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.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Dec 27, 2023
My car's parking brake comes on during both stopping and driving, especially during acceleration. It recently engaged as my daughter, who was using my car to go Christmas shopping, was accelerating from a stop light and into an intersection. She was almost hit from behind when the brakes locked up in the middle of the intersection.
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, Dec 22, 2023
During highway speeds upon strong acceleration up an incline, the car’s transmission suddenly shifted into neutral with no warning, the car still in drive and no lights on dash. There was a loss of power and I had to quickly merge over in traffic to safely come to a stop. After coming to a stop, the car resumed driving normally with another incident down the road at cruising speed. This has happed about 6 times, another accelerating from a stop. So far the diagnosis is unknown, with the car scheduled for service in the next week. This is a well documented and persistent problem with these vehicles equipped with this transmission.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Dec 18, 2023
My battery went out and I literally replaced it last year. Also when I replaced it last year the back light would stay on sometimes all night and day I was worried it could start a fire or something dealer didn't even bother checking it and left it like that and replaced the battery. Last month my vehicle wouldn't start and no warning or nothing before it just died on me good thing I had it in my driveway when this happened.
Power train, Dec 16, 2023
Rear differential failing
Power train, Dec 14, 2023
The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failed which rendered the AWD system useless for the vehicle. The car has been in the shop for 6 weeks and will likely be in the shop another at least another three because the PTU is on national backorder. This is the same failure that Jeep recently recalled for the previous year model Jeep Cherokee, but Jeep has not issued a recall on this year model.
Power train, Dec 6, 2023
I purchased a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus brand new from a local dealership. My Jeep now has a little over 30,000 miles on it. I noticed when taking off from a complete stop, I would give my car gas and the vehicle would not respond. I would continue to press the gas pedal down almost to the floorboard hoping to get the vehicle to respond. When the car does respond, the transmission would slam itself into 1st gear and take off. The last time I experienced my car slamming into 1st gear, I was turning onto a busy highway, at night and light rain. When the car did shift into gear it caused me to go into the left lane with cars turning on to the highway from the other side of the road. I was originally turning into the right lane. I almost crossed over into a turning lane with numerous cars waiting to make a left turn onto the street I just pulled out from. I did not have any warning lights on the dashboard to let me know of an issue at any of the times the car was acting up. On numerous other occasions, it feels like the transmission is not shifting correctly while going at various speeds. I would need to let off the gas and then give the car gas again to get it to shift. My dealership’s service department has had my car since November 20, 2023, and I’m being told they have not been able to duplicate the issue. They wanted to know if I wanted to pick up my car. I feel this issue will cause a serious accident which could cause serious injury or death if not detected and fixed.
Steering, Dec 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the electric power steering was not functioning properly. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V637000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Power train, Dec 1, 2023
PTU failure. Not being able to shift into 4 wheel drive. Afraid of losing forward power while driving on busy interstate. No longer have the extra safety and control that is available with 4 wheel drive
Power train, Nov 30, 2023
The SVC4WD light has been turning on. Took it to get a diagnosis and the was told PTU is failing and needs to be replaced. Estimated repair costs are $1320
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her niece was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 60 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was a misfire in cylinder #2. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V344000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000.
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.
Power train, Nov 21, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound and the vehicle independently shifted into neutral and then lost power. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road to attempt to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referred to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V739000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Service brakes, Nov 20, 2023
Right Rear brake caliper fail causing damaged rotor. Replaced all rear brake components and the service portion of the system dont work. All lights on. Shop is at a loss. Im at a loss why at 45k miles my rear brakes are junk and not being able to repair them.
Power train, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the transmission erroneously shifted from 4WD to 2WD, and the vehicle would no longer accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. After pulling off the roadway and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle remained in 2WD with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that later while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission control module (TCM) message displayed. On another occasion while driving approximately 25 MPH, the transmission message displayed, and the transmission erroneously shifted to reverse, and the vehicle would only operate in reverse. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000.
Other or unspecified, Nov 8, 2023
2019 Jeep Cherokee PTU failed.
Electrical system, Nov 7, 2023
Jeep touchscreen delaminating. 2019 Cherokee. GPS randomly changes,phone calls with connect randomly made. Seat and radio settings change on their own.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Nov 4, 2023
Stopped car at red light. Car died. Totally. Engine cut out. Brakes failed, no steering. Tried to restart multiple times. Luckily light was on a decline. Ended up putting it in N and drifting through intersection and into parking lot. Again, no steering, no brakes. Very frightening. When turning key initially after stall, lights on instrument panel lit up but no engine start. By the time I got into the lot, not even lights. Totally dead. Had it towed to dealer. No idea what's wrong. VIN says no unrepaired recalls but this sounds an awful lot like the " engine stall" recall for 2.4L engines. Bought used with 5k miles. Wondering now if this issue was previously " fixed" and is recurring, if it can be permanently fixed or is an unsafe vehicle. I'm [XXX] and transport 2 grandchildren under 8. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Nov 3, 2023
The engine has failed. The cylinder has low compression and the engine misfires and can no longer be ran. When the incident first happened we were left on the side of a busy interstate 3 hours away from home. Upon doing some research MANY other Jeep Cherokee owners for my years make and model have reported the same problem. There was ABSOLUTLEY no warning before the issue arose. We were then left with a hefty car loan for a vehicle that no longer runs. We got two opinions from two mechanics of which both said it’s a manufacture problem and that we did not cause the issue. It would cost 8k or more to fix the problem.
Steering, Nov 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel became firm. The service power steering warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty steering gear. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Steering, Service brakes, Engine, Nov 3, 2023, crash, fire
I was involved in a single vehicle accident at 5 am on October 5, 2023 on a rural road in Deland, Florida. I was on an unfamiliar road with a sharp curve and as I was trying to slow down the I was unable to slow down or steer the vehicle. It slammed into a cluster of trees and immediately the engine caught fire. I crawled out of the vehicle in pain from the force of the crash and was disoriented. A good Samaritan came to my aide and called the Volusia County Sherriff. I can remember my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude was fully engulfed in very intense flames in less than 8 minutes. It was so intense it set fire to the wooded area. This wasn't the first problem I had with this vehicle. I purchased this vehicle new from a dealer in Bowie, MD in 2019. Since that time I replaced all 4 tires due to numerous flat tires starting around 20K miles. I replaced the battery at less than 25K miles. I had braking issues when going downhill in the Washington DC area which caused me to brake hard. I complained and the dealer said they did an inspection. I also had other auto service companies perform checks. I have most of the service records which have cost me so much. I am a disable Gulf War Veteran on a fixed income. I am now waiting for VIN verification by GEICO because the vehicle burned so hot that the engine block and everything metal (melted). Had I not gotten out so soon I would have burned to death.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 30, 2023
Vehicle stops accelerating randomly and loses power. Service electronic throttle control light comes on and engine light and traction control light and vehicle will not accelerate or stalls. Had vehicle towed to dealership and the code is saying the PTU is bad and needs to be replaced. This happens all the time, thankfully I’ve been very lucky thus far not having my children in the vehicle with me when it happens as this could cause a very serious accident.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 30, 2023
Parking brake has engaged 3 times now while at a stop light.