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Jeep Grand Cherokee 2011–2021 (WK2): Problems to Check Before You Bid

The WK2 Grand Cherokee's known failures by year and engine, with rough repair costs and what to look for on a Copart listing before you bid.

Read: 8 min
Updated: October 6, 2026

The WK2 Grand Cherokee problems that can wipe out a flip are mostly sorted by year and engine. On 2011–2013 trucks, check the TIPM fuel pump relay, the left cylinder head on the 3.6 Pentastar, and the 5- or 6-speed automatic. On 2014–2015 trucks, check the shifter recall. On 2014–2019 EcoDiesels, check the EGR cooler recall and the emissions software. On any Quadra-Lift truck, check the air suspension. On every 3.6, look for an oil cooler leak. Each one below comes with what it costs and what you can see on a listing before you bid.

01Know which WK2 you're looking at

The WK2 covers model years 2011 through 2021 in the US. The Grand Cherokee L and the new WL replaced it after that. The 2014 facelift is the big split. It brought new lights, a new interior and, most important for you, the ZF 8-speed automatic across the lineup. A 2011–2013 has a 5-speed, and V8 trucks from 2012–2013 have a 6-speed.

Engines by year:

3.6L Pentastar V6: 2011–2021, the most common one you'll see at auction
5.7L Hemi V8: 2011–2021
6.4L Hemi (SRT): 2012–2021
3.0L EcoDiesel: 2014–2019 in the US
6.2L supercharged (Trackhawk): 2018–2021

The engine is usually listed on Copart, but read the VIN to be sure. Then put the VIN into NHTSA's recall lookup before you bid. It's free and tells you which recalls on the list below were never done on that truck.

022011–2013: the TIPM fuel pump relay

The fuel pump relay inside the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) can fail. When it does, the engine won't start, or it stalls while you're driving. FCA recalled 2011–2013 Grand Cherokees and Durangos with the 3.6, 5.7 and 6.4. The fix put the relay outside the TIPM. Later, a follow-up recall (19V-813) replaced that relay again because of silicon contamination on the contacts. The recalls covered roughly 528,000 vehicles in total.

Why it matters at auction: a 2011–2013 listed as "Engine Start Program" or "won't start" might have a failed relay instead of a dead engine. That's the cheap kind of no-start. But you can't confirm it from the photos, so bid it as if the engine is bad and count a cheap fix as a bonus. Our guide on judging a vehicle you can't drive goes through how to price that risk.

032011–2013 3.6 Pentastar: the left cylinder head

Some early Pentastars came with valve guides and seats in the left cylinder head that weren't hardened properly. They wear out, the valves stop sealing, compression drops, and you get a misfire with a check engine light. Chrysler extended the warranty on the left head to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the in-service date, and production switched to hardened parts in mid-2013.

That extension has run out for most of these trucks by now. If you buy one with a misfire, the head is on you. A 2011–2013 V6 with a check engine light and a ticking or rough idle in the run video is a head job until you know otherwise.

04Every 3.6: the oil filter housing and cooler

The oil filter housing and cooler on the Pentastar is plastic, and it's mounted in the valley under the intake. It cracks or warps and leaks oil down the back of the block. Oil pooling on top of the transmission bellhousing is the giveaway.

Rough cost as of October 2026: about $550–$975 at an independent shop and up to about $1,300 at a dealer. Most of that is labor, since both intake manifolds have to come off. If you do it yourself, an aftermarket aluminum housing costs about $100–$200 and an OEM Mopar plastic one about $250–$375. Most people doing it themselves buy the aluminum one so it doesn't crack again.

On the listing: look for oil-wet engine photos near the back of the motor. A 3.6 with high miles and no record of this repair should get a line on your max-bid sheet either way.

052014–2015: the shifter recall

The 2014–2015 trucks use a monostable electronic shifter. It springs back to center after every shift, and drivers got out thinking they were in Park when they weren't. NHTSA opened an investigation in August 2015. By the time of the 2016 recall (16V-240), it had logged more than 300 complaints, 121 of them involving rollaway crashes. The remedy was a software update that keeps the truck from rolling away if the driver gets out without putting it in Park.

It doesn't cost you anything at a dealer, but run the VIN. An open recall can slow down a sale to a careful private buyer, and some states won't pass a rebuilt inspection with safety recalls still open. Check your state's rules.

062014–2019 EcoDiesel: EGR cooler and emissions software

The diesel is the riskiest WK2 to buy blind. Two issues:

EGR cooler (recall 20V-699): the cooler can crack from heat cycling and leak vaporized coolant into the intake, where it can catch fire. The recall covered about 34,000 2014–2019 Grand Cherokees, and the remedy is a revised cooler plus an intake manifold inspection. Coolant loss and a heater that blows cold are the early signs. A diesel listed with "burn" or "engine fire" damage could be this exact failure.
Emissions software: after the 2019 EPA and California settlement, 2014–2016 EcoDiesel Grand Cherokees and Ram 1500s got an approved emissions modification (AEM) software update. Trucks that had it came with an extended warranty of 10 years/120,000 miles from original sale, or 4 years/48,000 miles from the update, whichever is greater. On a 2014–2016, run the VIN to see whether the update was done.

If the diesel has been "deleted" (emissions equipment removed), you'll have trouble titling and selling it in many states, and you shouldn't be the one selling it. Price that in or pass on it.

07Quadra-Lift air suspension (any year)

Overland, Summit, Trailhawk and SRT trims usually have Quadra-Lift air suspension. The compressor wears out, and air springs, the valve block and lines leak. Dealer prices reported by owners for a compressor run about $1,600–$2,200. A rebuilt or aftermarket compressor costs roughly $210–$300 if you install it yourself. Sometimes a new compressor turns up a bad valve block too, and the system has to be refilled after the repair.

On the listing: look at the stance in the photos. One corner sagging, or the whole truck sitting on its bump stops on level ground, means air suspension trouble. That's true even if the listing damage is "front end" and nothing to do with the suspension. A Quadra-Lift truck that also took a hit near a corner can need a new air strut on top of the collision parts.

085.7 Hemi: lifter and cam wear

The 5.7 in the WK2 is the same Hemi family as the Ram's. It has the same reputation for MDS lifter rollers seizing and wiping out a cam lobe. The signs are a tick that doesn't go away when the engine is warm, then a misfire on one cylinder. Our Ram 1500 guide covers how to judge it. On a Grand Cherokee, treat a ticking Hemi in the run video as a cam-and-lifter job and price the motor like the parts-car math says.

09What the Copart listing tells you (and doesn't)

Before you bid on any WK2, go through the listing like this. The listing-reading guide explains each field.

Year and engine from the VIN. That tells you which problems above apply.
Run and Drive vs. Engine Start. It only means the truck moved or started at check-in. It doesn't mean the TIPM, head or transmission is fine.
Damage codes. "Burn - Engine" on a diesel makes you think EGR cooler. "Water/Flood" on any WK2 is a pass for most flippers, because this truck is full of modules (see flood cars).
Photos of the stance. A sagging corner on a Quadra-Lift trim adds about $300 to $2,000 to your parts budget.
Engine bay photos. Oil on top of the bellhousing on a 3.6 means the cooler housing.
Dash photos. Note every warning light shown with the key on. "Service Air Suspension" shows on the cluster.
Open recalls. Run the VIN at NHTSA. Recall work is free at a Jeep dealer, but it takes time while you're waiting to sell.
Airbags. Front hits often deploy them, and the WK2 has a lot of them. Read what an airbag repair involves before you bid on one with deployed bags.

10The one thing to remember

Year and engine decide the risk. If it's a 2014-or-later 3.6 or 5.7 with coil springs, no warning lights and the recalls done, you're mostly pricing the body damage. If it's a 2011–2013 V6 with a misfire, an air-suspension Summit sitting on its bump stops, or an EcoDiesel with burn damage, you're pricing an engine or chassis job as well. Your bid has to leave room for both. Run the numbers through pricing a flip before the auction starts, not after you win.

Sources (6)

Photo: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee (WK2) SRT8 DSC 7222_SRT8_DSC_7222.jpg) by Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0.