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What 306 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (306)Crash / fire / injury (38)Transmission & drivetrain (78)Engine (76)Electrical system (61)Fuel system (32)Brakes (25)Speed control (22)Steering (16)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (12)Fuel System, Diesel (12)Airbags (11)

11 of 306 complaints match · Airbags · clear filters

Mar 22, 2026LightsAirbagsDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

I hit a deer at 65 mph, causing significant damage to my vehicle, 7,300 to the front end. I have a safety beacon that detected the accident through my insurance, that detected the severity of the impact, resulting in an immediate call for safety to check on me. My airbags did not deploy, but there was a nasty aroma of sulfur during the impact. My minor children were secured safely in the vehicle, as well as myself. I, the driver of the car hit my head very hard on the steering wheel and window during impact, causing whiplash- neck pain, and reoccurring migraines still to this day 3-21-2026. Although I didn't receive medical attention it has been made known that I hit my head. This would've been avoided had my airbags deployed. I assume there may have been a malfunction and had this been a more serious incident, not only would my life be at stake, but most importantly my children. This is unacceptable for safety purposes.

NHTSA ODI 11726116

Nov 4, 2025AirbagsCrash2 injuries

This 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee was hit in the left front by a vehicle that failed to stop at a stop sign. It also spun and was impacted on the left rear as well. All airbags but the driver’s side curtain airbag deployed. The driver hit their head on the seat belt pillar on the driver’s side. I have contacted Jeep but they have not responded to me in over a week. Injury to the driver’s head would have been less traumatic if this airbag had deployed.

NHTSA ODI 11697449

Jun 11, 2025Airbags

Passenger front seat headrest deployed while parked, no collision or accident, was parked in my driveway.

NHTSA ODI 11666291

Jul 22, 2024AirbagsCrash1 injury

I was involved in a car crash accident on the freeway, I was hit by a Ford Raptor truck from the back (left side) and pushed against the median barrier (center division) bounced back and spun twice and while spinning I hit another vehicle. Through all this I had three impacts, but when I hit the center divider I bumped my head on the left side and while spinning I heard the sound of gas (and felt air also coming into the car on the side of my head) but the side airbags never deployed. I suffered a head concussion and neck injury due to whiplash and bumping my head. I called the Jeep Company and claimed about the side/curtains airbags not deploying, they said they will send someone to check the car and investigate, they also made me sign the order authorizing them to check the car and after doing the investigation they sent me a letter with a vague explanation and no copy of the report that supports it. This needs further investigation, Jeep is not being cleared about this.

NHTSA ODI 11603871

Jan 2, 2022Airbags

The airbag sensor indicator light for front passenger seat illuminated on my 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited at only 80,000 miles even when adult passengers are sitting in the seat. This conveys that there is an airbag malfunction. It has stayed illuminated. This poses a danger to passengers in the front passenger seat. It has not been inspected by a mechanic or dealer yet.

NHTSA ODI 11445837

Jan 1, 2021Airbags

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET, THE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF, VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT SO NOT SURE WHY THE LIGHT IS COMING OFF OR ON? THANKS

NHTSA ODI 11386015

Nov 4, 2019AirbagsSeats

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND OCCUPIED, THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD REST EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING OR AN IMPACT OCCURRING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FIELDS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE SANFORD (750 TOWNE CENTER BLVD, SANFORD, FL 32771, (407) 878-7710), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 68052758. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,880. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11278115

Feb 2, 2018AirbagsBody & structureVisibility & wipers

MY 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WERE THE AIR BAG NEXT TO DOOR AND FRONT WINDOWS HAS A LARGE BLIND SPOT. THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR MAKING RIGHT TURNS OR PEOPLE WHO CROSS FROM MY RIGHT OR FOR THE MATTER LEFT TURNS CAN CREATE THIS BLINDS TURNS WHERE SECONDS MATTER IN DRIVING. I AM NOT SURE WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT BUT THIS JUST HAVE BEEN NOTICED BEFORE PRODUCTION. I HAVE OWNED 3 JEEPS BUT THE LIABILITY OF THIS MAKE ME WORRY ON MY NEXT PURCHASE.

NHTSA ODI 11066590

Nov 12, 2017AirbagsBrakesCrash

WHILE DRIVING 30MPH ALONG WITH MODERATE TRAFFIC IN THE LEFT LANE OF THE MAIN ROAD IN A 25MPH ZONE AT 2:30PM ON A DRY 60 DEGREE DAY, THE LIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION TURNED RED AND TRAFFIC WAS STOPPING. AS MY DAUGHTER PRESSED ON THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR, THE CAR WAS NOT STOPPING. SHE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES 2 TIMES AND BY THE TIME SHE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES THE THIRD TIME, THE CAR CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF HER. THE CAR SHE CRASHED INTO FULL FORCE AT 30MPH CRASHED INTO THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF HER AND THEN PUSHED INTO THE CENTER TURNING LANE AND MY DAUGHTER'S CAR THEN CRASHED INTO THE NEXT VEHICLE WHICH WAS A BOX TRUCK WITH A METAL BAR ACROSS ITS BACK. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. MY DAUGHTER WAS TRAPPED IN HER CAR BUT EVENTUALLY FOUND A WAY TO GET OUT. THE CAR WAS TOTALED.

NHTSA ODI 11045472

Aug 9, 2016AirbagsSpeed controlCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM THE DRIVEWAY, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GARAGE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 211. ....UPDATED 09/19/16 *BF *TR

NHTSA ODI 10894321

Feb 29, 2016AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2016 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE FORCEFULLY. THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND LEAKED A CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE ONTO THE DRIVER'S CLOTHING, WHICH CONTACTED THE ABDOMEN AREA AND CAUSED A SEVERE BURNING SENSATION TO THE SKIN. THE CONTACT ALSO SUSTAINED BRUISING TO THE RIGHT BREAST FROM THE SEAT BELT WEBBING. IN ADDITION, THE ENTIRE ABDOMEN AREA BECAME SWOLLEN AND THE RIGHT LOWER SIDE WAS MORE SEVERELY SWOLLEN. THE CONTACT'S LEFT WRIST WAS BROKEN AND THE LEFT KNEE WAS SWOLLEN AND BRUISED. THE CONTACT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION AND EXPRESSED CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD OF BREATHING THE CHEMICALS EMITTED FROM THE AIR BAGS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED DESTROYED AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 10839068

Working with the data? Download all 306 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee verdict →