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
1,643 reports, newest first.
Power train, Mar 20, 2024
Received a “4WD System Unavailable” error on dash. Vehicle got stuck in 4WD. Vehicle has been at dealership since 1/13/2024. Apparently part is on back order.
Engine, Mar 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Altitude. The contact stated that his daughter was driving at approximately 70 MPH when the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that no warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that a connecting rod had punctured the engine block, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 40,507.
Service brakes, Mar 19, 2024
The emergency parking brake locked up once while I was moving, on ice, and today I went to move the car and it would not disengage making the car unmovable. I tried all of the online suggestions to disengage it but none worked. I had to have it towed by AAA.
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.
Steering, Power train, Electrical system, Mar 15, 2024
The 4WD service light is on. It isn’t driving right. The internet says thousands of people have similar issues- all reporting the same thing. And defective PTU units are listed as the cause.
Power train, Mar 15, 2024
I would like to report an issue regarding my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus, Vin No. [XXX] . This morning (on [XXX]), I was leaving a gas station, pulled away, was in drive when I stopped to pause for traffic and while attempting to merge into traffic, suddenly without warning my Jeep wouldn't move- it was revving when I pressed the gas but didn't move at all. Acting quickly, I put my foot on the brake, put the vehicle in reverse and then shifted back to drive. The vehicle began driving as it normally would. It felt like the vehicle shifted into Neutral without warning. I made sure the vehicle wasn't in fact in neutral when this happened as sometimes the shifter can accidently fall into neutral if bumped. It was in fact in drive. I am bringing this to your attention as I have noticed similar recalls for this particular vehicle and I wonder if my vehicle is in fact one of them that are affected but not yet discovered. Also, it should be noted that the incorrect vehicle is associated with my vin number on the NHTSA website. it shows up as a "2019 Jeep Cherokee Altitude 4x4" the vehicle is a "2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus". It also says no open recalls, and I fear that I am not receiving these notifications because of this error. And I am also afraid of my vehicle suddenly shifting into Neutral while I am driving on the highway. I do travel frequently and long distances almost daily. I have contacted Jeep Customer service and have made them aware of this issue. They suggested that I bring the vehicle in for service, and that there were no open recalls at this time. I am scheduling an appointment with my local dealership in HUDSON, NY and will also make them aware of what happened and who I have contacted regarding same. I would like to make the NHTSA aware of this issue, as I am certain there should be a recall as it is a dangerous defect that happens without warning and can lead to a crash, personal injury and/or potentially death. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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
Power train, Mar 1, 2024
Sudden PTU problem at 70,000, gathering repair quotes
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
Power train, Feb 29, 2024
The sevice 4wheel drive light is on I had a problem with this 2 years ago and now again the ptu system needs replace this is the second time in 2 years and this time it’s not under warranty
Power train, Feb 27, 2024
The rear differential housing completely cracked open and all the fluids leaked out. This seems to be a common issue with 2019 Jeep Cherokees. I keep extremely well care of my vehicle and it has mostly highway miles and this issue should of never occurred. Not only could of the entire transmission been destroyed but there is no warning signal. The only reason I noticed anything was because there were oil spots in the garage towards the rear of the vehicle. This issue seems to be a manufacturer error through Mopar.
Power train, Feb 22, 2024
the rear differential housing started leaking and upon inspection it was found to be cracked along the bottom middle area. the part was replaced by an independent auto repair shop at considerable expense due to the cost of the part. the faulty part was not retained. if it had not been noticed it could have resulted in a catastrophic failure resulting in loss of control of the vehicle and potentially a crash could have occurred involving one or more vehicles. the part was confirmed to be defective by the independent mechanic after a thorough inspection and consequent diagnosis. there were no warnings of the situation other than the gear oil leak which started 10/16/1923. the repair was completed 10/26/23 due to having to order the replacement part. this repair should be covered by Jeep and as a long time Jeep owner i am disappointed in the lack of attention to this matter and am registering this complaint in hopes that it can be addressed. thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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???
Power train, Feb 9, 2024
68,000 miles on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee. steering wheel started wobbling, hearing weird noises from the rear of the vehicle. took it in to get looked at (thankfully), rear differential and PTU is shot. mechanic was absolutely baffled and insisted I contact Jeep about this issue, as it shouldn't be my responsibility to fix their faulty parts. I honestly do not understand how there isn't at least an extended powertrain warranty on these vehicles by now, especially seeing MULTIPLE complaints about the SAME ISSUES every month on the NHTSA website. have to pay upwards of $4k now to make my jeep drivable again because I am out of warranty by 8k. seems to be a little convenient that these failures happen between 65 and 78k, when the vehicles are just out of warranty. but what angers me more than the money is what potentially could have happened had I not taken it in to get looked at - especially since this vehicle is my daily driver, which includes driving my 2 year old to and from daycare every day. Is it going to take someone to die for this issue to be resolved?!?! unbelievable.
Power train, Feb 9, 2024
My jeep started smoking under the hood. No safety lights appeared on the dash. Confirmed by dealership the PTU needs replacement. I have 76,000 miles so no warranty even though I purchased it new. Estimate to fix is $3500. I have been without my Jeep for 2 months and still continue to wait for the parts to come in. Very disappointing in the cost and inconvenience this has caused me.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 30, 2024
It will occasionally stall to accelerate. As well as the electrical system for radio, thermostat, camera etc in dash won’t turn on or work intermittently.
Power train, Jan 24, 2024
I know Chrysler is aware that this is a serious safety concern because you’re in the midst of traffic in a high-speed one way freeway, a traction light came on by itself, transmission and PTU failed then you lost power had to slowly pull over to the left-hand lane as you had no power improper because you’re supposed to be on the right hand shoulder And you had no ability to accelerate and when you stopped the vehicle and tried to put it in the park, it rolled away when you went to reverse it you had a bit of reverse, but you had grinding so clearly something inside the transmission prematurely failed, causing the safety concern lucky Somebody wasn’t killed or an accident caused. Towed to dealer Then the dealership work order say tranny and power transfer unit needed to be replaced at a cost of $20,300. 5 mth past 5 yr warranty
Power train, Jan 18, 2024
While driving the vehicle, the rpm’s suddenly shot up and the vehicle lost power, I was able to safely pull over to the side of road where I tried to place the vehicle in park. There was a lot of revving and grinding and the vehicle would not go into park and was going to roll away if I had not placed the parking brake. The car had to be towed to a dealer where they discovered the Power Transfer Unit had failed and the loss of motive power I was experiencing was the PTU failing.
Power train, Electrical system, Jan 18, 2024
While driving, car reved itsself up and when in neutral, sensor said 4wd Neutral Warning Vehicle May move even in park…..4wd System unavailable service required…Had a diagnostic done of the sensor light that came on. Diagnostic said codes u0403 for T-Case, C14A7 PTU motor. After much reading and research this same part was recalled in the years 2014-2017 Jeep Trailhawks. The PTU loss power and had me and my family on the side of the hwy! It made some jerking and clicking noise when attempting to switch the gears to drive. There is also an electrical issue where the heat will not stay on selected option. The radio flickers and will not stay on a station. The radio also was powered off and was still playing.
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 .
Power train, Engine, Jan 7, 2024
Engine oil leaks. VVT solenoid seal in the rear valve cover is leaking oil. That seal is integrated with the valve cover. Replace valve cover at 66,000 miles. I am excellent about my Jeep/vehicle maintenance. Warranty ended at 65,000 miles.
Power train, Jan 4, 2024
While driving the vehicle, it started to make a muffled whining sound then as you slowed down you would feel a thud then the whine would stop. This would repeat itself. This happened [XXX]. I brought it to my mechanic- First Class Alignment and Repair in Port Jervis, NY 12771. They informed me the vehicle should not be driven due to the vehicle could fail to operate while driving. They discovered a cracked Rear Differential. They had no explanation for this- they have never seen this before. I would say it is a manufacturers defect. I have pictures of the defect. I was unable to upload the pictures for some reason. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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, Engine, Dec 29, 2023
Without any previous warnings, the car stopped in the middle of the drive. Then the battery warning turned on, after trying to turn it back on.