If you’re searching for info on a Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump recall, you’re probably confused. That’s because there isn’t actually a traditional “recall” for most water pump failures—it’s more complicated than that. Let’s cut through the confusion and figure out what coverage you’ve got, if any, and what you need to do next.
The Truth About the “Recall” That Isn’t Really a Recall
Here’s the deal: when people talk about a Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump recall, they’re usually mixing up three completely different things.
For HEMI V8 engines (5.7L and 6.4L), there’s Warranty Extension X73. It’s not a safety recall—it’s FCA acknowledging their pumps fail early and extending coverage to 7 years with unlimited miles. The catch? Most of these extensions have already expired for 2013-2017 models.
For EcoDiesel engines (3.0L), your water pump is covered under the Approved Emissions Modification (AEM) warranty—a result of the diesel emissions scandal settlement. This extends coverage to 10 years or 120,000 miles and includes the primary engine water pump.
For 4xe plug-in hybrids, there’s an actual safety recall (25V-741) for battery fire risk, plus separate issues with the electric coolant pump triggering code P0C74.
You need to know which engine you’ve got before you do anything else.
How to Check if Your Jeep Has Coverage
Don’t trust Facebook groups or forum posts. Here’s how to check officially:
Step 1: Find your VIN (it’s on your registration or the driver’s side dashboard).
Step 2: Check for safety recalls at the NHTSA recall lookup. This shows only the urgent, free-for-life stuff.
Step 3: Check for warranty extensions at the official Mopar Owner Site. Log in with your VIN to see X-code extensions and customer satisfaction notifications that won’t show up on the NHTSA site.
The difference matters. A safety recall means free repairs forever. A warranty extension means free repairs only if you’re still within the extended timeframe.
The HEMI V8 Water Pump Problem (X73 Extension)
If you’ve got a 2013-2017 Grand Cherokee with a 5.7L or 6.4L HEMI, you probably heard about this issue. The water pump bearing fails prematurely, making a chirping noise that gets worse over time.
Why the HEMI Pump Fails
The HEMI water pump sits at the front of the engine, driven by the serpentine belt. It’s subjected to serious side-loading from the belt tensioner and the fan clutch. Here’s what happens:
The internal seal starts weeping coolant. That coolant washes out the bearing grease. The bearing starts making noise—a chirping sound at idle. If you ignore it, the bearing seizes completely. When it seizes, it locks up the serpentine belt, which means you lose your alternator, power steering, and obviously, the water pump itself.
Your engine temperature spikes fast, and if you don’t pull over immediately, you’re looking at blown head gaskets.
What X73 Actually Covers
Warranty Extension X73 gives you 7 years of coverage from your original purchase date, regardless of mileage. Sounds great, right?
The problem: most affected vehicles are already past that 7-year window. A 2015 Grand Cherokee bought in 2015 had coverage until 2022. It’s 2025 now. You’re on your own.
If you already paid for this repair during the coverage period, you can file for reimbursement at www.fcarecallreimbursement.com. You’ll need the original receipt showing your VIN, the repair date, and the part number.
What It Costs Out of Warranty
If you’re past the X73 window, expect to pay $658 to $809 at independent shops, according to RepairPal estimates. Dealerships charge more—often over $1,000.
Labor runs 2.5 to 3.5 hours because the tech has to remove the serpentine belt, fan shroud, and sometimes the radiator hoses to access the pump.
The EcoDiesel’s Hidden Warranty Gold Mine
If you’ve got a 2014-2016 Grand Cherokee with the 3.0L EcoDiesel, you’ve got coverage most owners don’t even know about.
The AEM Extended Warranty
After the diesel emissions scandal, FCA was forced to update the emissions software (the Approved Emissions Modification). To get owners to agree to the update, they threw in a massive extended warranty.
The warranty covers “all parts and systems affected by the AEM”—and that includes the primary engine water pump.
Coverage terms: The greater of 10 years from original sale OR 120,000 miles, OR 4 years/48,000 miles from when you got the AEM update installed.
Let’s say you bought a used 2016 EcoDiesel in 2022 and got the AEM update then. Your water pump is covered until 2026, even if the truck has 100,000 miles on it.
Don’t Confuse the Water Pump with the EGR Cooler
Here’s where EcoDiesel owners get tripped up. If you’re losing coolant but don’t see a puddle, it’s probably not the water pump.
It’s likely the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) cooler, which is covered under Safety Recalls V699 and W79. The EGR cooler cracks internally, leaking coolant into the intake manifold. This creates a fire risk—it’s a serious safety issue.
Water pump leak: You’ll see coolant on the ground, usually at the front of the engine.
EGR cooler leak: Coolant disappears with no visible leak. The engine may run rough or stall.
If you’re losing coolant on an EcoDiesel, don’t let a shop sell you a water pump until they’ve ruled out the EGR cooler. One’s a safety recall (free forever), the other’s covered by the AEM warranty (free up to the limits).
The 4xe Hybrid Fire Risk and Cooling Failure
The 2022-2026 Grand Cherokee 4xe has the most urgent issue: an actual safety recall for battery fire risk.
Safety Recall 25V-741: Park Outside
In October 2025, Stellantis recalled about 320,000 plug-in hybrid Jeep vehicles, including the Grand Cherokee 4xe. The high-voltage battery can short-circuit internally and catch fire—even when parked.
What you must do:
- Park outside, away from structures
- Don’t charge the high-voltage battery
- Wait for the remedy (still being developed as of late 2025)
This effectively kills the “electric” part of your plug-in hybrid. You’re stuck driving it as a regular hybrid or just a gas SUV carrying around dead battery weight.
The P0C74 Cooling Pump Code
Separate from the fire recall, 4xe owners are seeing Check Engine Light code P0C74: “Motor Electronics Coolant Pump ‘B’ Control Performance.”
The 4xe doesn’t have one water pump—it’s got multiple electric coolant pumps managing different thermal loops. When the battery cooling pump fails or the software misreads its performance, the vehicle shuts down Electric Mode to protect the battery from overheating.
You’ll see “FORM” mode (Fuel and Oil Refresh Mode) where the gas engine runs constantly. It’s annoying and defeats the purpose of buying a plug-in hybrid.
TSB 08-170-23 addresses this. The fix is usually a software update to the Hybrid Control Processor. If that doesn’t work, they replace the electric pump.
The Resale Value Disaster
The combination of a “Park Outside” order and cooling pump failures has tanked 4xe resale values. Dealerships legally can’t sell new vehicles with open safety recalls, and many refuse trade-ins with active “Park Outside” orders due to liability concerns.
If you’re a 4xe owner, you’re basically stuck until the recall remedy is available.
The 3.6L Pentastar: The Misdiagnosed “Leak”
The 3.6L Pentastar V6 is the most common engine in the Grand Cherokee. It doesn’t have a warranty extension like the HEMI, but it’s got its own quirks.
The Weep Hole Confusion
The Pentastar water pump has a designed “weep hole” in the casting. A small amount of coolant staining around this hole is normal—it’s designed to vent minor seal seepage instead of forcing coolant into the bearing.
A tiny crust or stain? Normal. Active dripping? Failure.
The problem is that many owners see any moisture and assume they need a new pump. Under the standard 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, you’re covered. Beyond that, you’re paying out of pocket.
The Real Culprit: The Oil Filter Housing
Here’s the kicker: most “water pump leaks” on the 3.6L aren’t the water pump at all.
The Oil Filter Housing / Cooler Assembly sits in the valley between the cylinder heads. It’s made of plastic (glass-filled nylon). Over time, heat cycling cracks the housing or its O-rings.
Oil and coolant leak from this unit, fill the engine valley, and drip down the back of the engine onto the transmission. You see coolant on the ground and think “water pump.”
But the water pump is at the front of the engine. A leak at the rear or in the valley is almost always the oil cooler housing.
Replacing the water pump won’t fix this. You need the oil cooler assembly (Mopar Part No. 68105583AF).
The oil cooler repair costs more: 3.5 to 4.5 hours of labor (they have to remove the intake manifold). Expect $800 to $1,000 for the job.
What You Need to Do Right Now
If You Have a HEMI (5.7L/6.4L)
Check your purchase date. If you bought a 2013-2017 model and it’s still within 7 years of that date, you’re covered under X73.
Already paid for the repair? File for reimbursement at www.fcarecallreimbursement.com. You’ll need your original receipt.
Past the 7-year window? You’re paying out of pocket. Budget $700-$900 at an independent shop. If you hear chirping from the front of the engine, don’t wait—a seized pump can strand you and cause engine damage.
If You Have an EcoDiesel (3.0L)
Verify your AEM warranty status at the Mopar Owner Site. You likely have coverage up to 10 years/120,000 miles.
Losing coolant with no visible leak? It’s probably the EGR cooler, covered under safety recall. Check the NHTSA recall lookup for recalls V699/W79.
Don’t pay for a water pump or EGR cooler replacement without confirming your AEM warranty coverage first.
If You Have a 4xe Plug-In Hybrid
Comply with the park-outside order immediately. Check NHTSA’s 4xe recall page for the latest updates.
Don’t charge your high-voltage battery until the recall remedy is available.
Got code P0C74? Take it to the dealer and reference TSB 08-170-23. The fix should be a software update or pump replacement under warranty.
If You Have a 3.6L Pentastar
Locate the leak first. Coolant at the front of the engine = water pump. Coolant in the valley or at the rear = oil cooler housing.
Don’t replace the water pump blindly. The oil cooler housing is the far more common failure point.
Check your warranty status. The 3.6L doesn’t have an X-code extension, so you’re covered only under the standard 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
The Class Action Confusion You Need to Avoid
When you search for “Jeep water pump class action,” you’ll find waterpumpsettlement.com. Don’t waste your time entering your VIN there.
That settlement is only for Volkswagen and Audi vehicles (Tiguan, Q5, etc.). It has nothing to do with Jeep. You’ll just get a “VIN Not Found” error.
There’s also the Velasco class action settlement, which involved the TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module) and fuel pump relay in 2011-2013 models. It’s not related to water pumps, even though the symptoms (stalling) can overlap.
Why Dealerships Push Back on “Recalls”
You’ll see this scenario play out constantly: an owner brings their Jeep to the dealership insisting a “recall” covers their water pump. The service advisor says no. The owner gets mad and posts on Facebook about being scammed.
Here’s what’s actually happening:
TSBs aren’t warranties. A Technical Service Bulletin is just a repair procedure for technicians. Unless you’re under warranty or covered by an X-code extension, you’re paying for the repair.
X-code extensions expire. The X73 extension for HEMI water pumps gave you 7 years. If you’re past that, the extension doesn’t apply anymore—even if the part failed prematurely.
Safety recalls don’t expire. If your vehicle is under a safety recall (like the 4xe fire risk), the manufacturer must fix it for free, forever. But mechanical water pump failures don’t meet the threshold of a “safety defect” in most cases.
The Bottom Line: Know Your Engine, Know Your Coverage
| Engine | Coverage Type | Duration | Cost if Expired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7L/6.4L HEMI | Warranty Extension X73 | 7 years/Unlimited miles | $700-$900 |
| 3.0L EcoDiesel | AEM Warranty | 10 years/120k miles | Likely still covered |
| 2.0L 4xe PHEV | Safety Recall 25V-741 + TSB | No expiration (recall) | Free (recall); warranty (TSB) |
| 3.6L Pentastar | Standard Warranty | 5 years/60k miles | $500-$1,000 (often oil cooler) |
The “Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump recall” you’re searching for depends entirely on which engine you’ve got. For HEMI owners, the warranty extension has likely expired. For EcoDiesel owners, you’ve got hidden coverage most people don’t know about. For 4xe owners, you’re dealing with an active safety recall and a completely different cooling architecture.
Don’t trust forum posts or Facebook groups. Check your VIN at the official NHTSA site and the Mopar Owner Site. Keep your receipts. If a shop tries to sell you a water pump on a 3.6L, make sure they’ve ruled out the oil cooler housing first.
And if you’ve got a 4xe? Park it outside and wait for the fix. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than a vehicle fire.
