2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid

Is 2013 a good year for the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

The spread across this nameplate is wide: the 2014 draws 10 times the complaints of the 2020. On a run like that the model year you buy matters more than the badge, and 2013 sits in the middle of it.

Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.

The 2013 accounts for 8% of every complaint filed against the Jeep Grand Cherokee in this retrieval, which works out to 61.8 complaints per year on the road across the 13 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.

Complaints fell against the preceding year: the 2013 carries 49% of the 2012’s reports. Some of that is age, but a drop this large between consecutive years often marks a fix.

Which recalls cover the 2013?

Take the campaign number to any franchised Jeep dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2013 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.

Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.

What do owners report on the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Across every Jeep Grand Cherokee year, not the 2013 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.

• Electrical System — 2,501 reports
• Power Train — 1,379 reports
• Unknown or Other — 847 reports
• Engine — 711 reports

If your 2013 is doing something now, these are the guides for that system — each opens with whether it is safe to keep driving:

• Won't start — clicking
• Won't start — silence
• Battery light on

Which other Jeep Grand Cherokee years should you compare?

← 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee · 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee → · All Jeep Grand Cherokee years

If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.