CarComplaints.com Notes: There's no way around it, the Cherokee's transmission is junk. There's no other explanation for why a vehicle, usually with under 40,000 miles, would have so many complaints
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
15 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,382 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
In the wake of receiving my car back after transmission replacement (due to the car shutting down while driving), I turned it on the other day and all the lights on the gear shifter console lite up and stayed lite. I brought my car into Jeep and was told that it was throwing a code, some kind of lost connection error but they have no idea why or how to fix it because it isnt doing it any more. This is the second time in 2 months that my car has been in the shop to fix an issue which Jeep claims is an oddity to my vehicle and not a known issue.
I own a Jeep Cherokee altitude model with a V-6, AWD, and the 9-speed transmission. Approximately 700 miles after receiving the R01 software update to my transmission, the car experienced complete transmission shutdown. The engine continued to run, but no power was transmitted to the wheels. Warning lights came on reading "service transmission", service engine and service parking brake indicators lit up, and the information center instructed me to pull over in a safe place, shift into park, restart the engine, and select desired gear. Once done, the transmission shifted into drive with a violent "clunk". the vehicle would move then, but with only partial power. The dealer "reflashed the control module" and declared the vehicle repaired. After four subsequent events identical to the first, and three additional trips to the dealership, I still do not have my vehicle in my possession. This has been going on for 85 days now. The obvious safety issue of a vehicle losing power at speed concerns me, of course, but the problem I am experiencing seems to be beyond the ability of fca to remedy. There are many of us with this experience, and we would like some assistance.
Ordered car through brown motors, located in petoskey mi. Salesman has been conducting business with the family for many years. Car replaced vehicle affected in a major flood, Aug. 12, 2014. Picked up car from vehicle courier at a location offsite of the dealership. While driving on the expressway few miles and coming to a stop due to traffic, I noticed that the front end on the passenger side made a very noticeable wobbling motion between 5 and 20 mph. Vehicle has repeated the wobbling sporadically at the same speed upon acceleration and occasionally when coming to a stop. Took the vehicle in and had two recalls performed. One for the side curtain airbag and another for the transmission module. The transmission module adjustment did nothing to amend the front end wobble. Also, on occasion when accelerating to pass another vehicle, the engine revs up to almost the red line on the tachometer before the transmission shifts and the car actually increases in speed. Luckily I have never experienced this on a two lane road while passing another vehicle. Other than that the vehicle performance has been adequate.
When driving on I-95 South in the left lane I was accelerating to pass and the engine speed dropped like it was turned off. Multiple dash lights flashed and several messages flashed on dash: Service transmission, service E-brake, put vehicle in park and restart, etc. Vehicle was coasting down from 65 with people catching up to me and beeping. Park was not an option. The gas pedal did not function. I was able to coast into a construction zone and shut down. On first restart it was real rough. On second restart engine seemed fine and I had a mil light and a traction control light on the dash. Police detail officer assisted me off of the interstate and it was driven to dealer on back roads. They pulled codes and re-flashed the control units with the software they had applied two days before. They claimed it was a faulty or incomplete upgrade. They "re-trained" the transmission and it worked fine until this morning (8/7/15) when it did it again whilst accelerating onto highway. Same faults. It is at dealer now and I want them to buy it back. It only has 16200 miles and I have had it less than a year. I cannot drive a vehicle that shuts down on the highway. Someone is going to get hurt or worse.
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. While at the dealer, the instrument cluster, body control module, and transmission software were being updated on the vehicle. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer while driving at low speeds, the vehicle failed to down shift to second and first gear preventing the vehicle from accelerating. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, where the technician diagnosed that the transmission needed to be updated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
- Fairview, OR, USA
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After doing my homework and research on a vehicle with #1 safety ratings in its class, I am now in a constant state of fear for the safety of not only myself and my family, but to any other innocent people around me. I travel as little as possible in a vehicle that I am still in debt a very large sum of money on. I took delivery of my 2014 Jeep Cherokee trailhawk, 4X4 on May 28, 2014. The first issue occurred on July 31, 2014 when the vehicle felt as though the engine dropped out into the street of my neighborhood, disabling the vehicle completely; it was not drivable, nor would it shift into neutral in order to get onto the tow truck. (the transmission and emergency braking systems failed) to make an incredibly long story short...I have experienced this same event as well as many others continuously over a 14 month period in regard to failure of my emergency braking system as well as my transmission to include: Jerking so much that my purse flies from seat onto floorboard, jerking that causes my daughter to lunge forward into the back of the front passenger's seat, a stalled vehicle on busy highways and streets on numerous occasions, sudden engagement of emergency brake with the inability to release the brake while stopped at traffic lights; I could go on and on. After a total of 20+ trips to the dealerships for repairs (8-10 of these of which were via tow truck), (3) new transmissions, several repairs and modifications to the emergency braking system...my vehicle is still currently out of commission and not in my possession. I received a call on tues. Of this week from the dealership to inform me that a resolution was made; yet another transmission would be installed in my death trap of a vehicle. (this makes #4) to say that this is clearly the definition of insanity is an understatement. Something drastic needs to be done before people are killed.
When going down 6% or greater inclines while driving in the mountains, put the vehicle in 5th or 4th gear to slow it down, but if I touch the brake the car downshifts even further in which it actually speeds up before slowing down. Can understand this if were I using cruise control, but not when I try to control the vehicle speed. Liked the idea of being able to select a gear when descending a hill to provide some compression braking, but it should stay in that gear when I apply the brakes slightly. If applied very hard then should down shift to lower gears.
Vehicle transmission first failed in driveway at start up at 13773 miles at 10 months. Transmission "service transmission" error appeared with blinking "P" and would not engage. Towed to dealer. Error code reset overnight and dealer could not read the code. Dealer performed a software update to the transmission control module. Transmission was not shifting smoothly on drive home. Second transmission failure occurred on next morning after pickup on 3/25 and 11 miles. Transmission "service transmission" error appeared again with blinking "P". transmission could engage drive gear with a severe lurch. Service tech was able to read a failure code. Chrysler service tech found problem with plug connector on transmission control module and did another software update to transmission control module as first update was not done initially per the correct procedure. Transmission was able to shift smoothly upon repair. Third transmission failure occurred on 5/4 with 18543 miles while vehicle was on the highway at highway speed of 45 mph approaching intersection for left turn. Vehicle transmission "service transmission" error code appeared and transmission shifted into neutral with blinking "D" and lost power. Unable to drive thru intersection. Had to coast to stop. Transmission lurched into park. Turned vehicle off and back on. Transmission was able to lurch into drive and drove across intersection to park in safe area. Transmission was able to shift into and out of gear but was very jerky with mechanical clunk. This failure is of serious safety concern due to motion was unable to continue with vehicle in congested intersection. Vehicle is currently undergoing evaluation to determine course of action by Chrysler. Case number assigned.
Only had vehicle for 8 months when I noticed it wasn't running correctly. When at a complete stop, my car started to hesitate when I would start to accelerate. When it finally decided to engage, the car would either move in slow jerky spurts or lunge forward as though I had floored it. Around this time I had received two notices that the vehicle needed two updates: An air bag issue and transmission updates. I took my vehicle to dealership for an oil change and the updates on 03/28/15. I explained to the gentleman behind the counter about my cars unusual behavior, and he assured me the updates would take care of it. Since the updates were installed, I have noticed things have gotten worse. My car is more unpredictable now. There are times when I am going up a hill and start to lose momentum. I dare not travel too far, for fear I won't be able to get up to speed to merge into traffic. During these power losses, I have had the pedal to the floor and saw the odometer go backwards. I did take my vehicle back to the dealership for them to look it over in June. Unfortunately, I was told that my car was fine. This is a disaster waiting to happen. I feel that one day I may end up in an accident because of the erratic transmission shifting.
Transmission shifting problems causing hesitation and/or forward lurching, high engine revving, front end wheel hop. All warrant a huge safety concern. Vehicle has been in for service 13 times over the last 14 months and has still not been repaired. Several star cases opened with no resolution. All concerns confirmed by technician test drive on 6 different occasions and has currently been in the shop for five days.
On an interstate highway, on a slight uphill incline at 70 miles per hour, surrounded by other traffic including semitrailers, the Jeep abruptly lost forward power, acting like it has shifted into neutal. This loss of power was accompanied by flashing dashboard indications of transmission failure and by horrific clunking sounds and shudders from underneath. I was able to drift, miraculously, to the shoulder without being killed. Eventually restarted and limped to a dealer. Dealer kept Jeep two days, said they replaced a "control module", and that it was fixed. Not so. About thirty days later, and within a week of having the Jeep checked over at a different dealer, it happened again, this time at about 25 mph in a residential area down a gentle decline. Jeep had no suggestions for me other than tow it somewhere. Lost a full workday messing around with them seeking a solution. Now, days later, I have no communication from the dealer or from Chrysler/Jeep except an email saying that the dealer had discovered "codes". no word on what is wrong with this transmission, or whether Jeep can actually fix it or merely keep towing it after it leaves me on the side of the road or gets me killed or worse. Completely unreliable, unsafe, and apparently irreparable. Chrysler/Jeep needs to get this junk off the road before someone gets killed! updated 09/15/15
9 speed transmission started having hard up and down shifts at around 10K miles (March 2015). This was near time the fca issued a service bulletin on tcm and PCM for known software control problems with transmission. Sw updates were performed, yet transmission continued to shift erratically. Problem then developed into lurching during stops and hesitation when attempting to move. The hesitation presents serious concern as the ability to enter traffic or merge becomes difficult and dangerous if the transmission refuses to engage. Took back to dealership in June. Multiple attempts with sw updates. Fca ultimately decided to replace entire transmission. It had 13.8K miles on it. A month later it is shifting hard and lugging again. Back at dealership. Not clear what fca with do/offer now, as they don't seem to know what is wrong.
I purchased my brand new 2014 Jeep Cherokee with 30 miles. After about 1500 miles it began shifting very hard in low gears jerking, it red lines extremely hard to where it will jolt the Jeep and when I come to a stop it would begin raise rpms and accelerate. It would scare me senseless. I took it to the dealership they said that's how it performs and made me leave. 400 miles later the transmission completely blew out going 50 in la traffic. It was on back order for a month. Since then I have taken it in 8 times for the same problem a few times they have updated the tcm now they are saying there is no codes and they cannot duplicate it, even though it does it every single time. The Jeep will not know what gear to shift and leave me stranded in intersections before it shifts and peels out. When I break it'll pick up speed it is extremely unsafe and unreliable. Jeep has no fix for it and will not buy it back nor compensate me in anyway this isn't right and they should be forced to buy these be back. Last weekend I took it on a trip going downhill at 60 mph 2000 RPM I tapped the break and the Jeep revved to 5000 rpms also my horn is he hardest horn to push ever it does not work. The service department said its a little harder than normal but they cannot replace it since it doesn't give a code.everyone and their mother is concerned and complains about this issue. One day this thing is going to get me in a wreck. I paid good money for this vehicle I just want something safe and reliable for my family. I wish Jeep Chrysler however it is would just do the right thing.
I was driving through town on 7/2/15 and all of a sudden the dashboard lit up and the car went into neutral, I was able to drift into a safe area. I turned the car off and waited 2 minutes, started the car, everything seemed ok except the check engine light was on. When I pulled away the trans would not go over 45 mph. I called dealer and they said to bring it in immediately. 5 days later they charged me $100 for a "flash" download to trans. I picked the car up and within 48 hours the same thing happened again (8 times in 1 day), they told me to bring it in, I did (asked for a loaner vehicle, they said they would have to charge me), they told me there were no recorded faults in the computer, a mechanic drove it home 2 days to get it to fail. 6 days later I picked it up after they installed a transmission control module at no charge. 24 hours later it happened again, I was able to drift into a safe area. I turned the car off and waited 2 minutes, started the car, everything seemed ok except the check engine light was on, as of yesterday the car is back in their shop and they told me they will call the factory again to see what they can do"???" I'm a traveling salesman and I'm very concerned that this issue will cause an accident (if I can't drift into a safe area to "reset" the car) and I have developed no faith in Jeep's ability to fix this problem! updated 09/17/15 updated 12/11/2017
No real problems with our Jeep until we took it in for an oil change and they provided the "reprogram PCM tcm update campaign." After that update the Jeep would clunk, stall, and not accelerate through turns. Two weeks ago they "got a new update" that was to fix the previous update. Now we are going back again this week. Though, when I go to the Jeep recall site and enter my VIN there is no record of this new update.
While shifting at low speeds the vehicle continues to not select the correct gear in the power train / transmission. More often than not, when shifting from reverse to drive it selects 2nd or 3rd gear and when it doesn't move fast enough it slams into 1st. While in drive taking off from stop light for instance, the gears often start with 2nd or 3rd gear again and will not too often revert to 1st gear, it just allows for a very slow start. While visiting the dealership several times for this issue, the dealer / service person advises me it's a matter of time before the transmission / gears explode from this very issue and Chrysler knows about the issues but continue to send out recall notices for fixes.
Immediately after purchase, I noticed a degree of sluggishness during transmission shifts and lack of ability to reach 9th gear using the automatic transmission in drive mode. 9th gear is unattainable. The dealer told me that the transmission "learns" to an individual's driving style; be patient. At 3775 miles 4 Aug. 2014, I returned the vehicle to the dealer, and they did, as they termed it, a software update; but the update didn't really fix the problem. On 09 Apr., 2015 I again returned the vehicle to the dealer with the same complaint. They reported that they had performed a reprogram of transmission and powertrain control modules (R01 18-R0-11-84 0.5 & 18-ro-11-52 0.8). Since then, my vehicle has been performing even worse. Approaching an uphill incline, the transmission doesn't downshift until it nearly stops; then it suddenly after 3-5 seconds, lunges forward. Also I experienced a near 't' bone miss, as I attempted to accelerate from a stop sign because. The vehicle seemed to be stuck in a high gear and wouldn't respond expect in a sluggish way that only got me in the way of approaching traffic. By aggressively pushing on the gas it eventually shifted and bolted out of the way of oncoming traffic. I contacted the dealer about this, and was told there is another software update due about the end of June 2015. I contacted them again during the week of 6 July, but was told that there is no update. Frankly, I'm afraid to drive it. It just isn't safe behaving in this unpredictable manner. I've given it enough miles to allow the transmission/drivetrain to learn my driving habits. When I do drive it, I'm reluctant to have anyone else in the vehicle. Is there anything that your office/NHTSA can do to motivate Chrysler-Fiat to eliminate this concerning issue? the dealer is york, 500 prescott lakes parkway, prescott, AZ 86301.
Vehicle often lunges/shifts hard, but, last week, I was driving and the acceleration just seemed to stop. I put the car in neutral and back into drive and it resolved the issue. But, I did considered pulling off of the road. Going for R05 recall service next week and will get this problem looked at - at that time.
On April 1, 2015 while accelerating from a complete stop to merging into on coming traffic the transmission disengaged and the car lost all power. Warning came on the dash telling me " transmission needs service. No power. Pull over to side of road. Put car in park and shut off engine." This happened again on July 17, 2015 while my wife was making a left hand turn from a complete stop. The transmission disengaged again and she lost all power. She was nearly rear ended by a semi truck who was behind her but made the left hand turn without slowing down. She had our 2 grand daughters in the back set and was scared and afraid for their safety. This 2014 Jeep Cherokee model has had continued issues with the 9 speed transmission and all Jeep does is issue software upgrades to try to eliminate the shifting and poor acceleration problems this transmission continues to have. With the transmission disengaging at lower speeds someone is going to get killed if not seriously hurt. The NHTSA needs to issue a recall to Jeep before someone is killed by this faulty transmission that was brought to market before long term test could be conducted on it to make sure it functions properly and safely.
Backed out of driveway then warning light/symbol and tone came on that the 4 wheel drive system was unavailable and service required, service airbag warning came on as well as service parking brake, limped back into driveway barely. Turned vehicle off restarted still getting warnings and tried to move vehicle motor revved but vehicle didn't move forward or reverse. Got another warning to put vehicle into park then select gear. Currently waiting for tow truck. Jeep won't move in drive or reverse now. Suspect transmission issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Apex, NC, USA