Ford Explorer vs Jeep Grand Cherokee: which is more reliable?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is ahead of the Ford Explorer on the federal record, 64/100 against 59/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Ford Explorer
- 15 model years scored
- 14,935 owner complaints on record
- about 117 complaints per year on the road
- 150 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (82/100) · worst 2020 (28/100)
Jeep Grand Cherokee
- 15 model years scored
- 11,387 owner complaints on record
- about 88 complaints per year on the road
- 136 recall campaigns, 70 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (85/100) · worst 2014 (28/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Explorer against Grand Cherokee
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Explorer | Grand Cherokee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 CAUTION | 77 BUY | -10 |
| 2024 | 79 BUY | 52 CAUTION | +27 |
| 2023 | 76 BUY | 55 CAUTION | +21 |
| 2022 | 72 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +12 |
| 2021 | 70 BUY | 71 BUY | -1 |
| 2020 | 28 AVOID | 85 BUY | -57 |
| 2019 | 82 BUY | 76 BUY | +6 |
| 2018 | 71 BUY | 54 CAUTION | +17 |
| 2017 | 39 AVOID | 80 BUY | -41 |
| 2016 | 32 AVOID | 73 BUY | -41 |
| 2015 | 50 CAUTION | 54 CAUTION | -4 |
| 2014 | 60 CAUTION | 28 AVOID | +32 |
| 2013 | 38 AVOID | 70 BUY | -32 |
| 2012 | 78 BUY | 54 CAUTION | +24 |
| 2011 | 73 BUY | 58 CAUTION | +15 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Explorer
- Steering — 3,398 complaints
- Structure — 3,052 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 2,679 complaints
Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Electrical System — 3,838 complaints
- Engine — 2,087 complaints
- Power Train — 1,489 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Explorer's complaints concentrate in Steering, the Grand Cherokee's in Electrical System. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Explorer — avoid: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020.
Jeep Grand Cherokee — avoid: 2014.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Jeep Grand Cherokee at about $44,100 — the Ford Explorer is roughly $3,300 less, and they return 20.0 against 22.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Explorer or the Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Jeep Grand Cherokee scores 64/100 against the Ford Explorer's 59/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee years should I avoid?
Ford Explorer: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020. Jeep Grand Cherokee: 2014. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Explorer is Steering (3,398 complaints); on the Jeep Grand Cherokee it is Electrical System (3,838).
Is the Ford Explorer or the Jeep Grand Cherokee cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Jeep Grand Cherokee at about $44,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.