Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14V391000 (electrical system). The recall repair was performed. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormal odor. The vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed smoke coming from the passenger side visor. The contact pulled down the visor and noticed melted plastic. There were firemen onsite who disconnected the battery and flames appeared from the headliner above the passenger seat. The firemen extinguished the flames. A report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While in park, the sun visor caught fire and flames spread throughout the vehicle. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the sun visor, roof liner, air bags, steering column, and other multiple parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 14V391000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving at approximately 70 MPH, the driver side sun visor and headliner caught fire. The contact extinguished the fire. The contact sustained serious burns to his left hand that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 14V391000 (electrical system) but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 54,000. Updated 11/20/15 updated 1/14/2016, updated 4/11/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the recall repair was performed for NHTSA campaign number: 14V391000 (electrical system) in October of 2014. On May 2, 2015, while driving at an unknown speed, smoke appeared from the driver side sun visor. Shortly after, flames were present coming from the visor. The contact used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,136.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving at 45 MPH, there was an abnormal odor coming from the vents of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the passenger side sun visor caught fire. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were smoke inhalation injuries sustained that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 62,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While driving 10 MPH, the sun visor caught fire. The fire independently extinguished itself. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 111,000. The VIN was not available.
I received notice by mail in December that my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee had a recall (p36 sun visor wiring) and there was a risk of fire due to a wiring issue. I immediately took my car to dadeland Dodge Chrysler Jeep in miami, fl to get the recall fixed. My car was at the dealership for about 24 hours being repaired and the next day I was called to go pick it up because the recall had been done and the car was good as new. Fast forward to Tuesday, April 14th and I am driving and stopped at a red light. My car filled with smoke and I could not breathe in the car. I had no idea where the fire was coming from so I started opening all the windows and noticed there was a fire by the sun visor. All of the electrical functions on the center console and the steering wheel had disabled and I was unable to open the sunroof to let the smoke out. …
The leather covering the top of dash under windshield has come loose, dislodging the defroster vent and blocking airflow from the defroster. Defroster vent cannot be reseated because of mis-shaped leather. While driving during early morning, condensation on windshield could not be cleared by defroster because no airflow was reaching the windshield on the drivers side. Had to pull off the road and pull the leather away from the vent opening to allow windshield to clear. If I had been driving in traffic, this would be extremely dangerous. I have called Jeep customer service, but they will not acknowledge a manufacturing defect, but cannot tell me why this has happened. They will not repair because the vehicle is out of warranty. The leather started coming loose 2 months after the warranty expired. There are numerous cases of this same problem in online Jeep forums. …
The oversized sideview mirrors, absolutely block the view of approaching or stopped vehicles, at an intersection, causing driver and passenger to have to move heads to see around them , which in most cases does not help to view the approaching or stopped traffic at an intersection. We have only had this vehicle under 2 months and have had 3 near collisions , from the very large mirrors, that are factory installed on this model Jeep. The mirrors are in the position on the side windows , that absolutely blocks the drivers view! It is very dangerous , and we are afraid we are going to be killed by getting hit from a vehicle that is hiding in the view we should have of the approaching traffic! We want Jeep to replace or move the mirrors to a safer location for safetys sake, before we are killed. Please check these out yourself. On the Grand Cherokee limited model 2011.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the automatic windows raised up in only small intervals. The contact felt that this was a safety issue if a quick exit was required. While driving with the cruise control engaged, braking was required and the vehicle almost came to a complete stop. The failure nearly caused the contact's vehicle to be rear ended. New carlisle Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram - tobey auto group (580 n main st, new carlisle, oh 45344) required the contact to leave the vehicle for a couple of days with no guarantee of being diagnosed. The contact did not leave the vehicle at the dealer and it was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 39,000.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 1,642 complaints. The component named most often is sun/moon roof assembly (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 6 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 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 8 fires and 3 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.