10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
28,801 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #50

Jun 122020

Cherokee 4-cyl

  • 100,249 miles

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

My 2016 Jeep Cherokee latitude 4 X 4 overheated bursting 2 cooling heater hoses, drained out all the antifreeze coolant. Mechanic hopes that head gasket will be the only damage otherwise can ruin the engine and that will cause a engine replacement which will be a very high cost.

- Elk Grove, CA, USA

problem #49

May 062020

Cherokee 4-cyl

  • 49,798 miles
As I'm driving, a dash warning light comes on that says 'service shifter' and all the lights indicating what gear I'm in come on. This has happened twice in the past week and I've before about three months ago, twice on a city street (45mph) and once on a highway (65mph). Each time the car has to be turned off and restarted to clear the message.

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #48

Apr 152020

Cherokee 4-cyl

  • 89,980 miles
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee-latitude has 89000+ miles on it. A few months ago I thought the transmission was slipping and bought fluid for it. Couldn't find an access point, so I took it to a dealership. Guy told me it was a "closed transmission". took it in the back and claimed to do an update. After that, an error msg began popping up saying "service shifter" and all the lights on the shift panel were red. After this began happening more I called the Jeep customer service where they hinted it may be a recall. Now dealership wants to charge me $375 to fix it. I'm reading from other Jeep owners who have the same issue that Jeep has no fix, but keeps charging people. One guy said his actually stopped on him almost causing an accident. I have been driving on the street and the highway, eventually stopping, shutting the car off and turning it back on. I'm going to cancel my appointment because they can't fix it. This issue should be addressed by an overseer of automobile safety. I hope that is you. I don't want to be a crash test dummy. Please pressure Chrysler on this issue before it's too late if it isn't already. No particular date, but last time was 4/15/2020 @ 4:30 ish.

- Matteson, IL, USA

problem #47

Mar 132020

Cherokee

  • 64,077 miles

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

Both the electronic throttle control system lights came on. The vehicle repeatedly would seem to glitch out while operating at varying speeds in motion on city streets and highways. Seems to lose power for very brief spurts.

- Incline Village, NV, USA

problem #46

Mar 122020

Cherokee

  • 32,000 miles
While car was in motion in suddenly slows down and seems to turn off and the battery light comes on and it states to put car in park. I'm unable to move care and steering wheel becomes locked

- North Bergen, NJ, USA

problem #45

Dec 272019

Cherokee

  • 63,000 miles
While in drive the Jeep Cherokee sport (premium pkg) car cuts off in street 3X and hwy 4X and engine light turns on. Car also loses power/speed while in drive and engine light turns on when making a turn. Car loses speed and driver is not able to accelerate while on busy hwy or street.. bought car new with 16 miles on odometer from Chrysler Jeep dealer. Manufacture warranty expired 2 months prior to this problem. Mileage 63,000 miles. I have an expensive extended dealer warranty. Chrysler Jeep dealer says engine will be replaced w/ no deductible and no addl customer cost according to dealer warranty.. oil gaskets blown also with excellent service record at Chrysler Jeep dealer.. no one should have to purchase an expensive extended warranty on a new car and have to replace an engine for a car under 5 years old. Car has one driver 62 yrs old, no accidents no tickets in 15 years this is awful for a 3.25 year old Jeep!! car has been at Jeep dealership service dept since Dec 31, 2019 for engine replacement.

- Stone Mountain, GA, USA

problem #44

Dec 172019

Cherokee

  • 58,500 miles

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

Driving at night in the rain on the highway 60 mph. Lost power steering, brakes, forward warning collision and other controls. Lost control of the vehicle crash into the embankment. Almost rolled the vehicle. Dealer stated steering modular failed and replaced steering rack and pinon system. Dealer stated 12 active computer codes shut down all of above functions. Dealer stated computer steering computer module failed causing steering and other functions to fail.

- Brooksville, FL, USA

problem #43

Dec 162019

Cherokee

  • 72,488 miles
Speedometer reading is off... caused speeding ticket, because I didn't realize I was speeding because of the speedometer reading was off. Officer said he clocked me at 94 mph in 70mph, thought I was going 73....in motion on highway

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #42

Dec 072019

Cherokee

  • 43,000 miles
Engine shut off while vehicle in motion with foot on accelerator (traveling ~10mph).. lost power steering and brakes. Notice appeared on dashboard about shifter. Tried to power engine back on to no avail. Waited a couple of minutes and vehicle was able to start again.

- Cambridge, MA, USA

problem #41

Nov 142019

Cherokee

  • 3,600 miles
This issue has happened seven times now in the last month. Most recent was on 11/14/2019. While driving (in motion) about 25 mph in residential area, Jeep turns off in the middle of the road. Error message pops up on dashboard to "shift to P then desired gear" (see photo). I am able to pull over to the side of the road but car has to be turned completely off. It takes a couple of tires to restart the engine. Unknown as to why this is happening. Took to dealership and they said they could not find any codes and to let them know if problems continues. This is very dangerous as I could have been on a major highway and caused an accident.

- Charlotte Hall, MD, USA

problem #40

Nov 012019

Cherokee

  • 72,000 miles

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

I was driving down the highway with my daughter and my dog with me and had the cruise control set to 75 mph. There is a part of the highway where the speed limit drops to 65 mph so I slowed the vehicle down to 64 mph when it suddenly revved up to 5000 rpms and hit 75 mph again. The car has been surging lately but I thought it was from the weather getting colder. The car accelerating on its own going down the highway, especially to 5000 rpms, I know is not just the weather. There is something wrong and I have only made 1 payment on it about to pay my 2nd one. I just bought this car August 21, 2019 so this should not be happening already. Also there is a rattling in the engine.

- Grand Prairie, TX, USA

problem #39

Oct 292019

Cherokee

  • 49,000 miles
The car began jerking as if in the process of stalling while driving on the highway. Then, whenever the car was stopped at a light or accelerating the stall like jerking would occur again.

- Iselin, NJ, USA

problem #38

Sep 292019

Cherokee

  • 76,567 miles
Error message that states: "service shifter"on the dash board and all the lights on the gear shifter box light

- Alvin, TX, USA

problem #37

Sep 152019

Cherokee

  • 14,200 miles
Bangs into 2nd or 3rd gear intermittently after a stop or while driving at lower speeds 25-30 mph especially. Most erratic in city driving. The jolt is so hard the driver takes notice. The vehicle will hesitate at time from a stop then jump forward like a bat out of hell causing front wheels to spin. At lower speeds in city the vehicle has a delay from engine to transmission causing a jerking motion even when pressing ever so litely on gas peddle. The transmission holds gears aggressively before up shifting, so engine speed hangs high between shifts. The vehicle shifts occasionally immediately into 2nd gear from a stop and then drags it out and clunks into 3rd gear causing untimely shifting. Lithia Jeep and pelletier Jeep both did software updates with marginal improvement or made it worse. Also the transmission up shifts to soon often from 1st to 2nd gear. Vehicle at times has mind of its own for transmission never really knowing what to making not very predictable and dangerous to drive. The speed control is dangerous and a nightmare. When going downhill it makes transmission go into lower gears causing engine RPM over danger zone. It feels like the engine and transmission are going to explode. The speed control is really hard to predict what it will do! I'm scared to use it! I'm scared to drive this vehicle!

- Van Buren, ME, USA

problem #36

Aug 272019

Cherokee

  • 35,242 miles
Purchased 2106 Jeep Cherokee in April 2019. Had car looked over and oil changed April 19, 2019 @30,141 miles. On 8/14/19 the vehicle stalled while leaving a stop sign. Total loss of control of the car. Dashboard lights flash and display instructs you to put the car in park. After 3 attempts the car starts. Thought it was a fluke. 8/24/19 the same event happens again, except on a busier road. Very scary and concerned about being hit from behind. 4 attempts to restart car, finally starts and I drive directly to mechanic. 8/27/19 happens multiple times to mechanic, who agrees this is a very dangerous situation in moving traffic. The computer does not indicate any problem. Based on information I had found on line, he checks the oil to find no oil on the dipstick. Car is @ 35,242 miles & consumed 4 qts of oil during 5100 miles. I am told that this is way too much oil to be used for this number of miles. The more I poke around on line, I see that many Jeep Cherokee owners are reporting the same problems. Countless that have happened on the highway, which I can't begin to think how deadly that can be. It appears that Jeep/Chrysler is doing nothing about this problem. They have recalled the 2019 Jeep Cherokee for this problem. I would also believe this is an environmental problem with excessive amount of oil being burned. I do have receipts from the service garage. Please help

- Elmhurst, IL, USA

problem #35

Sep 022016

Cherokee

  • miles
Does not hold the selected speed when going down hill with cruise control set. Transmission shifts down but does not stay in one gear, shifts up and down.

- Yuma, AZ, USA

problem #34

Jul 252019

Cherokee

  • 57,226 miles
I purchased a certified pre-owned Jeep latitude. Within two months the service shifter light came on and the entire console lit up red. This issue continued off and on until I took it for servicing. This issue showed up while in park in my driveway, when pulling out and then when I stopped at a gas station. It was fixed in minutes "??" but it appears this has been an ongoing issue never corrected by Chrysler/ Jeep

- Mckeesport, PA, USA

problem #33

May 022019

Cherokee

  • 36,500 miles
I bought it used and it had 1 recall that was not disclosed and now the service shifter light keeps coming on. I have read 100S of others have this problem with little to no permanent resolution.

- Van Buren, AR, USA

problem #32

Apr 112019

Cherokee

  • 71,000 miles
Purchased a 2016 Jeep Cherokee 2016 latitude. Had 70,000 miles on it. Two weeks into owning it on hard turns the battery light and dash would light up. On two occasions the car would be making a turn (in drive) and would fail accelerate or continue in that gesr causes it to stall into neutral and then loose steering control. The car would then shake violently and after getting out of the way of traffic it was turned off. Once the car was turned off the car would not start until 3 or 4 times. Imagine this happening on the entrance to the high way. The car would drive for a couple miles and then stall out again. Not a safe car and do not feel comfortable moving forward with this vehicle especially St high speeds.

- Port Washington, NY, USA

problem #31

Mar 092019

Cherokee

  • 58,000 miles
Tcm modular fails in the sealed 9 speed transmission in 8 gear after comming of an exit ramp engine life came on mashes on the gas to go thru the intersection no power stuck in 8 gear would not down shift.. light turns green and on coming traffic has to stop and allow me to get true very slowly... horns blowing and cars swirling around me... very dangerous to have this happen in traffic this has happened several times

- Clearwater, FL, USA

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