NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The jeep has stalled out few times just stops running no reason then starts up after a few minutes very unsafe my son was driving jeep and just died on him middle of the road. Luckily a police crusier helped him off the road. Been in the shop for this nobody can find anything
This morning i heard about the recall of 63,000 jeeps from 2017-2019 for the power failure in the PTU. I have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and i have experienced the same EXACT issue! I currently have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I'm the original owner. This Saturday, January 25th, I am turning it in for the PTU to be replaced. This will be my 2nd PTU replacement. . I was told that this 2nd PTU has a different Part Number than the OEM, or the last one. Thus making it slightly designed differently (i dont know the factual of this statement). *** In the last year, and mostly during warmer months, I have experienced MULTIPLE complete power failures of my Jeep. Anywhere from driving, and/or slow parking. it has even happended at times when taking an off ramp from the highway! I have had other people in the Jeep when this has happened. I was told that I have a loose battery terminal connection. So I went out and purchased the Battery Post Shims to increase the posts thickness on the battery. This did not resolve the problem. Since June 2024 I have been on MOPAR's waiting list for this replacment PTU and I finally received it a couple weeks ago. It is now winter and for some reason the power failure does not happen, but there is a consistent clicking in the front end. Not thinking it was the PTU because it has been replaced already, I thought it was the CV Joint so I bought that part. When i got to the dealership to have the work completed, they informed me that it is NOT the CV Joint, but definitely the PTU. So that is how I have been on the waiting list since June 2024. This morning i heard about the recall of 63,000 jeeps from 2017-2019 for the power failure in the PTU. I have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and i have experienced the same EXACT issue! This recall may need to be extended to include 2016's!!
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal popping and clicking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 02-004-15. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 49,000.
My power transfer unit busted into several different parts. There was no warning lights, it went to making a noise & when they took the skid cover off pieces came falling out. This happened last year & everywhere we look the part is on back order. So I'm paying a note on a vehicle that can't be used.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the 4WD light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train); however, the dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the "Service 4WD" warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the transfer case had failed and that metal shavings were found in the transmission. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
While driving in a parking lot at under 10 mph my car stalled and there was an audible ding at that point I received an error stating "shift to park". This happened twice within an hour or so and both times I was in a parking lot and advancing slowly uphill. I am very nervous and curious if this is another software update issue. I had a transmission error a couple years ago where my car just ceased to move. It was fixed with the update.
Since owning the vehicle the transmission has been an issue. From disengaging gears, to hard shifting, to Rear PTU fluid seeping from the driver's side rear axle due to a design flaw; this truck has been an absolute nightmare. The dealer has stated multiple times that the transmission is not faulty and performing as expected. 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee's with the same rear PTU and transmissions have had recalls and PTU replaced, etc. but yet my VIN does not have any recall yet. I have video evidence of the transmission performing erratically and not as intended from just about 50,000 miles. Yet, Jeep would not do anything to remedy the situation. They have flashed the software, performed a rear differential service (which I had to pay for, wasn't free), and done everything to avoid taking accountability for their design flaw and product failures.
Jeep skips gears on highway and loses power while accelerating to get up to speed. Took jeep to multiple dealers which all has said it's the torque converter. My jeep is a 2016 with only 77k miles on it. It jerks you at stop lights to almost hitting the car in front of you or losing all power in highway when trying to merge on. I have read that there has been recalls on 2016 jeep cherokee transmissions. Is there a recall on mine?
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate was unlocked; however. the liftgate failed to open as intended. The contact noticed a burning odor. The contact drove the vehicle for a short distance, and the liftgate opened with the door alarm and warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
While driving the vehicle I encounter a loss of driving power, then the check engine light comes on and the service 4 wheel drive indicator comes on. The loss of power while I'm driving creates an unsafe condition because i am driving on the highway among other vehicles when this occurs. This happens to me at least once per day while i am driving and on one particular day it occurred six times. The problem has not been reproduced or inspected.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power, and failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that there was a warning chime with the Service Transmission message displayed. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.
The “service 4WD” light came on in my vehicle, and upon taking the vehicle to Faricy Boys, I was informed I need to replace the PTU in my car. After looking into this, this appears to be an extremely common problem in Jeeps. Though my vehicle is not on the current recall list for this issue, I believe it should be.
The Vehicle stops abruptly while moving and engages emergency parking break and powers down and activating needing to be shifted into park. Vehicle then will be shifted into park and shifted back into drive but will not move until vehicle is turned off and turned back on.
The car is constantly overheating because a failure from the computer to start up the fan causing other issues with the coolant. Like bursting all the hoses and causing coolant leaks. Additionally a service shifter message came up on my screen and all the gears (p,r,n,d,l) light up with a red dot. This happens while I’m driving. I never know when the car is just going to stop or over heat in traffic because sometimes the fan starts and sometimes it doesn’t.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal scraping sound underneath the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit. The contact was informed that the PTU had become detached. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000.
Service 4 Wheel Drive indicator light on dash. Took to dealer and diagnosed as the TPU motor obstructed/blocked DTC C14A7 with cost to replace as 4415.30 called customer service and they stated the car was out of warranty and nothing they could do because my vin number was not on the recall list for this problem.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm, with the traction, check engine, and battery warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the messages to “Service Transmission” and “Service Shifter” were displayed. The contact was forced to park on the side of the road and restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
Jeep completely shut down while driving and cars behind me almost crashed all lights came on would not shift back into gear very scary had to call tow truck. This is the second time .
Code P2504 and code P063A. Received these codes when I already have a new battery and car is only at 70k miles. Caused the vehicle to go in to lower saving mode in to a turn and almost hit other vehicles.
I was driving and the vehicle cut off , said service shifter and had to put in park , and restart . I was in the middle of traffic and was luckily able to pull over . It started after stuttering a few times . But I’m now scared to drive it .
The car lost speed even though the engine was racing. A "transmission requires service" note appeared on the instrument cluster followed by a CEL. The car slowed to a stop and would not proceed normally after a stop sign. Traffic was backed up while the car was nursed along the road at half the speed limit.
PTU failure. Car not driving correctly.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission fluid had mixed with the coolant. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was afraid to drive the vehicle because she was informed by the mechanic that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Not long after purchasing my new (to me) 2016 Cherokee, the service 4wd light turned on. The warning light has been on for all but a few minutes of driving for 2 weeks. The dealership that I purchased the suv from diagnosed the problem as a bad PTU. Although thousands of the same models were recalled in that model year my Jeep was not included in the recall even though it now turns out to have the same problem as thousands of others.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for routine service at the local dealer, and the technician advised her that the engine oil cooler needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was also taken to several independent mechanics and the diagnostic result was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
PTU failed. Other 2016 jeeps were recalled however this Jeep was not. Service 4WD light came on and the cars 4WD is not functioning
The vehicle cut off on me while the vehicle was in drive and I was driving on the highway going 70mph. It has done this several times now. The car cuts off. The vehicle looses power.
“Service Shifter” warning message comes on screen randomly and repeatedly. And my shifter lights all illuminate. I had the dealership replace the whole shifter and harness in Oct 2022 and the problem has started to recur now in May 2024.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud clunking sound while turning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were on back order. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (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 made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power, but the RPM’s continued to increase. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit (PTU). The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while on a downhill slope, the vehicle experienced a rollaway. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights had been illuminated. The contact stated the anti-lock braking system and traction control had failed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the tire sensor had failed and the PCU needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed previously by an independent mechanic where the same results were discovered. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,200.
PTU failure, confirmed by dealership
i was sent an email saying my car was being recalled
While driving the vehicle will loose power unexpectedly. Then it will gain power again. It has happened several times and I have taken it to the dealer several times and they have not been able to recreate it. They say there is no error codes that they can find. This problem has occurred while going through intersections and on highways. We have had several miss-incidents because of this problem. Have heard from others this issue is a common problem with the Jeep.
SVC 4WD WARNING LIGHT IS ON AND NOW THERE'S A SHIMMY IN THE FRONT END AND LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELLERATING
PTU seems to be faulting resulting in lost of power to the rear drive train
Since having the vehicle in for recall 45A/NHTSA 23V-302, there is a loss of drive and a clunking sound when accelerating from approximately 25-30 mph. This does not occur all the time, however when it does and there is traffic behind me, the vehicle behind me will close up quickly almost hitting me.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4WD warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with power transfer unit (PTU) failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The mechanic stated that the parts to repair the vehicle were on back order and would not be available for approximately 9 months. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,816.
The contacts mother owns 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a right turn, the vehicle stalled with an abnormal noise coming from the front. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a power transfer unit and transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign number: 23V302000 (Power Train). A dealer was contacted and informed that the vehicle was Canadian and refused to repair the vehicle. Several other dealers were contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was Canadian and could not assist. The manufacturer FCA USA was contacted and informed the contact that they could not force the dealer to repair a Canadian vehicle. The contact also called FCA Canada who informed him they could not assist him as the vehicle was no longer registered in Canada. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Service 4-WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power transfer unit (PTU) and the contact was informed that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Jeep Cherokee 2016 Service 4Wheel Drive light came on the last 3-4 months but getting to be not safe to drive. Got it scanned at Advanced Auto. Code read PTU as the issue. There is a recall on this year Jeep but I have a single speed PTU and the recall was on a 2 speed PTU. It’s upsetting that it doesn’t cover the single speed. Don’t understand why not. Single or 2 speed with bad PTU is dangerous so it should be considered covered/recalled.
RDM clutches are failing internally Rear Drive Module must be replaced at a total cost of around $4000 dollars. Part to repair this defect is not available with no anticipated supply date. Tried to find the part with any US auto parts supplier to no avail. The last parts supplier said that with no anticipated supply date from the manufacturer, they had 700 of the items required on back order. We already had to have the whole drive train replaced just before the warranty expired (that would have cost about $12,000 if I had to pay) The rear end makes a noise every time you make a turn with this vehicle. This is my wife's vehicle and I am very concerned about her safety. Please see attached mechanic's evaluation of the problem. The part number required is 68545101AB.
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee was driving one day. Then I got a weird "Service 4WD" light on my dash. Took it to a Jeep dealership and they told me that I needed a new PTU and estimated that it would cost $4,000! I looked up to see if I had a recall but my VIN wasn't associated with the other recalls that the make and model of my Jeep had. I was confused then looked at this NTHSA website and saw I was not the only one with this problem. In fact, this was a recent problem a lot of people have been having and I was intrigued by that. Hoping Jeep does the right thing and investigates the PTU issue at hand but they probably won't.
I am not sure what component, system failed or malfunctioned but my vehicle is available to be inspected. My SUV has cut off on me several times while the vehicle is in drive gear and I was driving on the highway. It also cut off on me while I was in motion and turning the vehicle to the right. The vehicle cutting off caused me to run into a curb and I was thankful that there weren't any pedestrians on the sidewalk. My safety is at risk because I never know when the vehicle will cut off while I'm driving. I have taken the vehicle to try to figure out whats wrong with it and why it keeps cutting off without warning. There are no lights on the dash. However when the vehicle cuts off, "Service Shifter" comes on. Once I restart the vehicle the warning light goes off.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as having an electrical failure. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the next day while driving approximately 35 MPH, the brakes started to fail. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and the vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not able to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the EPS warning light intermittently illuminated, and the odometer was flashing. The vehicle then lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined, and no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine had a misfire and revved up before shifting into gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The service shifter, Service 4-WD, traction control, and parking brake messages were displayed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
While driving on highway when I try to pick up speed motor starts to shakes engine light flashes and runs sluggish like it wants to shut off but once the speed decreases engine light go out. I had taking it to the dealer prior and complained about engine noises and shaking and they could find the issue. I think this need repaired or replaced because of the danger while driving can cost me or someones life.
2016 JEEP cherokee 93k miles PTU fault and dealer wont fix under recall. 3k to fixed same issue as all other 16 cherokees. Unsafe to drive does not shift correctly intermittently. Suppose to be software fix but dealer wont fix. PTU should go out 93k miles. If this stops all power to the wheel we will be in an accident!
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026