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
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 45-55 MPH, the message "Service Four Wheel Drive" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while attempting to engage the 4WD mode, and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power transfer unit (PTU) had failed and 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, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
Light engine on but off plus wires ? Also issue wires all of engine or other keep flasher off and on also issue tires I bought 4 tires and blade brake issue after bought dealership I have told but they rip off but issue not safety hard to explain English also feel hot in car without heat and gas fill but not show plus hot inside ..
Heater line snapped at the neck of male fitting.
Was driving and my parking break engaged on its on for several seconds and then disengaged on its own.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a message displayed on the instrument panel “4wheel drive unavailable service required”. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the PTU failed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a clunking sound at an undisclosed location of the vehicle then the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
In the last 6 months my electronic parking brake engaged and it would not disengage. Towed it to the dealership twice. The second time it froze in a parking lot and I blocked a parked car for over an hour. Additionally, there were multiple times my Jeep lost total power while driving. Made a left into my neighborhood and was almost broadsided. Not good at all. As I type this has been towed to the dealership. DANGEROUS.
The shifter causes an error whenever I shift into drive. An alert comes up on the dashboard making the dashboard inaccessible and the PRNDL lights up red. The alert says "service shifter."
I have a 2016 Jeep Cherokee with a bad driveshaft and bad PTU that’s been recalled on most Jeep except for mine. I don’t understand why it wouldn’t be every Jeep included in that recall since obviously my Jeep should of been included with the PTU going out on it. It’s definitely not safe to drive like that. My neighbor who is a certified mechanic looked at it to confirm the issue. The first warning I had that something was not right with it is the service 4 wheel drive light kept coming on and off then started making horrible noises.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and making a turn on a backroad, the vehicle stopped abruptly as the electric parking brake engaged independently. The contact stated that the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and became inoperable. The check engine warning light and the Service Transmission warning light illuminated. The contact was unable to pull to the side of the road. The contact shifted into park (P). The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: PE22009 (Parking Brake). The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
After making a left turn and giving it gas to get up the road the car suddenly stalled and had to come to a complete stop. Almost as if the car had went into park but it was still in drive. Service transmission message came on board and check engine light. Had to have a rollback come to tow home. Car is still not operable. I’m about to contact Jeep. I did read online about the investigation for 2015-2022 jeep Cherokee . The electronic brake malfunction because of corrosion due to water leak
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH with the cruise control activated, the cruise control system failed to maintain the set speed. The contact stated that the speed fluctuated up and down erratically. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,500.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4X4 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 it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.
I purchased my car brand new in 2016. I did not drive the vehicle often since working in NYC and parking was impossible. Then we had the Pandemic in 2020-current and I have been working from home for the last 2 years and 8 months. The car had been in an indoor garage and occasionally I would take the car for a ride and then the car wash. I took very good care of the vehicle. On September 11, 2023, I had to meet a client in White Plains, NY and decided to drive. When I got to White Plains, NY I entered the garage and parked the car. Immediately, the brake light came on with two yellow lights. Then I was unable to reverse the car and/or go forward. Since I was already in a parking spot, I left the car in it's position and thought that I would take care of it when I return. When I returned the Emergency Brake Light was blinking and I was unable to move forward and/or backwards. The brakes were engaged so I kept pressing the Emergency Brake hoping that the brakes would disengage. After about 45 minutes turning the car on then off and pressing the Emergency Brake the brakes disengaged and I was able to move the car. The next day I mentioned the problem to my Dad (who is a mechanic and engineer) and he came to my house to inspect the car. When he opened the back compartment of the vehicle it was filled with water. My Dad tested the brakes and again the brakes were engaged and the vehicle would not go forward and/or in the reverse. The brakes would not disengage. My Dad had to tow the car to a Mechanic Shop to have them remove all the parts in the back. The Mechanics inspected the vehicle and found water leak on rear trunk of car which affected the E-brake module. Disassembly in the rear of the car was performed in order to dry the water which they say entered through sunroof of vehicle. This has been a mind blowing experience and the worse part is that the Manufacturer (FCA) states they cannot help me. This is really evil and wicked with Jeep Cherokee.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service 4WD" message was displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit (PTU). The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, 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 but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.
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 local dealer was contacted and determined that the parts were 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 issue and determined that the parts were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the parking brake engaged and disengaged independently. The brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due water leaking into the electrical system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 4,672.
Driving my vehicle back home for a local store 1.5 mi from my house and the off road warning light came on and then the steering wheel turned left while I was driving on a straight away. Managed to get to my driveway but looks like the right front wheel has detached from the truck altogether and won't move. Could not get my truck no further than the edge of my driveway. It should not be coming apart like a puzzle.
See attached document for complaint
Start driving the vehicle multiple times during the operation you get a service airbag message with a code / dtc of b0020-13 which FCA put out a TSB for but when you do take the car in the code is not stored in memory, so they refused to repair it
PASSENGER AIRBAG INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT. WARNING LAMPS: Service airbag system Service parking brake 4wd unavailable Driver seatbelt not fastened Phone unavailable occasionally Check engine DESCRIPTION LEADING UP TO INCIDENT: Several days of seeing warning lamps. Limited driving. Disconnected battery for 8 hrs. Reconnected battery. Backed out of garage into driveway. Sat in car idling at 2000 RPMs with AC on. After 3 mins, passenger airbag deployed. Additional Info: Nothing on passenger seat at time. No work had been done in or around IP. {instrument panel}.
After getting catalytic recall done my car has had delay and hesitation. The car is extremely hot underneath it and is loud while accelerating and idling. Have taken it back to the original dealership for the issue and they continue to say nothing is wrong.
Car hesitation to accelerate and jerks when driving from a start . Took it to the dealer and they couldn’t get a code from issues. The issue happens sporadically but will be taking car back again to see if they can figure it out after next incident.
Complete loss of power while driving.
PTU has failed and there is not 4wd or rear wheel drive. Dealer flashed but didn’t replace the PTU.
Emergency brake will not disengage and is effecting braking and driving. It has been inspected but 2 different mechanics who have been unable to resolve issue. This has ruined my brakes and has made the vehicle difficult to drive.
The SVC 4WD light has come on. I cannot switch to any of the 4wd modes. I do not have the locking differential or anything, just the standard PTU that comes with the Jeep Limited. When I press the brakes when switching from park to drive or reverse, there is a clicking noise in the shifter as well. I am not sure about the safety of myself or others at the moment, as this just happened. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a dealer. No body official has yet to inspect the vehicle component. The SVC 4WD light came on intermittently for about a week, and is now on permanently.
I own a 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (VIN [XXX] ) that just had a Service Shifter message and required a shifter replacement due to a faulty shifter. My Jeep was in-service as of October 2015 and it is my opinion that it should have been a part of the S28 recall on the Grand Cherokees. I have requested reimbursement from Jeep and was told it would be denied because it was not under the covered VIN. I requested that the dealership keep the part in order to confirm it was the same defect, but they said it was already destroyed. I feel like Jeep did not do a wide enough recall to cover all vehicles with that defect and would ask for you to look into it and assist me with getting reimbursement for the costs incurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Touchscreen delays for a few minutes sometimes and won't turn on immediately when vehicle starts. I'll drive down the road a ways before it comes on. And if it's not on I cannot control heat/ac or see backup cam
Dealer is refusing to replace a failed/noisy PTU as it does not have the mil code. Stellantis own paper work states it “may” have codes. Not that it must. They have refused to replace the part under the XJ1 warranty extension.
The service 4WD light has come on and I have no AWD or 4WD so I took my jeep to Merlins to get diagnosed. They reported back to me that code C14A7-97 PTU Motor came up. They also told me that it is a safety recall and to take it to Jeep to have repaired. I have called 4 Jeep dealers and they have all told me that I do not have any open safety recalls and it will cost between 3 to 6k to repair. I have goggled the code and my Jeep does fall within the years of the recall and they have extended the recall. Merlins gave me the screen shots of the code and the safety recall and my Jeep should be included it it. I only have 61k miles on my jeep. I want to get my Jeep added to the recall or added as an independent recall.
The PTU has failed on my vehicle a 2016 Jeep Cherokee 75th anniversary with 61k miles . Yes the vehicle is available for inspection My vehicle no longer has 4wd or all wheel drive and is slipping and sliding all over the place now. I could get into an accident. DuPage Jeep & Merlin's have both diagnosed the jeep. From what I have read there are about 65 thousand or more Jeep Cherokees that have the same problem as me. They were under a recall. The service 4WD drive light came on and I lost all wheel drive and 4WD.
the parking brake has engaged several times at low speeds in parking lots, comes on when turn the vehicle on, and when placed into park. not sure if it will do it during high speeds, at the shop now. it happened during the Power Transfer Unit failed and should be looked at as a part affected by that. We had no issues until the PTU failed, and the parking brake started coming on when we put the vehicle into park, then would do it, the last time, the parking brake must have been instructed by the ptu to engage while the vehicle was in motion or shorted from a electrical surge from the ptu. the dealer doesn't think they are related, but i disagree. the service transmission, service 4wd, system unavailable, check engine light, abs, traction control, brake light, all came on and the parking brake engaged while pulling out into traffic, i got it to the next drive while dragging the rear tires, i was going about 20-25 mph.
4WD sensor came on. PTU bad and needs to be replaced. Feeny in Midland MI quoted $2,400 to fix. Back order is difficult due to part not being made right now they said. It has 71k miles on it.
My parking brake suddenly turned on and my jeeps information center on the dash informed me to stop and shift to park. The light on the switch for the emergency brake flashes as well as the red light on the shifter and the vehicle would not shift anymore nor would the epb turn off . I had to disconnect my battery for about 30 minutes before it allowed me to disengage the parking brake and start to drive again. It happened again once or twice before it completely just stopped engaging even when I tried to engage it. Car states when attempting to engage the parking brake that the parking brake needs to be maintained the light on the switch flashes and a warning light stays on now. The odometer started flashing a day or so after the initial issue began. Now I am unable to use my parking break at all, the warning light and message to get parking brake serviced show constantly as well and the odometer continues to flash.
Our Vehicle is currently at the Dealership for a Power Liftgate electrical issue. There is a documented recall for 2016 Jeep models regarding the Power Liftgate. Our vehicle does not show any open recalls but this should be investigated as being associated with the active recall for Power Liftgate.
-The transmission will, on occasion, shift hard and even slip to the point where it stops moving. -It is available for testing and inspection. -Our safety was jeopardized when, while making a left turn in a high traffic situation, the vehicle stopped moving when attempting to change gears. The rpm climbed significantly, but the vehicle slowed to a stop and finally the transmission re-engaged and I could complete the turn and fortunately the driver of the oncoming car was able to avoid colliding with our vehicle. I have experienced this problem of the transmission not engaging on several occasions since the first time which occurred on approximately August 1st 2023. -My repair shop test drove it but couldn’t get it to slip.No other inspections have been made. - I didn’t see any waning lamps.
Since inception of purchasing the vehicle in January 2019, I have experienced a sudden jolt, banging sound/feeling. In the beginning the issue was subtle. In addition, I have felt a sudden loss of speed. It should be noted I did not seek any service at this time. As a side note, sometime in 2020/2021 i received a letter of a recall for fault PTU however this was for another jeep i owned no longer in my possession. This prompted me to call mopar to see if my current vin was possibly on that first recall of jeeps however i was advised it was not even though i had experienced the same issues described. Fast forward to as of recently august 2023, I received a recall letter with this current vin and proceeded to the nearest dealership for repair. I was advised the repair was a software update. As I was leaving the dealership after the update, I felt the loss of power, jolt and grinding when turning to backup with the service 4wd illuminated. I reparked and walked back inside the dealership when I was advised the repair was only a software update. In addition, I was advised a diagnostic test could be done for $175. I was advised to wait a couple of key cycles to see if the issues corrects itself. The software update has since not corrected itself and I feel as though I am at risk of an accident. This issue is getting worse with my vehicle and is a safety concern. I feel as though I am being penalized for faulty PTU which is on the manufacturer for costs to assure correction/repairs made. Thank you your time in reading this.
The vehicle just cuts off while in the middle of driving and everything shuts off. New battery installed 2 months ago, no loose cables, plenty of gas. Cutting off while driving poses a very bad hazard. The last time it happened the shop that had recently changed my oil two weeks prior said it was due to loose battery cables and it has now been a month since that occurrence took place. Now it's happening again.
Service 4x4 light came on and took to Jeep dealership. Diagnostics came back with bad PTU and part is on backorder. The backorder dates continues to be pushed out with no actual ETA. I bought a Jeep with 4x4 capability because I live in the mountains were it snows. This vehicle is now unsafe for me to drive in such conditions, especially with my newborn daughter in the vehicle with me.
Vehicle had been running fine .Then coming home from work Friday came up to a yield sign went to press on gas heard a noise then car drifted to a stop wouldn't move in drive or reverse was able to drift to side of the road. Was a lot of traffic driving by wasn't able to inspect the car. Called for a tow truck they got my car on a flatbed and took vehicle to dealership were I bought vehicle. They looked at jeep next day said it needs a new transmission. I've read about a lot of people having issues with the zf 9 speed transmission. If this were to happen on a highway someone could be killed or seriously injured. Chrysler, jeep have been having problems since 2014-15 with the 9 speed transmission they were supposed to have fixed the problems in 2016 but sounds like there fix was unsuccessful. Thank you
I was sitting at a red light when the light turned green I hit the gas and I heard clunk truck put it on park got out to check andy car rolled backwards into a man's car then wouldn't go forward or reverse and then after awhile mechanic got there and said the right front axle came undone from the ptu some how
Alike several other report I have read on here, my service 4wd dashboard light came on. I took it to the Oxford Dodge dealership where I purchased it and was told the PTU (power transfer unit) needed to be replaced and is currently on backorder. I am concerned that 1000’s of jeeps 2016&2017’s had been recalled for a PTU issue, but like mine and several others on here they were not included in the recall yet her the issues arise and fear that there may be a lot of Jeep’s needing to be recalled and that ppl’s safety is at risk if not performed.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the "Shift from Park to Drive" message displayed. Additionally, the SVC warning light illuminated. The contact shutoff and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission shifter was replaced. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Parking brake electronic module experienced water corrosion, automatically engaged right electronic parking brake & brake would not release. This issue has been reported on the same makes/models as my vehicle and a recall was issued- my VIN is not covered in the recall, though it’s apparent it should be. This is a dangerous issue as the water corrosion caused the parking brake to automatically engage with no solution for releasing due to the water damage.
The PTU has failed and needs to be replaced. There were no indicators of it failing, and had it gone out completely while driving it could have caused a serious crash. Dealership has evaluated it, and stated there is no recall and the part needs to be replaced for a cost of over $3,300. There is a national backorder on the part as other vehicle owners are facing the same problem. There were 2 recalls in relation to the PTU in similar models of this vehicle, but they did not address all cars made during that time frame, and the latest safety recall was a software patch and didn't actually replace the faulty part.
While driving my jeep the service park brake light came on and shortly after the park break automatically engaged and brought me to a stop, it has been in the shop 4 different times for this same issue and they can’t get it fixed, I get it back and it just continues to happen over and over, this is a huge safety issue and I would like there to be a fix for it
Service four-wheel-drive light has illuminated and dealership recommends to replace PTU system
I was sitting in park waiting to pump gas and when it was my time to pull forward, I shifted into drive and when I pushed the gas pedal my emergency break was on without me turning it on. About 30 minutes later this happened again. I turned off the vehicle and turned it back on and when I did, the emergency break came on. I am concerned that the emergency break will engage again when put into drive without me knowing.
The SRV 4WDR light is still coming on after getting the recall work done on the PTU at the Fox jeep dealership today. A spline was replaced I think. Recall 45A. I believe the whole PTU is bad.
Driving down the road the emergency brake engaged and the car stopped. If there had been a car behind me, this would have created an accident, especially if I had been on the highway. I have read that others have had this problem and there is class action suit.