10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
16,355 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 Grand Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #41

Feb 242022

Grand Cherokee

  • miles

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

Oil cooler failure, causing oil to go into the coolant system and mix. Completely draining all oil from my engine and leaking from and unknow seal in the coolant system. At no time did my vehicle warn me of the issue. No check engine light, no overheating light and I drove my vehicle from home to work which is about 60 miles (salisbury, md to lewes, de). This left me stranded at work and unknow damage to my vehicle because of no "caution" lights. The leaking oil could have caused an engine fire with all the oil draining out and into the coolant system and over heating my engine.

- Salisbury, MD, USA

problem #40

Mar 292022

Grand Cherokee

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH on a local street, the vehicle shifted abnormally hard and the transmission made a loud banging sound. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that several transmission clutches needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

- Conway, AR, USA

problem #39

Mar 302022

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
I have a 2017 Jeep GC Limited with 55K miles that had the "Service Shifter" warning light come on. Vehicle ran fine no issues. Made appt. with local Jeep Dealership and drove the Jeep in yesterday (03/29/22). Ran just fine, I just wanted the light cause diagnosed and fixed. Dealership ran a diagnostic on it and informed me it needed an updated software flash. Conducted the Flash. NOW... the vehicle is inoperable without a complete Electronic Shift Module (ESM) replacement. They could not even reverse what they did so I could drive home. What they did was IRREVERSIBLE and I would have to leave the car there until they could find a NEW ESM and install it for $900! I had to take a Uber home and have no vehicle. This is not right for a vehicle with only 55K miles that was running just fine into the Jeep dealership. This is a very common problem on JEEP Cherokees. If ESM is known defective part by JEEP and is a Safety risk since many owners have the shifter lock up while driving the vehicle and cannot shift without shutting down the vehicle several times in the middle of traffic. Please help!

- Ortonville, MI, USA

problem #38

Feb 122022

Grand Cherokee

  • miles

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

The vehicle had a complete shutdown while being driven. While driving on the highway, several dashboard warning lights began to appear. Within seconds afterwards, the headlights went out, along with the dashboard lights and radio. The vehicle became difficult to steer and then the vehicle lost all power, and could not be restarted. The vehicle was picked up from the dealership the day prior to this occurrence, and the PCM had just been replaced. The vehicle had been towed to the dealership just short of two weeks earlier, after it wouldn't start, having replaced the battery, and experiencing the passenger front window to randomly go down. This incident fortunately did not result in any crash or injury, however, it is only a matter of time if it isn't correctly diagnosed and fixed, as this problem results in an extremely hazardous condition.

- Hiawassee , GA, USA

problem #37

Nov 132021

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
I was driving on highway and the stop safely your car about to turn off popped up then my lights started flashing and the whole car shut down. I couldn't steer or brake so I had to shift into neutral and hope for the best. It scared me to death. My children were in the car. I just replaced the alternator, both batteries and had the vehicle reprogrammed and 2 days later that happened.

- Noblesville, IN, USA

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problem #36

Oct 162021

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
We were driving up I95 and our Jeep made a weird noise. We thought we had hit something, but we had not. When we tried to put the car into gear it would not and we could not drive it. Jeep does not have a recall of this vehicle, but doing a simple search online I have found multiple sites that note 2017 Jeeps having the same issues with transmission. This is a costly repair that should be covered by the company because it is a well known issue. Here are some of the articles I found with their web addresses: Jeep RecallIn the middle of 2020, Jeep was forced to recall almost 100,000?Jeep Cherokees?due to transmission problems. Fiat Chrysler promised to install and update the new software into the specific model so that the malfunctions will not occur again -?" and if they do, the driver will immediately be alerted to the ongoing problem.The affected Cherokee cars had a transmission concern that could potentially lead to a loss of power while driving, causing an increased risk of a crash and safety issues. The company issued a statement at the time of the recall, addressing the potential transmission slipping, loss of propulsion, and lack of transmission engagement.The Jeep Cherokees in the recall were produced between the 2014 and 2017 model years, with the affected models having an extremely high Jeep transmission repair cost and safety concerns. The models are almost exclusively all-wheel-drive options between 2014-2-17, with a two-speed Power Transfer Unit.?https://www.cashcarsbuyer.com/jeep-transmission-repair-cost/ While the 2015 transmission receives a lot of notice, there are other vehicles in the Jeep Grand Cherokee lineup that have also had problems reported by consumers. One key complaint is repeated in the 2016 and 2017 model years.In these vehicles, the driver notes the vehicle lurches forward when the gas pedal is depressed, specifically when making a turn. This can increase the risk of an accident.Others report that while they are driving the vehicle

- Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #35

Aug 232021

Grand Cherokee

  • miles

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

The check engine light and a (A)! light with "service auto/start stop" came on at the same time with no symptom of any issue being immediately noticeable. The Parking break "BRAKE" light on the dash light up for half a second. Then the transmission was stuck in 7th gear and would not downshift on its own. When pulling on the wheel's paddles a "shift denied" message was deplayed despite the fact i was going 10mph in 7th gear. Check engine light code was P076F and U0001 and U1199. Upon driving the vehicle again Car this time transmission got into 8th gear and stated "shift denied" and wouldn't downshift from 8th gear for any reason. I parked it for a couple days. When trying to take it to the dealership (A)! came back on about 5 min into my drive and stayed on for the remaining 25 min. Fault Log as of showing P076F (though car shifted fine through all gears except for that one day), U0001, P00FD, U0447, U1199, P02D1. The following things happened on the drive to the dealership 1) While driving the phrase "Service Shifter" showed up for less than 1 second and went away. 2) Then randomly the gauge clusters parking "BRAKE" light turn 3) The vehicle got stick in 3rd gear. The dealership provided a flash update to the transmission stating it was a "known issue" which is why there was already a software update, but this costed me over $200 to pay for a known issue that necessitate going to a dealership as the only way to get the known software update uploaded. It happened again 3 weeks already which almost resulted in a crash due to the vehicle being stuck in 7th gear even at low speeds (less than 10 MPH). The dealership "Roger Williams Jeep in Weatherford Texas" looked at it again and stated. They did't know what the problem was and that Jeep does not allow them to service the transmissions and they cannot explain any of the lights and sticking on other gears but the "service manual and jeep" would only allow a replacement of the transmission for $8,100.

- Aledo, TX, USA

problem #34

Sep 032021

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
Transmission went out in Kingman AZ, we live in WI. Warning light came on, luckily enough we got to a dealership. Truck is still in AZ waiting for a new transmission, as it is under warranty, apparently their on NONE available in the US. We are on special order list and have no idea how long it will take. Dealership says 2 days later another vehicle came in with the exact same problem. Jeep knows this is a problem and are hiding it.

- Milton, WI, USA

problem #33

May 282021

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
My car's shifter is not lighting up and the car says "service shifter" The car is not even 5 years old. This should not be an issue.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #32

Mar 062021

Grand Cherokee

  • 52,000 miles
Gear shift service engine light came on and would let my car shift out of my park. The lights in the gear area didn't illuminate.

- Fairfield Township, OH, USA

problem #31

Feb 212021

Grand Cherokee

  • 83,000 miles

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

Vehicle auto start and stop function warning then a voltage warning telling me vehicle was going to turn off, while I was in motion, it shut off almost immediately leaving me with no steering or brakes and the vehicle was in the middle of the driving lane. No power to seats, trunk, etc shifter is in drive but vehicle will not move or turn on.

- Port Matilda, PA, USA

problem #30

Dec 192020

Grand Cherokee

  • 47,000 miles
Sitting in my driveway waiting for my daughter, vehicle was in park on a very, very small incline - almost flat. Within a minute of sitting there, it started to coast/move backwards. I had to put my foot on the brake to stop it from going onto the road.

- Columbia, PA, USA

problem #29

Aug 292020

Grand Cherokee

  • miles
The power to the engine comes to slow motion with no power to accelerate. It is like the transmission has no power, but no noise. This occurred when turning or stopping. At a street light.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #28

May 092020

Grand Cherokee 6-cyl

  • 31,455 miles
I bought a 2017 jgc limited 2 weeks ago. It has 31,500 miles. This weekend, the 'service shifter' warning came on, the engine would not start, the ignition stayed on and would not turn off though the engine wasn't running. The shifter lights flashed continuously, the warning screen flashed through several warnings continuously all night. The battery was dead the next morning. The back doors will not open, disallowing me access to the battery (under the passenger seat). The car would buck at intersections when I was driving it last week. The electronics are poorly engineered and tested. Reminds me of the english range rover. I don't know what to do now as the car is stuck on my driveway.

- Carson City, NV, USA

problem #27

Mar 052020

Grand Cherokee

  • 42,590 miles
Car cranks but will not start!!

- Lancaster, CA, USA

problem #26

Feb 062020

Grand Cherokee

  • 57,067 miles
The transmission stopped working while driving. The car stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. The Jeep has 57,067 miles and now it does not drive.

- Oakley, CA, USA

problem #25

Nov 262019

Grand Cherokee

  • 50,005 miles
No shifting issues for the first 49,000 miles. Now, at 50K miles, the vehicle shifts hard in all gears, but mostly in 6th, 7th, and 8th. The hard shift sometimes feels like a 5 lbs hammer slamming into the metal frame of the vehicle. Not all shifts are hard. Most hard shifts are when holding the throttle steady and the vehicle slowly approaches a shift point. In 8th gear you can hold 5% throttle to maintain highway speed, then give 10% more throttle for an uphill and the transmission will stay in 8th gear, but briefly shutter followed by an obvious bang or jerk of the vehicle. Some bad shifts are repetitive with four or five hesitations and pops or bangs of the transmission. These hard clunks happen at 30-45 mph, or at highway speeds of 75-80 mph. Some feel like bumps in the road, while others feel like violent bangs. The issue does not happen when giving the vehicle 80% or more throttle. Issues are usually at 5% to 35% throttle. It happens most often when accelerating towards a normal shift point slowly. Before the normal shift, the transmission will slip and bang. On a twenty-minute drive of mixed highway and city, it may bang 5 to 10 times or more. Violent bangs are once or twice per week, but sometimes twice a day. The driving situation is what increases the likelihood of feeling a bad kick or bang. Not all bangs result in a shift. Some bangs happen but the vehicle stays in the same gear as if it just slipped and then caught the same gear again.

- Olathe, KS, USA

problem #24

Oct 162019

Grand Cherokee

  • 45,000 miles
Vehicle transmission locked up in the middle of a parking lot could not move the car forward or backward nor could I move the gear shifter from drive to park or neutral... I was also unable to get the vehicle to shut off which in itself could be a safety issue if I was in my garage. The vehicle needed to be towed back to the dealership. Dashboard read: Service shifter - stop safely, shut off engine to engage park -- please note that we followed the instructions and we were unable to turn the vehicle off and/or get it into park.

- Tinley Park, IL, USA

problem #23

Sep 012019

Grand Cherokee

  • 66,000 miles
2017 Grand Cherokee 'service shifter' problem. I get the message popping up in the driver information area, along with the vehicle shifting differently than normal. This seems to be a common problem with no definitive solution.

- Adairsville, GA, USA

problem #22

Sep 072019

Grand Cherokee

  • 39,000 miles
While driving on a highway at 60 mph my vehicle started flashing every possible warning light. Airbags, ABS, slip control, cruise control... everything. Most concerning was the 'service shifter' alert; the prnd lights on my shifter panel all started flashing and the car (auto transmission) was stuck in one gear and would not shift. Pulling over and restarting the vehicle would 'fix it' for 10-15 minutes until it all happened again. Engine was making an awful loud noise so I pulled over again. This time after turning it off the vehicle would not start at all. After 30 minutes it started and I was able to drive to a town for the night. The next morning I was able to start it and drive it in 1st gear (where it was stuck) to a Jeep dealer. There it sits as I type. I have seen many identical issues reported by Jeep owners on internet forums and most worryingly, Jeep dealers don't seem to have a clear answer. They're commonly replacing the shifter wiring harness but the problem returns for nearly everyone. This incident stranded me in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, and left me very worried about my safety. Whatever is wrong with the vehicle has cascading errors that affect headlight operation (my high beams would now work), slip control (it became non functional even if I overrode it), wipers (in my case they came on without any rain and I could not turn them off...they could just as easily have not functioned in a downpour creating a safety hazard), and braking (the brake pedal was rock solid and not working properly).

- Westminster, CO, USA

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