Jeep Cherokee Complaints (2020)

334 consumer complaints on file.

#11698850November 11, 2025
POWER TRAIN
PTU unit on my Jeep Cherokee failed at 70 miles per hour on the highway. The car is located on a Jeep dealer lot and is available for inspection. Traveling at high speeds I suddenly lost and transfer of power from the motor to the wheels and was unable to keep speed in traffic. The problem has been noted on Jeep models of prior production with this exact problem per consumer reports. The car went through a full Jeep inspections and found that the PTU was the culprit of the issue. When the PTU failed it displayed a message stating “Service 4WD”. This did not occur until after the incident occurred. Additionally when the issue occurred the car turned itself into snow/ice mode. I was driving in the standard drive mode as there was no snow or ice. I had driven for over an hour prior to this failure in the car. It was mid morning when the failure happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698612November 10, 2025
POWER TRAIN
While driving, the car began making a rattling noise and felt unstable. Shortly after, the “Service 4WD” warning light came on. I took the vehicle to the dealership, and they diagnosed a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure that requires replacement. This is a serious safety concern, as the vehicle could lose the ability to drive, especially in certain road or weather conditions. After researching the issue, I discovered that PTU failures appear to be a widespread problem in Jeep Cherokees, yet there has been no effective recall or permanent fix. Owners are being put at risk due to potential loss of power while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698083November 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Hello, The widespread issue of defective the PTU (power transfer unit) is far beyond the recall 25V011. We have 2 Jeep cherokees in my family and both have a bad PTU and they both aren’t under the recall. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697714November 5, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked, and the message “4X4 System Service Required” was displayed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,301.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696683October 30, 2025
ENGINE
My 2020 Jeep Cherokee was in for a multi-point inspection and oil change on 9/10/2025. On 10/15/2025, the Service 4wd, AWD System Service Required light turned on as I was driving. I called the same dealership immediately and was able to get it in for diagnosis on 10/21/2025 (the soonest appointment available). They called me on 10/27/2025 to inform me that they diagnosed a faulty PTU part #68333254AI. They sent me a quote of $3,129.81 for the part, labor, and fluid. My Jeep has remained at the dealership since it was diagnosed. I was told that there could be a loss of power to the wheels that could result in loss of control and a potential crash. I was also told that it may be an extended period of time before they can get the part. The dealership has stated that this would not be covered under my warranty because the warranty ended on 10/17/2025. The warning light actually came on before this date. I understand that there was safety recall/class action lawsuit for this issue on the 2017-2019 years but not the 2020. I feel that this is a known safety issue and believe that it should be covered by my warranty or the manufacturer. My vehicle's mileage is 43,230 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696372October 29, 2025
PARKING BRAKE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the parking brake engaged independently while idling at a stoplight. The contact activated the hazard lights, shifted to park, turned off and restarted the vehicle, then reversed to unlock the parking brake to shift to drive to continue driving. The message "Parking Brake Engaged" was displayed with an audible chime, and the light indicating that the parking brake was activated was illuminated. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic, and determined that the Engine Control Module (ECM) needed to be replaced. The ECM was replaced; however, the ECM could not be aligned with the vehicle and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and another ECM was ordered; however, the ECM could not be aligned or programmed. The dealer diagnosed that the shifting console needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately one month after having the vehicle repaired, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695642October 26, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Power transfer unit broken. Not a recall but reported on many jeeps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695556October 25, 2025
POWER TRAIN
I dropped my car for a service appointment on October 25, 2025 because the car was running loud at highway speeds and felt as though something was grinding. I was told that the recommendation is to replace the PTU. I was unfamiliar with the term and guessed, "Power Takeoff Unit" and the service technician agreed with me. He then informed me that there was an issue with the part and it would be 45-days before the part would be available. He told me that other shops were contacted and there was no shop in the area that was willing to part with the PTU, and I would need to wait 45-days for the repair. I asked if it was safe to drive the vehicle until the repair and he informed me it was. He appeared to be a new team member, so I clarified again, "I just want to be clear it is safe to drive the car". He responded it was, and then said he would check with his manager. After checking with the manager, he came back and said it was okay to drive the car but it may lead to further damage. Following the call I Googled PTU and learned that there was a recall on Jeep Cherokee's, due to defective PTUs which could cause a loss of power when the vehicle is in motion - leading to a crash, prevent the driver from putting the vehicle in park, or causing the vehicle to come out of park. Given the large number of vehicles involved in the recall, 660K + it is not surprising that the part is on back-order. It is frustrating that this is a voluntary recall, and that the scope of the recall has grown from 2016/2017 to now include 2017/2019 but not yet 2020. Please consider including the cars manufactured in 2020, and changing this from a voluntary recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11695092October 22, 2025
ENGINE
The vehicle piston failed which led to complete engine failure. This has been diagnosed by a service center.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694760October 21, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
After having the issue diagnosed by an authorized service center, it has been confirmed that my PTU has failed and needs to be replaced. Upon further research, I discovered that the PTU part is recalled for vehicles manufactured between 2017 and 2019. However, as my vehicle is a 2020 model, it unfortunately falls outside of the recall window. Despite this, it appears that similar PTU failures are still occurring in vehicles manufactured in 2020 and beyond, indicating that the issue may not have been fully resolved in later models. I am deeply concerned about the safety implications of this issue, particularly the risk of losing power to the wheels while driving. This could lead to a serious accident, especially in adverse weather conditions or on the highway. As a result, I am requesting that you take immediate action to address this problem. I believe this issue is a design flaw or a defective part that has not been fully resolved, and it is in the best interest of both customer safety and brand reputation to address this matter promptly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694163October 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
MY TRANSMISSION QUIT WORKING AND MY PARKING BRAKE TURNED ON WHILE DRIVING!!!!! This is the same problem that was recalled on jeep Cherokee years from 2017-2019, but my 2020 is not covered in the recall and my neighbor has the same exact car and year and has had to replace his put twice!!!!!! MY MODEL YEAR SHOULD BE INCLUDED!!!!!!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692143October 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The check 4 wheel drive light lit up on my dash. Shortly after, there was aloud noise coming from the front passenger side tire area. I replaced the front hub assembly as was the code it was throwing. 1 week ater, noise returned and I took it into Elkhorn Automotive in Waterloo, NE. They said it was throwing a code of C14A7-97...power transfer unit. Dealership said there are no active recalls for my 2020 jeep. Looks like Jeep has had issues with this PTU. What can I do to get my vehicle fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691555October 6, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from under the floorboards. The contact stated that the "Service 4-WD" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started losing motive power and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The contact was able to continue driving to the destination. The failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the failure was possibly related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690878October 1, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Service 4WD warning appeared 9/2025 on my 2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited with 37500 miles. Took it to my local mechanic. They suspected the PTU was the problem and advised to take it Jeep dealer as it should be covered under warrantee. However The car was put into service in 2019 so warrantee has expired. Dealer advised PTU repair ~$3000 but part is back ordered. I see a lot of complaints on this site for this same issue. This was a recall up to year 2019 Jeeps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688365September 19, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The Power Transfer Unit failed, needing repair. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety, and other's safety on the road, was put at risk because now the power can shut off while driving. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer, as we took it in when a warning light appeared. They confirmed it was a power transfer unit failure. They first appeared about a month ago, and today's date is 9/19/25.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688212September 18, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The PTU AND PTU Actuator have failed. The repair is estimated to be App $3000 at a local independent repair shop. The parts are unavailable to do a timely repair. We still have to drive it because it cannot be repaired until parts are available, we were told it could be months because there are so many jeeps failing from the same thing. ( "a similar repair was done today after waiting for 3 months for parts"- Bob from Donelinger in Cohasset, Mn) We may be in danger every time we use the jeep but have no choice with it being needed for our transportation. The 4WD service lights are on or blink all the time. We only have 85,000 miles on this jeep we have had since we purchased it new. Please help speed up parts availability and a recall on these Jeeps.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687708September 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
PTU unit has went out. 4wd light on shows needs service. Currently with dealership and told ptu needs replaced, but told there's only 112 available in the nation with over 1200 orders for one Currently. It looks that this has been an ongoing problem with Jeep Cherokees with under 100,000 miles. Mine only has 88.000. Other year models have been recalled in fact up to Feb. 2019 for manufactured cherokees. I missed it by a year. With this Increasing problem, it sure looks as though they should recall since the odds are becoming greater for failure and people are out thousands of dollars and still making payments on it in this economy for not being able to have confidence in a vehicle and company. Thank you for your attention and action!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687262September 15, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Parking break engages when car comes to a stop engine light is on them goes off
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687442September 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
PTU failure at 65,000 miles. Unknown timeline for the replacement part
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687103September 13, 2025
POWER TRAIN
A light appeared on the dash that said AWD Failure. After 2 weeks of being at the dealership, I was told it was a complete PTU failure. Other VINs have been recalled but not mine. This was after I had already taken the car because it just stopped while driving and wouldn’t start. I was told then it was the starter needed to be replaced. I am just happy it wasn’t my [XXX] that was driving. I believe it was the PTU the whole time. The car also will not start after stopping at a stop light unless I turn the Automatic setting off. Dealership says PTU is on back order with ETA of 45-60 days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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