10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
31,330 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.

2016 Jeep Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 9 of 27)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #370

Mar 132020

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Shortly after I purchased my vehicle in 2020 I had a service shifter come on the dash with all the lights illuminated on bezel. I took it to the dealership and it was giving codes to suggest the the shifter bezel and wiring needed to be replaced this was done approximately 07/2021. Since then I have had no other issues with it until this morning it came back on. I have looked this up and a lot of Jeep owners experience this issue. It is apparent that there is a manufacture issues or issue that I feel Jeep is responsible for and needs to fix. With this involving the shifter/transmission there is an obvious safety concern. Thank you.

- Middlesboro, KY, USA

problem #369

Feb 262020

Cherokee

  • miles
Since I purchased this vehicle it has had issues with the 9-speed transmission. The transmission at times, shifts so hard, it feels like you have been rear-ended. The transmission shifts very hard at times and feels as if it's confused. In addition, there is a dangerous delay from when you hit the gas pedal to when the transmission actually engages. There have been times when I hit the gas to get through an intersection and the car has lost power and the transmission was delayed at least 2-5 seconds engaging; almost resulting in multiple accidents.

- Herndon, NY, USA

problem #368

Oct 042022

Cherokee

  • miles
Service shifter warning comes on and locks so you can't see your display possible transmission emergency if car shifts while at high speeds

- Omro, WI, USA

problem #367

Aug 302022

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At highway speed, transmission disengaged and car was forced to be stopped on road with no shoulder in an attempt to restart and continue to nearest off-ramp. Had no warning lights prior to failure and suddenly said -??transmission overheating-?? when unit failed. Has not been driveable since.

- Springfield, OR, USA

problem #366

Sep 072022

Cherokee

  • miles
My trailhawk service 4 wheel drive light is on and the dealership says that it is going to cost me $3500 dollars. I first took my truck to a transmission shop and they ran a diagnostic test and it came back that it was a recall for a PTU. Power transfer unit. Recall #W47 and 2ov343. But when I took it to the dealership they said I don't have any recalls on my truck. Please help me, I can't afford to pay for the work that needs to be done. And they are saying that they don't have loner cars anymore just rental cars for $40 a day. I don't have any way to get to work.

- Dayton, OH, USA

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problem #365

Sep 092022

Cherokee 6-cyl

  • miles
PTU replace with only 63,000 miles? Noticed lite on dash Service 4WD Recently had rear differential asy Drivers rear cv shaft Why all these issues Is my car on recall list if not it certainly should

- Reeders, PA, USA

problem #364

Sep 072022

Cherokee 4-cyl

  • 61,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the message 4-WD Service Required was displayed. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and retrieved a trouble code regarding and obstructed power transfer unit (PTU). The contact associated the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. The consumer stated there is a drive train warranty and the vehicle will be repaired by Cowboy Dodge in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

- Cheyenne, WY, USA

problem #363

Sep 122022

Cherokee

  • miles
The transmission failed at highway speed, there was no acceleration. when traffic slowed it did not down shift allowing acceleration. Safety is at risk for obvious reasons when you cannot get up to speed on a free way or when you get off the free way and cannot accelerate at a light. The problem has reoccurred again yesterday while on the freeway. The car has not been inspected yet. There was a yellow light that came on and a message that stated Transmission Needs Serviced.

- Temperance, MI, USA

problem #362

Sep 082022

Cherokee

  • miles
Power transfer unit (PTU) failed on our 2016 Jeep Cherokee at 59,000 miles. Vehicle has never been off-roading or abused. NHTSA has previously issued recalls for Cherokee PTUs but they were VIN specific (recalls 20V343 and 20E037 or W47 and W48). NHTSA states that "The power transfer unit (PTU), an important element of the optional all-wheel-drive system in affected vehicles may not be able to maintain a connection between the transmission and the front wheels. If the PTU fails to engage with the transmission, the Cherokee could lose all power while being driven. Also, a failure to engage could keep the vehicle from being put into park when stationary, allowing it to roll away. Either situation could result in a crash or injuries." I argue that the PTU defect previously identified is much larger than the small number of VINs repaired, and probably extends to most of the Cherokee line. If you search the internet for the FCA failure diagnostic of "C14A7-97 PTU blocked or obstructed" you will find many, MANY, reports by Cherokee owners who do not have one of the handful of lucky VINs. This is clearly a larger issue than previously suspected and a $3500-$4000 repair for the owner. Driveline components should be expected to last longer than 60k miles without catastrophic failures.

- Hudson, OH, USA

problem #361

Aug 292022

Cherokee

  • miles
Car has been having issues shifting gears when going uphill/downhill for a few months, only 88k miles never wrecked, during drive a "Service shifter" alert came on and all drive/park/reverse lights lit up, screen could not be removed, car repeatedly had issues getting rpms while pressing gas. Took to a repair shop and they claimed it needed a transmission liquid flush or brake rotors but neither issues coorelate. This seems to be a frequent issue going on with other jeeps. Problem fixed itself after stopping and turning off car and turning back on but still has issues getting stuck in certain gears.

- Justin, TX, USA

problem #360

Aug 222022

Cherokee

  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle was stopped however, the odometer remained operational providing incorrect vehicle information. The contact stated that while accelerating the speedometer kept running and would not stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 75,000.

- Augusta, KS, USA

problem #359

Aug 012022

Cherokee

  • miles
The SVC 4WD (service 4WD drive ) light came on in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep dealership performed diagnosis and the drivetrain control module (DTCM) stored C14A7-97-PUT motor and the component or system operation is obstructed or blocked. They attempted to update the software of the DTCM and it is up to date. The condition persists and their further testing indicates that the internal power transfer unit (PTU) has failed and the vehicle is stuck in 4WD. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than the local jeep dealership, which was on 8/12/2022. The warning message began the week of August 1st and I scheduled the first available service appointment. After some initial research, Jeep had a recall of the PTU for my model year back in 2020. For 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokees where the PTU has not been previously replaced, the auto maker-??s recall number is W47 and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)-??s recall campaign number is 20V343. However, when I checked my VIN number, it stated that I had 0 outstanding recalls against it. It is my understanding that if the power transfer unit (PTU) fails to engage with the transmission, the Cherokee could lose all power while being driven which could result in a crash or injuries.

- Gibsonia, PA, USA

problem #358

Aug 072022

Cherokee

  • 63,000 miles
The contact owns a?2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his daughter was starting the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted to drive(D) however, the intended gear was not recognized and the vehicle was unable to drive forward. Additionally, the vehicle experienced an unintentional rollaway and the contact's daughter applied the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

- Smithtown, NY, USA

problem #357

Jul 112022

Cherokee

  • miles
Service 4wheel drive came on 7/11/2022, when routine driving on highway at 40 MPH during excellent conditions. Phoned dealer 7/15/2022 to schedule for recall U90 for the catalyst efficiency and to have the vehicle scanned for the service light. 7/26/22 dealer informed active code C14A7-97 PTU Motor component or system operation obstructed or blocked, they cleared the code, it came back on, they check fluid level in ptu, it was within specs, found star case S1721000016 referring to the splines on the ptu unit to fray and not function. Recommended to replace ptu unit before winter. Found recall #21-017-21 for PTU broken input spline. Recall states malfunction indicator light (our service 4wheel drive came on) grinding noise coming from under vehicle while driving (this is notated on the service invoice from dealer. ) Although, code is different from what is listed for #21-017-21, our vehicle was built during the time frame indicated on the recall (April 2016) and is a 75th anniversary edition Cherokee, also listed on the #21-017-21 recall. Vehicle only has 37,689 miles on it and has never been taken off road nor has any other mode, but Auto been used for driving. Cost of replacement out of our pocket was to be $3100, after speaking with dealer and indicating this was our 3rd new Chrysler vehicle bought from them, they assumed responsibility for half the cost, see attached receipt where out of pocket for us was $1500, plus the $120 cost to scan for the issue. We would like consideration for a refund of the $1620 out of pocket we spent on this vehicle that we feel this issue should have been part of a recall. Please see note from invoice that metal shavings were found in the splines of the ptu. Safety of this vehicle in a needed 4x4 situation would have been compromised had the unit not been replaced.

- Canton, OH, USA

problem #356

Jul 252022

Cherokee

  • 97,254 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated to 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the B1S2 camshaft sensor was replaced however, the failure persisted. The contact stated the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 97,254.

- Farmington, UT, USA

problem #355

Oct 012021

Cherokee

  • miles
2016 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk 80k miles PTO failed in 10/22 had extended Warranty but not through Jeep @ cost $4k. Now with 89k it-??s going out again. What can I

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #354

Jul 052022

Cherokee

  • miles
The Power Control Unit of the full time four drive unit is defective and has caused warning lights that made the car unsafe to drive. There is current safety recall by NHTSA 20V343 that applies to 2014-2017 jeep Cherokee that applies to my car but does not shows up on the Jeep data base. Please advise. Thank you

- Arlington Heights, IL, USA

problem #353

Jul 032022

Cherokee

  • miles
PTU Power transition unit, many jeeps have same issue over 2,600. Jeep won-??t stay in park. Can roll down drive way. I lost power when turning into intersection almost got into accident with children.

- Rialto, CA, USA

problem #352

Jul 202021

Cherokee

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the message Service Shifter was displayed. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for a routine oil change, she notified the dealer of the warning message. The dealer informed the contact that it was a known failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

- Martinez, CA, USA

problem #351

May 192022

Cherokee

  • miles
At approx. 49,000 miles I brought my Jeep to an authorized dealership to inspect hard shifts/skips in the transmission shifting. Dealership was unable to reproduce issue. At approx. 59,000 my vehicle was fully repaired and guaranteed from an authorized collision center (passenger side impact) when the transmission light began to illuminate. The same dealership cleared these codes without diagnosis for the issue. At approx. 71,000 the 4WD light illuminated and the dealership replaced the PTU, indicating it was "unresponsive" yet not due to collision. Days after this repair the module that communicates connection between my vehicle and the starter/alternator has gone out "inexplicably" I believe my model has faulty electrical components similar to the recalled models and I would like to raise complaints everywhere and anywhere that my issue is relevant.

- Lumberton, MS, USA

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