What is the best year for a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

The Grand Cherokee has one of the most volatile complaint histories in its class. Avoid 2011-2012 (1,638 and 1,634 complaints), 2014 (2,362 complaints, 218 severe — the worst year on record), 2015 (1,333, 183 severe), and 2018 (832 complaints, 56 severe). The 2025 model (54 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the best year in the model's modern history, with 2024 (221 complaints) showing meaningful improvement. If buying used, 2024 or newer is the safest range.

How much does Jeep Grand Cherokee insurance cost?

Grand Cherokee insurance averages around $2,370/year — roughly $198/month. Below average for the midsize class given its above-average maintenance cost.

Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee or Ford Explorer cheaper to maintain?

The Grand Cherokee is cheaper to maintain by $66/year — $666 versus $732 for the Ford Explorer. Both carry a reliability score of 7. Note the Explorer is a three-row SUV vs. the two-row Grand Cherokee — the comparison is cross-configuration. On pure maintenance cost, the Grand Cherokee has a slight edge.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Despite sitting at the class average on major repair probability and below average on repair frequency, the Grand Cherokee's documented complaint history — with multiple severe spikes across 2011-2015 and 2018 — makes extended warranty strongly recommended for used models from those years. For 2024 and newer, the risk profile has improved substantially and warranty is less critical.

Is the Subaru Forester expensive to maintain?

The Forester costs $632/year to maintain — $111 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8, and major repair probability of 13% is above the 11% norm. It trails the compact class average on every ownership-cost metric.

What is the best year for a Subaru Forester?

The 2024 Forester (28 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the standout year — the best on record. Avoid 2014 (402 complaints, 53 severe) and 2018-2019 (483 and 831 complaints respectively), which coincide with documented engine oil consumption and EyeSight recall issues. The 2022-2024 window shows significant improvement.

How much does Subaru Forester insurance cost?

Forester insurance averages about $2,035/year — roughly $170/month.

Is the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $203/year cheaper — $429 versus $632 for the Forester, over $1,000 in savings over five years. The RAV4 also has higher reliability (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (10% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (26% vs. 37%). The RAV4 has a significant advantage on every maintenance metric.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Forester?

Reliability score of 7, major repair probability of 13%, and repair frequency of 37% — all above the compact class average — make extended warranty worth considering, particularly for 2014-2019 models with severe documented complaint spikes. For 2022 and newer, the risk profile improves substantially but still trails the class average.

Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Subaru Forester

Two midsize SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Subaru Forester to minimise 5-year ownership cost.

Buy the Subaru Forester if long-term reliability matters most.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Jeep Grand Cherokee	Subaru Forester
Annual maintenance	$666	$632winner
5-year total cost	$3,330	$3,160winner
Reliability score	7 / 10	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	13%	13%
Cargo space	70.8 cu ft	74.4 cu ftwinner
Starting price (new)	$39,700	$29,600winner
Best years to buy	2010, 2017, 2018	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Jeep Grand Cherokee	Subaru Forester
RepairPal score	7 / 10	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	353.4	172.2winner
Years to avoid	2011, 2012, 2014	2013, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	64.6%	86.9%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	50%	67.5%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	40.1%	54.4%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Jeep Grand Cherokee	Subaru Forester
Engine	18.3%	13.3%winner
Electrical	22.5%	8.0%winner
ADAS	6.4%winner	10.6%
Brakes	10.1%	3.8%winner
Suspension	1.8%winner	4.2%
Steering	3.2%	1.8%winner
Fuel system	5.1%	1.6%winner
Tires/Wheels	—winner	1.5%
Glass/Windows	—winner	24.4%
Airbags	4.8%winner	10.4%
Lighting	1.4%	—winner
Seatbelt	2.0%	—winner

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Jeep Grand Cherokee	Subaru Forester
Avg annual premium	$2,370	$2,035winner

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Jeep Grand Cherokee

$666/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Grand Cherokee costs $666/year to maintain — $93 above the midsize segment average of $573. Repair frequency of 30% is below the class average of 40% — a relative positive. Reliability score of 7 and major repair probability of 13% both sit at segment averages. Above-average cost for an average reliability profile.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →