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2008 Jeep Grand cherokee

The Verdict

14 Total Klunk

The 2008 Jeep Grand cherokee has 703 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (381 complaints) and engine (160 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 14/100, it earns a "Total Klunk" rating. If you're shopping for a Jeep Grand cherokee, consider the 2025 model year which has 91% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 91% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Jeep Grand cherokee dashboard →

14

Klunk Score: Total Klunk

Among the most complained-about vehicle years on record. Strongly consider alternatives.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000594487241351167
2001509241103153110
200250416252222449
2003292642917430
200452015543112847
200567074782235225
200625451596190154
200710326502269159
2008851438116063
2009392453319
20103310332516
201117427356056955
201219225561748268
201311813430519043
2014758227459545375
201552929181286312
201668145011262
201790215712964
20182535131117147
20199095637035
20206612556823
2021138241068442
20221041810310424
2023122209810621
20244413461209
202517313216

By Category

Electrical
381
Engine
160
Body
85
Transmission
63
Brakes
14

By Severity

1
340
2
332
3
4
4
27

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2008 Jeep Grand cherokee stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Electrical 1

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was started in the driveway but immediately turned off. The vehicle was restarted and shifted into reverse(R); however, the vehicle drove forward instead. The vehicle was immediately turned off to avoid a crash. The following day, while attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition failed to immediately respond while starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with ignition failure. The contact was informed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V567000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,330.

4mo ago
Engine 4

5.7L Hemi Engine fire. The primary cause was a wire harness retention clip failure that allows the starter wiring harness to lay on the steering column. As it turns, it cuts into the harness and provides battery voltage to the steering column. In my case, there was a power steering fluid leak combined with the electrified steering assembly started a fire. Any similar combustible fluid would have the same result. It may be a potential recall that should be investigated. VIN 8C244809. Incident occurred on 1-28-26. I have video footage of the issue if needed.

5mo ago
Electrical 2

Driver's steering wheel airbag malfunctioned and deployed unexpectedly while backing into a parking space. Safety of passengers through potential of bodily injury and car crash due to lack of sight and sudden explosion/deployment of airbag while car is actively being driven could have been causedby this malfunction. Various incidents of this safety issue have been reported, but no recalls have been officiated yet for this specific year and model. Vehicle has not inspected yet, it just occurred this morning. Insurance was notified, but said it needed to be inspected by a mechanic or dealership. Airbag light came on today for the first time while driving home and then airbag malfunctioned/deployed while parking.

5mo ago
Transmission 1

When driving it will randomly shift into 4th gear very hard and stay in 4th until you turn it off. It will happen at any speed and be fine for months or do have the issues consistently for long period of time then stop. It happens with no pattern or related reasons.

15mo ago
Engine 1

Dear Sirs: Two months ago I went to the local Jeep Dealer (Taraborelli, in Bariloche, Argentina) asking for 4 incomplete recalls. Two were completed but, in particular the number 57, the local dealer informed me that they asked MOPAR for spare parts (CDBOH113 -680050499AA- and CBTTP578AA and CBTTP57LAA) without any response from MOPAR. To my surprise the recalls appear now as "completed"! The dealer received my complaint and asked me to report the problem. They are waiting for the spare parts to complete recall repairing. What I'm expected to do about this problem?. Original recals were N11, N23, P57 and P73, those related with software were resolved but for P57 they required spare parts to MOPAR it is very important affecting the driving. I do appreciate your response asap. Thanks in advance [XXX] 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, 3.0 CRD VIN [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

17mo ago
Electrical 1

Ignition switch sticking in on position. Making electrical type sound and a burrrr sound. Called Jeep corporate and told not on recall list.I See recall for 2008 jeep grand Cherokee for this exact issue but they say not for Laredo.

18mo ago
Electrical 2

My Wireless Ignition Node is showing a failure. Key Fob not recognized and displays unknown key warning. Leading to the failure, the key would get stuck in the start position and I had to manually return the key to the on position. The front calipers had also recently been replaced when my mechanic noticed it was defective. All of these incidents occured before I was aware there were any recalls on the vehicle, but now that I am aware; all of the incidents leading up to the WIN failure make more sense. I brought my concerns to the dealer and they were of no help in resolving my issue. My mechanic, in his best opinion, also believes these issues should be considered under the recall for the Ignition system relating to the recall.

18mo ago
Electrical 1

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that upon returning to the vehicle, the contact’s daughter noticed that the front driver's side seat was smoldering. The contact stated that her daughter reported that the entire seat bottom of the seat was charred and melted the plastic frame and the seat cover. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed back to the residence. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat heater had engaged independently, causing her daughter to place a blanket on the seat to safely drive the vehicle. A mobile independent mechanic inspected the vehicle, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.

19mo ago
Brakes 4

My 2008 jeep grand cheroke has caught on fire multiple times & started smoking. The rpms would always jump High and one day I went to go leave and it went real high causing it to accelerate on its own and went I went to go try to stop it my breaks failed and emergency brake would not work.

20mo ago
Electrical 1

While driving down the interstate at approximately 75mph to 80 mph, the driver side air bag curtain deployed with no warning or indication. There was no impact or bump in the road to cause vibration or a false signal to trigger the activation of the air curtain. I was simply driving the vehicle as normal when it deployed. When the airbags deployed, it caused me to swerve due to fear of the load noise, physical impact of air curtain, and visual interference. Fortunately, there was no traffic in the adjacent lanes, and I was able to get to the shoulder of the interstate. After I assessed the situation and calmed my nerves I navigated to my destination under the risk of visual impedance on the driver side. Emergency services was not contacted. The vehicle was not inspected by a professional however it was discussed with certified mechanics. In addition, I contacted the manufacturer in which they responded with..."There are no recalls for this vehicle, the vehicle is 16 years old with over 150K miles therefore they will do nothing. Regardless of the mileage and vehicle age, this should NOT have happened as there was no cause for it to happen. Luckily no additional damage took place or any major injury or fatality.

23mo ago
Electrical 1

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V567000 (Electrical System) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

28mo ago
Electrical 2

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in an unknown recall and the ignition switch was replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. The failure recurred several times and the contact needed to have the vehicle jumpstarted. The dealer was informed of the failure but was unable to identify the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

32mo ago
Electrical 4

Tboned in an intersection, jeep rolled over multiple times, no airbags deployed. checked online, no recalls in effect so they should have gone off.

36mo ago
Electrical 1

The interior lights like dashboard/radio/a.c lights flicker while I'm driving. Its seems like some kind of short cause my the bulb on my right tail light seems to go out a lot more than any other light. When im parked and any door gets opened the dome lights flicker on and off even when I have it to be off when when the doors open. Also my headlights look like moist of some sort, dont see any cracks for that to happen. Due to the moisture or maybe not even related to it but the headlights dont even look like theyre on

36mo ago
Electrical 3

At approximately 12:05 pm on Monday, 6/12/23, I was making a right turn into a parking spot in front of Golden1 Credit Union, at 1040 E. Cypress Avenue. I was halfway into the turn when my driver's airbag deployed, striking me in the stomach and right hand and forearm. Despite being startled by the loud explosion, I managed to finish parking without hitting either the vehicle next to me or the curb. Approximately 1-2 minutes later, there was a second explosion from the airbag that sprayed small particles at me, again striking my right forearm. The incident left three superficial burn marks on my hand and arm. (I did not photograph them until this moment; only one mark is still visible.) My first thought when the airbag deployed was that I had been shot, as I heard a loud bang, smelled what I thought was gunpowder, and felt pain in my arm and stomach. I happened to be on a phone call with my spouse when it occurred (via hands-free stereo Bluetooth), so he heard the explosion followed by my shriek, and he also heard the second explosion. I had the vehicle towed to my trusted mechanics at Advanced Automotive. My service advisor was curious whether my vehicle (which I purchased used, in 2020) had been part of a safety recall in the past. In addition to his own research, he contacted a colleague at the local Jeep Chrysler dealer regarding same. Neither of them found any recall for my specific VIN, or for my specific vehicle year. He expressed his concern that even if they were to replace the airbag module, there was no guarantee that it would fix whatever had caused it to inadvertently deploy, and he recommended that I seek service from a Jeep/Chrysler dealer and implore them to take accountability for the issue. Prior to this incident, there was never any indication that anything was wrong with any safety system on the vehicle.

37mo ago
Electrical 1

Clockspring has gone bad and caused my airbag light to come on and off. A recall has already been placed for Jeep Wrangler but Grand Cherokee should have been included with the same issue.

38mo ago
Body 1

The contact owns a 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while looking underneath the vehicle, he noticed that the skid plate was severely rusted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the skid plate was extremely rusted. The contact called the local dealer and was notified that there was a replacement part. The contact was also provided the cost to do the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 39,400.

47mo ago
Engine 2

the jeep goes into limp mode and gets stuck in 2 gear I have replaced the shifter solenoid and still happens I have read about this happing to the same jeep from 2005-2010 model and this is a safety issue that need to be recalled immediately. I was driving on the highway and the jeep shifted into 2nd gear mind I was going the speed limit of 65 and it went down to 30 MPH and it almost caused a pike up on the interstate.

47mo ago
Body 2

Traveling at 55mph on Rt. 264 W. in Virginia Beach, VA the right rear tire "exploded" with no warning whatsoever and sent my vehicle out of control coming very close to impacting vehicles on either side. I regained partial control and got the vehicle onto the shoulder. My family was shaken but o.k. State Police arrived. Upon inspection there was very little left of the tire (I will upload pics). Vehicle was brought to "Discount Tire" where close inspection of the remaining tires showed steel belt protruding from the front right tire. I was amazed. The vehicle had recently passed state inspection and was well within wear limits. I paid to have the (2) obviously failed tires replaced and asked Goodyear Customer Service to pay to replace the remaining (2) - all were bought as a set from Walmart. Goodyear Customer Service refused and now I must pay for the work as no one in their right minds would drive around on the remaining (2).. There's a 50/50 chance they would fail as well! It is my understanding these are not their "top of the line tires", but I must ask when it comes to safety what possible difference can that make? We depend on our government to properly test such basic safety related items that can cause death and damage in a moment to any family. I hope the NHTSA will/does thoroughly investigate all Goodyear tires, but especially these sold primarily at Walmart if I understood correctly. This is an incident that simply should not have occurred and even after the fact of TWO of these tires falling apart on the same vehicle, their corporate headquarters refused any responsibility; financial or otherwise.. not even an apology!

47mo ago
Electrical 2

The ignition turns its self off when your driving down the road. It starts back up when you turn the fob, but you have to slow down to a very slow speed before the transmission will engage and this is very dangerous when it happens in heavy traffic.

47mo ago

703 total

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