2019 Jeep Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 1,643 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 12 Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 40 involved a crash and 19 involved a fire. 37 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power trainMay 7, 2026
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
A failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the Drivetrain Control Drivetrain Control Module, PTU, and Electronic Park Brake software, and replace the PTU, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed June 25, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy becomes available. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 40D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 14, 2026.
Campaign 26V290000 on NHTSA.gov
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
Steering, rack and pinion, rackAug 29, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.
Campaign 19V637000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bagsJun 13, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The impact and acceleration sensors may fail and reduce the air bag system's ability to properly detect certain crash events.
In the event of a crash, the inability to properly detect a crash may result in improper air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected sensors, free of charge. The recall began August 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V63.
Campaign 19V449000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsMar 28, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The front passenger seat mounting bolts may be loose.
In the event of a crash, the seat may move, increasing the risk of injury.
Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 11, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V31.
Campaign 19V248000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelDec 20, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail resulting in a lack of activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges.
Without the activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges to provide vehicle information to the driver, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UC4.
Campaign 18V917000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionOct 19, 2018
Chrysler(FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Improper transmission calibration may result in a stall.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will re-flash the transmission controller with a new calibration, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UA9.
Campaign 18V739000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiring, front underhoodAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Campaign 18V524000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.
Campaign 18V523000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmissionJul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the wheels.
If the transmission weld fails, the vehicle will stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U85.
Campaign 18V492000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMay 25, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage. These engines may also have a reversed camshaft cap that can damage the camshaft bearing causing camshaft failure.
Cylinder damage or camshaft failure can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the affected engine components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U52.
Campaign 18V344000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: other or unspecified
257 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 2, 2024
1. Component/system failed: PTU 2. My vehicle completely shut off and became disabled while driving - this put my safety and the safety of others at risk. 3. The problem was confirmed at the dealership. 4. The vehicle has been inspected by certified mechanics at the dealership. 5. There were no prior warning lights or signs/symptoms of the problem before failure.
Other or unspecified, Jul 1, 2024
The uConnect Panel system malfunctioned and was attempting to contact emergency services while I was driving, in addition to opening other apps on the system and rotating to the back camera while driving at high speeds on a highway. This is a common issue that I am reading about and is not safe and Jeep needs to fix this issue. Had there been more cars on the road, I could have easily been in an accident because it was alarming and I wasn't sure what was happening to my car. I drove straight to a service station and had them come see what was happening before turning it off so I could try and figure out a solution. I am also happy my children were not in the car. I have contacted the dealer but they have not returned my call and I do not think this cost should be put on the consumer when this is not a regular maintenance issue and is so common of a concern among consumers. It also appears that there have been other complaints in previous years, yet no one is considering the panic it causes drivers and the potential of major accidents.
Other or unspecified, Jun 24, 2024
Delamination of the main screen that houses the control panel for the vehicle. After much research, this is a common failure on the Chrysler vehicles. This delamination is caused the radio to rapidly switch through all the buttons which is extremely distracting. With it turned off, all features are visibly unavailable. This should be a recall. As a car manufacturer, having settings that affect the way the vehicle physically brakes and steers that are configured via the Uconnect system, and that system has a defect that can cause those settings to change without the knowledge of the user, that’s a safety issue.
Power train, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Jun 10, 2024
Driving at night with headlights on: got warning “license plate light out.” Needed to reverse shortly after and the car immediately applied the brakes because it said the backup camera was unusable without the license plate light. Shut the car off for a while and when I tried to start it again, it three the following codes in sequence. Park Sense Unavailable Service Electronic Stability Control Service Electronic Throttle Control License Plate Light Out Service Park Brake Then the start screen appears. Brake + Push Button to Start Doing that brings up “Service Transmission Restart in Park With Vehicle at Zero Speed. So again I pressed the brake and start Button. It then started, repeated all previous error codes leaving warning icons active for all related systems and rendered them all inop. The last screen says “Service Transmission.” From there all ability to check the status of any other system on the vehicle is inhibited. The transmission slams into gear. And then works in the first two gears normally. Also notable is that 4x4 is inhibited and the AC will not work. Prior to the License Plate Light Out warning, everything worked normally. Now every system on the car has gone haywire. And I am pretty sure the Jeep folks will gladly overbill me for their defective design. I think some logic module or whatever name Jeep uses for it is somehow the culprit, and the car is doing exactly what it was programmed to do under the current conditions.
Other or unspecified, Apr 26, 2024
Car keep having warning messege unable to start was told by different they are aware of this problem and car keep stalling out
Other or unspecified, Apr 18, 2024
Car stalling while driving or turning happens when I come off the freeway has only happened twice but my engine stalls both times and it takes about 30 seconds to a minute for me to regain power to continue driving
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, Mar 19, 2024
Currently the seats sound like they arnt bolted down correctly. Also recently the key fob is failing to unlock the vehicle and its taking multiple trys of pulling the fob out of the ignition and putting it back into the ignition trying it on different sides buying multiple batteries. Also the the vehicle has always gotten stuck in gear, hard shifting.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 18, 2024
SUV parking/emergency brake automatically activates without driver doing this. This is what happened: stopped at red light foot on brake. The SUV has the feature to shut the engine off when stopped. Light turns green foot then goes to the gas. When the foot is lifted off the brake, the engine tries to restart and hesitates and at the same time the parking/emergency brake activates without this being activated by driver Unable to move forward more than a few feet and car stalls. Car has to be put in park. Engine completely needs to be turned off by driver. And the emergency/ parking brake shut off. This creates a significant safety risk for the potential of the car(s) behind the SUV accelerating into the back of SUV assuming that the SUV will be moving forward. I have encountered others with a Jeep Cherokee/ Compass with the same issue and cannot understand why there has not been a recall for this. The dealership attributes this to needing a new battery- they replaced this already. No one should have to drive like this. This has been ongoing for a while prior to the miles noted in this report. The symbol with an A and a circle with an arrow at the end of the circle and an ! Appear on the dashboard in orange.
Other or unspecified, Mar 2, 2024
Verified internal PTU failure Confirmed by Dick Hannah Dealership 3517 NE Auto Mall Dr. Vancouver WA. First appeared two months ago, car jerks
Other or unspecified, Feb 29, 2024
IT WILL CUT OFF WHEN I TURN AND THEN MY THEN BATTERY IMAGE POPUP HAD BATTERY CHECK ITS GOOD ALTERNATOR GOOD STATER GOOD CUTS OFF AND HESTATATE TO START BACK UP BUT IT DO IT DRIVE FOR A GOOD WHILE THEN WEEKS LATER IT WOULD START DOING IT AGAIN
Other or unspecified, Feb 17, 2024
Had just stopped for gas while taking a friend home. All of a sudden the vehicle power shut off while driving down the road and could not get it to turn back on. No warning, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and it's never happened before. I checked my VIN to see if it could be part of the UA9 recall because that sounds like what happened, but my vehicle is not part of that recall???
Other or unspecified, Jan 9, 2024
While driving approximately 20mph in an extremely busy intersection my car jolted and stopped almost causing us to get hit from oncoming traffic coming from multiple directions. The start / stop system failed and the error message was “service start / stop system”. I had my daughter in the car when this very scary experience happened. After researching it seems like thousands of people have had the same issues all resulting in the “auxiliary battery “ needing to be changed . This has been reported as a faulty part on newer models. This battery controls the main functions of the car , including the start / stop system .
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 30, 2023
The radio has started switching channels will not stay on one set station. Along with radio switching the touch screen also changes from maps to calling 911 and making sos calls, the back up camera will turn on while driving down roadway. The screen is constantly blinking and changing causes major distraction especially at night when it catches your eye. It is a major distraction while driving.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 24, 2023
I have a 2019 jeep cherokee 4wd with 46077 miles. This has never happened before until now. It was dark out heading to work. I came to a stop when I went to go the jeep just literally shut down. Everything turned off- I had no lights, no engine, no warning at all. Would not start at all. I called my husband and when I opened the driver door the jeeps dash finally came on and I tried to start it, wouldn't at first than tried again it started. I turned around and drove back home. Contacted the garage. This is unsafe for anyone to put their life on the line. I was lucky I didn't get hit. I have 5 grandkids and this is not a safe vehicle to drive when there is no warning at all. Luckily It didn't do this on the railroad tracks. The garage told me to take back to the dealership. The dealership said there are no recalls on my vehicle. However, I see other jeep cherokee with the same issues and have recalls. Why risk my life or anyone else. All jeep cherokees of any year or engine size should be taken seriously.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2023
My "Service 4 Wheel Drive" light went off in my 2019 Jeep Cherokee (Limited) and my local Jeep Dealership informed me that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) had failed. Moreover, a complete failure of the PTU while driving would be very dangerous so I was lucky for this not to happen. I drive in Philadelphia and rarely have need of the 4WD feature so the part failure is mostly likely due to poor design or manufacturing. The repair cost me over $2600 (the invoice they emailed me before payment is attached). I learned that several previous models of Jeep Cherokees have been recalled due to PTU failures. It is irresponsible on the part of the manufacturer to continue to produce parts that fail on new models especially when failure is so dangerous.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2023
Car leaks water especially when parking and braking. Coolant always go low. No help from the dealership. This started with very low mileage. I have on it now 68k and it is low again.
Other or unspecified, Nov 24, 2023
While driving on the freeway, the check engine light and came on and the car shut off. Luckily, traffic was light and I attempted to restart the car. It made a loud, whirring noise and stuttered but turned on. The check engine light remained on. I continued on my way home, staying in the right lane. After about 15 minutes the car shut off again. I was able to get it mostly to the shoulder. I attempted to restart it again but it did not restart this time. A police car pushed me off the fwy and I had the car towed home. The dealer was able to check my car a week later. After 2 days, they were not sure of the issue and advised I pick it up and drive it some more. The following day, it shut off while driving again.
Other or unspecified, Nov 8, 2023
2019 Jeep Cherokee PTU failed.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 5, 2023
Driving on the highway fortunately about 20 MPH and the jeep Cherokee limited died while moving. Could not restart it and had to get towed off the highway . Jeep dealer said it was because of a dead battery that could not hold a charge. Never in 4 years had a problem . Not sure why a dead battery would cause the jeep to shut down completely while moving. Battery replaced and now the radio is dead according to the dealer . Have not picked the jeep up yet
Power train, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2023
Questions answered in order: Major component glitch, messages for most components appeared on screen, Air bag, Transmission, zero speed, annunciator alarming, will try to duplicate and take pictures. Car stalled in road as driving. In process No indication prior to failure, all at once.
Other or unspecified, Sep 21, 2023
I was driving down I-55 S in Marion, Arkansas on 21 September 2023 at 620 in the morning headed towards Memphis when I heard a crack and glasses shattering above my head. I knew my sun roof had to have been broken. I pulled over and opened the automatic shade and my entire sunroof had been shattered. The inside of my car was completely covered in glass. There was no object that I saw that could have done this, it was roughly 65F outside, at 620am, with clear skies. I had to drive back to my boyfriends house in Marion to leave the car in his driveway and call my insurance company to file a claim and reserve a rent a car. There is still glass shards sticking out of the sunroof, which I cannot remove without injuring myself or furthering damaging the roof. The car is currently available for inspection and hasn’t not been inspected. There was no warning signs. I had opened my sunroof just last week and had no issues, there wasn’t any cracks or damages. I was driving roughly 70 mph and had several cars around me including a semi trailer, had I not had my shade closed I would have been covered with glass and may of gotten glass in my eyes which would have impacted my ability to see and may have caused an accident.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 16, 2023
This is my second complaint regarding a Jeep and this time about a 2019 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 Limited, I turned in a complaint re: 2019 Jeep Compass as they both have the same problem. The stop/start system has drained the secondary battery, in turn draining the car battery, in turning almost killing the alternator, The failure left me in the middle of a busy intersection with no possible way to restart the car. It could easily have gotten me killed. There was no warning , no light, no nothing. There is an extreme failure in this system and I want to know why the mechanics for Jeep do not tell you that the secondary battery is a problem and will be again as it isn't changed out when the car battery is replaced. (the demise of which is a result of the failure of the secondary) t is a n unnecessary and a lousy one,
Other or unspecified, Sep 13, 2023
I received a warning light on my dash board SVC 4WD. I took my car to the dealership and was told I need my PTU replaced and the cost was estimated at $2,255.67. I did some reach and found a recall for this same issue in earlier vehicle year models. I am frustrated by the fact that my Jeep is obviously having the same issue and could potentially put my safety at risk yet my vehicle year is not recalled. I am forced to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket because my vehicle model isn’t recalled. I need action taken to have my vehicle recalled so that my Jeep can be repaired.
Other or unspecified, Sep 2, 2023
Radio functions are not working which includes GPS, general radio functions such as stations and volume, Bluetooth functions that interfere with basic safety and communications. Almost all functions of this car flow through the radio.
Other or unspecified, Aug 1, 2023
Has similar defect as Jeep Grand Cherokee recall X81. Jeep refuses to admit the issue and is trying to charge customer $3500 to fix the issue. Leather is separating from dash.