We Bought A Jeep Grand Cherokee, Had Our 4th Major Breakdown In Less Than a Year, and It’s Been In the Shop 60 Days Already

If you're shopping for a new car, here's what NOT to buy.

That's what owners Kris and Hillary say about the new 2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe electric all-wheel-drive SUV. They have owned the Jeep for less than a year; it's been in the shop countless times, and the problems still aren't fixed. 

Imagine buying a new vehicle, only to have it spend months in the shop within the first year due to four major breakdowns. This is the unfortunate reality for Kris and Hillary, who have their Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, a vehicle that turns out to be a lemon. 

Kris and Hillary are RVers and purchased the Jeep to pull behind their RV. They bought the Grand Cherokee to have something more comfortable than the Jeep Wrangler they traded in.

Hillary says, "We had a Jeep Wrangler before this, which was great for flat towing but wasn't as comfortable as our daily driver. So, we decided to upgrade to the Grand Cherokee because not all models can be flat towed, but the Grand Cherokee can, so that's what we got." 

"Kris used to have a Tesla but missed having an EV. So, when he saw the Grand Cherokee 4xe was available and could still be flat towed, we thought it was a great option."

"Unfortunately, we had a major mechanical failure after only six weeks of owning it. The rear air suspension failed and took almost a month to fix." 

"As soon as we got the car back, within a few days, the exact same thing happened again. After another few weeks in the shop, the problems finally seemed to be resolved."

"Then, we started to have issues with the EV charging. We get an error message to service our charging system every few weeks. It prevents us from charging, and we've had to take it to the Jeep dealer over ten times for this one issue now."

"They (the Jeep dealer) still can't answer why it keeps happening."

Wait, there's still more. Hillary gives another update on the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe.

"So, we bought this new Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe less than a year ago, and we had our fourth major breakdown for the exact same issue. It's been in the shop for over 60 days in under a year of owning it."

"We traded in our Jeep Wrangler for this to flat tow behind our motorhome to have a more comfortable daily driver. However, after owning it just six weeks, the rear air suspension failed, and now it has happened four times."

"We've had the car back for less than a month since it was repaired the last time. And no, this is not related to towing. This happened as we would run some errands in the Jeep before leaving for our honeymoon." 

"The most frustrating part is that the Jeep dealer is not doing anything to identify or fix the root cause of the problem. They keep replacing the suspension airbags." 

Kris and Hillary are so tired of not getting their vehicle fixed they have to hire an attorney. 

"We hired an attorney and filed a Lemon Law case, but it's not as simple as you may think. It will likely take six to twelve months, and we can't get rid of the car until it's resolved." 

"Jeep Customer Care is saying they won't provide any assistance, such as a rental car because we have an open legal case associated with the vehicle." 

Hillary says that while the warranty covered the repairs, other costs like shipping the car and renting a vehicle weren't included.

The couple has spent over $4,000 out of pocket on a car still under warranty. In their caption, they wrote, "We learned an important lesson the hard way. JEEP = Just Empty Every Pocket."

What should you do if the dealer can't fix an issue with a new vehicle?

Under California's Lemon Law, where Kris and Hillary purchased the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, if the manufacturer or the dealer is unable to repair a serious warranty defect in your vehicle after a "reasonable" number of attempts, the manufacturer must either:  

• Replace the vehicle
• Refund its purchase price (whichever you prefer) 

What is a "reasonable" number of repair attempts?

California's Lemon Law Presumption provides guidelines for determining a "reasonable" number of repair attempts if any of the following occurs within 18 months or 18,000 miles after purchasing or leasing a new car, whichever occurs first.  

• The manufacturer or dealer has not fixed the same problem after four or more attempts.  
• Your vehicle's problems could cause death or serious bodily injury if it is driven and the manufacturer or dealer has made at least two unsuccessful repair attempts.  
• The vehicle has been in the shop for more than 30 days (not necessarily in a row) to repair any problems covered by its warranty. 

Do all states have Lemon Laws?

Kelley Blue Book says, "Lemon laws protect consumers when purchasing vehicles at auto dealerships, and car warranties often add a layer of protection for buyers. All 50 states and the District of Columbia put lemon laws on their books, but the specifics of each law vary by state. Some states cover new but not used vehicles, while other states cover new, used, and leased vehicles."

Check out each state's Lemon Law here. 

Have you purchased a new vehicle and had issues the dealer couldn't fix? If so, click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

Check out this Jeep Wrangler story.

I Bought A Jeep Wrangler But I Can’t Drive It, the Dealer Won’t Give Me a Title Making It Impossible To Get License Plates, He Laughed In My Face. Here is Ryan, Jonathan, and Carl's unbelievable story.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Kris and Hillary