2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 67owner reports
- 35,000median miles
- $1,600median quote
- 8involved a crash
Newest report Feb 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
395 of the 1,999 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 67 of those describe transmission shudder.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (37 reports)
Tick what matches of 67 reports
Transmission shudder on other Grand Cherokee years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2014 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The affected vehicles, equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and a monostable gear selector, may not adequately warn the driver when driver's door is opened and the vehicle is not in PARK, allowing them to exit the vehicle while the vehicle is still in gear.
All 19 recalls on the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Grand Cherokee
Vehicle rollaway, engine on. Closed jun 24, 2016, led to recall 16V-240.
Powered vehicle rollaway. Closed feb 5, 2016.
Sudden acceleration. Closed sep 10, 2002.
Roll-away in reverse when parked. Closed dec 18, 2002, led to recall 02V-053.
Inadvertent rollaway in reverse park. Closed nov 1, 2001.
What owners paid
5 of the 67 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,200 to $3,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 10,000 and 70,000 miles, from the 49 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Gear Ratio DTC?s, Transmission Shift Concerns, Does Not Shift At Times, Shudders
Intermittent Engine Shudder While Driving This bulletin involves replacing the engine cylinder heads. A small number of customers may experience a slight engine shudder while driving.
What owners wrote
“Car slips into neutral while on highway. Car continues to go from drive to neutral. Mechanic states new transmission necessary. Contacted Chrysler Jeep dealer they stated all recalls complete not their problem.”
Filed Jul 29, 2025
“Transmission jerking and slipping until I reach 38mph. Unsafe on roadways feels like being hit from behind. Scary”
Filed Feb 10, 2023
“When shifting into park, the shifter is not moving into park without pushing the shifter several times up to get it into park. Also when slowing down to come to a stop the transmission is jarring into lesser gears cause the jeep to jerk, causing whiplash and making loud sound hard to describe. Itâs not doing it all the time but when it does itâs like you have been rear ended.”
Filed Jan 11, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 8 of 67 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Seat belt or seat problems 501 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 203 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 178 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 114 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 95 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 89 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 78 reports
- Rolls away in Park or will not shift out of Park 54 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 48 reports
- Diesel fuel system or injector problems 44 reports
- Transmission drops into neutral or downshifts on its own 43 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 42 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 42 reports
- Fuel pump failure 41 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 40 reports
- Engine leaks oil 40 reports
- Vehicle fire 34 reports
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 32 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 29 reports
- A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 29 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 29 reports
- Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) 28 reports
- Driveshaft, axle or transfer case problems 26 reports
- Headlights too dim or fail 25 reports