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 spikes 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. 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
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.
The quietest Edge in our data — the remaining worry is the touchscreen, not the drivetrain.
The settled sixth-gen year with just two recalls — both free, so verify them by VIN and you're in good shape.
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? →
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? →
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? →
A likeable WK2 with two expensive question marks, the 3.6L valvetrain and 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? →
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.
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? →
A split year — the old WK2 and the redesigned three-row WL were both sold as 2021s, 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? →
The redesigned two-row WL arrives with a launch-year recall list, nearly all free fixes — so the recall record is the whole game.
The quietest year in our Outback data — the settled sixth-gen car, just confirm the recalls and turbo transmission work.
Engine flag: this is 2.4L turbo (FA24) trouble — the 2.5L boxer (FB25) doesn’t share it. Which engine is in yours? →
The most-recalled year of the new WL, with a serious 4xe battery-fire campaign — so the recall paperwork, not the mileage, decides it.
A mature sixth-gen year with a 2022-only engine-harness stall recall — verify that one and the windshield-bonding campaign.
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? →
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? →
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? →
Quieter than 2019 but the same eight-speed shudder — and an AWD drive-unit recall to verify.
The loudest WK2 year — 3.6L camshaft failures and the Uconnect screen meltdown are your bills, 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? →
The refresh fixed the coolant story and started a transmission one — drive it for the eight-speed shudder.
The loudest year in our Outback data — buy one with the battery-drain and fuel-pump work done and a dry engine.
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? →
The sixth-gen launch year — six recalls, a turbo transmission campaign, 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? →
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? →
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? →
- 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 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 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.”
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 — freeThe other boards
Same method, different segment:
Heavy-duty pickups, Luxury SUVs, and Subcompact SUVs aren’t ranked yet — each has only one model in our data so far, nothing fair to compare against. They join the Index when their segment-mates ship.