Jeep Grand Cherokee
Midsize SUV · 1992–present. 216,148 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
It was born at American Motors (AMC), which in the summer of 1985 held a design competition for the Cherokee's successor under the internal name XJC. AMC hired designers Larry Shinoda, Alain Clenet and Giorgetto Giugiaro, then ended the contracts at the end of 1985 and kept the design in-house; Shinoda later claimed his 1985 proposal had been copied, and Chrysler settled with him in 1997. François Castaing ran AMC's product engineering. After Chrysler bought AMC in 1987 for $1.5 billion, Lee Iacocca decided it would sell alongside the Cherokee as the Grand Cherokee, and Bob Lutz, then Chrysler's president, introduced it to the world.
It was developed at AMC and then Chrysler, and since January 1992 it has been built at Detroit's Jefferson North plant (now Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson), built in 1991 for this model. Since 2021 it is also assembled at Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack, the first new assembly plant in Detroit in nearly 30 years. The Grand Cherokee sold in the U.S. today comes from those two Detroit plants.
It debuted on January 7, 1992 at the Detroit auto show and reached dealers in April 1992 as a 1993 model. An earlier preview, the Concept 1, had been shown in Detroit in 1989.
Jeep has used the Cherokee name since 1974, when it debuted on a sporty two-door version of the Wagoneer. Lee Iacocca decided the new model would sell alongside the Cherokee, so the successor became the Grand Cherokee to distinguish it from the Cherokee that stayed on sale. Jeep says its names were chosen to celebrate Native American people; in 2021 the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation publicly asked the brand to stop using the name, and Jeep replied that it keeps an open, respectful dialogue.
In the mid-1980s AMC needed a larger, more refined successor to the Cherokee XJ, the unibody SUV that had changed the market. Chrysler, after buying AMC, delayed it to focus on minivans and then positioned it a step above the Cherokee: an SUV with real off-road ability but the ride, quiet and luxury of a sedan. Jeep says it invented the premium SUV segment with it. It replaced the Wagoneer as the midsize luxury Jeep.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 11993–1998 · ZJ
The SUV that came in through the window
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 What changed. A four-door SUV with a unibody and solid axles front and rear, with coil springs at all four wheels instead of leaf springs. The base engine was the 4.0-liter inline-six with 190 hp; during the 1993 model year the 5.2-liter V8 arrived with 6,500 pounds of towing capacity, and in 1998 the 5.9 Limited, with a 5.9-liter V8 ran 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Motor Trend named it 1993 Truck of the Year.
The innovation. It was the first SUV with a driver-side airbag, according to Jeep. It also introduced the Quadra-Coil link-and-coil suspension, later handed down to the TJ Wrangler.
If you buy one usedCampaign 13V252 concerns certain 1993–1998 Grand Cherokees whose rear-mounted fuel tanks may leak in some rear impacts. The remedy requires inspection of the rear structure and any existing hitch; the dealer installs or replaces a hitch where required and where the vehicle's condition supports proper installation. Confirm eligibility and the exact repair by VIN. Campaign 95V172 concerns the parking-brake-handle release button on certain 1995 vehicles. These are decades-old vehicles: inspect floor and suspension-mount corrosion and request maintenance records. - Gen. 21999–2004 · WJ
Quadra-Drive and the V8 built at Mack Avenue
Photo: Rutger van der Maar · CC BY 2.0 What changed. A complete redesign, 4 inches longer, 2 inches taller and 1.5 inches wider, with a body 20 percent stiffer thanks to tailor-welded steel blanks, and the spare tire moved under the cargo floor. The new 4.7-liter Power Tech V8, with 235 hp and 295 lb-ft, replaced the old iron 5.2 and was built at the renovated Mack Avenue plant in Detroit, the same site that assembles the Grand Cherokee today. The 4.0-liter six rose to 195 hp. In 2001 the 545RFE five-speed automatic arrived for the 4.7.
The innovation. Quadra-Drive: the two-speed Quadra-Trac II transfer case paired with Vari-Lok axles, whose speed-sensing couplings send more torque to the wheel with the most grip without wear from preloaded clutches.
If you buy one usedCampaigns 12V527 and the later 15V046 concern unintended airbag/pretensioner deployment on certain 2002–2004 Grand Cherokees. Campaign 09V117 concerns overheating front-seat heater elements on certain 2001–2004 vehicles with specified earlier recall or heater-element replacement history. Campaign 02V104 covers certain 1999–2002 vehicles with the 4.0-liter engine: debris may collect around the intake/exhaust manifold near cylinder 3 and create a fire risk; the remedy installs a shield. This is external debris around the manifold. Check the exact VIN and repair records. - Gen. 32005–2010 · WK
The first HEMI in a Jeep
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 What changed. Launched into production in August 2004 as the third generation, with an independent front suspension for the first time, rack-and-pinion steering, a five-link rear axle and Electronic Stability Program (ESP), also for the first time. The 325 hp 5.7-liter HEMI V8 was the first in a Jeep, 25 percent more powerful than the previous V8; the 4.7 carried on and a 3.7-liter V6 replaced the 4.0 inline-six. Production began at Jefferson North in the third quarter of 2004 and, for other markets, at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
The innovation. The HEMI's Multi-Displacement System (MDS), which shuts down four of the eight cylinders while cruising: Jeep says it was the first SUV to offer it and that it could improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent. Plus Quadra-Drive II with electronic limited-slip differentials front, center and rear.
If you buy one usedCampaign 13V175 applies to certain 2005–2010 Grand Cherokees with Quadra-Drive II or Quadra-Trac II four-wheel drive. A transfer-case control fault may select Neutral unintentionally and let a parked vehicle roll. Campaign 14V438 concerns certain 2005–2007 vehicles: accidental knee contact may move the ignition key out of Run, shutting off the engine and disabling safety systems. Until the affected vehicle is repaired, the manufacturer instructs drivers to leave knee clearance and keep only the vehicle key on the ring. Campaign 07V415 concerns a defined lot of front brake calipers made from gray rather than ductile iron on certain 2007–2008 vehicles. Check the exact VIN and completed repairs. - Gen. 42011–2022 · WK2
Pentastar, Quadra-Lift and the longest decade
Photo: SsmIntrigue · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. The first 2011 rolled off the Jefferson North line in May 2010. A 5.3-inch longer wheelbase (114.8 inches), 3 inches more width, 4 inches more rear legroom and a body 146 percent stiffer in torsion than before. It introduced the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 290 hp and kept the 5.7 HEMI at 360 hp. It was a 2011 IIHS Top Safety Pick, and Jeep counted more than 4 million Grand Cherokees sold. It received updates for 2014 and 2017 and continued as the 2022 Grand Cherokee WK alongside its WL successor.
The innovation. Quadra-Lift air suspension, with five heights and up to 4.1 inches of total height adjustment, and the Selec-Terrain dial with five modes (sand/mud, sport, auto, snow and rock) that coordinates up to 12 powertrain, brake and suspension systems.
If you buy one usedSelected campaigns include 14V154 (booster corrosion/water entry on certain 2011–2014 Grand Cherokees) and 17V572 (checking the earlier booster-shield installation). Campaign 14V530 concerns the original internal TIPM fuel-pump relay on certain 2011 vehicles; the later 19V813 covers certain 2011–2013 vehicles and includes inspection/replacement of the external replacement relay and harness. Campaign 14V634 covers certain 2012–2014 vehicles with the 3.6-liter V6 and 160-amp alternator; 17V741 covers a 2014 subset. For the 3.0-liter diesel, 22V406 concerns certain 2014–2020 high-pressure fuel pumps, 20V699 concerns certain 2014–2019 EGR coolers, and 23V411 concerns certain 2014–2020 crankshaft tone wheels. Confirm eligibility, current instructions and repairs by VIN. - Gen. 52021–present · WL
Two Detroit plants and the first 4xe
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. The three-row Grand Cherokee L came first, in production since March 2021 at Detroit's new Mack plant; the two-row was revealed on September 29, 2021, with a wheelbase 5 inches shorter and more than 11 inches less length than the L. Engines: 3.6 V6 with 293 hp, 5.7 HEMI with 357 hp and the 4xe plug-in hybrid. Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II, Quadra-Lift suspension with up to 11.3 inches of ground clearance and 24 inches of water fording, 10.1-inch Uconnect 5 screens and a third screen for the front passenger. For 2026 it introduced the Hurricane 4 turbo four-cylinder.
The innovation. The 4xe: a 2.0-liter turbo engine plus two electric motors and a 17 kWh battery, with 375 hp, 470 lb-ft, about 25 miles of electric driving and an estimated 57 MPGe. Jeep drove it over the Rubicon Trail in electric mode, and Stellantis ranked it third among U.S. plug-in hybrids using S&P Global Mobility registrations through October 31, 2024. Separately, it reported 27,590 4xe sales for the full 2024 calendar year.
If you buy one usedFor certain 2021–2023 Grand Cherokee L and 2022–2023 Grand Cherokee vehicles, selected campaigns concern upper-ball-joint/knuckle separation (24V132), the intermediate steering shaft (23V352) and incorrectly installed rear coil springs. The latest spring campaign, 26V562, replaces 26V051 and 23V413 and requires its new remedy even after earlier repairs. Campaign 24V897 concerns side-airbag connectors on certain 2021–2024 L and 2022–2024 Grand Cherokees; the retained NHTSA record states that all its affected vehicles were remedied. For certain 2022–2026 4xe models, 25V741 concerns battery fire risk parked or driving and 25V576 concerns loss of drive power from hybrid-control software. For vehicles affected by 25V741, park outside away from structures and do not charge until the remedy is completed, as the manufacturer instructs. Check the exact VIN and current repair status before buying.
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