2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee filed 1,476 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and visibility. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 1,476
involving a crash: 75

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2002: 3D model with the “Air bags” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Air bags” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: David_Holiday, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Air bags 33% of all complaints
2 Visibility 22% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 12% of all complaints
4 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
5 Seats 6% of all complaints
6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
7 Powertrain 4% of all complaints
8 Steering 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Air bags: 486 complaints (33% of all), 35 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 326 complaints (22% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 174 complaints (12% of all), 12 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine and cooling: 146 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seats: 91 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

4 L · petrol · 6 cyl
4.7 L · petrol · 8 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 4-speed
automatic, 5-speed

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 1,476 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

A/C or heater180 · 12%
airbag warning light146 · 10%
windows, sunroof125 · 8%
warning lights, check engine108 · 7%
vibration81 · 5%
overheating, coolant loss51 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire48 · 3%
seat belts27 · 2%
knocking, grinding or other noise24 · 2%
stalls while driving22 · 1%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Air bags	486	35
Visibility	326	3
Service brakes	174	12
Engine and cooling	146	1
Seats	91	2
Electrical system	85	2
Powertrain	58	10
Steering	41	0
Vehicle speed control	38	20
Fuel system	37	1
Engine	26	1
Equipment	26	0
Seat belts	24	3
Fuel/propulsion system	20	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

During the crash, the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained an injured left arm, which required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure.
Air bags · crash · 2017-08-18 · NHTSA complaint #11016122
While driving 35 mph, the brakes failed without warning and the vehicle crashed into an electrical pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed.
Air bags · crash · 2017-04-19 · NHTSA complaint #10979314
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact was injured and required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and later driven to a mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v046000 (air bags).
Air bags · crash · 2017-01-26 · NHTSA complaint #10947817
On oct 11 2013, 2002 jeep grand cherokee laredo, vin no [xxx], had vehicle malfunction event, unintended acceleration, high speed start, high impact and high energy collisions, defective btsi (brake transmission shift interrupter), no brake throttle override, no safeguards to stop vehicle, high rate of speed crashing…
Service brakes · crash · 2017-01-13 · NHTSA complaint #10945118
Plus the a/c issue under the glove compartment overheats and melts the mechanism and continues to burn. When I reported the issue, no wreck was involved. Since reporting the problem, the vehicle was involved in an accident and totaled. My fix apparently allowed the seat to stay on the frame but the seat still broke.
Seats · crash · 2016-12-25 · NHTSA complaint #10937385
The driver may be hard of hearing, may have been distracted to hear the noise or know comes from her car, may have had windows shut and been insulated from the sound, but she changed gear from park to drive as the tires were spinning as observed by witnesses who saw or heard those tires spinning while the car was in…
Service brakes · crash · 2016-10-04 · NHTSA complaint #10913575
I started my car and put it in r car suddenly accelerated backwards I put my feet on the brake and car continued back I could not shut engine off and attempted to shift into neutral when car surged forward. Again with my feet on the brake pushing as hard as I could car went through 3 walls of my home before stopping.
Powertrain · crash · 2014-09-19 · NHTSA complaint #10637567
Still not feeling safe from the chrysler recall that the "hitch" will prevent a fire hazard if involved in a rear end accident. Chrysler will not even look at the vehicle since it has a hitch. Photos are available upon request. ..updated 02/13/17 updated 08/08/2017
Fuel/propulsion system · crash · 2013-07-27 · NHTSA complaint #10532117

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20012
200270
200374
200479
200583
2006135
2007187
2008113
200943
201051
201128
201220
2013131
2014126
2015172
2016103
201721
201812
201913
20202
20211
20222
20235
20241
20251
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 94 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Grand Cherokee has 730 complaints (40 years in the data). This year has 1,476, above average.

What to check before buying

Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, visibility, service brakes. Total complaints: 1,476. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (12%), airbag warning light (10%), windows, sunroof (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2002 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.