Complaints about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee peaked in 2020, with 311 filed
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
SUV, gasoline, 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4, built in United States. Owner complaints on file from Dec 4, 2016 to Oct 1, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25V-011 | Apr 29, 2025 | Power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of… | Powertrain | 63,130 | Software update |
| 23V-302 | Apr 27, 2023 | Power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power or loss of park… | Powertrain | 25,980 | Software update |
| 20V-343 | Jun 11, 2020 | Relative movement in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft may cause some input… | Powertrain | 67,248 | Software update |
| 18V-332 | May 17, 2018 | These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging | Electrical system | 4,815,661 | Software update |
| 17V-543 | Aug 31, 2017 | Tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire… | Equipment | 22,242 | Label or owner notice |
| 16V-799 | Nov 2, 2016 | Improper welds on the driver's knee air bag inflator may prevent the air bag from properly inflating | Airbags | 88 | Part replacement |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
1,335 complaints on file, page 1 of 67.
I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and pressed the accelerator. bI heard a loud cracking/crushing noise coming from underneath the vehicle. When I tried to accelerate, the Jeep would not shift properly into gear. The engine revved, but the vehicle did not accelerate normally / did not move as it should. The Jeep was essentially no longer able to transmit power normally, so I stopped driving it. The important sequence is: red light-green light-released brake-pressed accelerator-loud cracking/crushing noise underneath-Jeep wouldn't properly engage/shift- engine revved- vehicle accelerated normally.
NHTSA complaint 11768278PTU failed on my 2017 Cherokee Jeep. It should be involved in a recall BUT it is not and I’m paying out of pocket to this repair.
NHTSA complaint 11765803CRITICAL VEHICLE SYSTEM SAFETY & TELEMATICS FAILURES: 1.ELECTRICAL & ELICTRICAL DEFECTS: The vehicle's primary infotainment and factory navigation display module suffers a total software and hardware failure. module suffers a total software and hardware failure. While operating on public roadway, including [XXX] entering [XXX], the tracking telemetry completely losses spatial orientation. mapping the vehicle floating deep in blue water (Shenango River Lake), dropping road names, and issuing false audible "entering restricted area" alarms furthermore, the screen suffers a total hardware lock that prevents it from engaging automatic night-dimming code, creating a blinding cabin glare that severely obscures forward visibility during night-driving hours ( I must shut screen off). Certified factory diagnostics at [XXX] confirmed the unit is frozen on an obsolete version (version 10) that cannot be updated per manufacturer parameters due to legacy 3G lines. 2. BODY & COSMETIC DEFECTS: Extensive, undisclosed road paint slurry/overspray is baked into the wheel wells and lower molding, masking structural trim deterioration. A certified inspection by Tri-City Collision verified that a full body restoration is required-including the total replacement of factory fender flares ,splash shields, and lower texture bumpers-totaling $2,742.75 3.BRAKES & SUSPENSION DEFECTS: Delivered from stagging hub ([XXX]) with pre-existing severe front-end mechanical and safety failures, independent certified mechanic at Marstellar Auto had to immediately replace both front rotors and right-front strut assembly to eliminate a dangerous highway driving wobble to restore basic steering stability replaced worn rear rotors as well SUMMARY: the vehicle was marketed as clearly "passing" items 67,87,113, and 116 on dealers active checklist Investigation open with PA AG ([XXX]) AND pa dept. OF state ( [XXX]_[XXX]) I took delivery 7/1/2026 and called Carvana with hours INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
NHTSA complaint 11762184I was stopped at a red light and once the light turned green my vehicle made a grinding noise and would not go faster than about 15 miles per hour. I pulled through the intersection and over to the side of the road and put my hazard lights on and put the vehicle in park but it wanted to roll while in park so i put the parking brake on. There was no warning lights or messages or other symptoms prior to this failure. I managed to get the vehicle checked at a corner shop and was told the PTU recall is the issue and that it failed and to tow it to the dealership. I towed it to Luther Brookdale Jeep and Dodge in Brooklyn Park, MN and they claim to not know how to fix or even diagnose the problem and are not being forthcoming with any information.
NHTSA complaint 11761365I’m trying to get my car fixed the diagnostic result was that I need a new transfer case as a right now the the waiting time for that part is 8 months and over 700 on backup orders the more I dig in to this part it seems that is an issue with this model, probably should have been a recall on this. Please help me out to see if jeep can help with this problem Thank you [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11761339The contact's mother owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. While the owner was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle vibrated, and the vehicle was shaking erratically. The “Service 4WD” message was displayed. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it 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 that parts were ordered for the repair. The contact was scheduled a new appointment; however, parts were still not available. The owner received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 89,117.
NHTSA complaint 11759147The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle and the contact pulled over to the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered that the skid plate was cracked, and after further inspection, the contact was informed about the PTU recall and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train). The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 204,000.
NHTSA complaint 11758423The 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 11757770The 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 11757501The 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 11757025I 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 11752467The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed, and the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned off, restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the power transfer unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 144,131.
NHTSA complaint 11751107An authorized dealership performed the federal safety (Safety Recall 01C) software update on my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. Two days and 160 miles later, the vehicle suffered a dangerous highway loss of propulsion. This software update failed to protect the physical drivetrain components from catastrophic failure.
NHTSA complaint 11749112The 4WD warning light illuminated on the dashboard of this 2017 Jeep Cherokee (only 67,000 miles). The vehicle was taken to an authorized Jeep dealership, where a technician officially diagnosed a complete mechanical failure of the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). The estimated cost to replace the failed component is approximately $4,000 out of pocket. This vehicle is experiencing the exact same mechanical PTU failure, dashboard warnings, and safety hazards outlined in the manufacturer's existing widespread PTU recalls and warranty extensions (such as campaigns 25V-011, 20V-343 and the XJ1 warranty extension). However, the manufacturer has excluded this specific VIN from coverage. Stellantis was contacted many times directly regarding this issue and stated they could do nothing to assist because the VIN is not currently tied to an active recall campaign. A sudden internal failure of the PTU presents a severe safety risk, as it can cause an unexpected loss of drive power while the vehicle is in motion or create a rollaway hazard when the vehicle is parked. Because this vehicle has the identical manufacturing defect at low mileage, the manufacturer needs to expand the recall parameters to include excluded VINs facing the exact same safety failure. A deposit of $2,700 has already been paid to order the replacement component, and the vehicle has now been waiting for the necessary part for approximately two months with no resolution.
NHTSA complaint 11748216I am having a issue with my ptu on my vehicle unfortunately it’s not under the recall but I reach out to jeep customer service they were no help to get this issue and concern resolved I paid for a diagnostic from a jeep dealership and have it stating the ptu is malfunctioning and called back jeep and they said their nothing they can do I will have to pay for it to get repaired since it not under the recall which is not fair due to they knowing their this issue with these vehicles my truck only have about 57,000 miles on it
NHTSA complaint 11747328The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed uphill with a grandchild in the vehicle, the vehicle lost drive power and rolled backwards. It was unknown whether a warning light was illuminated. The driver panicked, depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park(P), but the vehicle failed to stop. The driver engaged the parking brake, and the vehicle came to a stop crossway on two opposite lanes. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure related to an extended warranty coverage. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PTU had mechanically failed. However, the contact was informed that the warranty could not be honored because no diagnostic trouble code was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint 117450842017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk suffered a Power Transfer Unit failure leading to sudden motive power. Vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road with a narrow shoulder. Exiting the vehicle put driver at risk of being struck by traffic. Driver had to exit the vehicle via the passenger side leading to neck injury. Note Failure of have could have resulted in crash if it had happened earlier. PTU failure confirmed by dealership. Vehicle was under FCA recall O1C NHTSA 25V-011. It should be noted that even though this is a safety issue owners were not told not to drive vehicle, plus the remedy doesn't prevent PTU failure, which can happen without warning in certain conditions.
NHTSA complaint 11742791The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, a service 4x4 warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed the the PTU was bad and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was associated with a common unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage as approximately 65,000.
NHTSA complaint 11741492The component that failed/malfunctioned was the module that activates the EPB. It is available for inspection if requested. My safety was put at risk because the parking brake would engage every time the vehicle shut off leaving me stranded and could put other drivers at risk if my vehicle was stranded on the roadway. It would sometimes reset if the battery was disconnected and then reconnected, but eventually trying to reset it did not work. Within a week, the actuators completely seized and the vehicle was inoperable, requiring to be towed. The problem was confirmed by a Jeep dealership service center. They noted that water was leaking into the vehicle from the outside and pooling. The inside rear cargo carpets are moldy and need to be replaced and the module is completely water damaged along with other electrical components being rusted and corroded. The issue has been identified by a certified mechanic at the service center. I had planned to reach out to my auto insurance provider to file a claim, but was informed of an active recall on 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokees with similar symptoms to what I am experiencing. No warning lamps or messages were active prior to the failure. Both "Service Parking Brake" along with the red "brake" light were active to let me know my EPB was engaged. I was able to reset the message briefly to unlock the brakes by disconnecting the battery, but was only successful once. Then it needed to be towed to the dealership for further inspection.
NHTSA complaint 11740133The contact owned a Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 mph , while raining, when coming down a decline on the roadway, a truck with a trailer was stopped and turning into a driveway, the corner of front driver side near the headlights collided with the pickup truck and the trailer. There was no additional property damage. The contact's vehicle came to a stop in the driveway while the vehicle spun around and became perpendicular to the road which caused additional damage to the rear passenger door. The driver side air bags did not deploy. The passenger side, side air bag did deploy. No airbag warning lights illuminated The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The insurance company deemed the vehicle as a total loss. Medical treatment was received. No injuries were sustained. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage 90,000.
NHTSA complaint 11739000Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall; the 60 most recent are listed.