Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle lunged forward. The contact stated that the RPM light and an unknown warning light were illuminated when the crash occurred. The contact stated that when the vehicle lunged forward, the front bumper of the vehicle crashed into the rear bumper of the other vehicle. The contact's vehicle came to a stop once the impact was made and damage was sustained to the front bumper and the rear bumper of the other vehicle. The vehicle was driven to a dealer where the vehicle's front bumper was repaired. The dealer was unable to determine the failure. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The contact stated that the failure recurred while in the driveway. …
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact was able to pull over to an open lane, where the vehicle stopped. The vehicle failed to restart. The contact's husband charged the battery with a portable charger, and the vehicle restarted. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact's husband replaced both the battery and the alternator; however, the failure recurred a week later. The battery warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband replaced the alternator; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contacted stated that the check engine warning light and the brake warning light were illuminated. …
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal was slow to respond. The driver had to continuously pump the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V572000 (Service Brakes, Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake booster and brake master cylinder needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repairs were not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the brake pedal depressed to the floorboard without warning while attempting to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective brake booster. The mechanic discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V154000 (Service Brakes, Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which the mechanic linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 157,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the contact heard a loud hissing sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the hubcaps were extremely hot while driving. While driving, the vehicle was shaking and pulling. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the rotors, hose, front, and rear brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the rotors, calipers, and brake pads. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Wife was driving car off the highway, around a rightward curving offramp, and she noticed that the steering was handling differently, as if the power steering was off, and the brakes were not responding normally either. She could not stop the car where she intended to and was lucky that there was not cross traffic in the immediate intersection. No lights on the dash were lit up. She turned the car off and on again, and the steering and braking was normal again. We brought it to a trusted independent mechanic and described the issue, and they could not reproduce the issue but looked it up and found multiple reports of this occurring with 2010s Grand Cherokees. They were very concerned about the safety of the car and recommended bringing it to a dealer. One local dealer wanted $1000 to begin diagnosing. …
There was a recall on my car for the brake booster water shield, water could get into the brake booster and cause corrosion and can cause the brakes to stop working. The recall was "fixed" about a month ago, but the brake booster still failed - my best guess is because water already got inside of the booster and already caused corrosion. My brakes began to fail while driving on the highway. When the brake booster blew out it also caused so much pressure that it blew out the master cylinder. The master cylinder is not part of the recall - according to JEEP No damage caused by the recall of the brake booster is under the recall and warranty EXCEPT the brake booster. The supposed fix itself here is faulty. This could have had a way worse outcome if I could not get my car to a stop. The other part of this is that the piece to fix this is on national back order with no estimated ship date.
The vehicle randomly stalls without warning while driving, causing the power steering and brakes to fail. It occurs randomly every 7-14 days, usually when it's first driven for the day and usually within the first 5-10 miles when slowing down to make a turn. Occasionally it will occur at a stop sign and a few times it has occurred in traffic. It can be restarted by putting it in Neutral or Park. It has been doing this ever since I purchased the vehicle in 2017 with 68,000 miles on it. It now has 195,000 miles and the stalling has become more frequent. I hoped the recall for the fuel relay would fix it, but it has not. I have read that it is a TIPM problem. There are several hundred similar complaints on the NHTSA website. The problem is discussed in Jeep forums on the web. This is a serious safety issue because of potential rear-end collisions. Why won't Jeep or NHTSA address it?
SUV stalls when coming to a stop while making a right turn or while stopping at a light. Power steering and brakes quit working. There are no diagnostic codes thrown for the dealer to check into. This occurs at least three to four times a week. I only commute 4 miles a day. Fortunately everytime this occurs I have been able to come to a stop and no other cars have been near. But if a car was on the street I am turning onto I would have hit their car. The dealer has replaced a few things that could possibly be wrong but the issue does not give diagnostic code to investigate. This is a known issue with Chrysler for this year model and several other years but my Jeep Grand cherokee has no recalls for it.
Related recalls
Service brakes
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent water from entering the brake booster and limiting braking ability.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake booster shield, correcting the installation as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November10, 2017.
Service brakes
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013. The subject vehicles have a brake booster with a center shell that may corrode and allow water to get inside.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will add a water diverter shield to the booster after the booster has been tested to confirm it can hold an acceptable amount of vacuum pressure.
Brake complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 332 complaints about the brakes of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 20% of the model year's 1,642 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › pads (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-572 (service brakes, Sep 18, 2017); NHTSA recall 14V-154 (service brakes, Apr 1, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to brakes 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.