Which is more reliable, Jeep or Cadillac?
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 vs Cadillac SRX 6.73 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold: the 2 model matchups split 1–1. There isn't enough sales data for a Cadillac brand score, so the models are compared head to head.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Jeep vs Cadillac at a glance
| Jeep | Cadillac | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 3.58 | Not enough sales data for a brand score |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.21 | — |
| Rank of 19 brands | #18 | — |
| Models covered | 6 | 8 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 6,129,034 | 725,565 |
| Owner complaints | 21,964 | 1,497 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 90.6% | 64% |
| Top complaint areas | Powertrain / transmission 27% · Electrical system 24.2% · Engine 22.2% | Lighting 28.6% · Engine 21.8% · Electrical system 14.8% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 181 (7.3 million) | 87 (607,203) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign. Cadillac: covered models are 64% of the brand's U.S. sales (minimum 70%).
What drives the numbers
- Jeep's count is driven most by 2018 Wrangler complaints about steering and suspension (1,829, 8.3% of Jeep's complaints). Other models with rates above Jeep's overall 3.58: Cherokee (5.82).
- Cadillac's count is driven most by 2015 SRX complaints about lighting and electrical system (443, 29.6% of Cadillac's complaints).
Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Cadillac SRX, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 7.00 | 1.47 | 1.51 | 3.81 | 1.53 | 1.15 | 2.00 | 2.22 |
| Cadillac SRX | 6.43 | 7.63 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
What Jeep and Cadillac owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Jeep
- Powertrain / transmission27% · 5,930
- Electrical system24.2% · 5,316
- Engine22.2% · 4,876
- Steering15.2% · 3,343
- Brakes7.5% · 1,638
- Suspension5.6% · 1,235
Cadillac
- Lighting28.6% · 428
- Engine21.8% · 326
- Electrical system14.8% · 222
- Powertrain / transmission12.6% · 189
- Suspension5.8% · 87
- Steering5.3% · 80
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Midsize SUVs: Jeep Grand Cherokee vs Cadillac SRX
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 vs Cadillac SRX 6.73 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Grand Cherokee's most-cited area is electrical system (25.1%); the SRX's is lighting (65.4%).
2.51 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,523 complaints / 1,804,810 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021–2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Electrical system 25.1% · Engine 18.4% · Powertrain / transmission 18.2%
Cadillac SRX
6.73 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 612 complaints / 90,989 sold, MY 2015, 2016 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2017, 2018
- Better years:
- 2008, 2009
- Years to avoid:
- 2010, 2011
- Top complaint areas:
- Lighting 65.4% · Electrical system 9.8% · Suspension 7.4%
Compact SUVs: Jeep Cherokee vs Cadillac XT4
The Cadillac XT4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Jeep Cherokee 5.82 vs Cadillac XT4 0.59 complaints per 1,000 sold. The Cherokee's most-cited area is powertrain / transmission (50.4%); the XT4's is engine (33.9%).
5.82 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 7,498 complaints / 1,287,698 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020–2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2014, 2015, 2019
- Top complaint areas:
- Powertrain / transmission 50.4% · Engine 22.4% · Electrical system 20.9%
Cadillac XT4
0.59 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 56 complaints / 95,594 sold, MY 2018–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 33.9% · Electrical system 17.9% · Fuel / propulsion 16.1%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Which is more reliable, Jeep or Cadillac?
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 vs Cadillac SRX 6.73 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 sold: the 2 model matchups split 1–1. There isn't enough sales data for a Cadillac brand score, so the models are compared head to head.
What do Jeep and Cadillac owners complain about most?
Jeep: powertrain / transmission (27%), electrical system (24.2%), engine (22.2%). Cadillac: lighting (28.6%), engine (21.8%), electrical system (14.8%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Jeep or Cadillac?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 181 Jeep recall campaigns covering 7,292,001 vehicles and 87 Cadillac campaigns covering 607,203. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Jeep Grand Cherokee more reliable than the Cadillac SRX?
The Jeep Grand Cherokee has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Jeep Grand Cherokee 2.51 vs Cadillac SRX 6.73 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,804,810 and 90,989 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Grand Cherokee: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2021–2024. Years to avoid on the SRX: 2010, 2011.
Is the Jeep Cherokee more reliable than the Cadillac XT4?
The Cadillac XT4 has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Jeep Cherokee 5.82 vs Cadillac XT4 0.59 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,287,698 and 95,594 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Cherokee: 2014, 2015, 2019.