Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for the windshield replacement; however, after the repair was completed, the vehicle failed to start up. The vehicle was waiting to be towed to the local dealer. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The contact owns a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,000.
The 2001 Jeep just came to a stop while it was being driven on the highway. It had always had engine issues. The front wheel suspension on the passenger side of the 2001 Jeep Cherokee laredo is bent and while driving it on the street or highway it causes the vehicle to pull to the left and is unstable when driving it on a highway or street. The engine has a knocking sound whenever it is running. The brakes to the vehicle has been slipping and making a grinding noise while driving it. Sometimes the Jeep doesn't want to drive over 70 MPH when driving in the highway or street. We have had to replace the brakes because they started smoking while driving on the highway. There is electrical issues with the car as well where the radio doesn't play as well as other electrical parts don't work. My 2001 Jeep has stopped while my husband was driving it on the highway and it is not drivable. …
I was driving in the rain going the speed limit. My Jeep hit a pool of water on the surface of the highway and started to skid and hydroploane. The next thing I knew it was flipping over and landed on the shoulder of the highway. I was lucky to be wearing my seat belt. I was suspended upside down by my seatbelt. I was able to unbuckle it and crawl out the drivers side window which was completely blown out. Seconds after I got out of the car it burst into flames and the entire vehicle was engulfed and burned completely inside and out. There was nothing left of it but burnt frame. As soon as the car came to a stop upside down, I smelled gas and just a minute or two later the car was totally burned up.
Gasoline odor/check engine light have had this vehicle machanically checked the smell of fuel on startup with window lowered is overpowering..the check engine light came on and I had the vehicle plugged into service computer..was told too check gas cap/replace..which I did..the gasoline odor is still present and the check engine light is back on..so new gas cap isnt the problem. There are no leaks anywhere on the engine or at the gas tank, yet the smell of fuel is still present. No gas line leaks...we need to make these trucks in America again with American parts. Have always owned jeeps have a 93 sport in my driveway right now, but this '01 May be my last...literally.
I was driving about 45 MPH when my Jeep accelerated, I tried tapping the gas pedal in hopes that it would affect it. That didn't help, I had both feet on the brake, I pulled the e-break and it still wouldn't stop and I was redlining. I finally saw a redlight and decided to throw it in park and it rolled another 50 feet or so before finally coming to a stop. I jumped out and ran because it was still stuck and redlining. Everything under the Jeep was red and finally flames started coming out of the exhaust. The fire department hosed it down for about ten minutes before taking the keys out of the ignition.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the temperature gauge started to rise indicating that the vehicle was over heating. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the blades attached to the motor fan fractured into pieces. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the failure in NHTSA campaign number: 06V199000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
I was driving down the road yesterday in my Jeep Grand Cherokee and the throttle went wide open on me, I tried to get it to stop by tapping the gas thinking it was just a little stuck, but it would not stop so I immediately pulled over, had to slam it into gear, got out and ran into a gas station and had them call 911, came back out and my Jeep was shooting flames out of my exhaust and the entire under carriage was glowing red. Resulting in a loss of my serpentine belt, power steering pulley, melted my transfer case, and more that is yet to be inspected.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start-up. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact the sending unit in the fuel tank was inoperable. A vapor lock caused the vehcile to not start-up. The mechanic was unable to locate replacement parts. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 280,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the steering wheel seized without warning. The vehicle was turned off. After restarting, the vehicle resumed normally. The failure recurred a second time. On a separate occasion, the vehicle stalled without warning and restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,550.
Engine complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 8% of the model year's 883 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system › fan (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.