2017 Jeep Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,334 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 12 Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 24 involved a crash and 6 involved a fire. 27 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power trainApr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
Campaign 25V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionApr 27, 2023
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power or loss of park function.
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2023. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 45A. This recall expands previous recall number 20V-343.
Campaign 23V302000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, driveline, differential unitJun 11, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a two-speed Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Relative movement in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft may cause some input spline teeth to wear off, which may eventually cause a loss of engagement between the transmission and the differential inside the PTU. If this occurs, power cannot be transferred between the front wheels and the transmission which results in a loss of drive while the vehicle is in motion and a loss of the Park function while stationary.
A loss of drive can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. A loss of the Park function can cause unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update that will maintain vehicle propulsion by engaging rear wheel drive and prevent rolling in Park by activating the electronic parking brake if a failed input spline occurs. This recall began July 14, 2020. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is W47.
Campaign 20V343000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign 18V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 31, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire and rim combination being installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The missing tire and rim designation information may lead to an incorrect combination being installed on the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners and will provide a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T53.
Campaign 17V543000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, knee bolsterNov 2, 2016
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 13, 2016, to October 17, 2016. Improper welds on the driver's knee air bag inflator may prevent the air bag from properly inflating.
If the driver's knee air bag does not properly inflate, there is an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's knee air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S84.
Campaign 16V799000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: power train
647 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, May 15, 2025
Had no warning lights. I heard a clicking noise under the driver's side of car. Then the next day the the car started lunging forward when put in gear. Took it to mechanic and was told it was the transmission and that the car could possibly jump out if gear while driving. The mechanic looked up recalls for my vehicle and saw the transmission recall. So he told me to contact the jeep dealer so I did and the service manager told me my vin number isn't included in the recall. So I called the corporate office to report the issue and was told if the vin number isn't on the recall list even though it's the same issue as the recall for my year and model there was nothing they can do. So I went back to the mechanic and he call vendor for replacement parts and was told they no longer make new parts for my car and that it would have to be fixed with used parts that aren't guaranteed to fix the problem. Why isn't the jeep company held responsible for this issue? Isn't it possible that my vin number was left off the recall list? I have 1 car as a single mother how am I supposed to get my car safe for my self and daughter?
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 13, 2025
Noticed the "Service Shifter" Light came on and lights blinking next to the shifter started flashing then the Jeep starting shaking violently and loss of power started to slow the vehicle down, pulled over and shut it off and restarted and drove home- " Service Shifter" light still comes on - we just pull over and shut engine off and restart. Jeep Dealership is no help
Power train, May 8, 2025
My two speed power transfer unit is faulty. It started with me loosing power to now when I turn my vehicle makes a loud vibration noise and won’t go. I have contacted the dealership and they tell me they don’t have a remedy yet to check back at a later time. This issue can cause me to wreck my vehicle. I have 2 kids that ride with me everyday in this vehicle and this is my only transportation to and from work.
Power train, May 2, 2025
Beginning in mid-January the vehicle we purchased new in 2017 which only has about 63,000 miles began to suddenly loose drive momentum. When in certain situations like another vehicle close behind or on a hill, the "jump" out of drive can be dangerous since speed quickly reduces until the driver can pull over. This happened several times before we were notified of the recall issued January 25th. This is May 2, 2025 and we still are not able to safely drive the vehicle depended upon for getting to work daily. We have had to park the vehicle and borrow another for approximately 3 months now and still no fix is available! What is meant by "a reasonable amount" of time for a fix to become available? What other alternatives do we have with this vehicle that is now unsafe to drive because of the manufacturer's defect, especially when we depend on it? Please advise!
Power train, Apr 30, 2025
Yes. The PTU failed .the dealer has confirmed. yes recall W 47 AND OLC my car seemed to just pause when driving it The computer on my car said service 4wd .a few months before service shifter light came on and all the lights on shifter lit up. took to dealer replaced shifter bezel and today they replaced the whole shifter at my cost . then few months later service 4wd message appeared took to dealer said it was the ptu
Power train, Apr 29, 2025
I was driving and the transmission began to make loud noises during shifting. I am currently aware that my power transfer unit or PTU has failed. The transmission has been shifting at inappropriate times and not giving me the power that I need when leaving at a stop sign or stoplight, anytime that I put in demand for acceleration. The transmission doesn’t shift the way it’s supposed to and I lose power I have been in touch with the dealership often on over the last couple of weeks trying to figure out the recall status for the PTU, I was told that my Jeep Vin number is not part of the recall.
Power train, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle engine revved but failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that this was the second time the vehicle had lost motive power. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to repair the vehicle was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 29, 2025
While driving, multiple warning alerts appeared on my dashboard, including “Service Airbag,” “Service Four Wheel Drive,” “Service Shifter,” “Service ABS,” “Traction Control Off,” and “Check Engine Light.” Shortly after, the vehicle lost power and became immobile, preventing me from moving it to the side of the road. The parking brake engaged automatically and could not be disengaged. Additionally, the windshield wipers activated without being turned on. These issues rendered the car unsafe and unmovable. I called a tow truck, but the vehicle was towed before it arrived, leading to further costs and complications. The malfunctioning systems pose significant safety risks, including the failure of critical components like the airbag and ABS. The loss of power and inability to move the vehicle caused a hazardous situation, and I was unable to take preventive action. I request an investigation into whether this issue should be considered a recall. The situation raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of the vehicle’s components.
Power train, Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly turned off. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there were metal shavings inside the transmission. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Power train, Apr 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted for an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the power transfer unit was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Power train, Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The Police assisted the contact in pulling the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to Pep Boys. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Apr 17, 2025
My Power Transfer Unit has been defected. This has been an issue for many Jeep Cherokee’s (KL) where they experienced the same issue and were recalled due to the safety concern of sudden parking, transmission locking and vehicle rolling away after parking is engaged. There have been multiple recalls for this trim excluding my vehicle, including, NHTSA Campaign # 23V302000 and 25V011000. Why is my vehicle not under the same recall when my vehicle is experiencing the same issue? My cars transmission does not engage into 4 wheel, rolls in park when my foot is let off the brake pedal and causes sudden parking concern while the vehicle is in motion. This issue needs to be resolved from the manufacturer as my safety is in danger every day I drive my vehicle. Please make the exception to resolve my vehicles issue to allow me to drive safely without the fear of sudden stopping or vehicle roll off.
Power train, Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Four Wheel Drive" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the PTU was faulty and needed to be replaced. The PTU was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently, while attempting to the start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and the message "Service PTU" was displayed. The vehicle failed to start and was later towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the PTU had failed and needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 89,000.
Power train, Apr 16, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Engine, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 15 MPH, the vehicle lost power and stalled. The battery warning light was illuminated, with the message “Shift to Park or Neutral – “Depress Brake Pedal and Select Gear” displayed. The drive indicator light was blinking, and the battery was red. The vehicle was taken for an oil change, and the messages were no longer displayed; however, the failure recurred months later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the power transfer unit had lost power; the vehicle turned off with the message to shift to park displayed. The contact stated that the failure occurred frequently. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped within 2 miles. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was repaired under an undisclosed recall. The vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. The contact believed that the vehicle should be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Power train, Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made abnormal sounds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the independent mechanic was unable to determine the cause of failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact then received the recall notification. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and remained unrepaired for one and a half months. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Apr 4, 2025
4wd service light on. Four wheel drive will not work. Makes noises once and awhile. Vehicle parking brake came on and would not work. Was spinning on ice snow and parking brake activated.
Power train, Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed through an intersection, the vehicle lost automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to remain in park(P) and the parking brake was activated to keep the vehicle from moving. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle was towed to a local dealer and was repaired for a power transfer unit (PTU) failure. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer and was left for further investigation. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Mar 30, 2025
Recently there was a recall for 63,082 Jeep Cherokees from the years 2017-2019. I have yet to see my VIN in this list and I'm just not sure why. I have been dealing with a SVC 4WD light on for awhile now and am hearing the noted vibration noises of the safety recall. Why isn't my vehicle included, especially when it's literally having the same problem that other people are being covered on, with my same Jeep year and model. If someone could give me more information on if they will be adding more vehicles to the list...especially ones experiencing this same problem. Thank you for your time. Best, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled the contact could not confirm which warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,922. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Mar 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond immediately, but responded after several attempts. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and shuddered, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to JMB Automotive, where the diagnostic trouble code C14A7-97 was retrieved. The mechanic informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train) and determined that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the same assessment was made; however, the dealer informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the dealer would be contacted and would be advised to add the vehicle to the recall waiting list. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Mar 26, 2025
There is still no remedy available for a recall with my PTU that was issued at the beginning of 2025. I have to drive my car daily for work and I am afraid for my life while doing so. I don’t have the financial means to purchase a new car, so I’m at the mercy of a company to decide on if the cost to fix this is worth the lives of their customers.
Power train, Mar 25, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in his driveway, powered on, parked, and unattended, it began to roll back and crashed into his other vehicle, a 2017 GMC Sierra. The service shift message was displayed. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or fire. A police report was not filed. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who inspected it and determined there was no evidence of a manufacturer defect. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer opened a case on the contact's behalf. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Power train, Mar 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, who determined that there was grease being splashed from the drive axle. The contact was informed that the drive axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Power train, Service brakes, Mar 18, 2025
My parking brake goes on out of the blue and my warning lights next to the shifter are on indicating there is a problem. My mechanic cannot fix it and the dealership said there is a recall but does not have a remedy, but says it is a SAFETY ISSUE.(!) I am afraid I will get into an accident. Please advise.