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Problems with 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee POWER TRAIN

On average, the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee starts to “feel” problems with the POWER TRAIN and its various aspects after 62 489 miles.

Components Affected by POWER TRAIN Issues

We have classified the 71 complaints from 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee about POWER TRAIN into the following categories.

TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) 1

Recently reported POWER TRAIN problems on 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Was driving down highway approx. 65 mph when transmission appeared to jump out of gear, engine rev'ed to approximately 3000 to 4000 rpm's, coasted a distance and the car jumped back into gear and i continued on. the check engine light came on and the eoc signal turned off. this has happened on numerous occasions. the second time the dealer had it for a week+ and rebuilt the transmission. it happen again and they said they fixed it and it did not occur until just last week and it happen twice then. i was preparing to take it back this morning and when i got in the vehicle the check engine light was and it is now running fine. there was a 3 month period that it did not occur and as i said it happen twice last week. i purchased this used with 42500 miles on it, it now has 46500 miles. the dealers hayes chrysler has done an outstanding job and has been very cooperative, but this is starting to get frustrating. not sure if this is a safety issue, but likely it is. i have spoke to a couple of owners and they have had very similar stories about this vehicle. please look into this issue. *tr

My 2012 jeep grand cherokee encountered the same problem as stated in the chrysler recall p54, which is the recall for 2011 jeep grand cherokee. the engine would stall while driving, and it also encountered not start problem as well as the not start on the first attempt problem. even the car could start, the engine would stall again shortly. the problem is resulted from the faulty tipm, which is the same on both 2011 and 2012 model. however, only the 2011 grand cherokee is being recalled. so i urge chrysler to initiate a recall on the 2012 model as well. *tr

I was driving on the 241 toll road up a steep hill going approximately 65 mph and the engine down shifted into a lower gear, the engine began revving high, the rpm went high, and i lost speed. i pulled off to the side of the road. i put the vehicle in park while i called my husband because i did not know what was happening to the vehicle. i wanted to let him know in case i was stranded on the side of the road. we decided we wanted to try to get the vehicle home, if possible. i put the vehicle back in drive and got back on the highway and it did not do it again and i made it home. *tr

My wife was driving the vehicle when all of the sudden the engine started to rev and would not shift up or down. she could only go maybe 20 mph - people passing and honking on a 4 lane road. she found an area and pulled off the road into a retail parking lot. she put the car in park and then shifted back into drive and the issue continued as the car moved but the engine rev'ed without shifting to the next gear. she put the car in park and called the local dealer, where she was told to call chrysler road side assistance and have it towed in. the dealer took a look at it the next day and could not make it happen again. they said they re chipped it i believe(reset the electronics). this same issue happen again approx. 30 days later and it was towed in and they could not find any issue. they said we had to take the vehicle back and there was nothing they could do. we have had the vehicle towed twice now both in the morning taking our daughter to school. we cannot trust this vehicle and are looking at selling it. that is what the dealer suggested as well. *tr

Letter from congressman barber on behalf of constituent regarding a mechanical malfunction with his 2012 grand cherokee overland; attn: taj sultan. *smd the consumer stated on occasion, he would brake and accelerate simultaneously to avoid rolling backwards. he soon discovered, while doing so, with the jeep, it would creep a few feet into the intersection, and there would be no acceleration for about five seconds.

My 2012 jeep grand cherokee has the 3.6 liter pentastar v6 with the 5 speed automatic transmission. it has the quadra trac 1 full-time 4x4 system. the transmission is very "clunky" and feels unsure of what it should be doing. upshifts come early, at low speed and rpm's. often this is not an issue, but sometimes causes the vehicle to feel extremely underpowered. pressing the accelerator further will eventually result in a downshift and a resulting clunk in the driveline. low speed driving on curvy roads is not a nice experience with this vehicle. downshifts are abrupt and anything but smooth. there is often a clunk that can be heard and felt while decelerating for an upcoming curve. the best way to describe the feeling is riding with a person who is learning to drive a manual transmission car for the first time. not sure if this complaint is recall worthy, but i worry the transmissions indecisiveness is going to prematurely wear the driveline components. perhaps a software update for the transmission would be a good place to start.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep grand cherokee. while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the failure was persistent. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep wrangler. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 13v234000 (power train , steering) but was unable to have the vehicle serviced because the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the dealer was unable to provide an expected date for the part to become available. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the contact stated that the manufacturer informed him that they were only producing one part per month. the contact had not experienced a failure. . ..updated 03-12-14 *bf

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep cherokee rubicon. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id 13v234000 (power train , steering) but was unable to have the vehicle serviced under the recall because the remedy part was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the contact had not experienced a failure .

Tl-the contact owns a 2012 jeep wrangler. the contact stated that nhtsa campaign number 13v234000 (power train steering) had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. the dealer advised that the manufacturer only provided one replacement part every fourteen days and the contact had to be placed on a waiting list. the manufacturer verified that the dalership was only provided one replacement part every fourteen days. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 16,500. li

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep grand cherokee. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number 13v234000 (power train, steering). the dealer stated that the parts for the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the repair was not performed in a reasonable amount of time. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Problem developed just after 10,000 miles with mild vibration on acceleration. problem persisted and got worse. i had vehicle checked by dealer and head mechanic at 15,000 when in for oil change. definitely was a problem, took a day to diagnose with help from jeep. /chrysler said it was failure of the transfer case/drivetrain control module. it took from june 25 until august 19 to obtain new module. during that time vehicle vibration worsened further requiring backing off on acceleration and then continuing acceleration to get up to highway speed. very much like riding on a bad washboard road plus noise coming from under front and then additional noise from rear. when going up moderate inclines back end began strongly vibrating to the point where it felt back end was going to start hopping plus a clunk noise. backing down acceleration and then reaccelerating would lessen problem but still made vibration. final cause after repair: cause listed as broken propeller shaft with universal joints, replaced transfer case to rear axle; replace rear prop shaft due to carrier bearing failure causing vibration; replace final drive control module per diagnosis for shuttering in driveline. vehicle has 17,578 miles at repair completion. problem appears fixed in the first 500 miles i have driven since repair. *tr

This jeep has remote key-less entry/engine start. the engine cannot be turned off unless the gear shift is in park. if the throttle stays open causing unintended acceleration, one cannot turn the engine off. this could result in one or more deaths and/or serious injury! if one had an accident causing the engine to rev up due to a jammed gas pedal, how do one turn it off? chrysler customer service was contacted about this issue and their response was "the characteristic you describe, however, is a function of your vehicle's design and there is nothing that can be done to ?fix? the condition." reference number: email case number: supplied upon request. in other words they don't care about this safety issue! i have another car that can have the engine turned off, but it is a standard transmission. madza's can be turned off while in drive with automatic transmissions. this jeep was purchased in the usa. *tr

This has happened 3 times, the first time i had just gone through the dulles toll and as i paid the toll and pulled off the engine did not stay in drive, it went into 1st or 2nd gear. the second and third time i was again driving on the beltway and the gear switched from drive to neutral or a lower gear. each time (3) i had to pull over and stop and go into park and then back into drive. don't know if it's an engine, gear or power train issue. also almost daily when driving, the engine sounds like it's pulling/straining and not going all the way into drive. this is happening in the winter and summer (any time of year, not weather specific). i always warm the car up before driving it. when the engine is not having this issue, it drives very smoothly. the issue happens 75% of the time (except when i take it to the dealer, it always drive smoothly when they take it out). have taken it to the dealer and complained but the response has been that when they took it out to test drive it, it was fine and they would have to keep it and do several test drives to see if it will replicate the situation. because i need my vehicle to get back and forth to work each day and they are not willing to pay for a rental or provide a loaner, that isn't possible. i don't have the funds to rent a car and pay a car note. i received the recall for the issue with the brakes so hopefully my experience with the brake needing to be pushed on firmly will go way when the part's come in (huge back order, on waiting list for parts). i also get the car serviced regularly (when it's time) so i know that's not the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that while driving up an incline at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle vibrated. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer multiple times who stated that the software would need to be updated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 10. updated 8/27/14*cn updated 09/12/2014 *js

I started the engine of my 2012 jeep and as soon i began traveling with the jeep fluids poured from the middle of the engine. i did not notice this until i stopped the vehicle after driving 10 minutes. the computer did not show any signs of an error or engine trouble. when i stopped the vehicle and looked under the front of the car i saw a steady stream of orange liquid pouring from the middle of the engine. this fluid was engine coolant. i immediately had the vehicle towed to a local chrysler service station. my jeep has been with the service department for over two weeks now. the jeep cannot be fixed due the fact that chrysler has no spare parts. *tr

In either the 5th or 6th gear, the transmission/drive train shutters when ascending a modest grade at a steady speed between 50 and 65 mph. initially there was a power loss and the transmission seemed to go into neutral momentarily. chrysler replaced the oxygen sensor, torque converter and several fluids and filters. this has helped, but the shuttering remains. chrysler maintains the condition is normal, and, if the shuttering is bothersome, the car should be put in the "tow/haul" mode even if nothing is being towed and only the driver is in the car. (at the jeep forum and other venues on the internet, others report virtually identical problems on jeeps with the v-8 engine.) *tr

I bought my band new 2012 jeep grand cherokee overland 7 months ago - brand new from the chrysler jeep dealership and about a month after i bought it i started to notice the acceleration is not 100%, the windows stop rolling up or down for hours at a time at random time, the brakes sometimes don't work all the way, the engine jumps when switching gears and most recently my check engine light came on, the car would not accelerate and the rpms would not go past 1.5 even when flooring it & there were loud clicking noises with a loud fan. this time i was not able to drive to the dealership - i had to tow it in because it was not drivable. i have taken it to the dealer ship 3 times for them to check on these things & everytime i take it in they tell me they are "unable to recreate the problems" & cannot help me. i have called numerous times to complain & report issues and they either tell me they cannot help me, they put me on hold for an infinite amount of time, i go to voicemail, or no one is available. they called me today, after having it for 4 days, and told me the check engine light was for a "evap perg system" so they replaced a hose & updated my power control module as a precaution. when i asked them how this had anything to do with my engine problems he could not explain it. when i asked him why my engine has problems he could not explain it. no one there wants to help me - what i feel like they are doing is giving me excuse after excuse in the book, stalling me for as long as they can until my warranty runs out. i have dealt with 4 managers there - the 1st one stopped returning my phone calls, the 2nd one told me i am imagining things and i should stop complaining and be thankful that i have a new car, the 3rd one pond me off onto a 4th one & the 4th one told me to my face that i am a liar and i am making up stories so the situation looks worse then it actually is. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, an unusual noise emitted outside of the vehicle and the transmission slipped gears. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. after the gear was shifted into neutral then drive, the vehicle resumed normally. the failure recurred sporadically. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was unable to locate the problem. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 10,000. updated 05/28/14 ma updated 06/02/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep cherokee. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle began to decelerate and would not exceed 30 mph. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road. after restarting, the vehicle was able to accelerate normally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics and the technician updated the computer. the failure continued after the repair. the vehicle was not further repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 2,200.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 jeep grand cherokee. the contact stated that the vehicle surged forward abnormally when first started. the failure would also occur while the vehicle was engaged in park. the contact stated that the anti-lock braking system and the four wheel drive warning lights illuminated when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times and the manufacturer sent several engineers to further inspect the failure. the manufacturer was not able to determine what caused the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 40 and the current mileage was 2,000. the consumer stated his foot was on the brake, when the vehicle lurched forward. updated 01/07/13

Preparing to back from my garage, i stepped on the brake and placed the selector in reverse. despite my holding firmly on the brake, the jeep grand cherokee moved backwards as if sliding on ice. it collided, at a slow speed, with a car parked opposite on the driveway. while continuing to apply the brake, i moved the selector into drive in order to pull forward away from the other vehicle. the jeep lunged forward with the front tires remaining stationary and sliding along the ground. the vehicle crashed into the stone column between the two garage doors. the car was damaged to the extent of at least $5,700. there was damage to the building and to one of the garage doors. i am fearful of driving the jeep grand cherokee even after repairs are completed. if i had been in a parking lot or at a stop light there could have been severe damage or injury from this incident. *tr

My issue with the jeep is that i believe it has an design and engineering flaw. this vehicle has an automatic transmission. when the shift lever is in drive the lever if bumped accidentally to the left it will down shift. this has happened to me on several occasions. i was traveling in excess of 65 mph's the first time it happened and didn't realize what had caused the downshift. this is very hard on the transmission and engine not to say a major safety issue. i'm left handed and drive such, many times i have caught the right sleeve of my shirt on the shift lever and have caused the transmission to downshift . i believe there should be a lever or button that should be depressed to allow the downshift to occur. please address this issue. thank you! *tr

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