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Reliability report · 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee · ~$2,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The last of the pre-refresh WK2 — same valvetrain and diesel questions, a shorter recall list, so it lives or dies on its service records.

By Russell, VinCanary founder · How these reports are built · Data updated July 2026

Mechanically the 2017 is the 2016 with another year on the clock. The same 3.6L Pentastar valvetrain pattern applies — rocker arms and camshaft lobes that wear and tick, with Chrysler service bulletins documenting the misfire-and-valvetrain-noise condition. On a diesel, the same three EcoDiesel recalls (tone wheel, EGR cooler, fuel pump) and the emissions program apply.

The recall list is short — a cruise-control wiring flash, a tow-hook bracket, and the diesel campaigns — but the 8-speed transmission on 2014-2017 3.6L cars has a specific hard-shift quirk mechanics say Chrysler resolved with the 2018 uprated gearbox. Drive it for a rough first shift, listen for a top-end tick, and buy the one with the fullest paper trail.

Evidence: 361 NHTSA complaints · 6 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

The short version

Status
Chirping. 361 federal complaints and six recalls.
Biggest risk
3.6L Pentastar valvetrain — the ticking that becomes a misfire (3.6L Pentastar V6)
First check
On the 3.6L V6, listen for a top-end tick and scan for misfire codes — the rocker/camshaft pattern.

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 361 federal complaints and six recalls. The 2017 carries the fourth-generation Grand Cherokee's familiar wear — 3.6L Pentastar rocker-and-camshaft ticking, coolant and oil-cooler leaks, the Uconnect touchscreen, and the EcoDiesel recall stack — with a cleaner recall sheet than the surrounding years. Everything documented has a fix.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

361

Federal complaints

6

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 11350)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

3.6L Pentastar valvetrain — the ticking that becomes a misfire

major
  • 3.6L Pentastar V6

The 3.6L Pentastar V6's intake rocker arms and camshaft lobes wear, and the tell is a top-end tick that develops into a cylinder misfire. A WK2 buyer's guide warns that 'engine codes for misfires can be a fault that actually needs a new cylinder head,' and a teardown mechanic showed worn rockers pulled from a 3.6L at 88,000 miles, quoting $1,000 to $2,000 if caught before the damage spreads. Chrysler documents the condition in technical service bulletins covering 2016-onward Pentastar engines. Listen on the drive and scan for stored misfire codes.

This is a 3.6L Pentastar V6 problem. The 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it.

Which engine is in the one you found? →

Rocker/lifter repair caught early (mechanic-quoted)

$1,000–$2,000

If it reaches the cylinder head/engine

several thousand

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 Grand Cherokee, incl. 3.6L valvetrain and 8-speed)

8-speed automatic — hard first shift on 2014-2017 3.6L carsmoderate

  • 3.6L Pentastar V6

The ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic has a specific issue on 2014-2017 cars with the 3.6L engine: a hesitation during deceleration and a hard shift that jerks the whole vehicle. A WK2 buyer's guide says 'the problem appears to be resolved in 2018 with a shift to an uprated version of the 8-speed gearbox,' and a free software campaign updated the shift program on affected cars. A rough first shift that a software update can't smooth is a bargaining point on a high-mileage 2017.

Sources: Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 Grand Cherokee, incl. 3.6L valvetrain and 8-speed)

$0–$150

Shift-software update (dealer)

3.0L EcoDiesel recall stackmajor

  • 3.0L EcoDiesel V6

On the 3.0L EcoDiesel, the same three engine recalls as the surrounding years: crankshaft tone wheel delamination that can stall the engine (20V-475 / 23V-411), an EGR cooler that can crack and cause an intake fire (20V-699), and a high-pressure fuel pump that can fail and cut power (22V-406), plus the EPA/CARB emissions-modification program. All free; a diesel with any undone is a walk-away. Verify by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee · NHTSA manufacturer communications (X88 AHR / X95 diesel tone-wheel warranty extensions; recall documents) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 Grand Cherokee, incl. 3.6L valvetrain and 8-speed)

$0

EcoDiesel recall repairs

Coolant, oil-filter housing, and Uconnect touchscreenmoderate

The cheap-but-worth-catching items carry over: a brittle plastic oil-filter housing that cracks and leaks, a water pump (notably on the HEMI V8) that weeps coolant, and cracked plastic thermostat housings. Separately, the Uconnect touchscreen can malfunction — a fault that in bad cases needs the whole infotainment unit. Check for coolant loss between changes and confirm the screen responds cleanly across menus.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 Grand Cherokee, incl. 3.6L valvetrain and 8-speed)

a few hundred

Oil-filter housing / water-pump replacement

Active head restraint may deploy on its own (X88 warranty extension)moderate

As on 2016, the front active head restraints can deploy without a crash and stick forward. Chrysler's X88 warranty extension covers 2011-2018 Grand Cherokee, inspecting the sled-bracket striker pin and replacing a deployed restraint. Ask whether either front restraint has fired; verify terms in the bulletin.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (X88 AHR / X95 diesel tone-wheel warranty extensions; recall documents)

$0

Under X88 warranty extension

Engine codes for misfires can be a fault that actually needs a new cylinder head.
From mechanic testimony (6 sources).

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Jeep dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 16V-686Rear tow-hook/tow-eye bracket may be loose and detach — road hazard (narrow Aug-2016 build). Free bolt-torque inspection. Chrysler code S73.VERIFY BY VIN
  2. 18V-332Cruise control may not disengage due to a wiring short (large multi-model campaign, 2014-2018). Free PCM/ECM software flash.VERIFY BY VIN
  3. 20V-6993.0L EcoDiesel EGR cooler may crack and combust in the intake manifold — fire risk (2014-2019). Free EGR cooler replacement. Chrysler code W79.VERIFY BY VIN
  4. 22V-4063.0L diesel high-pressure fuel pump may fail and starve the engine — loss of drive power (2014-2020 GC). Free HPFP/fuel-system service. Chrysler code Z46.VERIFY BY VIN
  5. 23V-4113.0L diesel crankshaft tone wheel delamination → engine stall (2014-2020 GC; expansion of 20V-475). Free PCM update. Chrysler code 66A.VERIFY BY VIN
  6. 17E-061Aftermarket ATI ProCharger supercharger bracket (SRT/SRT8) may damage the ABS line. Accessory recall; supercharger-equipped cars only.VERIFY BY VIN

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2017 Grand Cherokee

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

21 MPG combined (19 city / 26 highway) for the RWD, 3.6L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 37857 (Grand Cherokee 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 3.6L 21 MPG · AWD, 5.7L (midgrade fuel) 17 MPG.

$2,950/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Theft

Stolen at about the average rate.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2016–18 models, published May 2019 (report WT-18). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 101, where 100 = average.

110 vs 100

10% above average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Rocker/lifter repair caught early (mechanic-quoted)$1,000–$2,000
If it reaches the cylinder head/engineseveral thousand
Shift-software update (dealer)$0–$150
EcoDiesel recall repairs$0
Oil-filter housing / water-pump replacementa few hundred
Under X88 warranty extension$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01On the 3.6L V6, listen for a top-end tick and scan for misfire codes — the rocker/camshaft pattern.
  2. 02Drive it for a hard or hesitant first shift; the 2014-2017 3.6L 8-speed quirk should have a software update on file.
  3. 03If it's an EcoDiesel, verify 20V-699 (EGR cooler), 22V-406 (fuel pump), and 23V-411 (tone wheel) show completed.
  4. 04Check coolant level and the oil-filter housing and water pump for seepage.
  5. 05Confirm the Uconnect screen responds across menus and camera.
  6. 06Ask about the X88 active-head-restraint warranty extension and pull the full FCA service history by VIN.

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