Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact that while driving at 35 MPH, he saw a shadow out of the corner of the left of his eye which he presumed to be a cat. In an effort to avoid hitting the animal, he steered the vehicle in the right direction and crashed into a telephone pole. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Due to the failure, the contact hit his head on the front driver-side window. The contact did not seek medical treatment; however, he sustained pain in both his left and right shoulders, and his lower back, and even experienced intermittent vomiting which he assumed to be the result of a concussion. A police report was filed. The contact was unaware if any property damage was sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. …
The contact called on behalf of her mother who owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, she lost consciousness, and the vehicle veered off the road. The vehicle hit the fence, then crashed into a tree, and the tree fell on the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's mother was assisted out of the vehicle by emergency services and was transported to the hospital, where she was informed that she had sustained bruised ribs, split bottom lip, bruised left upper arm, pain on the left side of the body, and bruises on the area of the chest under which the pacemaker was placed as the chest hit the steering wheel. The contact's mother was currently receiving physical therapy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a Road Side Assistance Services location. …
On July 14, 2022 I was driving my 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Stopped for traffic on I-25 when a truck going at high speed rear ended me going about 40-60 MPH and caused me to hit the vehicle in front of me. The air bags failed to deploy. I had NHTSA safety recall 21V-873 done on my vehicle at my Jeep Dealer in May 2022. The Recall repair did not work as the air bags did not deploy when I was rear ended by another vehicle at a high rate of speed. See answers to questions below What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Air Bags How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Involved in a serious accident. Air bags did not deploy. Repair for NHTSA safety recall 21V-873 did not work. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? …
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the messages "No Seat Belt", "Service Air Bags", "Service Seat Belts" and "Auto Park Disabled" were displayed. The contact stated that the failure had occurred with the driver and the front passenger's side seat occupant wearing their seat belts. Additionally, the brake and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) had failed, and the loss of communication with the ORC had caused the electrical failures. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V873000 (Air Bags), but the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
Was pulling into a parking spot on the 2nd level of parking garage and the Jeep accelerated and hit the cement wall at front of garage space. It accelerated on its own. The front of the jeep was crushed, and I ended up with a fractured sternum and a seat belt hernia which I will have surgery in the next couple of weeks. The airbags did not deploy. And I did not press on the gas pulling into the parking spot --- it just accelerated on its own. When I first got in the car the system showed that systems disabled, but the then the message went away. When I pressed seat one, it did not go in place and I had to adjust it on my own. I continued on to my dermitologist appointment , pulled into the the parking space and the instant brake when too close did not break and the air bags did not deploy. Thru me into the cement wall, and the whole front of the car was demolished, Not epairable.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact was informed that there were no records indicating previous repairs performed by the dealer. The contact stated that in 2023 the failure had occurred, and the repair was covered under an undisclosed recall repair. The contact was informed that there were no records indicating any previous repairs performed by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,914.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle jumped. The contact stated that while driving 8-9 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was replaced in 2025. The contact was informed that the air bag was not covered under unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. The VIN was unavailable.
This vehicle has been involved in two significant front end accidents and a rear end accident and the airbags have failed to deploy on impact during all three accidents. Direct damage occurred to the bumpers of the vehicles during all three incidents as well.
The driver's seatbelt sensor constantly goes off as not detecting that the seatbelt is buckled, while driving; this causes the alarm to continuously beep and also disables the airbag. Aside from the seatbelt issue, there is a standalone airbag issue that has been detected by the car's health report multiple times. The drive shaft is also defective, causing the car to shake when the car hits 73 mph. The auto stop/start also disables on its own. I have taken it to the dealership to get all of this fixed but all issues have persisted. There are active recalls on these issues for other 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokees but they are not attached to my vehicle even though my vehicle has the same recall issues.
Driving vehicle at highway speeds, indicators and alarms started going off saying the power steering, airbags, brake assist, and park sense features were unavailable. I exited the interstate, parked in a nearby parking lot, turned off and restarted my car. All indicator lights were normal, so I began driving again. Approximately 43 miles later, also driving at highway speeds, the same indicator lights and alarms appeared. I exited the highway and tried turning off and restarting the car. Upon restarting, all indicator lights and warning messages stayed on, and the power steering was no longer functional. The car had to be towed to a local dealership.
Related recalls
Air bags › Air bag/restraint control module › Software
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L, 2022 Jeep Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may have incorrect software which can disable the driver, passenger, and knee air bags without warning.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the ORC, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 2, 2021. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is Y79.
Airbag complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the air bags of the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 5% of the model year's 409 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-873 (software, Nov 10, 2021). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 6 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.