10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
31,233 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.

2017 Jeep Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2017 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 1 of 24)

problem #475

Jan 152025

Cherokee

  • miles

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

Service shifter code being thrown, with check engine light. Code is showing the tcm malfunctioning and an impossible driver shift request. Has been happening for over a year and now a check engine light has illuminated. Dealer won-??t fix due to it not being a recall

- Las Vegas , NV, USA

problem #474

Jun 162023

Cherokee

  • miles
June 16, 2023 We were driving down the interstate with cruise control on and the jeep just shifted out of gear and stopped operating. It was still running, but was not operational. July 13, 2023 We towed it to the dealership in our hometown and were told that it was one month out of recall for the exact same problem. On the bill the dealership listed that the dog clutch failed and we were billed $5,563.95 to replace the PTU unit and told there was nothing Jeep would do for us. 1/15/2025 I took the Jeep back to the same dealership and now it is throwing codes for Transfer Case Motor Current- Performance or INcorrect Operation and Transfer Case Clutch Pressure Sensor-Signal Plausibility Failure. The soonest they can get it in is one month from now for further diag. Our safety was put at risk when the Jeep shifted out of gear and just stopped on the interstate with no other warning. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. I am not aware if anyone inspected the component when it was repaired in August 2023. No, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms in 2023, but now there is a Service 4WD light on, until i took it to the service department. Then it was off, but came back on the minute the sales manager drove it off the lot.

- Gillette, WY, USA

problem #473

Jan 062025

Cherokee

  • miles
2016-17 have multiple recalls for the PTU defects. I have had the exact same problem with mine. While driving i lost all power to the vehicle after making a turn and I was unable to keep the car from rolling while in park without the aid of the parking brake. Upon inspection and removal of my PTU that I preformed myself I was able to ascertain that the splines of my PTU input shaft were almost completely warn away. I tried to reach out to FCA but they said my car was not one of those effected by the recall. Even while having the exact same problem as listed in said recall

- Denver, NC, USA

problem #472

Jan 072025

Cherokee

  • miles

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

started receiving 4 wd unstable notification. Took jeep to dealership who advised that my PTU Component was at fault. the cost is $3700 to repair. Only certain VIN numbers are eligible for repair through Jeep. I have read many complaints from other Jeep Cherokee customers that also were not covered by 2017 PTU recall. This jeep only has 71 K miles and 4wd barely used mostly highway driving.

- Wilmngton, DE, USA

problem #471

Nov 042024

Cherokee

  • 71,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the "4 Wheel Drive Unstable" warning illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and at any speed and the warning was always illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

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problem #470

Dec 072024

Cherokee

  • miles
Vehicle had PTU and Transmission replaced in May 2020 for both components failing. Was repaired at dealership under warranty. On [XXX] the car front wheels locked up and would not move. Luckily, this failure occurred during a lower speed turn. At highway speed this incident would have certainly caused an accident with catastrophic results. The car was towed to the dealership and the PTU and Transmission were bad once again. PTU has been received at the dealership but not yet installed. The car is now out of warranty and will cost about $10,000 to fix. There is a Technical Service Bulletin, TSB 21-014-23, that describes the exact issue we have. This TSB applies to cars manufactured between April 14 2014 until October 10 2016. Our car was manufactured in January of 2017. So, the dealer would not honor the TSB and fix the car. Here is a link to moparinsiders that describes the issue. [XXX] There is info in this link that indicates the manufacturing date ranges past October 2016 have experienced the same failure. Here is a small excerpt: Recall Chronology: On March 7th, 2023, the FCA US LLC (-??FCA US-??) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (-??TSRC-??) organization opened an investigation into 2016-2017 MY Jeep Cherokee vehicles for potential PTU failures that experience a loss of motive power (-??LOMP-??) and/or park function. During March 2023, FCA US TSRC conducted an analysis of LOMP and/or loss of park function patterns associated with two-speed PTU replacements. As of April 20th, 2023, FCA US is aware of two customer assistance records, 17 warranty claims, zero field reports, and six other service records potentially related to this issue for all markets with dates of receipt ranging from January 13th, 2017, through August 7th, 2022. Can you please assist in getting the TSB updated to include the additional failures? These mechanical failures can result in fatalities. Thank you! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Yellville, AR, USA

problem #469

Dec 012024

Cherokee

  • 107,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate and had experienced a sudden loss of power. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the power transfer unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was 107,000.

- Mount Arlington, NJ, USA

problem #468

Nov 272024

Cherokee

  • miles
There is a power transfer unit (PTU) issue affecting certain 2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. My 2017 Jeep Cherokee has been diagnosed with a PTU failure, which matches the symptoms of the defect covered under an extended warranty program provided by Jeep, however, my VIN does not apply to this program somehow. There is a -??SVC 4WD-?? alert on my dash that alerted me to the issue. Because the PTU cannot be replaced, due to the part being on back order across the nation, the vehicle-??s 4WD will not work. Being in southeast WI, where snowfall can become heavy, puts the lack of 4WD availability a hazard to me and my family.

- Pleasant Prairie, WI, USA

problem #467

Oct 192017

Cherokee

  • miles
Due to the limit on text characters I have attached the 17-page document explaining the safety issues.

- Sioux Falls, SD, USA

problem #466

Oct 172024

Cherokee

  • miles
2017 Jeep Cherokee PTU failure August 5, 2021 new one installed 43,795 miles/ paid by warranty - Second failed PTU Oct 18, 2024 80,000 miles / paid self pay $5,000 Should be immediate recall Car in new condition, always currently serviced Never driven off-road PTU units should not be failing, car has had history of transmission/PTU/ shifter and radio issues and front struts incorrectly installed from factory, warranty refused to repair

- Sebastopol , CA, USA

problem #465

Sep 272024

Cherokee

  • miles

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

The 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude we own under the VIN entered is having issues with 4-wheel drive warning lights and shifter warning lights. The issues are connected to the PTU and Park break shifter selection. The same issues recalled under 45A and W47 FCA recalls. I believe the same issues exist with my vehicle though it's not being included in the recall. The recall needs to be expanded, and FCA/Stellantis should be accountable for the problem vehicles.

- Colona, Il, IL, USA

problem #464

Oct 072024

Cherokee

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message -??4-WD Service Required-?? was displayed. In addition, the contact stated that the wheels were not functioning as intended. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle was independently reset; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 129,000.

- Cordele, GA, USA

problem #463

Oct 042024

Cherokee

  • 120,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and became inoperable. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.

- Danville, IL, USA

problem #462

Oct 042024

Cherokee

  • miles
Message "service shifter" pops up on the instrument panel, and a series of red alert lights appear next to every gear on the automatic transmission shifter lever. The dealer is unable to fix the problem! They replace the wiring harness, they replace the shifters themselves, they reset the computers ? And the problem always returns!

- Annandale, MN, USA

problem #461

Oct 042024

Cherokee

  • miles
Service shifter light came on and gear shift lights are all red. There does not seem to be a mechanical issue but the message does not go away until after a restart. Also, while the message is displayed, you cannot access any other visual features like the speedometer or navigation system.

- Agawam, MA, USA

problem #460

Sep 012024

Cherokee

  • miles
POSSABLE TRANS. PR0BLEM. NEVER RECIEVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS PROBLEM RECALL 45a bought vehicle new dealer has sense changed hands recently trans. has a skip when shifting a causes a thump

- Felton, DE, USA

problem #459

Jun 202024

Cherokee

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the message "Service Shifter" was displayed. The message was also displayed intermittently while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Cragsmoor, NY, USA

problem #458

Jul 302024

Cherokee

  • miles
PTU unit malfunctioned while driving on freeway and almost caused an accident. Cannot repair due to no parts available. Cannot drive the vehicle.

- Green Valley, AZ, USA

problem #457

Aug 092024

Cherokee

  • 137,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH and making a turn, the vehicle shutoff inadvertently. The contact stated that the service shifter message was displayed. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shutoff but was restarted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was due to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the gear shifter. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

- Browns Mills, NJ, USA

problem #456

Aug 072024

Cherokee

  • miles
We fixed recall W47 21-017-21 on July 2021, PTU is damaged and broke again, but I do not qualify for the Extended warranty because this issue was caught early on and did not present any error codes or affect any drive ability of the vehicle yet. I see there is a recall W48 for those that already had the PTU replaced but still have the issue. Chrysler and Dealership will not honor it since there are no error codes because the issue was found early during an annual state inspection before anything catastrophic could happen.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

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