7.0

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,570 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.

2020 Jeep Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2020 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #34

Dec 232024

Cherokee

  • miles

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

The power Train Unit failed. My wife is a nurse that drives from PA to MD on the back roads everyday, The part will not be avaliable until 5-22-25 if I order it today. Are people expected to rent a car for 3 months while the part might come in? We are very frustrated. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Cochranville, PA, USA

problem #33

Jul 242024

Cherokee

  • miles
INITIAL CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE CASE #[XXX] NEW (ESCALATED TO SUPERVIOR) CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE #new case #[XXX] high idle new engine at about 50k miles when car was 3 years old new battery $270 recently SVC 4WD - in July dealer told me it wasn't covered under warranty and made no mentioned of goodwill warranty, 2-year grace on warranty, nor any options. several mechanics told me $3K to fix. declined. called dealer who told me to call Chrysler customer care who told me they can't do anything until dealer diagnoses the vehicle. Chrysler customer care tried various times to reach service team at sterling heights dodge - they would not take call or call him back. he finally reached someone who told him that i need to come by and they can look at my car and then after I could see receptionist to then make appt. he said it doesn't make sense for me to go there twice. I did call and make appt and have gotten the run around since. Chrysler customer care told me I would qualify to have this fully covered since I was just over warranty (now at 65K miles since months has passed since this first occurred in July (60,250 miles) and because I was the original owner and mentioned something about a 2-year grace. However, the goodwill warranty came back only covering 70% and making me responsible for 30%. This is ridiculous - this is just a start or continuation of more costly major repairs, and I cannot afford to keep this car any longer but need to get this fixed so I can trade it in or sell it and get a new car with a different automaker. I cannot get Chrysler customer care to call me back nor is the dealership willing to help. While I don't know the ins/outs of lemon law and this probably doesn't qualify, it feels s like a lemon. see attached letter for details/history. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Shelby Twp, MI, USA

problem #32

Oct 202024

Cherokee

  • miles
I was going 35 miles per hour the car as i was driving started acting abnormally driving in a lagging jerky way and then states 4wd unavailable service soon. I looked up the issue which seems like a ptu defective part and it seems to be a pretty common issue that jeep cars are experiencing and having difficulty with while driving.

- Dearborn Heights, MI, USA

problem #31

Mar 292024

Cherokee

  • 52,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal scraping and crunching sound heard. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on a bumpy road surface and over a pothole. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, where the brake calipers, the brake rotors, and the brake pads were replaced. Additionally, a wheel alignment was performed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was test-driven; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

- Fall River, MA, USA

problem #30

Mar 082024

Cherokee

  • miles
My 2020 Jeep Cherokee limited started making a loud clunking sound when on the break coming to a stop. It also makes a grinding noise for a mine while accelerating speed and then will shift back to normal. I have had it looked at and the dealership is saying that it is either the transmission or the PTU, neither of which I can afford to repair and with 70,000 miles on the car has no warranty. I was in an accident 2/24 and thought it was related to that however it is not. I did not have my car most of the summer while trying to figure this out and now there-??s too many miles. I am a travel nurse and I drive 2 hours to work and o do not feel safe. There isn-??t a recall however there are many recalls for the same issue but different years. I am frustrated because this is something that they should fix for obvious related reasons with other years having the same issue.

- Little Egg Harbor , NJ, USA

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problem #29

Jun 132024

Cherokee

  • miles
The 2020 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus has a defect in the PTU in which the 4WD system doesn't work. On the dashboard, a SVC 4WD light is always on which makes the car only driveable in 2WD. The Liberty Auto City Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram service center associate told me that the PTU is bad in my car, also that there are also a lot of other Jeep Cherokee's that have defective PTU's all over the country as well. It's been discussed in the Jeep Community throughout the years.

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #28

Aug 142024

Cherokee

  • miles

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

ptu premature failure

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #27

Apr 152024

Cherokee

  • miles
The power transfer unit failed, requiring a replacement of the power transfer case. It is still on the vehicle and has not been replaced yet. The 4WD on the car is unavailable, which puts my family and I at risk when driving in snowy conditions as are common in the area I live in. Additionally, the dealership stated that there are no replacement parts available since the part is -??under development-??, likely due to a flaw. I have taken the vehicle to two Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealerships who have both reported the same issue. The component has not been inspected besides the inspections done at the car dealerships. There were no symptoms of failure besides the -??Service 4WD-?? warning light coming on, as well as warnings every time the car is turns on, indicating that 4WD is unavailable.

- American Fork, UT, USA

problem #26

Jun 272024

Cherokee

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the transmission failed without warning and the RPM became extremely elevated; however, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. Despite the failure, the contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence where it remained. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Cleveland, OH, USA

problem #25

Jan 222024

Cherokee

  • 79,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Service Four Wheel Drive" message remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the PTU was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 79,000.

- Middletown, NJ, USA

problem #24

Jan 252024

Cherokee

  • miles

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

My wife was driving the Cherokee on a level street at approximately 40 miles per hour and the power transfer unit malfunctioned causing the wheels to lock up. The 4-wheel drive was disabled and the emergency brake began engaging randomly. She was able to drive to the local Jeep dealer who informed her that the Power Transfer Unit had broken and needed to be replaced. This car is approximately 5,000 miles out of their 60,000 mile drivetrain warranty and has never been driven off road. When looking at the frequency of this part failure on the internet, it appears to be a chronic problem and in fact previous model years have been recalled for this issue. This year should be recalled too. On top of the part failure, Jeep can't even get the part to repair it due to the extreme demand. We cannot be given an estimate of when the part will be available.

- Tecumseh, MI, USA

problem #23

Dec 262023

Cherokee

  • miles
I was driving on an on ramp on an interstate and the vehicle suddenly went from drive mode into losing power and completely stalling out. From that point, the vehicle would not start and had to be pushed to the side of the on ramp. The manufacturer says that the Power Transfer Unit failed and needs replacement.

- Longmont, CO, USA

problem #22

Aug 072023

Cherokee

  • miles
SVC 4WD light comes on dash screen. Power to wheels is no longer equal and is interrupted. Drive power can go directly to either front wheel. This causes an abrupt change in direction requiring immediate correction of steering to avoid hitting vehicles in next lane or driving into a parked car along the road. Only quick reaction kept me from hitting the vehicle in the lane next to me! Vehicle has been taken to dealer and inspected. They confirmed the PTU is defective. This was on Aug. 9, 2023. Today is Dec. 14, 2023. I have now been told the new ETA is the second week of Jan. 2024. I was originally told the part was to arrive Sept. 21, 2023. The vehicle is not safe to drive. I'm sure not many people know to report this issue. I understand that Jeep was replacing PTUs at the rate of approx. 700 a month back in may of 2023. I also understand this part has been superseded 7 times. So a total "fix" has not yet been found.

- Upland, CA, USA

problem #21

Apr 082023

Cherokee

  • miles
Had trans and transfer case PTO unit replaced, cause was transfer case and trans slines stripped. there is a recall for for this issue but not for my model year. 2020 jeep Cherokee trail hawk. recalls are for 2016-17 however because of the year of my jeep it isn't part of the recall but had the same issue regarding the same part # need reimbursement still 4 work. (In 2020, Fiat Chrysler America recalled 67,248 units of the 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee in the United States over a transmission issue that could result in a loss of power or rollaway situation. At the time, paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explained that certain "vehicles were built with a two speed Power Transfer Unit ("PTU") that allows relative movement between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft." The movement could wear down the input splines, causing a loss of engagement between transmission and differential, thereby cutting power to the front wheels. Worn splines could also prevent the transmission from engaging Park when stationary, leading to a possible rollaway situation. That recall applied only to all-wheel-drive models with the two-speed Power Transfer Unit, which simulates the two-speed transfer case found in many part-time four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs. Jeep brands the affected systems as "Active Drive II" or "Active Drive Lock." Vehicles among the recall population that featured the PTU model in question benefited from "more robust differential splines." The fix for the recalled vehicles wasn't replacing the worn PTU splines with the upgraded versions. The fix was a software update that worked around the fault to either alert the driver, to shift power to the rear wheels when the malfunction occurred, or to automatically apply the parking brake if the fault happened while the driver was attempting to shift into park. What's stranger is that Jeep has issued a new recall for a subset of the original recall population, )

- Glennie, MI, USA

problem #20

Jul 102023

Cherokee

  • miles
PTU Issue: A recall was already done on this problem with a Jeep Model years 2016/2017. I now have the same problem on my 2020 Jeep. The transmission slips and the 4 wheel drive is not reliable. I was told by the dealer I needed the PTU replaced. The dealership diagnosed the issue as the PTU and wants 4k to fix. It is the same issue described in your recall. Jeep USA and the dealer acknowledge the issue but where its not a recall on this model told me " I have to pay." and I need fixed asap! I could not even get an appt for 2 + months. They avoided it.

- Bradford, MA, USA

problem #19

Aug 092023

Cherokee

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of gear. The vehicle failed to remain in automatic and instead shifted into 4WD and snow mode. The vehicle failed to engage or disengage. While in park, the vehicle shifted into neutral. While in the park, the parking brake engaged without driver interaction. The START/STOP warning light was illuminated. The 4WD not available message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fork in the transfer case might be fractured or stuck. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Paragould, AR, USA

problem #18

Aug 022023

Cherokee

  • miles
Our Jeep has had multiple accounts of shifting hard, hesitation while shifting, and a on and off service 4wd light. We reported these issues to the Jeep dealership it was purchased from and they said nothing was wrong after 4 scheduled maintenance visits. We brought our Jeep to a neighboring dealership who immediately found the issue and said it was a major transmission component that went bad. Fast forward to a week later and the part has been fixed but the issue is still happening!

- Newfield , NJ, USA

problem #17

Jul 182023

Cherokee

  • miles
When coasting at low speeds the vehicle makes multiple click sounds and now there has been a clunking sound seems like when. Trying to downshift or upshift almost as it can't find a gear. When in a stoped position I put it in drive ease the gas and it will jump into gear. Has been multiple complaints about clicking and clinking with the vehicle and nothing fixing the problem unless ptu, transmission, u joint or driveshaft is replaced this is scary to spend so much on a vehicle for my family and worry about when it's going to break down.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #16

Jun 262023

Cherokee

  • miles
Transmission intermittently does not engage immediately into 1st gear causing engine to rev up and unintended acceleration to occur. Vehicle has been taken to dealer for service on this issue several times but problem still remains. This is a safety issue as several near accidents have been experienced. Issue seems to occur in tight spaces such as parking areas or when going from reverse to forward. Issue does not generate a fault code and dealer will not take action unless a code is present. Issue happens frequently and is known to happen with this vehicle model.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #15

Apr 232023

Cherokee

  • miles
The check engine light came on, then my parking brake light, crash parking light, and stop and stop light on my dash. It wouldn't start at first but tried three time and it did. I drove home with the vehicle, and it wasn't shifting properly. I had it towed to the dealership and was told it was electrical after they tested it. Three days later I was told it was the transmission. Now I'm being told it is the mounts as well.

- Saint Johns, FL, USA

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