Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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.
Dt*: the contact stated the gear shift position indicator was placed in park with the engine running and the driver attempted to exit the vehicle. The transmission unexpectedly jumped into drive while the door was ajar, this resulted in the contact being thrown underneath the moving vehicle. After traveling over the contact's legs the vehicle continued forward motion until it rolled over a twenty foot embankment and was stopped by a tree. The contact sustained leg injuries. The vehicle was towed and later inspected by the insurance company who deemed it a total loss. Additionally, it was discovered the gear shift position indicator was in drive.
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.
2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee was placed in "park" with engine on and left vacant while owner walked to nearby housing complex mailboxe. The vehicle slipped out of gear, into reverse, and struck the owner and the building before owner re-entered vehicle and regained control. The owner suffered a significant scratch, about seven inches long, on waist and scratches and bruising on thigh, now swollen and causing a limp. Vehicle's tailgate is smashed in, bumper scraped and rear wiper bent.
Incident happened in mall parking lot. Tried to put Jeep in reverse and vehicle did not go into gear. Put vehicle in park, checked to make certain emergency brake was not on then put in reverse again. This time it accelerated extremely fast and backed into a parked car behind me which slid into car next to it, which slid into the car next to it. It happened in about 1/4 second and damaged 4 cars, counting the Jeep.
This Jeep will run fine, but when it comes to red lights and idle, the car will shut off and not turn on again for atleast 10 minutes. Spent about 3,000 usd to fix at multiple mechanic and the issue remains. Why has Jeep never taken the time to recall this issue as it can cause the lives of many drivers.
Vehicle was running, in the park position, no driver in driver's seat, accellerated in reverse striking vehicle which was parallel parked behind vehicle, catapulted forward, striking vehicle paralleled parked in front of vehicle.
Jeep had the dreaded "death wobble" many parts failed and needed replaced multiple times within 30,000 miles of highway driving at safe speeds. Tires were properly inflated and alignment was correct.
My vehicle, shortly after purchase, had jumped out of park and into reverse. This incidence was overlooked as a possible error on my part. In April of this year, while pulling out of my garage, I put my car into park while it was running, to move a toy behind my vehicle. I exited the vehicle and proceeded to go to remove the toy when I realized the vehicle was now moving. I made one attempt to get back in, nearly slipping under it and made a second attempt this time succeeding but not before the door had caught onto the corner of my husbands compressor causeing $2700.00 worth of damage. I notified the dealer, they checked for a cause, found nothing. Shortly after, all the reports of this problem surfaced in the media. I contacted Chrysler and they claim that only the years from 1995 to 1999 are affected. …
Transmission/powertrain/electrical components/brakes at just over 36,000 miles the powertrain/transmission module failed. There were three minor incidents where when I was accelerating normal into traffic the transmission roared and spun, but the vehicle would not move, I shifted into neutral after letting up on the gas, then shifted back into drive and the transmission "kicked in". The fourth time this occurred, however, was when I was accelerating to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle lost power and I had to coast over to the shoulder of the highway onramp and the vehicle was towed to the dealership. A sensor or transmission control module was replaced at a cost in excess of $500 (just out of warranty) to me. At 50,000 miles while driving along the road, I heard a loud bang and thought I had a blowout of a tire. It was not the tire however, it was the passenger side power window. …
NHTSA investigations
Roll-away in reverse when parked
Daimlerchrysler has recalled the zj models to incorporate a secondary detent spring into the shifter.even though the wj 6 cyl. Vehicles use the same manual detent lever that as the vehicles in the recall population, odi believes that the wj redesigned shifter, which improves floor shifter functionality and ergonomics, helps to provide feedback to the driver to indicate whether ?park? Has or has not been…
Transmission complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 102 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 12% of the model year's 883 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › park/neutral start interlock switch (43 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 38 crashes, 2 fires and 21 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.