Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph when traffic began to back up. When the contact was attempting to get into the left lane, the vehicle's ahead suddenly stopped. The contact depressed the brake pedal, however, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward causing them to rear-end the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. There was damage to the vehicle in front where their entire rear end was crushed inward. The contact's vehicle was towed. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. There was no medical attention needed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 131,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle stalled while driving around a sharp curve, causing the contact to crash into a tree. There was severe front vehicle damage due to the crash. The contact stated that no air bags deployed. The contact had not sustained any injuries. No medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was not filed due to the police department not showing up. The vehicle was towed to the residence by the contact's spouse. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
My Airbags did not deploy and I believe my seatbelt also did not work properly. I was struck head on (front end to front end) inside a tunnel by a pickup truck (ram 3500) Going appx. 40mph and my air bags did not deploy and my head hit my windshield so I'm unsure if seatbelts worked properly as I was using mine. My insurance company is storing it now for me as it is most likely totaled. My insurance is handling my property damage case, as far as I know it has not been to any dealer/mechanic and again is most likely beyond repair unfortunately. Colorado state patrol inspected both vehicles involved, I know my insurance is holding the vehicle now, I'm not sure about the other driver as I am struggling to find help with litigation. I had no warning from my car nor otherr driver, not sure if this is because I was entering the single lane tunnel. …
On or about December 15 2020 my wife was on her way to work and hit a water puddle and hydroplaned at 60 miles per hour and lost control and hit the wall head on at 55 mph and no airbags deployed I have the car in my front yard
There is a failure in the driver seat belt system resulting in the car not knowing if the driver is buckled. This affects the function of the airbag system in the vehicle. The sensor in the seat belt restraint buckle assembly (P/N 1GQ92DX9AC) that is responsible for reporting if the buckle is fastened has failed resulting in 2 error lights on the dashboard: seat belt and airbag. When evaluating the codes stored in the ECU, I found code B1B51, "Active 1st Row Driver Seat Belt Sensor Circuit High", was triggered. This is indicating a failure of the sensor or harness in the buckle assemble attached to the drivers seat. I am unable to source a replacement part 1GQ92DX9AC since they seem to be backordered everywhere. I've contacted several dealers and parts distributers. This means my vehicle is currently stuck in an unsafe condition. …
The entire leather dash has become the delaminated they had issued a recall on us for a six-month period in early 2020 they kept pushing back saying they didn't have the parts and six months lapsed I am just worried if I were to get into an accident that the airbags on the passenger side would not operate properly due to the fact that all the leather has sagged and become unglued how can a manufacturer only make a safety recall good for six months the mechanic told me it's because they only have a certain amount of budget on labor and parts to do safety recalls and that the shops don't want their time taken up because it is such a time extensive process there were thousands of vehicle's affected and a lot of them were unable to be fixed because of part shortage and the six-month timeframe they gave everyone How do I get this fixed without paying $3000
The activated headrest on the passenger side deployed while driving. No accident occurred and this problem appears to be an issue on similar vehicles. There was also a class action lawsuit about this so there should be a recall issued due to the plastic piece inside wearing down. This could easily cause a wreck or kill somebody!
Airbag light came on and I took it to my mechanic and he stated the the buckle attached to the seat is throwing a code which disables my passenger airbag. The part is on national back order. Is what our local dealer said and we will not be getting a part for a very long time
Car was travelling on a rural road and driver fell asleep at the wheel. Hit an electrical power pole approximately 12 inches inside the drivers side head lamp at speeds approximately at 40 -45 MPH. Car then proceeded to travel another approximate 25-30 yards before turning 90 degrees and crashing the rear of the car into the corner of a block building. The driver was unhurt however the air bags failed to deploy to protect the driver.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While making a turn, the contact crashed into the front driver side of another vehicle. The contact sustained minor whiplash that did not require medical attention. The air bags did not deploy with the massive impact. A police report was filed. The insurance company towed the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 48,500.
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Airbag complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the air bags of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3% of the model year's 1,644 complaints. The component named most often is frontal › passenger side › inflator module (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 10 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 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 0 fires and 11 injuries to air bags 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.