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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

A split year — the old WK2 body was still sold as the mainstream 2021, while the redesigned WL arrived first as the three-row Grand Cherokee L, so know which one you're looking at.

2021 is the confusing year in the Grand Cherokee line. The two-row car you'd shop as a '2021 Grand Cherokee' is the carried-over fourth-generation WK2 (NHTSA files it as 'Grand Cherokee WK'). The all-new fifth-generation WL platform arrived first only as the longer, three-row Grand Cherokee L — a different vehicle with its own report, not this one. So the mainstream 2021's mechanical story is still the WK2: the 3.6L Pentastar valvetrain check, coolant and water-pump leaks.

The one safety recall that reaches the mainstream two-row 2021 is 22V-284, a 3.6L EGR valve that can stick open and cause a loss of drive power — a free fix. The steering-shaft, coil-spring, control-arm and camera campaigns you'll see elsewhere are 2022-2023 WL and Grand Cherokee L recalls; they do not name the 2021 two-row car. Buy on the service file, and be certain you're pricing the two-row car, not the three-row L.

Evidence: 396 NHTSA complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 396 federal complaints and a handful of recalls for the mainstream Grand Cherokee. 2021 is the handover year: the fourth-generation (WK2) two-row was still sold as the 2021 mainstream Grand Cherokee, while the all-new fifth-generation (WL) launched first as the longer three-row Grand Cherokee L — a separate vehicle we don't cover here. The mainstream 2021's issues track the WK2's familiar wear, plus the one safety recall (22V-284) that reaches the two-row car.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

396

Federal complaints

22V-284

EGR-valve power-loss recall

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 15472)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

3.6L EGR valve may stick open — recall 22V-284

major
  • 3.6L Pentastar V6

The year's standout recall for the mainstream car. On 3.6L engines, the exhaust-gas-recirculation (EGR) valve — part of the emissions plumbing — can stick open and cause an unexpected loss of drive power. Chrysler (code Z31) replaces the EGR valve assembly free. The recall names the 2021 Grand Cherokee (the WK body) alongside the 2022 Grand Cherokee and the 2021-2022 Grand Cherokee L. Verify 22V-284 shows completed by VIN.

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? →

EGR valve replacement (recall 22V-284)

$0

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 and WL Grand Cherokee)

3.6L Pentastar valvetrain — the carried-over WK2 checkmajor

  • 3.6L Pentastar V6

Because the mainstream 2021 is still the WK2, the 3.6L Pentastar's rocker-and-camshaft wear applies: a top-end tick that can become a misfire, with a teardown mechanic quoting $1,000 to $2,000 caught early and more if damage spreads, and Chrysler service bulletins documenting the valvetrain-noise condition across these years. Listen for the tick and scan for misfire codes as on every WK2 year.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 and WL Grand Cherokee)

$1,000–$2,000

Rocker/lifter repair caught early (mechanic-quoted)

several thousand

If damage extends into the engine

Coolant, water pump, and Uconnect — WK2 carry-over wearminor

The mainstream 2021's cheap-part wear items are the WK2's: brittle oil-filter housing, HEMI water pump, cracked thermostat housing — check for coolant loss — and the Uconnect touchscreen, which can misbehave. None is expensive if caught early. Confirm the screen responds cleanly and shows the backup camera.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (WK2 and WL Grand Cherokee)

a few hundred

Oil-filter housing / water-pump replacement

The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may stick open, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

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

  1. 22V-2843.6L EGR valve may stick open — unexpected loss of drive power. Names the 2021 Grand Cherokee WK (the two-row car), 2022 Grand Cherokee, and 2021-2022 Grand Cherokee L. Free EGR valve assembly replacement. Chrysler code Z31.open

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 — 2021 Grand Cherokee

Four 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 43165 (Grand Cherokee 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 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

Crash losses

Collision losses run about average here. Neither a red flag nor a discount at the insurer.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2021–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4dr 4WD 84 · Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 104 · Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4dr 85, where 100 = average.

94 vs 100

6% below average

Theft

Stolen about 24% more often than the average vehicle. Worth pricing comprehensive coverage before you buy, not after.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2021–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Jeep Grand Cherokee L 4dr 4WD 101 · Jeep Grand Cherokee 4dr 156, where 100 = average.

124 vs 100

24% 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.

EGR valve replacement (recall 22V-284)$0
Rocker/lifter repair caught early (mechanic-quoted)$1,000–$2,000
If damage extends into the engineseveral thousand
Oil-filter housing / water-pump replacementa few hundred
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. 01First, confirm you're pricing the two-row Grand Cherokee (WK2), not the three-row Grand Cherokee L — they're different vehicles with different reports.
  2. 02Verify the 3.6L EGR-valve power-loss recall 22V-284 (Z31) shows completed by VIN.
  3. 03On the 3.6L V6, listen for a top-end tick and scan for misfire codes — the carried-over WK2 valvetrain check.
  4. 04Ignore the steering-shaft (23V-352), coil-spring (23V-413), control-arm (24V-132) and camera (23V-577) campaigns unless the VIN itself is flagged — those name 2022-2023 WL and Grand Cherokee L cars, not the 2021 two-row.
  5. 05Confirm the Uconnect touchscreen responds cleanly and shows the backup camera.
  6. 06Check for coolant loss and pull the full FCA service history.

Own one already?

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