problem occurring in the same year vehicle which is subject to recall, however, my local dealership is saying my vehicle is not a part of the recall. 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured may 15, 2015 to february 19, 2016. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11309027, filed 2020-02, 62,100 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection check the battery and charging system, transmission behavior from a cold start, and for any fuel smell, since stalling and hard-shifting reports are common. Ask for the VIN-specific recall history, particularly for the diesel fuel pump and EGR campaigns, and confirm which recall and software updates were actually performed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.