Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Jeep Wrangler: which is more reliable?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is ahead of the Jeep Wrangler on the federal record, 64/100 against 58/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
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)
Jeep Wrangler
- 10 model years scored
- 7,008 owner complaints on record
- about 82 complaints per year on the road
- 78 recall campaigns, 51 safety-critical
- best year 2015 (78/100) · worst 2018 (26/100)
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 against Wrangler
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 | Grand Cherokee | Wrangler | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 77 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 52 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2023 | 55 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2022 | 60 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2021 | 71 BUY | — | — |
| 2020 | 85 BUY | 38 AVOID | +47 |
| 2019 | 76 BUY | 41 AVOID | +35 |
| 2018 | 54 CAUTION | 26 AVOID | +28 |
| 2017 | 80 BUY | 75 BUY | +5 |
| 2016 | 73 BUY | 71 BUY | +2 |
| 2015 | 54 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -24 |
| 2014 | 28 AVOID | 71 BUY | -43 |
| 2013 | 70 BUY | 65 CAUTION | +5 |
| 2012 | 54 CAUTION | 60 CAUTION | -6 |
| 2011 | 58 CAUTION | 70 BUY | -12 |
What owners actually complain about
Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Electrical System — 3,838 complaints
- Engine — 2,087 complaints
- Power Train — 1,489 complaints
Jeep Wrangler
- Steering — 2,225 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,181 complaints
- Power Train — 1,111 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Grand Cherokee's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Wrangler's in Steering. 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 — avoid: 2014.
Jeep Wrangler — avoid: 2018, 2019, 2020.
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 prices at about $44,100 and a Jeep Wrangler at about $28,800 — the Jeep Wrangler is roughly $15,300 less, and they return 22.0 against 20.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Jeep Wrangler more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Jeep Grand Cherokee scores 64/100 against the Jeep Wrangler's 58/100, 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 and Jeep Wrangler years should I avoid?
Jeep Grand Cherokee: 2014. Jeep Wrangler: 2018, 2019, 2020. 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 and the Jeep Wrangler?
The largest complaint group on the Jeep Grand Cherokee is Electrical System (3,838 complaints); on the Jeep Wrangler it is Steering (2,225).
Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Jeep Wrangler cheaper to own?
A recent used Jeep Grand Cherokee prices at about $44,100 and a Jeep Wrangler at about $28,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.