Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed while in the park position gear, the engine revved and the vehicle accelerated independently forward causing the contact to hit her head on the headrest. The contact confirmed by looking down if in fact her foot was on the brake pedal and it was during the incident. As a result, the contact crashed into the waiting room of a building. The contact remained depressing the brake pedal and shifted into reverse however her head hit the headrest again. The contact then attempted to shift into the park position but the vehicle continued to accelerate on its own and crashed into a parked Mercedes-Benz and then crashed into the rear door of a parked vehicle where the vehicle came to a stop. During the incident, the Anti-Braking System did not engage. The air bags did not deploy. …
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while seated inside the vehicle with his wife, the gear shifter was shifted into drive; however, while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The accelerator pedal was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
My car recently started making a grinding noise that got bad really fast. I had it towed to the dealership to get a diagnostic test done. I was told that it was my transfer case that was making the noise. Now this caught me by surprise because I had no warning lamps on my dashboard or no messages alerting me of any problems that would point to it needing servicing done it just happened out the blue. Because of this problem my car has a hard time accelerating and this is no good to me because I live in Atlanta Georgia where there is nothing but Highway and hills. My car makes a constant grinding noise no matter how fast I'm going or how hard I press on the gas. With the acceleration of the vehicle being bad I have almost been in a few incidences where people have almost rear ended me. An inspection by the manufacturer has not been done as of yet. …
Unknown or uncertain about needing a recall. Recently my car has been having trouble with acceleration in the sense that either it will lag or stall out and at times will give acceleration even without me trying to depress the gas harder. It sputters like it either cannot get gas or the fuel system is faulty, it keeps throwing codes and the check engine light dings and flashes. Cruise control sometimes will not come on, theres a burnt smell and rough idles, i have noticed a deep humming sound under my feet while driving, and sometimes when shifting from park to gear it jerks really hard, going down the road it acts like it takes too long to shift. It really is very scary when it does these things, its a daily occurrence. Sometimes it drives just fine then all of a sudden will malfunction. …
My wife and kids almost got killed in this vehicle twice this week due tot The Can Bus electrical communication network stop working. It completely stopped on the highway while driving 70 mph and almost caused a multiple car accident. All the controller icons lighted up on the dash board and the car shifter and transmission stopped working. I towed it to the dealership and paid 700.00 for a new shifter. The next day the vehicle did the same thing. This is a dangerous situation that needs to be recalled ASAP. Someone is going to get killed driving one of these vehicles. I researched this problem and numerous reviews found on the same issue 2014-2022 all electric Can Bus operated drivetrains jeep. Please recall my 2017 Jeep before it kills my family and you will have a astronomical law suit on your hands. Mr. Tyrone Albert.
I was driving back home and was travelling at around 30miles/hr on a street. All of a sudden my car dashboard started flashing and all the indicators in the dashboard started to flash.. The vehicle started to accelerate and brake at the same time... The engine made a strange weird sound. I had to put the emergency parking lights and pull over slowly. Luckily I was closer to home, so drove back home with the hazard lights on.. The car moved very slowly with the engine accelerating and braking at the same time. Next day, I had the car towed to the dealership and they also saw the same issue. They indicated the Throttle Control Module was behaving erratically and have to re-flash it.
I was driving on highway and the stop safely your car about to turn off popped up then my lights started flashing and the whole car shut down. I couldn't steer or brake so I had to shift into neutral and hope for the best. It scared me to death. My children were in the car. I just replaced the alternator, both batteries and had the vehicle reprogrammed and 2 days later that happened.
My 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee "electric stability control" warning light appears on the dashboard. My vehicle accelerates/decelerates unexpectedly. With young children in my vehicle daily, this continued incident puts my family at risk. After inspection from my Jeep/Dodge dealer, a faulty transfer case has been identified as the issue.
Car lost power while driving. Related to recall notice received Feb 2025 with no update still. recall 01C related to PTU power transfer unit. Recall is past due solution and available parts from Chrysler and POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE!
Tl* the contact leased a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. While attempting to reverse into a parking space, the vehicle jerked violently and the contact lost control of the vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into two parked and unoccupied vehicles. The vehicle came to a stop when it crashed into some bushes. Another driver assisted the contact by attempting to reverse the vehicle out of the bushes; however, the vehicle continued to jerk. The vehicle was towed to sterling heights Dodge Chrysler Jeep (40111 vandyke avenue, sterling heights, michigan 48313, [phone]) where it was awaiting diagnostic testing and repairs. A police report was filed. The contact's head struck the headrest and steering wheel, which did not require medical attention. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,000.
Acceleration complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 6% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 5 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 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.