Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT vs Volkswagen CC: which is more reliable?

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and the Volkswagen CC are level on the federal record — 79/100 against 76/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.

The record, side by side

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

79/100 mean
  • 5 model years scored
  • 1,441 owner complaints on record
  • about 38 complaints per year on the road
  • 0 recall campaigns, 0 safety-critical
  • best year 2021 (94/100) · worst 2018 (47/100)

Volkswagen CC

76/100 mean
  • 7 model years scored
  • 604 owner complaints on record
  • about 5 complaints per year on the road
  • 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
  • best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)

Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.

Year by year: Grand Cherokee SRT against CC

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.

YearGrand Cherokee SRTCC Gap
202194 BUY——
202089 BUY——
201983 BUY——
201847 AVOID——
201783 BUY89 BUY-6
2016—83 BUY—
2015—85 BUY—
2014—71 BUY—
2013—52 CAUTION—
2012—36 AVOID—
2011—76 BUY—

What owners actually complain about

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT

  • Electrical System — 464 complaints
  • Unknown Or Other — 368 complaints
  • Engine — 262 complaints

Volkswagen CC

  • Air Bags — 279 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
  • Engine — 119 complaints

They do not fail the same way: the Grand Cherokee SRT's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the CC's in Air Bags. 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

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT — avoid: 2018.

Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.

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 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT prices at about $31,600 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800 — the Volkswagen CC is roughly $9,800 less, and they return 15.0 against 25.0 MPG combined.

Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.

FAQ

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT or the Volkswagen CC more reliable?

On the NHTSA record the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT scores 79/100 against the Volkswagen CC's 76/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.

Which Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and Volkswagen CC years should I avoid?

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT: 2018. Volkswagen CC: 2012. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.

What goes wrong on the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and the Volkswagen CC?

The largest complaint group on the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT is Electrical System (464 complaints); on the Volkswagen CC it is Air Bags (279).

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT or the Volkswagen CC cheaper to own?

A recent used Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT prices at about $31,600 and a Volkswagen CC at about $21,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.

More head-to-heads