1,775 of the
20,992 complaints filed about the Jeep Cherokee
are about the other systems —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2017.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) / all-wheel-drive transfer case assembly failed internally. Yes, the vehicle and the defective component are physically located at an authorized dealership facility and are available for federal or manufacturer inspection upon request.How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?The sudden internal mechanical failure of the PTU stripped the drive splines while operating the vehicle. This caused an immediate loss of power and four-wheel-drive engagement, creating a severe road hazard and an unexpected safety risk to myself and surrounding traffic.Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?Yes. The failure was formally diagnosed, reproduced, and confirmed by certified technicians at the authorized factory dealership, Lithia Chrysler Jeep of Reno.Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?Yes. The vehicle and failed component have been inspected and verified by the authorized manufacturer dealership representing Jeep/Stellantis.Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?Yes. The "Service 4WD" warning lamp and dashboard messages illuminated immediately when the failure occurred. Symptoms included total loss of rear-wheel torque engagement and mechanical grinding noises originating from the front drivetrain.
NHTSA complaint #11758385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX], I purchased a 2021 Jeep Cherokee Limited from Blaise Alexander Hyundai in State College, Pennsylvania as a first vehicle for my [XXX] son. No problems were apparent during the brief test drive or drive home. On [XXX], during my son’s first driving lesson, we discovered that the right turn signal would randomly and repeatedly fail to remain engaged. I later learned that similar “self-canceling” turn-signal problems have been reported in Jeep vehicles and resulted in safety recalls for certain models. I immediately contacted Tyler (salesman), as documented by my phone records. He initially instructed me to have the vehicle checked at a local Johnstown dealership for warranty coverage and stated that Blaise Alexander would repair it if the warranty did not apply. I then learned from Carfax that the basic warranty had expired around January 2025. When I contacted Tyler again, he reversed his position and said the dealership would not repair the vehicle, suggesting the problem occurred after purchase. After several calls, the sales manager agreed to inspect it. I brought the vehicle to Blaise Alexander on January 22, 2026. The next day, the manager identified the problem and estimated an $800 repair. Although he called it “a typical problem with this model Jeep,” he refused to cover the cost and offered to split it. I declined and retrieved the vehicle on January 24. It had only been driven approximately three times since purchase. I requested the repair quote but it was not provided. I believe the defect was pre-existing and that Blaise Alexander knew or should have known about it. The dealership’s statements, the timing, my research, and related recalls support this belief. The defective signal affects roadworthiness and may prevent the vehicle from passing Pennsylvania inspection. Had I known about the defect, I would not have purchased the vehicle. I am seeking repair at the dealer's cost, or in lieu of that a buyback of the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA
NHTSA complaint #11755771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Power Transfer Unit failure failed. Warning light of "4WD SERVICE" came up. Part is not available anywhere, and is on backorder until at least September.
NHTSA complaint #11753853 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Have a safety recall on my vehicle. Jeep has had this issue for the last couple of years (unbeknownst to me) and still don’t have a remedy for the issue. I’m concerned it’s going to continue to cause damage to my vehicle. Found out there was a recall from a carfax email. It took Jeep an extra month to notify me.
NHTSA complaint #11753076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I dropped off my Jeep at Chris Crain Jeep Hot Springs AR on 7/15/26 due to a recall. At the time I dropped the vehicle off, the 4 wheel drive system was working properly and I had no warning lights on the dash. I always kept the 4 wheel drive in AUTO mode. They called on 7/16/2026 and said they completed the PTU update. I took possession of the Jeep but before I left Cris Crain parking lot I started getting a SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE and noticed the 4WD selector was in SNOW mode. I immediately returned the Jeep to service. They cleared the error and I left again. Within 2 miles the SERVICE 4 WHEEL DRIVE light came on and the selector shifted back to SNOW mode. The selector will no longer work and it is stuck in Snow mode. I immediately returned to their service and left the Jeep. They refuse to fix the problem and the Jeep is undrivable
NHTSA complaint #11752467 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Has been in shop since I have owed it replaced axles (rear) rear differential(1 time), and transfer case(3 times) still slipping and dragging at take off and speed over 55 grinding and bumping sounds , mechanics can’t figure it out no lights on dash and diagonist still shows rear differential and transfer case
NHTSA complaint #11750784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
this is not a safety issue but not sure who to notify..The black paint on the front side window frames is peeling off real bad. Would this be a warranty issue? Thank you,
NHTSA complaint #11746691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2014 Jeep Cherokee that i have had since 2019. Since I have owned it, there have been several transmission recalls. I am currently dealing with a new transmission issue, where it is jerky and fails to go when pressing the gas after being at a stop. I am also dealing with the second oil filter housing leaking. Apparently this is a known issue, due to a plastic housing that cracks and warps easily. This causes significant oil and coolant leaks. This can potentially cause engine failure as well as the possibility of oil causing a fire due to hot oil on the exhaust. I previously paid over $1000 to have this repaired a few years ago and its now doing the same thing! This is highly frustrating. I will not be able to drive my car until this is fixed to the safety hazard of driving with such a bad oil leak.
NHTSA complaint #11745945 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Service 4WD light appeared on dashboard. Vehicle will shake while braking- I am told brakes are sounds. Struts, rotors, and sway links replaced this year. Vehicle has been experiencing a loss of power. Start/Stop system will sometimes initiate loss of power. Battery light comes on- car stalls- break pedal locks. Stereo and lights remain in tact. Results from 2 credited garages that I’m dealing with a failed PTU. Software update was done on the vehicle February of 2026. Problems persist.
NHTSA complaint #11744646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Intermittent grinding noise that lasts from 1 to 20 seconds that I believe is related to Traction Control / ASC which is concerning.It happens more frequently when turning the traction /asc button on & off. I have taken it to the jeep dealer & showed them a video of it happening but they said they could recreate the noise. It happens to me multiple times EVERY day. I wanted to send you a video of it happening that I have of it on my IPhone but don’t seem to be able to do it online. I can send by email or phone message if you would like to see it.
NHTSA complaint #11742476 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This vehicle stalls while on the road and it also stops driving, and the vehicle remains stationary. It's random and I never know when it will happen. There was a recall issued for this very problem in 2019. When I type in Mt Vin # it says no recalls on this vehicle. I feel this vehicle meets the same safety issues as the recall. I've contacted Chrysler with no progress.
NHTSA complaint #11742247 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have brought in my jeep to the dealership for Issues while driving on the freeway going around 70 75 mph the dealership did some maintenance repairs on Tuesday, June 2 of 2026 since then I have noticed when I’m driving around 70 mph the vehicle vehicle hesitate like it and shifting and loses acceleration feels like I’m driving on ice and vehicle isn’t controllable feels like it’s hesitating.. I had to bring it to another dealership cause I feared for my safety.
NHTSA complaint #11742197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I pressed button to open back hatch. It started raising and then all of a sudden it closed down and almost knocked me out. My head is very sore where it hit me. I had not pressed button to close it. It just closed on it's own without warning. This happened once before right after I bought the car. I just thought it was a fluke, so i did not report it at that time. I have not taken it anywhere to get checked out. I work so it is challenging to take it during business hours.
NHTSA complaint #11741437 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle was found to have severe, pre-existing structural and frame damage that compromises its overall crashworthiness and structural integrity. This includes improper prior repairs that mask structural deficiencies. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. Operating a vehicle with unaddressed structural frame damage and substandard prior repairs poses an immediate safety risk. In the event of a collision, the vehicle’s crumple zones and structural pillars may fail to protect the cabin as originally engineered, severely increasing the risk of catastrophic injury or death to myself and my passengers. Yes. The structural damage and improper prior bodywork were formally identified and documented during an automotive inspection. The vehicle's structural integrity and repair defects have been documented via a professional inspection. Despite these documented findings, the dealership (Carvana) and the warranty administrator (SilverRock) are currently refusing to properly address or resolve the structural safety failures. There were no electronic dashboard warning lamps or messages, as this is a physical, structural safety defect stemming from undisclosed prior damage and inadequate repairs rather than an electronic system failure.
NHTSA complaint #11741267 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had pulled the vehicle into my garage. When I tried to shut the car off the car it would not shut off. In fact many components of the car seem to be completely out of sync. The car would not go into any gear. I could not shut the car off. No matter what I did the car just kept running. I finally more or less gave up and just let it keep running for a couple of hours. When I went back into the garage to check what was happening the car had finally stopped running. At that point I had call a towing service and arranged to have the vehicle taken to Autonation Jeep Chrysler the next morning where I had purchased the vehicle. This was a newly purchased vehicle and only had a total of 78 miles on it. Surprisingly the next morning I went into the garage to check on what was happening with the vehicle and to my surprise the vehicle had stopped running. I then disconnected The 12 Volt battery and left it disconnected for an hour or two. After this time I reconnected the battery. I again attempted to start the vehicle and surprisingly the vehicle started up and all functions in the car seem to be performing normally. At this point I drove the car about a mile to the Autonation Jeep Chrysler dealership and had conversation with service technician. Surprisingly he told me that Jeep has had this problem with other vehicles and the solution is to disconnect the 12 Volt battery for 20 or 30 minutes and then reconnect the battery. At that point the car seems to reset itself and it will run normally. End This car of mine only had 78 miles on it This is totally unacceptable. Furthermore this seems to be a problem with other Jeep vehicles. It is my opinion that Jeep Needs to correct this problem so I will not be stuck with a car that's running in my garage and I can't shut it off. All in all it seems to me this is a software problem that needs to be reworked and corrected.
NHTSA complaint #11741012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car continues to have an issue with the same recalls that were priorly fixed but continued to happen after a few years. The last repair for this recall only lasted six months and I now need to replace the exact same parts again. The vehicle is completely faulty. The computer control valve for the transmission continues to fail. My vehicle will say service transmission, and then you cannot switch gears and becomes undrivable until you clear the codes or replace the parts.... again.
NHTSA complaint #11738041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to escalate a safety and reimbursement concern regarding my 2018 Jeep Cherokee, VIN [Your VIN], which is subject to recall 01C / 25V‑011 (Power Transfer Unit Snap Ring Defect). Before the recall remedy was available, my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power, grinding, and jerking, which led to a full transmission replacement. I was stranded on the side of an interstate ramp as a result of this loss of drive power. The PTU was not replaced and remains original. I now intermittently receive a “4WD won’t work” alert 65-80% of vehicle starts. I attempted to schedule my vehicle for the recall repair and spoke in length with the Jeep dealership in [XXX] on 2/23/26. The dealership has informed me that PTU replacement parts are unavailable and could take months to arrive. If the dealership detects a concern during inspection, they will not allow me to keep the vehicle, yet they cannot provide a loaner. This leaves me without transportation for an indefinite period, despite the recall being an active safety concern. It is important to note that the PTU is directly connected to the transmission and transfers power to the rear wheels; a PTU failure can place stress on or impair the transmission, which can cause symptoms identical to sudden transmission failure. I request escalation to a senior case manager or Tier 2 Top Car Specialist, review of my prior repair for reimbursement, and documentation of the ongoing 4WD alerts to support safety and claim review. Attachments: repair receipt. Thank you for your time, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11737778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.