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.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
4 wd service light comes on randomly, started the middle of February. It took a couple of weeks to get an appointment with the dealership. Twice in the past 2 weeks the car has slowed down, lost power in traffic to where I had to pull over and let the car go at a low speed until it would go at normal speed again. There is an active recall for the part needing to be replaced with the same year model however this VIN isn't listed in the recall.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, there was a loud banging sound, the vehicle swerved into the left lane, and the vehicle was safely maneuvered to the side of the road. The contact observed that the driver’s side front axle blew out. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic where the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that 79 miles later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a different independent mechanic where the driver’s and passenger’s side front axles were replaced. The contact stated that 40 miles later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to a different independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to a suspension specialist where the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,576.
While driving engine suddenly turns off. After getting vehicle to side of road and placing in park, car will start again. This has happened several times. Battery, oil levels checked and there is no engine code that shows up on OBD II reader. Very Dangerous!
driver panel told me to repair park brake. at times when I put my car in park the park brake would activate and I was unable to move my vehicle. the parking brake activated automatically when I put my car in park. My mechanic said the parking brake module needed to be replace due to a leak in the rear door and getting to the parking brake module. I do have an invoice if needed. Just not able to upload to this form.
Message on dash was "service 4WD". Took to Jeep dealership in Colorado Springs. They diagnosed PTU failure. It will be months before parts are available. They said they moved me up in priority to 150-200 out of approximately 500. I assume I have no trade-in value at this point. Dealership says I should not drive the vehicle.
My car started showing a "Service 4wd" light on the dashboard. I took it to the mechanic and they stated that its an issue with the Power Train transfer case. This is the same issue that has been on the recall list for Jeep Cherokees except my VIN isn't on the list yet. This issue could have caused me to lose power in my car and could've caused me to crash. I am requesting that my car be added to this list as I have had to pay out of pocket for the very same defect in the make/model car that has been issued a recall. The total repair cost me 3,214.50 including parts and labor($2,148.50 for the transfer case part plus $164 for the diagnostic and $902 for the removal and installation. See images of receipts below. This issue also had me without a car for 2 weeks which was originally an estimated 3-4 weeks. Since this is a well known issue, I would like my car added to the recall list so that I can seek possible reimbursement.
Jeep gives a “service shifter” warning/notification and all the lights on the shifter are on. Can clear by turning the car off and back on but the notification will soon appear again after driving. Happens every 100-200 miles or if the car is turned on and off just a few times a day for daily use. Shifter was refusing to be put in park one of the times the notification came on, very scary if you are driving or attempting to park.
I had no warnings at all, had driven the vehicle just an hour prior, I go to get in vehicle and start it, I put the gear in drive and the dash board lights up saying service transmission, service brakes, "D" on dashboard blinking, engine light on, when I try and drive forward the vehicle does not move and says to put the car in "P" at "0" mph, when I did that the car starts to roll. The emergency break light is also lit up on dash board and unable to turn it on or off pressing button. I have to turn vehicle completely off to stop it from rolling. When pressing on brake the brake is completely locked up and unable to push it down. The 4WD light is also lit up on dashboard. It also made a loud bang jolt when put in Drive or Reverse. Then put in Park and begins to roll. My safety and others safety is put at risk because of no warning signs of having issues then unable to stop the vehicle from rolling could have caused my vehicle to roll into another car, home or even a person walking by. I am unable to leave my home or drive. I see online this has happened to thousand of other people even when there car was new and they were driving. This could've been so dangerous if I were on the road driving when it happened. Now I am stuck and cannot leave my home. I have had battery disconnected and reconnected and nothing helped. This appears to be an ongoing issue with this vehicle and needs to be recalled and fixed. I had no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to this happening. A/C went out on this vehicle at only 20k miles, had the whole thing replaced. Then started intermittently working on and off. Summer 2023 Had last recall fixed end of 2022 when engine light came on, dealership said it was an engine thermostat that dealership fixed under extended warranty and said they also did a recall fix.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Service Shifter Warning. Took to the dealership and was told there was a notice, no recall on the shifter bezel system. They said the shifter bezel harness system is bad and I had to replace it for over $400. If this is a known Jeep wide safety issue why is there no recall?
While driving the vehicle engine shuts off or goes neutral and I am unable to keep driving. A message pops up on the dash that says “Shift to P and then shift to desired gear.” Car does not drive after doing this. I have to restart engine twice, both times the engine is delayed to start making a loud running noise. This has happened multiple times while driving all while my young children were in the car on busy roads. I have been lucky not to have been in a major accident yet. I have taken my car into the shop multiple times but they do not know how to fix this. I’ve reported it to the local dealer, they are no help either. New battery, all fluids full, full tank, no warning before the car shuts off while driving. I’ve seen hundreds of posts from drivers of the same make and model have the same issue. I’m appalled there is no recall. This can be very fatal if not addressed.
The contact owns 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the 4-WD warning light illuminated, and the 4-WD became inoperable. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring more increasingly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) fluid, and the dealer determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to partially cover the repair of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4WD warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced an unintended rollaway while parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was 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 file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Service 4wd warning light illuminated. Google search for recall indicated that 2016 Jeep Cherokees had a recall for this problem. However, our specific VIN was not part of recall. When calling the manufacturer, I was advised that if the dealership could verify our vehicle was having the same problem as the recall, we could receive assistance. The advice was followed and confirmed, but when calling the manufacturer back, I was told that that was not how things work when dealing with a recall and since our VIN was not part of the recall, they could not do anything. I filed a complaint with NHTSA in April 2024 to no avail. We have brought the vehicle back to the dealership to see if we could have the problem fixed, and although we can, the parts are on back order. I can only assume because of the recall. Almost a year later, we are still dealing with this issue and never did hear back regarding our complaint.
Hi I have a JEEP Cherokee Trail Hawk edition 3.2L 6 Cylinder SUV. The Vehicle has 53,657 miles on it. I recently took it to me Mechanic as the rear Differential was making noise. He recommended I take it to the Dealer due to its low mileage and defective rear Differential. Based on this, I brought it to the Jeep dealer ship in Nashua, NH 03053. They diagnosed the problem of a bad Rear Differential and wanted to charge me $4000+ dollars but could not get the parts. Whereas, I searched and learned that this Rear Differential is backordered by over 700 units. At 53,658 Miles to have a bad rear Differential is insane. If I continue to drive this vehicle on the Highway, at Highway speeds then either I am going to have a severe accident and hurt myself or Kill someone else driving due to a Manufactures defect in their rear Differential. These rear Differentials should be recalled as they are a hazard to the public. Jeep does not care of their defective units, as they state "They are out of Warranty" . My daughter drives this vehicle and she cant get the parts to repair and Jeep doesn't offer anything other than "GIVE ME YOUR MONEY AND WE WILL GET IT WHEN ITS BUILT! These vehicles are unsafe in this condition. If the rear differential seizes up it will be a multi car fatality. Can you please look at this situation and ask Jeep to execute a recall?
Cruise control would not disengage. Instead it accelerated me to 85 mph is rush hour traffic. The car continued to accelerate will out responding to any commands to turn off cruise control. Second time this has happened. It was supposed to be fixed by doing an update to the car. This did not work. The second time I attempted to use cruise control after having had the long block engine replaced due to the oil consumption law suit, the car once again had the same problem with now slowing down. I tried putting the car into neutral and pressing the break. The car was accelerating so fast. The brakes had no effect without causing me to lose control. I was forced to put the car into a ditch at 75 mph. Rather than to rear end the dead stopped 3 lanes of traffic ahead of me and being pinned in by the traffic behind me. Car flipped I now have brain damage and failing kidneys due to blood transfusions
No specific incident, but there has been a few times where when I am stopped at a stop sign and try going it goes and then stops in the middle of the intersection, luckily no oncoming traffic was coming either times. Also, my oil cooler I think it’s called has been leaking. I know there’s been a few recalls on the power train: automatic transmission that I was never informed on until now when I logged into my Credit Karma account. Nothing was ever mailed to my house to notify me.
In 2020, Fiat Chrysler America recalled 67,248 units of the 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee in the United States over a transmission issue that could result in a loss of power or rollaway situation. I'm currently experiencing this problem now. So I have a message stating service transmission and service break system.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal ticking sound emanating from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the vehicle needed an oil change. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred, after which the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the lifters and cam shaft, resulting in a misfire in cylinder #5. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure the check engine warning light, PCM warning light, and traction control warning were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering pump and rack and pinion assembly were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later taken to the local mechanic and repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 96,000. The VIN was not available.
My car is subject to the U90 recall, but Jeep is not responding. When I contact any Jeep dealer, they tell me to wait and don't respond for months again and again. When I contact Jeep customer service, they don't respond at all. I think they are ignoring the recall because it will not benefit them and waiting for me to abandon the car. They should be required to take recalls seriously. I believe the NHTSA is supervising the recall by the company so I will share this issue with you and hopefully the problem will be resolved.
When the EcoBoost is active car will shut down upon attempted restart of EcoBoost.
Car losses power while driving, it will turn off. Shift to P and select gear comes up. It also has 4 different recalls that doesn't allow me to register but when contacted dealership they informed me that they didn't had parts for it, they didn't know when the were going to get them because it's in back order, to keep checking at the end of each month to see if the get any. This is not acceptable, as it's not the owners fault. I don't have a drivable car, don't know when it's going to get fix but I still have to make my car payment.
I received an FCA recall notice, GW270231, for my 2016 Jeep Cherokee Latitude related to the Catalyst Efficiency-U90 recall on 1/22/24. . I attempted to schedule a recall service appointment at two different local Jeep/Chrysler dealerships. The first one (Aritioli Jeep) Enfield, CT. stated they were unable to obtain the correct parts and that I should keep calling their parts department to know when the parts were obtained. I scheduled the recall service with Bertera Jeep/Chrysler in West Springfield, MA for 2/29/24. I was informed on 2/26/24 that my appointment was canceled because they did not know when they would have the required parts. The service representative stated it would take months and advised I should call them for a status update each month. I need assistance and support to ensure the required parts are sent to the dealership so I can resolve this Jeep recall issue promptly.
Engine light came on oil light came on. Had it checked..oil is leaking from the housing directly onto the engine could cause fire.
No accident but my Jeep Cherokee has a gushing leak - Oil Housing Filter is leaking oil straight into my engine - Auto shop informed me it is extremely dangerous and I cannot drive my car as it could cause my engine to catch fire, I am not without a car. I got quoted $847.70 - higher $800's to fix this. It is shown that there have been past recalls on other jeeps due to this. I have no way to pay for this. Jeep's engine light is on now and won't go over 40 MPH
Vehicle losing power, causing transmission to slip. Shifts out of park by itself occasionally. Took to dealership and they said that the PTU would need to be replaced
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that after his wife shifted the gear selector to park, the vehicle continued to roll forward. The parking brake was activated to stop the vehicle from rolling. After restarting the vehicle, the message "Service Four Wheel Drive" remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced te failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 135,000.
Stop Start Failure (replaced-filter and battery) Failed again same battery reason showing battery tested was fine. Still not working to date
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while it rained or after the vehicle had gone through a car wash, there was water entering the vehicle. The contact stated that there would be water on the front passenger’s side floor. The contact stated that there was mold inside the vehicle and the floorboard was full of water. While having the vehicle detailed, he was informed about the mold and water on the floorboard. The service shifter message was also displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 23-015-16 and TSB: 23-021-20. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed about diagnostic testing and that there was no warranty coverage for the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The car is not shifting properly and will "jump" or "lunge" forward while driving. I have noticed that the RPM's will jump and bounce around, seemingly down shifting, then shift again, and then down shift again, which causes jerking motion.
The service 4w drive indicator came on on the vehicle while I was driving in light snow of about 1 inch. I was unable to stop because the wheels spun and felt like they were not spinning in sync. I spun out and narrowly missed hitting 3 cars. My wheels spun wildly and the jeep picked up speed as I tried to stop. Luckily I did not hit anything. A few days later I was then driving and experienced a loss in power while the rpm surged very high and the whole vehicle shook and lurched forward. I have taken the vehicle to the jeep dealer and was told it will cost $2700 to repair the vehicle because my PTU is not covered under the recall that is on vehicles oof the same year for the PTU and manufactured during the time the PTU is being recalled for. The dealers explanation is that not enough of the vehicles with my power transfer unit have had it fail in order for them to cover it. There is also a 6-8 week wait to have the repair done. I am afraid to drive my own vehicle on snow or wet roads since I don’t want to lose control.
While I am driving my car feels like it shifts into neutral but I am still in park. no control of car and breaks. Then the dash says "Shift into P then select desired gear". The only was to get the car moving again is to shut it down and restart it. When I do this it makes a loud sound. This very dangerous as I do not have control of the car and it happens without warning. No errors, check engine light or anything. I have scheduled an appointment at the dealership but i cannot get an appointment for about a month.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, while the vehicle was turned off, the contact received notifications that the vehicle was losing power. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,193.
The power liftgate stopped working. This is the exact issue described in the 23V-338 / 49A Recall. The year, make, and model of my car are the same as detailed in the recall, but this specific VIN is not included. The issue is due to an electrical short that poses a fire hazard. There is no manual way to open the liftgate, it completely relies on the functionality of the electric system. It is clear that the 23V-338 / 49A Recall should include a wider range of VINs including mine.
The vehicle constantly loses power no matter the repairs I’ve came to notice it starts this during winter season
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the service 4WD drive warning light illuminated momentarily and then disappeared. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power take-off unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 50,500. The VIN was not available.
I was driving my car and as I was driving my car shut off and would not turn back on. Right before it powered down it said a message that said service shifter and all the lights to the shifter were lit up (P,R,D,N) I was reading that the shifter should last as long as your car does and this is a big safety issue
I got 4 changed but still issue tires bad air pressure
Unfortunately, the PTU (power transfer unit) needs to be replaced in my vehicle. Jeep previously issued a recall for this same part for 25,000 + similar vehicles with the same part due to it being defective. My vehicle was not included in the recall. I have been advised by both a Jeep dealership and an independent licensed technician to not drive the vehicle as if it completely fails the transmission will get stuck in neutral and not even be able to be parked safely. Due to numerous ongoing issues with this part, it is currently on national back-order with over 4500 units on back-order. There is no ETA on when there will be availability of the part. I did contact the Jeep 800 customer service number and was denied any assistance. I am now having to pay $250/week to rent a vehicle and cannot get the Jeep repaired.
One the oil cooler unit failed leaking oil on to hot engine could possibly start a fire Two the rear differential cracked leaking fluid could possibly lock rear wheels at speed
The following happens approximately 2-3 times per month for the last 2 years: While accelerating, my vehicle jerks/stalls. Vehicle has not completely died but there is hesitation when resuming driving. I have taken it to Malless Automotive here in Indianapolis in June 2022 and December 2023. Technicians could not determine cause. Vehicle did not jerk/stall during test drives by technicians. No warning lights occur prior to incidents.
Service 4WD light came on. Car has driven with irregularities at times accelerating. Took to dealership and they said the PTU is bad with no way to get the parts till the end of February 2024.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4-WD warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) and 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 approximately 80,000.
Park brake service warning is flashing on. This is also engaging the park brake and unable to disengage it.
Cracked windshield. No visible impact mark. Parked car at home and when came back out there was small crack coming from bottom driver side going up. Later on when actually driving the vehicle the crack randomly started getting bigger and went further up and then split to the side until reached edge of windshield.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I am currently experiencing a PTU error that is a common issue with most jeeps, such as mine. I did a recall check and there is a recall for the same error; however, my jeep VIN does not qualify for it. Nor does it qualify for the extended warranty that is out there for the powertrain unit. This common jeep issue with the ptu has been causing a decrease in acceleration for quite some time. I took it into Jeep and they said a flash update had already done; however, the next step was to install the PTU hard drive. This was quoted between $3-$4k. After doing some research, I discovered that there was a recall for the same part but my VIN does not qualify for it. At the same time I discovered that there is an extended warranty for the PTU; however, my VIN does not qualify for it. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? There has been a decrease in power when accelerating, especially when driving on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I took it into my local jeep to get it diagnosed and they confirmed it is a PTU error. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, just Jeep. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There is a "SVC 4WD" light that was turned on when this started happening.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4WD intermittently failed, causing the rear tires to not engage. The 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
My emergency brake is automatically engaging randomly. I was at a red light and it engaged and my vehicle would not move while in Drive. I had to shift to park and back to drive in the middle of traffic.
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee has an open recall on catalytic converter. Chrysler sent notice the vehicle can catch fire. I been waiting since before 10/23. Per dealshipMarty Cancila I’m number 170. Chrysler is send 2 parts per week to dealership. It going to be 85 months for repair. I fearful for my life and need assistance. This unacceptable. Chrysler has to be held accountable.