Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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).
Dt*: the contact stated while driving at night the headlights would not turn off, the battery was disconnected so the headlight would go off. Second, the car is not in park light illuminated on the overhead console while driving 45 MPH. Third, the antilock brakes vibrated while coming to a complete stop at a red light causing the vehicle to accelerate. The vehicle hit another vehicle from behind however no one was injured. A police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle sustained frontal damage and was driven home. The dealership inspected the vehicle but was unable to determine the problems. The manufacturer was alerted. Updated 6/23/2006 -
1. I'll be driving and the Jeep would just cut off on it's own. 2. After driving for awhile the Jeep will take up to 15 minutes to start. 3. The driver side brake light keep blowing, I have to changed them change the bulb about every 3 days.
I have owned a Jeep for 3 years. Since I have purchased the Jeep I have had nothing but problems. The rotors went bad, the steering manifold went bad, the engine went bad, and the motor in the window went bad and broke. Now I have replaced my left rear brake light six or seven times. It slowly started to fade out, and now the entire light goes out at night when our lights are turned on and we have to depress the brake. It is also barely noticeable during the day. We thought we had a faulty wire, but when we took it to a shop to have them look at it, they said that in every Jeep that has been brought in with the same problem has been the entire light and casing. The bulb gets too hot and warps the casing that holds the light. So the light no longer touches the casing and will no longer work. They told us also that our right rear light is warping also, so both of them need to be replaced. …
On sept.2, 2014 I had my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee towed to the nearsest dealer, milford Chrysler, milford, pa. I was driving the day before with family when the vehicle suddenly stalled in an entrance to a parking lot just avoiding an accident. Message center showed key not detectable. Several attempts later it turned over. To play it safe I returned home to exchange vehicles. It was making hissing sounds so I left it out of the garage. The next day, it was still making noises. I called for a tow to the dealer. I called Chrysler and they advised me of a recall but that the engineers were still trying to determine why but that the TIPM was malfunctioning. I was also told that a final recall would not come out for about 3 months! I had no choice but to get my vehicle repaired. They had to replace the battery, fuel pump, TIPM for a total out of pocket cost of $2493.98. …
I own a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee that has 2 potentially dangerous issues with it. Due to a manufacturers design flaw, the brake lights malfunction on a regular basis. The light shorts itself out when the headlights are turned on leaving me with no brakes at night. In addition, the door lock actuator in my rear passenger door has broken. Since Jeep saw fit to only provide a key on the drivers door, this rear door neither locks nor unlocks which would result in a potentially lifethreatening situation if I were involved in a wreck and was unable to exit the vehicle from this door. My cooling fan broke, I replaced with a non-OEM model which chewed a hole in my radiator after 100 miles. Replaced radiator and fan. Radiator broke after a year, re-replaced. After searching online I found that these are fairly common problems and not the result of some action on my part.
2001 Jeep Cherokee over heated seat driver side burn out .......replaced , under warranty, with defective part, same issue recurring burning coil.....also, back up lites don t work ........replaced under warranty, with ....defective ...same recurring ...told no longer under warranty and my problem...$500 plus $1300...for identical repair as warranty work already done and replaced with same defective parts... ...dates and mileage when authorized Jeep dealers did work or denied warranty on same issues is recorded and on file, and estimated by me at this time...but recorded....by dealers, and in my file.
The brake lights, turn signal lights, runninng lights keep blowing. At the same time usually the instrument guages also stop working. This is the 5th time we have had to take to be fixed. This is dangerous for us and other vehicles and is going to cause an accident. They could be working fine and go out between 1 place and another. We have been pulled over by police, had people in other vehicles yell at us and almost been hit while turning left due to lack of working signals and brake lights. This re-ocurring problem needs to be addressed properly.
Noticed that the head lights would automatically come on while the car was in park and shut off (headlight switch on auto) the radio controls on the steering wheel would work once in awhile the same for the cruise controls plus the horn does not work at all know did work when I bought it in April 06. I noticed when I played with the tilt steering something is would work some wouldn't. I believe that this might affect the airbag from deploying if in a wreck.
For a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee the headlight glass(or plastic) has a gloss on it that dims the headlights and I noticed it on similar models of surrounding years. I purchased several products that were supposed to remove this glaze, without any correction. Chrysler says there is nothing that can be done regarding this matter.
Left rear brake light dims and goes out at night when lights are on when I brake or while I am driving with lights on during the day when I brake. I have had the bulb looked at and changed 4 times now. Each time I am assured the problem is fixed. I had it changed again 2 weeks ago and I am now experiencing the same problem.
Headlight complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the lights of the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3% of the model year's 883 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights 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 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to lights 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.