5,604 of the
20,992 complaints filed about the Jeep Cherokee
are about the transmission —
27% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2014.
5,604
Complaints
27%
Share of all complaints
145
Crashes
24
Fires
Transmission & Drivetrain complaints by model year
I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Limited with approximately 89,000 miles. On two separate occasions, while driving at approximately 20 miles per hour and before I had applied the brakes, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled without warning. These incidents both occurred during the second or third week after I purchased the vehicle in February. A dashboard message instructed me to put the vehicle in park and restart it. The sudden loss of power while the vehicle was in motion created a serious safety hazard. Both a Jeep dealership and an independent mechanic diagnosed a failed power transfer unit requiring replacement. Although my VIN is not currently covered by a recall, I am concerned this may represent a safety-related defect. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this complaint, investigate whether similar incidents are occurring, and determine whether further action is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11758901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Service 4WD warning light came on in May and comes on every time the vehicle is driven, almost immediately. My vehicle's VIN is not included in the current recall campaign for the Jeep PTU even though the exact same issue is occurring and has been diagnoses by the dealership as the same issue for the Jeep recall that is affecting 2019-2023 Jeeps Cherokees. This is a safety issue which could cause sudden loss of power or allow the Jeep to roll away in park. I contacted Jeep who provided a case number (97672488) and referred us to the dealership to be diagnosed. The dealership has diagnosed the issue to be the same as the recall; however, when submitted to Jeep for a Goodwill repair (06943), Jeep will only cover 30% of the cost to repair. I disagree with the response from Jeep and feel this safety issue recall should include my VIN and be repaired properly at no cost to myself.
NHTSA complaint #11758566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my 2015 Jeep Cherokee on an interstate trip, we began noticing a strong unusual odor inside the vehicle. At first, we thought we were simply driving past a paper mill or another external source of the smell. A short time later, we noticed other vehicles beginning to merge out of our lane and realized something might be wrong with our vehicle. We exited the highway and pulled over as soon as we could safely do so. We did not see any smoke or steam while the vehicle was moving. After we had pulled over and stopped, we noticed steam coming from under the hood. When we opened the hood, smoke came out and there was a strong burning smell. Because we were concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to continue driving, we did not continue the trip and the vehicle had to be towed by AAA. An independent mechanic subsequently inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a leaking Power Transfer Unit (PTU) that requires replacement. There were no warning lights, warning messages, or other dashboard alerts before the incident, during the incident, or afterward. The unusual odor was the first symptom we noticed. I later contacted Jeep/Stellantis and was informed that the required OEM replacement PTU is currently unavailable, and they could not provide an estimated availability date. As a result, there is currently no clear OEM repair timeline for the vehicle. My safety concern is that this problem developed while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds, with no dashboard warning, and resulted in smoke/steam and a strong burning odor once the vehicle was stopped.
NHTSA complaint #11757963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the message that the “4WD Disabled” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power transfer unit and rear differential had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 95,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757904 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH the vehicle lost automotive power, and the transmission shifted into a lower gear. No warning lights were illuminated, however a message appeared on the instrument panel "Service Shifter". The contact veered off onto the side of the road in order to restart the vehicle. The contact continued to drive the vehicle when shortly after the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that no failure was found. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN) as probable cause for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,801.
NHTSA complaint #11757770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle unprompted shifted into 4wd and lost all propulsion. Revved high, but didn’t move. There is a recall that outlines the exact issues I experienced, but my VIN is not covered for a free fix. The recall is NHTSA Recall Campain 25V-011 (jeep campaing 01C) I have a child and the fact that my car broke down with her in it is terrifying. I purchased 4 new tires because I was told it was the tread on the tires was uneven. That wasn’t it. Took it to a transmission shop and they couldn’t find the issues please we really need help with this and it is not right that it isn’t covered. We purchase this vehicle only last year.
NHTSA complaint #11757501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a loud grinding sound coming from the vehicle, and the message “4WD Unavailable - Service Required" was displayed. The sound became louder and more frequent over time. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with Power Transfer Unit failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the snow, the 4WD feature became inoperable. The 4WD warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 73,146.
NHTSA complaint #11757472 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the “Service 4-WD” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that the PTU was failing. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall with a similar description; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while traveling out of state. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,952.
NHTSA complaint #11757025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH with cruise control engaged, the vehicle hesitated, and the transmission momentarily shifted into neutral(N) before returning to normal functionality. The message “Service All Wheel Drive” was displayed. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756931 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Jeep was subject to a recall for a failing Power Steering Unit (PSU). Before the recall was announced, the PSU failed and I paid for the repair at an authorized Jeep dealership. Jeep is now refusing reimbursement, stating they will only reimburse once a recall remedy becomes available. The vehicle has since been totaled in a crash unrelated to the PSU repair, so I can no longer receive the recall remedy. Jeep is withholding reimbursement even though the defect is acknowledged under the recall, the repair was completed at a Jeep dealership, and federal reimbursement rules require manufacturers to reimburse pre‑notification repairs. I am requesting NHTSA’s assistance because Jeep is not complying with recall reimbursement requirements.
NHTSA complaint #11756678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My PTU/transfer case has failed and our Jeep is currently in the shop. They are stating that this exact issue is part of an ongoing recall and that our vehicle should also be added to the recall list due to this part being the exact reason for the recall. They told me that it is unsafe to drive due to power transfer failure while driving, and potential vehicle rollaway. The problem initially was severe grinding noises noted while driving and it was confirmed by our mechanic at our local dealership. He then inspected the unit and noted the failure. I received no warning messages on my vehicle dash prior to this issue. The grinding has been ongoing for about 6 months to a year prior to this but was much less and I kept being told it was either the tires rubbing whilst turning or that my 4WD was "just having a hard time" by other mechanics which I now know was not the case). Please consider my vehicle to be added to this recall. This fix is entirely too expensive for a mom of two young kids, in the state of this economy, who needs their car back as soon as possible.
NHTSA complaint #11756490 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, with a loud screeching sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the power transfer unit was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 165,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756404 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Out of the blue my service 4 wheel drive indicator came up and I have been having power issues ever since. Everything points to my car should be u see this recall but it is not. This was a non collision related issue with my car. With the price of PTU replacements, I would like to have my vehicle included in the recall due to it checking all of the boxes.
NHTSA complaint #11756487 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power. The 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the failure was associated with the recall. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure reoccurred. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving my car stalled at 2 different times only weeks after purchasing this used car. I took it back only for them to replace the battery with an aftermarket battery then having to get it replaced again at another location; following a parasitic draw, the PTU was noted as requiring replacement. Looking back at the recalls I’m not sure why my car isn’t included in this recall.
NHTSA complaint #11756114 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 57 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was an abnormal burning odor inside the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic or dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.