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The Canary Index · Midsize SUVs · 2016–2023

24 year-models. Three safe bets.

What is left once the three-row cars move to their own board is the two-row middleweight — and each one here rides on a coolant-or-engine question up front: the Grand Cherokee's Pentastar valvetrain tick, the cracked cylinder heads on the early Edge, the Outback's cam-carrier oil leak — each spiking on a redesign or a recall wave, the 2017 Edge, the 2019 Outback, the 2021 Grand Cherokee; the quiet money is late and settled, a 2023 Edge above all; and the Outback, a wagon in body, sits here because that is where it is classified and cross-shopped.

3 models · 24 full year-reports · 12,573 federal complaints analyzed · ranked by Canary Status, ordered by complaints per 100k sold

How this ranking works

Canary Status sets the tier. A human-read verdict weighing severity, cost, and coverage — a $4,500 engine outranks a hundred rattle complaints.

The complaint rate orders each tier. Complaints per 100,000 sold — a rate, not a raw count, so big sellers aren’t punished for selling.

Engine-specific trouble gets flagged, not hidden. When one engine drives a year’s noise, the row says so — the VIN tells you which engine yours has.

Calm3 yearsThe safe bets — buy with a normal used-car inspection.
Ford
2023 Edge

The quietest Edge in our data — the remaining worry is the touchscreen, not the drivetrain.

17
complaints / 100k sold
18 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2023 Outback

The settled sixth-gen year with just two recalls — both free, so verify them by VIN and you're in good shape.

53
complaints / 100k sold
85 complaints · 2 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2020 Grand Cherokee

The quietest and most sorted WK2 year — a short recall list and the fewest complaints, though the 3.6L valvetrain check still earns its keep.

Engine flag: this is 3.6L Pentastar V6 trouble — the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

107
complaints / 100k sold
224 complaints · 3 recalls
Full report →
Chirping13 yearsThe homework years — buyable, each with one specific check.
Ford
2021 Edge

The year the Edge quiets down — the noise is now screens and a recall for ST and Sport engines.

Engine flag: this is 2.7L EcoBoost V6 trouble — the 2.0L EcoBoost I4 doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

111
complaints / 100k sold
95 complaints · 7 recalls
Full report →
Ford
2022 Edge

A quiet late-run year — screens, a small eight-speed tail, and a free engine recall for ST and Sport.

Engine flag: this is 2.7L EcoBoost V6 trouble — the 2.0L EcoBoost I4 doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

140
complaints / 100k sold
120 complaints · 5 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2016 Grand Cherokee

A likeable WK2 with two expensive question marks — the 3.6L valvetrain and, if it's a diesel, the EcoDiesel recall stack — so buy one with the paperwork.

Engine flag: this is 3.6L Pentastar V6 trouble — the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

144
complaints / 100k sold
306 complaints · 9 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2019 Grand Cherokee

The WK2 settles down after the 2018 peak, but the valvetrain question and a front-differential recall mean you still buy the paperwork, not the badge.

147
complaints / 100k sold
356 complaints · 7 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2017 Grand Cherokee

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.

Engine flag: this is 3.6L Pentastar V6 trouble — the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

150
complaints / 100k sold
361 complaints · 6 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2021 Grand Cherokee

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.

Engine flag: this is 3.6L Pentastar V6 trouble — the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

1501
complaints / 100k sold
396 complaints · 1 recall
Full report →
Jeep
2022 Grand Cherokee

The redesigned two-row WL arrives with a launch-year recall list and a new air-suspension-and-electronics profile — nearly all free fixes, so the recall record is the whole game.

1592
complaints / 100k sold
355 complaints · 11 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2021 Outback

The quietest year in our Outback data — the settled sixth-gen car, just confirm the recalls and turbo CVT work.

Engine flag: this is 2.4L turbo (FA24) trouble — the 2.5L boxer (FB25) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

188
complaints / 100k sold
291 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2023 Grand Cherokee

The most-recalled year of the new WL — an electronics-and-air-suspension car with a serious 4xe battery-fire campaign — so the recall paperwork, not the mileage, decides it.

1913
complaints / 100k sold
466 complaints · 12 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2022 Outback

A mature sixth-gen year with a 2022-only engine-harness stall recall — verify that one and the windshield-bonding campaign.

308
complaints / 100k sold
453 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2016 Outback

A durable fifth-gen wagon with one out-of-pocket catch — inspect the engine for the cam-carrier oil leak before you buy.

Engine flag: this is 2.5L boxer (FB25) trouble — the 2.4L turbo (FA24) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

349
complaints / 100k sold
638 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2018 Outback

A cleaner fifth-gen pick with a shorter recall list — still a cam-carrier-leak car, so check the engine is dry.

Engine flag: this is 2.5L boxer (FB25) trouble — the 2.4L turbo (FA24) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

449
complaints / 100k sold
803 complaints · 3 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2017 Outback

The busiest fifth-gen year on paper — the cam-carrier oil leak is the one repair without free coverage, so inspect for it.

Engine flag: this is 2.5L boxer (FB25) trouble — the 2.4L turbo (FA24) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

485
complaints / 100k sold
917 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Squawking8 yearsProof-of-repair territory — only buy with the documentation in hand.
Ford
2020 Edge

Quieter than 2019 but the same eight-speed shudder — and an AWD drive-unit recall to verify.

265
complaints / 100k sold
289 complaints · 4 recalls
Full report →
Jeep
2018 Grand Cherokee

The loudest WK2 year in our data — the 3.6L camshaft failures and the Uconnect screen meltdown are out-of-warranty realities, so only buy one that's been through both.

Engine flag: this is 3.6L Pentastar V6 trouble — the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 and 5.7L HEMI V8 don’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

372
complaints / 100k sold
837 complaints · 11 recalls
Full report →
Ford
2019 Edge

The refresh fixed the coolant story and started a transmission one — drive it for the eight-speed shudder.

521
complaints / 100k sold
722 complaints · 3 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2019 Outback

The loudest year in our Outback data — buy one with the battery-drain and fuel-pump work done and a dry engine.

568
complaints / 100k sold
1,029 complaints · 3 recalls
Full report →
Ford
2018 Edge

The last of the crack-prone 2.0L block — same coolant test, or pick a 2019 and up.

Engine flag: this is 2.0L EcoBoost I4 trouble — the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

576
complaints / 100k sold
773 complaints · 7 recalls
Full report →
Subaru
2020 Outback

The sixth-gen launch year — six recalls, a turbo CVT campaign, and a new thermal control valve, nearly all covered, so verify the work was done.

Engine flag: this is 2.4L turbo (FA24) trouble — the 2.5L boxer (FB25) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

581
complaints / 100k sold
890 complaints · 6 recalls
Full report →
Ford
2016 Edge

A cheap used SUV with one expensive lottery ticket — only buy a 2.0L with the coolant and flexplate checked.

Engine flag: this is 2.0L EcoBoost I4 trouble — the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

650
complaints / 100k sold
875 complaints · 7 recalls
Full report →
Ford
2017 Edge

The loudest Edge in our data, and almost all of it is one engine — pressure-test the 2.0L or walk.

Engine flag: this is 2.0L EcoBoost I4 trouble — the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →

893
complaints / 100k sold
1,274 complaints · 8 recalls
Full report →
  1. 1 From MY2021 Stellantis reports a single "Grand Cherokee" figure that bundles the two-row Grand Cherokee (WK2 carryover + new WL), the three-row Grand Cherokee L, and the 4xe plug-in. Our report excludes the Grand Cherokee L, so this denominator is larger than two-row-only sales and the rate reads slightly low.
  2. 2 Stellantis reports a single "Grand Cherokee" figure that bundles the two-row Grand Cherokee, the three-row Grand Cherokee L, and the 4xe plug-in. Our report excludes the Grand Cherokee L, so this denominator is larger than two-row-only sales and the rate reads slightly low.
  3. 3 Stellantis reports a single "Grand Cherokee" figure that bundles the two-row Grand Cherokee, the three-row Grand Cherokee L, and the 4xe plug-in (the 4xe alone was 45,684 of the 244,594 total). Our report excludes the Grand Cherokee L, so this denominator is larger than two-row-only sales and the rate reads slightly low.

Rates use published U.S. sales as the denominator — a rate, not a raw count, so best-sellers aren’t punished for selling. It’s imperfect on purpose and we say exactly where (the methodology page): sales aren’t surviving fleet, some makers publish entangled figures, and complaint filing is self-reported.

“The average midsize SUV is fine. You’re not buying the average — you’re buying one specific year of one specific badge.”
Why the Index ranks year-models, not models

Shortlisting from this board? We’ll watch your years.

New recalls, federal investigations, and quiet warranty programs land months after you buy. Tell the canary which years you’re considering — it sings when something changes.

Watch my years — free