Problems · by component
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee air bags problems
60 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee cite air bags, 4% of all 1,640 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
60
4% of all complaints
Crashes
25
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
22
Reported by owners
What owners say about the air bags
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owned a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 40-45 MPH, the vehicle rear-ended another Jeep vehicle stopped at the red light; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact mentioned that there was no brake pedal depressed in attempts to stop, therefore the vehicle was going at full speed. The windshield washer fluid warning light was flashing, and there was smoke coming from the driver's side front end of the vehicle after the crash. The contact stated that the radiator was caved in due to the impact. The contact did not sustain major injuries. The vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. A police report was filed. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000. The VIN and the License plate numbers were not available.”
“The contact owned a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while her nephew was driving at 51 MPH, a drunk driver in the opposite direction nearly caused a head-on collision. The contact's nephew veered to the left, but the other driver's vehicle swiped the rear passenger door and rear quarter panel. The vehicle jerked and flipped three times before landing on its roof in a residential yard. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's nephew was unharmed, but the contact's son and a third passenger were injured. The contact's son was transported by ambulance to the hospital with a fractured neck, but the right vertebral artery was unable to be detected. The third passenger was airlifted to the hospital with a fractured sternum and internal bleeding after a plastic piece from the front passenger seat dislodged and struck the third passenger's chest. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 215,000.”
“The Horn has stopped working and it appears to be the Clock Spring. This is a safety hazard as it can cause the airbags to engage randomly or NOT engage in the case of a crash. This is an expensive repair that should not be at the expense of the owner since it is a defect in the Clock Spring. I am aware that there have been Clock Spring recalls on other models of Jeeps, but not on this one.”
“me and my girlfriend where driving when out of no where the air bags deploed causing us to crash. there was no warning lights on the car. no one has had a chance to look into this other then me and the research that i have done i did find that there is an open investigation for the airbigs and this jeep was listed as one of the possible affected cars im not sure what i shoud do next that is why im reaching out to you guys”
“I have gone back and forth to the dealership since I purchased my Jeep. It’s been a horrific time dealing with all of the issues. Seatbelt sensor’s, windshield sensor, fuel pump problem over and over. I’m alive by the grace of God, while on the freeway the Jeep latterly stop. Completely died on me. Nothing to warned me simply shut off. For the longest all I got from the dealership was no replacement was available. Finally in December 2021 it was replaced. But right after I drove off the lot the air bag light came on, I returned to the service department and once the service technician turned on the Jeep- nothing came on. So I went home a few weeks later the same thing on and then off . It would stay on for a couple of days then off. Now it’s on for months and off for about a day two the most. The lights on the dashboard are continuous flickering on and off. I’m so tired of all of the problems this vehicle has it’s ridiculous. I need some one to please look into this. I have spent over $5000.00 dollars on diagnostic testing and repairs from extra work other then the normal expense’s. I’m at the end of my patience with this.”
“My paint on the roof of my Jeep Grand Cherokee started bubbling and visible rust started appearing. After about a month my windshield cracked all the way across starting from where the rust made the paint bubble, this is the only part of the vehicle with any rust. I had USAA send Safelite to come repair my windshield and what I thought was minor rust damage. To my horror the damage from the bad paint/seal was extensive and the windshield can’t be replaced until the body of the Jeep is fixed. The windshield needing replaced is the original from the factory no part of my Jeep has ever been replaced, the only reason it needs to be fixed is because of the faulty paint/seal. I now have no windshield or drivable car. I have reached out and there are quite a few Jeep owners that experienced this same issue in the same exact location. It is now being held on by tape so there isn’t just a huge hole in the car. The day it cracked the vehicle had not left my driveway, but now my car is not in a state to drive anywhere. Also in outside temperatures exceeding 80 the seat belt warning light and air bag light come on, sometimes it stays sometimes it goes away. However when…”
Showing 6 of 60 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.