Jeep Grand Cherokee extended warranty: cost, coverage & plans

Grand Cherokee extended warranty coverage

An extended warranty functionally “extends” the factory warranties your vehicle comes with. For Jeep Grand Cherokees, those include:

• A three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, which covers over 5,000 parts but not anything designed to wear out over time (like tires or brake rotors)
• A five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, which covers your engine, transmission and drive axle(s)

For context, three years of bumper-to-bumper coverage is both the industry standard and the least you’ll get from a major manufacturer, so you might find yourself wanting extra coverage for your Grand Cherokee. If so, you have two main options:

1. Buy an official, Jeep-backed extended warranty from a company called Mopar (which handles parts and warranties for Jeep, Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, Ram and Alfa Romeo).
2. Buy an unofficial plan from a third-party warranty company. These plans can offer similar (or better) coverage but with the added benefit of letting you go to any ASE-certified mechanic for repairs (not just a dealership).

» LEARN: What to know about manufacturers’ extended warranties

Before we move on, we want to make a quick note about auto warranties in general. Namely, they only ever cover repairs needed due to factory defects.

What does that mean? If your air conditioner suddenly stops working due to failing recirculation doors — a common problem on Grand Cherokees, according to RepairPal — that repair would likely be covered under warranty. But, if you install a lift kit that damages your suspension or spill a drink on your infotainment system, neither repair would be covered under warranty since both stemmed from outside damage.

» MORE: What does a car warranty cover?

A ConsumerAffairs investigation found that most drivers surveyed couldn’t afford to pay cash for a $1,000 repair bill, and 13% of respondents simply had no way to handle a bill that large — even with credit.

How much does a Jeep Grand Cherokee extended warranty cost?

While researching this article, we found the lowest quote we received for a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on our sample Jeep (a 2022 Grand Cherokee Limited with 40,000 miles) was $2,145. That was for one of Jeep’s official plans through Mopar, specifically a Maximum Care plan offered by Zeigler Auto Group.

In a bit of a surprise, the quotes we received from two dedicated extended warranty companies we contacted were considerably more expensive, averaging around $3,500 overall. A price gap that wide might invite some skepticism, but according to a representative from Zeigler Auto Group, the company’s high sales volume enables it to sell official Mopar warranties at low prices.

It’s worth getting quotes from multiple providers when you’re ready to buy. That way, you have the context to see who’s offering the best deal.

Just keep in mind that these are quotes for a 2022 Grand Cherokee Limited, so your cost may vary. If your Grand Cherokee is a 2023 or 2024 model with fewer miles, you may pay less. (Extended warranties tend to get more expensive as your factory warranty runs out.) Likewise, a more expensive trim, like an Overland or Summit, may result in higher warranty prices since those trims are equipped with more features that may eventually need fixing.

If you're able to score a similar deal, $2,150 is well below the average cost of $1,000 per year of coverage. But is it worth the cost?

» LEARN MORE: Where can you use an extended auto warranty?

Is a Grand Cherokee extended warranty worth it?

An extended warranty may be worth it for your Grand Cherokee, but it depends on a few factors. We’ll explain things below so you can make the decision for yourself.

First, as a general rule, an extended auto warranty has a better chance of being worth it if:

1. Your vehicle has below-average reliability scores.
2. The cost of the extended warranty is less than or comparable to the expected cost of repairs.
3. A big, unexpected repair bill could be financially catastrophic to you.
4. You don’t mind paying a few thousand dollars exclusively for extra peace of mind.

Since we can’t assume whether you related to the third and fourth bullets, let’s look at the first two points when it comes to Grand Cherokees.

For starters, Jeeps don’t rank well for long-term dependability in general. J.D. Power ranked the brand 11th out of 29 automakers based on the overall reliability of 2021 model-year vehicles, and Consumer Reports ranked it a bleak 26th out of 30 brands.

» MORE: Jeep maintenance: cost, plans and service schedule

As for the Grand Cherokee specifically, Consumer Reports gave the SUV a predicted reliability score of 2 out of 5, while RepairPal rated it at a more optimistic 3.5 out of 5. According to the latter site’s 2019 data, Jeep Grand Cherokees tend to cost owners $666 ($907 in 2024 when adjusted for inflation) per year in repairs, which is barely more than the $888-per-year industry average. Both the frequency and severity of Grand Cherokee repairs were also reportedly average.

Consumer reviews of the Grand Cherokee indicate a less-than-reliable ownership experience. While we acknowledge that online reviews tend to be negatively biased, some of these stories do show why you might want extra protection.

Taylor, a reviewer from Colorado, wrote: “My wife, a teacher, has been a huge fan of Jeep since she has had her driver’s license. She has personally financed over 5 different models of Jeep Cherokees since our marriage. Already last week she suggested that we move over to a more dependable brand such as Toyota after this debacle.”

“I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee in October 2022. 5 months, 6,500 miles later, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere,” wrote Nicholas, a reviewer in Minnesota. “The dealership has run the initial diagnosis and can't figure out what's wrong with it. There's no ETA on when they can do further diagnostics on it. I haven't had a vehicle all week.”

» READ MORE: How to choose an extended car warranty

(Now might also be a good time to mention that Mopar’s extended warranties also come with a $45 per day car rental allowance, 24/7 roadside assistance and up to $1,000 in trip interruption protection.)

All things considered, Grand Cherokees tend to exhibit below-average reliability and, in rare cases, may need some extremely expensive repairs. For that reason, an affordable extended warranty might be worth considering for the added protection, benefits and overall increased peace of mind it can provide. Just make sure to get enough coverage and shop around for a good price.

» MORE: Pros and cons of extended auto warranties