Midsize and three-row SUVs · 6 model years, 2018 to 2024
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Volkswagen Atlas: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Atlas looks better on 3 and the Grand Cherokee on 2, with 2 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2018 to 2024 | Grand Cherokee | Atlas |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 4.3% | 1.9% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 1.0% | 0.3% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 27,000 | 20,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 8.2 | 7.7 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 0 | 2 |
| NHTSA investigations | 5 | 3 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system Grand Cherokee owners complain about most is electrical, and it is the same for the Atlas. Complaints citing electrical make up 38% of all Grand Cherokee complaints, against 24% on the Atlas. The Atlas leans the other way on airbags: 19% of its complaints, against 3.2% for the Grand Cherokee.
Jeep Grand CherokeeVolkswagen Atlas
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the Grand Cherokee is infotainment problems (24% of its complaints). On the Atlas it is airbag problems (19% of its complaints), against 3.2% on the Grand Cherokee.
| Problem | Grand Cherokee | Atlas |
|---|---|---|
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 24% 608most in 2018 · 28k mi | 8.0% 152most in 2024 · 18k mi |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 10% 263most in 2019 · 45k mi | 18% 344most in 2021 · 12k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 13% 335most in 2018 · 18k mi | 12% 226most in 2021 · 24k mi |
| Airbag warning light or recall | 3.2% 8024k mi | 19% 366most in 2019 · 31k mi |
| Battery dies or the car will not start | 9.4% 236most in 2023 · 21k mi | 4.2% 79most in 2018 · 17k mi |
| Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) | 3.1% 7712k mi | 7.6% 144most in 2019 · 10k mi |
| Check engine light or misfire | 5.4% 135most in 2018 · 57k mi | 5.2% 99most in 2021 · 29k mi |
| Seat belt or seat problems | 4.1% 103most in 2018 · 50k mi | 3.8% 72most in 2018 · 17k mi |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
Atlas owners report problems earlier. Half the Atlas complaints that give a mileage come before 20,000 miles; for the Grand Cherokee the halfway point is 27,000. 72% of Grand Cherokee reports and 74% of Atlas reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Jeep Grand CherokeeVolkswagen Atlas
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 726 for the Grand Cherokee and 559 for the Atlas.
Worst and best years
The 2014 Grand Cherokee draws 2.3 times the complaints of a typical Grand Cherokee year for its age. The 2021 Atlas draws 1.5 times the complaints of a typical Atlas year for its age.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Grand CherokeeVolkswagen Atlas
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 8.2 campaigns per model year for the Grand Cherokee and 7.7 for the Atlas. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Jeep Grand Cherokee
49 recall campaigns and 5 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: backup camera (6), electrical (5) and airbags (5).
- 23V-577 (backup camera) covers 3 model years
- 24V-132 (suspension) covers 3 model years
Investigations
- RQ25005: Recall 23v-413 post remedy failures (open, led to a recall)
- EA23001: High pressure fuel pump failure (open, led to a recall)
- DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds (closed, led to a recall)
Volkswagen Atlas
46 recall campaigns and 3 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (8), backup camera (5) and service brakes, hydraulic (4).
- Do not drive 18V-369 (service brakes, hydraulic), model years 2018
- Do not drive 20V-712 (steering), model years 2021
- 22V-152 (airbags) covers 4 model years
- 24V-464 (airbags) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- EA24004: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (open)
- PE23017: Inadvertent automatic emergency braking (closed)
- PE21008: Fuel injector leak (closed)
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
A larger share of Grand Cherokee complaints report a crash: 4.3%, against 1.9% for the Atlas. Fire reports: 26 for the Grand Cherokee and 5 for the Atlas. Complaints on file report 2 deaths in the Grand Cherokee and 0 in the Atlas for these model years.
Jeep Grand CherokeeVolkswagen Atlas
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee or the Volkswagen Atlas more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Atlas looks better on 3 and the Grand Cherokee on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Grand Cherokee has 2,510 complaints and the Atlas 1,900 for the 6 model years from 2018 to 2024 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the Grand Cherokee or the Atlas?
The Grand Cherokee has 49 recall campaigns and the Atlas 46 across the 6 model years from 2018 to 2024 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 8.2 campaigns per model year for the Grand Cherokee and 7.7 for the Atlas.
What are the most common problems on the Grand Cherokee and the Atlas?
The most reported problem on the Grand Cherokee is infotainment problems (24% of its complaints). On the Atlas it is airbag problems (19% of its complaints), against 3.2% on the Grand Cherokee.
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