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
1,334 reports, newest first.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 19, 2023
While driving the service shifter warning has come on. The car will drive like it is not in the correct gear, and all the gear shift lights come on. It does not want to accelerate. If the warning comes on when starting up, the Jeep will not allow me to shift from park. It has to be shut off and restarted after waiting a few minutes. The auto stop-start no longer works. (It’s the feature that helps to cut emissions that usually engages when at a signal light.). While researching, I found out that Mopar has recalled some Cherokee models, but not mine.
Power train, Electrical system, Oct 18, 2023
In the middle of turning into a busy intersection, service shifter light came on and car is shutting off without warning. Shifter lights flash and car dashboard states to put car into gear in order to drive. Took several minutes for car to restart in order to get out of the busy intersection. Huge safety issue could cause a collision while driving for car to shut off without warning. Numerous reports of this on the NHTSA, forums and discussions with no resolution from the manufacturer.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. The contact stated that a message stating that the 4-wheel drive function had failed. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V411000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 20V699000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however their VIN was not included. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer as of yet. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000
Steering, Engine, Oct 12, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the contact had heard an abnormal noise. The vehicle had started overheating. The vehicle was hesitant to accelerate and the steering had become firm. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty shifter vessel and ECU jumper harness. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,808.
Power train, Electrical system, Oct 12, 2023
Transmission shifting erratically/service shifter warning displays. Vehicle will lose power at inopportune times due to failure to shift, which could cause a collision, or an accident if on a busy road. Also vehicle will have unwanted acceleration when attempting to come to a stop. This can be dangerous as it may push the vehicle into an intersection after you have attempted to stop. There are various complaints of this issue on various websites and media forums yet no mention of the manufacturer making any attempts to resolve. I have also found the service shifter issue to disable the engine and not allow the vehicle to start which can leave someone stranded.
Power train, Oct 12, 2023
UNKNOWN Vehicle does not shift into gears correctly and can sometimes have unwanted acceleration or has loss of power at inopportune times.
Electrical system, Air bags, Seat belts, Oct 11, 2023
Indicator lights are shown on dash include gas cap, seat belt and engine. All gear lights display red when driving and states to service shifter. Dash displays service engine soon. Service air bag system. Seat belt will constantly ding even though it is buckled and will not stop dinging. Replaced gas cap, but indicator light continues to display on dash. Strongly believe there are electrical issues causing theses defects. Took to local dealership and they performed an update, but the indicator lights started to display again the following day, along with the constant dinging from the vehicle not being able to sensor the seat belt being buckled. This has been happening for over a year now and no one seems to be acknowledging there is an extreme safety concern with this vehicle. Strongly believe it is due to the fact of being at fault and not wanting to correct the defects without compensation. Plus there is an abnormal sound when accelerating since these issues began and are continuous. If you’re an attorney reading this, please find me through my vin #. I’m tired of dealing with these issues and willing to take legal action to resolve these issues. Will never buy a Jeep again. Thanks.
Steering, Oct 10, 2023
my 2017 jeep cherokee (vin [XXX] ) has two recalls that are affecting the vhicle. the first is the shifter and harness recall that causes the vehicle to display "service shifter" messages randomly, and all of the shifter lights turn on. the second is the recall effecting how the vehicle shifts. please send me information on how to get these recalls fixed without having to pay a fortune. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Oct 9, 2023
Shifter lighting up all gears and parking brake initializing while driving. Happened more than 3 times already, two other times happened while at stop sign/light
Power train, Wheels, Engine, Oct 4, 2023
In the first incident, the engine stalled. Next incident, warning lights on the dash appeared (engine light, traction light, and throttle control) and when pressing on the gas peddle, the car would not respond (would not increase speed). I had to put on flashers to a warn car behind me. Very scary. Bringing in for service ASAP.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Oct 4, 2023
Shifter alarm and need to stop the car to reset. Terrible on the highway engine will shut down. Temperature overheating stopped car working.
Power train, Oct 2, 2023
Driving in normal conditions, had the vehicle loose power to all 4 wheels when on the road. After taking it into a shop mechanic stated that the power transfer unit was the cause of the problem. This created an extremely unsafe situation leaving me unable to move the vehicle and not being able to control it in either direction
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 30, 2023
Service shifter light comes on and off randomly while driving. Won't allow my vehicle to restart after shutting off without getting a jump to start it. Had the shifter replaced on 3/31/22 at 64,000 miles and now again it's happening at 89,000 miles on 9/29/2023.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 21, 2023
The Service Shifter light came on and keeps coming on sporadically. I was dismayed to learn that there are numerous complaints regarding the Service Shifter light on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee. Has this ever been formally addressed.
Power train, Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Service 4-Wheel Drive message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
Power train, Sep 16, 2023
Several months ago, my dashboard displayed a service four-wheel-drive message. I took it to a mechanic. They diagnosed to have the code C14A7-97 CPU motor component system operation obscured or blocked. Further research was conducted and there are several bulletins out for this year and model regarding differential input splines wearing out due to a manufacturer issue creating a major safe issues. In addition on several occasions the warning light for my parking brake has come on, according to an article I read this is a symptom and safety issue related to the transfer case flaw. I speculate a parking brake failure could potentially cause a roll away. There is no recall for my specific VIN for this issue although it’s evident that this is one of the Jeep Cherokee’s that was effected. I fear that if this causes my vehicle to lose power while driving could lead to a serious accident.
Power train, Sep 13, 2023
September 6, 2023 my 2017 Jeep cherokee started making noises while driving and the service 4wd light came on. I called Quirk Jeep service and I was told to not drive it and have it towed to the shop. The problem was diagnosed as a PTU failure. I was not off road but on a local paved road when it failed. As of today 9/13/23 I was told there were no PTUs available anywhere and my car was not covered by recall W47 (20V343 NHTSA).
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle then started to reverse independently. The contact stated that the transmission also failed to shift properly. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Power train, Sep 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle was shifted into reverse; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The service shifter warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Other or unspecified, Sep 3, 2023
I purchased 2017 Jeep Cherokee from Jim Riehls Friendly dealership 2/2022. On 5/2023, the parking brake engaged while I was pulling out of my driveway and I blocked on coming traffic in my neighborhood. Called a tow truck and took to my mechanic (Kay's Auto Shop). They recommended taking to Jeep dealership as needed "a code check for electronic park brake failure". Jeep was able to drive to dealership. Dealership evaluated Jeep and asked if I had "driven into a lake"? There was water under the rear mat in spare tire area from unknown leak. I have never seen or heard a leak from sunroof or rear hatch. Dealership offered to fix problem but would be charging me to find leak. Representative said up to $4,000 and not guaranteed. I drove Jeep home. When I went to drive to doctor's appt., parking brake was engaged again. I am a 58 y/o new widow and I don't trust this vehicle. I believe it to be unsafe and unreliable. I have documentation and pictures for your review. Thank you for your careful consideration.
Air bags, Aug 28, 2023, crash
My vehicle was in 2 MAJOR wrecks. One in dec 2021, where I t boned someone who turned in front of me at a green light. $19k in damages. Should have totaled it. But how in the hell the air bags didn’t go off is amazing. Bc my chest hit the steering wheel so hard i had to be treated for it. Not only that but the wreck destroyed my lower vertebrae. After it took the shop 6 months to fix and taken back for problems multiple times. I had it 2 weeks, and the brakes failed. Due to something the shop did I’m sure but I rear ended a lady with no brakes at 45-50 mph. Slamming directly into her even though I saw her. I broke my toe I hit the brakes so hard. But again I hit her directly where all the sensors are and this wreck was worse than the first the vehicle totaled and no air bags went off…. I shattered my left knee from hitting the dash.broke my big toe on my right foot etc. why didn’t my air bags go off…… I bought my vehicle certified pre owned in 2019. There’s no way in either wreck I missed that air bag sensor. I work in the collision industry. I know they have to be hit directly on to make them go off but there is no reason mine shouldn’t have other than a defect. I was alone in the first wreck, the second I was further injured and had to stop treatment I was still undergoing from the wreck before bc of the lapsing. My daughter was also injured in the second wreck. Second wreck happened in July 2022
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 19, 2023
Shifter Service message appears on dash while operating vehichle. All lights for transmission position are lit up at the same time. This occurred during "normal" operation of vehicle.
Power train, Aug 8, 2023
Service shifter message was displayed along with one chime.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 7, 2023
I did have an incident in July of 2022, my car would not get out of park. I was in a drive through and put my car in park. When I went to put my car in drive. The vehicle completely shut off and began to roll backwards. The next set of issues, I first noticed the issues in the beginning of 2023. The service 4wd light is on and the parking brake will not engage. The 4wd itself works just fine, each terrain mode will engage. So Ilderton Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram (High Point, NC), looked at my vehicle and said the PTU was bad and needs to be replaced. This passed weekend, I was driving entering a highway via acceleration lane and my car had trouble switching speed limits. Which leads me to believe the necessary power was not able to perform. This is detrimental to the safety of myself and others. Should my car's brakes fail or car lose power; it could seriously injure myself, innocent people in the vicinity of my car, or mechanics working on my car, etc. I work at a Pediatric office and would hate for the brakes to fail at work. Chrysler has already recalled 96,000 Jeep Cherokees for the exact same issue. Due to this, the PTU is back ordered and cannot be located anywhere in the US.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 3, 2023
Parking brake engage itself upon starting car and was still engaged while backing out of garage. Service parking brake and service start/stop warning lights are now on. Investigation for repair found excessive drain on battery for age of the battery (14 months).