Knocking Sound From Instrument Panel Area Near The A-Pillar This bulletin involves adjusting the driver side hood hinge and if necessary replacing the hinge pivot bolt. The customer may experience a knocking sound from the instrument panel area near the A-pillar.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee cruise control problems
severe Owners of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee have filed 21 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control, typically surfacing around 40,100 miles at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
21
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 Grand Cherokee | 26 |
| 2008 Grand Cherokee | 16 |
| 2009 Grand Cherokee | 8 |
| 2010 Grand Cherokee | 4 |
| 2011 Grand Cherokee (this page) | 21 |
| 2012 Grand Cherokee | 16 |
| 2013 Grand Cherokee | 16 |
| 2014 Grand Cherokee | 59 |
| 2015 Grand Cherokee | 23 |
4crashes
2injuries
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Twenty-one 2011 Grand Cherokee owners describe dangerous cruise and throttle control failures. The most serious involve unintended acceleration while braking, especially at stops and during parking. Owners report the engine revving to 3,000+ RPM with foot on the brake, the vehicle surging forward despite full brake pressure, and in several cases, crashes. At least two incidents caused collisions—one into a building, one into a parked truck—resulting in injuries. One owner experienced engine overrevving to 7,000 RPM during a highway merge, reaching 97 mph with foot completely off the pedal; shifting to neutral was required to stop acceleration.
Cruise control-related brake failures are also reported. Owners describe brakes requiring extreme force to depress when disengaging cruise control, with delayed stopping distance that nearly caused rear-end collisions. One owner had a brake booster recall completed in 2017 but the problem recurred.
Additional failures include cruise control buttons that won't activate, stability control lights that illuminate during highway cruise at 65–70 mph (clearing only after restart), and phantom braking or false rear-end sensations. One vehicle lost all engine power three months after a fuel pump recall, stalling mid-highway.
Dealership responses vary: throttle bodies, accelerator pedals, and throttle-body sensors have been replaced without permanent fixes. Brake boosters were recalled and serviced on some vehicles, but owners report issues recurring. Chrysler Customer Service initially reported no similar complaints on file, and technicians often cannot replicate intermittent faults.
Same Jeep Grand Cherokee cruise control reports on nearby years: 2008 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration during braking or parking
Engine accelerates unexpectedly while driver has foot on brake, particularly at stops or while parking. Driver may be moving forward despite full brake pressure. Multiple owners report severity ranging from engine revving to vehicle surging and crashing.
When: Occurs at stops, low speeds (30-50 mph), parking situations, and traffic lights. One incident at 4,000 miles (new vehicle); others across various mileages.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle surges forward despite brake pedal depressed; Abnormal RPM increase to 3,000 RPM or beyond; Engine revving uncontrollably; Driver unable to slow vehicle with brake alone; Check engine light and electronic throttle light illuminate; Foot completely off accelerator but engine remains at high RPMs
Codes mentioned: Check engine light, Electronic throttle control light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealerships have replaced accelerator pedal, throttle body, and throttle-body sensor. One owner reports dealer replaced brake booster 2 years prior to incident but problem recurred. Throttle body service attempted without resolving issue. Repairs ranging from throttle-body service to $1,000+ estimates mentioned, but in some cases problem persists or recurs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Chrysler Customer Service took reports but claimed no similar complaints in some cases. Advised returning to dealership. Brake booster recall (P54) was performed on at least one vehicle. One owner mentions brake booster recall in 2017.
Cruise control disengagement with brake failure
When attempting to disengage cruise control by braking, brakes fail to respond or require extreme force to depress, creating dangerous situations where vehicle maintains speed or slows very gradually.
When: Occurs when cruise control is engaged and driver attempts to brake. One report after brake booster recall was completed in 2017.
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes require extreme force to depress; Significant delay in braking time and distance when cruise control engaged; Vehicle nearly rear-ended when brakes fail during cruise control disengagement; Intermittent loss of brake power during normal deceleration
Repairs/costs cited: One owner had brake booster recall completed in 2017 but problem recurred. Dealers have glazed rotors and turned them without resolving issue. One third-party source suggested master cylinder gasket/seal issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Brake booster recall (appears to be P54 or related campaign) was performed on vehicles, but problem recurred in at least one case.
Cruise control light and stability control warnings with disengagement failure
Stability control light illuminates while cruise control is engaged during highway driving. Cruise control fails to disengage when attempted. Light persists or recurs under same conditions (30+ minutes at highway speed with cruise engaged).
When: At highway speeds (65-70 mph) after approximately 30 minutes of cruise control use. Intermittent issue.
Symptoms owners cite: Stability control warning light illuminates; Vehicle speed begins declining; Cruise control will not re-engage or respond; Light stays on despite multiple button presses on dashboard; Light clears only after vehicle restart
Codes mentioned: Stability control light
Repairs/costs cited: Technician attempted to resolve but issue remains unresolved. Owner notes this is intermittent and will likely require full failure to diagnose.
Cruise control buttons non-functional
Cruise control activation buttons on steering wheel will not work even after repeated attempts. Other steering wheel controls also fail to function.
When: Whether vehicle is moving or stationary.
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control buttons will not activate; Repeated attempts to activate fail; Other steering wheel options/controls also non-functional
Repairs/costs cited: Owner plans to take to different dealer for re-check.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer initially mentioned recall but determined it does not apply to vehicle.
Loss of engine power and stalling
Vehicle loses power while driving, causing speed to drop progressively until engine stalls. Occurs shortly after fuel pump recall (P54) was performed.
When: Three months after P54 recall was completed. Vehicle was at highway speed (50 mph) when incident occurred. Mileage 57,626 (54,224 at recall service).
Symptoms owners cite: Progressive loss of power (50 mph to 45 mph to 40 mph to 35 mph); Unable to accelerate; Engine stall; Vehicle would not restart after stalling
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosed fuel pump as bad and required $823 replacement. Owner suspects this failure was caused by P54 recall work performed at same dealership.
Phantom braking events and false rear-end sensations
Brakes apply automatically without a vehicle ahead causing braking action. Additionally, sensation of being rear-ended despite nothing visible behind vehicle. Occurs during normal driving.
When: Intermittent, occurs while driving on highway or city streets. One report mentions air bag lights on and traction control light on concurrently.
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes apply without cause; Automatic braking during cruise control operation without vehicle ahead; False sensation of being rear-ended; Intermittent—works normal for weeks then fails
Codes mentioned: Air bag light, Traction control light
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership waiting on parts (unclear what parts) to address recall-related issues.
Surge/hesitation acceleration cycle
Vehicle fails to respond to accelerator, then suddenly surges forward without warning. Check engine light illuminates. Dealer adjusts computer but issue recurs.
When: At low speed (30 mph) around 1,000 miles on vehicle. Recurred approximately 2 weeks after dealer computer adjustment.
Symptoms owners cite: Acceleration does not respond initially; Sudden forward surge without driver input; Check engine light illuminates
Codes mentioned: Check engine light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer performed computer adjustment, but vehicle surged again within two weeks.
Engine overrevving in red zone with loss of vehicle control
Engine revs uncontrollably to maximum RPMs (near 7,000 RPM, tachometer pinned) during acceleration, with vehicle reaching 97 mph despite driver having foot completely off throttle. Driver forced to shift to neutral to stop acceleration.
When: During hard acceleration while merging onto interstate, November 2014. Vehicle at approximately 7 p.m.
Symptoms owners cite: Uncontrolled engine acceleration to 7,000+ RPM; Tachometer pinned to right side in red zone; Vehicle reaches 97 mph with foot off accelerator; Engine continues revving even after shifting to neutral; Engine eventually releases grip after driver kicks accelerator pedal
Repairs/costs cited: Service department found nothing to confirm incident. Dealer speculated 'software reset' may have occurred during event.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Chrysler Customer Service reported no similar complaints on file. Vehicle black box/recording system had no record of event.
Synthesized from 21 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
It's a meaningful issue. 21 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 17 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 20,000 and 66,000 miles, with the median around 40,100. A quarter of owners report trouble before 20,000; a quarter make it past 66,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Jeep/Grand Cherokee.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.