2020 Jeep Cherokee Complaint Log

Steering feels shaky or loose in the rack and pinion and I saw this was a problem with this vehicle year

srvc4WD. This IS a reoccurring issue. Not only for the 2020 jeep TH but for other years as well. I follow many forms on Jeep Cherokee, everyone states this to be an issue. This issue can cause the vehicle to shutdown or malfunction causing a horrible accident. Jeep needs to get this situated as this is a life risk.

The contact's mother owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at unknown speeds, the steering wheel stiffened and was difficult to maneuver. The failure would occur intermittently. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby tree where it came to a stop. No air bags deployed. The driver sustained bruising to the chest, and back injuries, and hit their head against the steering wheel. Medical attention was required. A police report was failed. The police department towed the vehicle. The vehicle's front end was severely damaged causing the radiator to leak. It was unknown if the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4WD warning light was flashing on the instrument panel, and the vehicle lost 4WD functionality. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the 4WD was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,500.

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)

My vehicle started having issues in December saying that my oil levels were low. i couldn't pinpoint what the issue was so i called AAA due to how unsafe it would be to drive my car with it stating the oil levels were low and my engine light being on. AAA came out to my house and when he inspected it he stated that everything in the engine looked good but that my oil was low because of leak even though we could not pinpoint where it was coming from. I took my vehicle to contintental transmission the next day on christmas eve, upon speaking with the manager of the shop he confirmed that the jeep cherokees that had the 3.2L or 3.6L engine had an issue with the oil filtration system, he stated that he estimates he fixes 2-3 of them per week and replaces the entire oil system. He stated how unsafe it was and that the issue occurs in those drivetrains specifically after 3-4 years of ownership, he told me the job was be $1500 to fix.

PTU Failed. 4x4 service light came on weeks after warranty ended. I called jeep and was told if it is not driving bad I can take my time in repair. My car ended up not working on Jericho Tpke., Commack a few days before Christmas. I was not provided a loaner due to the holiday week.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while engaging the cruise control at 60 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 80 MPH. The contact attempted to lower the speed on the cruise control setting; however, the speed failed to be reduced as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle to deactivate the cruise control. After waiting for the digital display to completely shut down, the vehicle was restarted, and the cruise control was reset. The cruise control functioned properly after completely shutting off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 37,211.

The parking brake comes on without being activated. Causing the jeep to stop.

4WD Warning light illuminated during normal driving. 4WD system inactive creating unsafe driving condition in Michigan winter weather. Vehicle taken to Jeep Service center and found C1494-92 active fault code. Performed PTU fork recalibration and fault went away, vehicle returned to owner. Within 2 days, 4WD Warning light illuminated again. 4WD system inactive again creating unsafe driving condition in Michigan winter weather. Vehicle returned to same Jeep Service center and same C1494-92 active fault code found. Now fix changed to PTU replacement, very expensive and time consuming service. From first visit to second visit, warranty expired so customer was responsible for PTU replacement cost.

Power train problems at 17,000 miles, 5 years 3 weeks from purchase, with a 5-year / 60,0000 mile warranty. First diagnosis required replacement of the transmission valve body. This did not work. The second repair required replacement of the transmission. This failed after a 3 mile drive. The third repair was the power transfer unit. I have only driven about 5 miles since then and am hesitant to drive more. The repairs above took 102 days to complete and cost $4907. Other than the transmission failure and need to pull off the road and await a tow, there was no safety risk apparent. The vehicle was serviced by a dealer. The manufacturer is aware of the problem(s). No warning lamps or messages were noted.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that there was oil underneath the front end of the vehicle. The oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact noticed oil leaking from the top of the oil canister. The contact looked online and found a recall related to the failure experienced; however, the contact could not recall the NHTSA Campaign Number. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

The steering rack and pinion system failed, which caused a loss of power steering while driving. The failure of the steering rack and pinion system resulted in a complete loss of steering control while I was driving on the highway at high speeds. This sudden and unexpected malfunction left me unable to steer the vehicle, putting both my safety and the safety of others on the road at immediate and extreme risk. The inability to control the vehicle could have led to a catastrophic accident, endangering not only myself but also other drivers and passengers in close proximity. This failure posed a significant threat to life and property. Yes, the problem was confirmed by an independent service center. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives No, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure.

the vehicle lost drive and would not move. lost power and then would not shift

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop at a red light, the Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking system activated, and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. The contact stated that the vehicle briefly rolled backward before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

My Jeep keeps going into Limp Mode and not will completely shut off while I come to a complete stop at a stop light. And while I’m driving the engine light comes on. I can cycle it through to get the engine light off. Then it runs fine. This has been happening since after I bought it. I’ve taken back to the dealership I got it from and they couldn’t find anything wrong with it, so they took it to a Jeep dealership and got the same answer. Clearly there is something wrong with it. And could cause me to get into an accident. This is my only vehicle for transportation. The code that shows up is P0934

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.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was receiving an oil change and inspection, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact was informed that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with 18 swollen lug nuts. The contact was informed that the lug nuts needed to be replaced. The lug nuts were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,900.

AGS system failed at 26,000 miles causing the check engine light to turn on. Cannot use auto start or get car inspection while light is on

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, and while driving at various speeds, a warning chime sounded, and the message "Service Four-Wheel Drive" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was initially occurring intermittently but had become consistent. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would jerk upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) was defective and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to a recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off independently. While at a stop light, the vehicle shut off. There were unknown beeping sounds and warning lights illuminated. The driver was unable to exit the vehicle. The contact called 911. The vehicle was pushed off the road by a good Samaritan. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The battery was checked by a neighbor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was low voltage in the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

Upon driving at approx 20mph in traffic on the highway, there was a sudden loss of power in acceleration. Smoke was seen around the vehicle. Multiple lights flashed on the dashboard and then quickly went blank. As I was pulling to the side of the road I noticed flames coming from the front right side of the vehicle. The brakes no longer worked. I got out of the vehicle as smoke was seeping into the cabin. I was able to retrieve my phone and bag. Approx. 30 seconds after exiting the vehicle and moving away there was a small explosion. Over the course of the next few minutes there were multiple other explosions. Emergency services were called immediately. The vehicle burnt to the ground completely.

Vehicle popped an engine as the vehicle was in motion. After taking it to a mechanic, they ran diagnostics and said that the Active Grill Shudder (AGS) had stopped responding to the cars computer. The problematic part was ~$600 and happened 11 months after purchasing the car. The dealer refused a reimbursement stating that they couldn’t help as I brought it to a local mechanic. The fact the engine light popped up while the car was in motion could be a safety issue. No warning happened before the issue presented itself. The car started fine with no engine light.

ptu premature failure

History of the vehicle in the shop for braking issues, on 08/09/2024; 2 vehicles in front braked for an animal on a busy road, and saw braking. Was at around 30mph and started to brake, car in front had an emergency brake event and came to a sudden stop. My vehicle sent a BRAKE!, warning and started to apply brakes, I went to an evasive maneuver, my steering was cut, my brakes kicked my foot to half pedal and I could no longer brake. Coasted into the back of the vehicle in front of me at around 25 mph.

Fuel line plastic fitting cracked and was sprayed fuel on hot engine and exhaust system connector was where steel line from tank becomes a plastic line for engine There it no reason for this fitting to crack as Their is no tension on line. This is clearly a defective piece and don’t want someone else hurt from problem

The past two days the car has been running a little rough. This morning the car didn't start and service shifter message came on along with battery and engine lights.

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)

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.

The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the four-wheel drive overheated warning light illuminated. The contact reduced the speed, and the vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that a nearby driver pulled over and informed the contact that the vehicle was on fire. The nearby driver also assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The contact stated that there were several explosions. The contact stated that the vehicle was burned to the ground. The fire department and the local police arrived on the scene. There were no injuries sustained. A Fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned to total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the case is currently under investigation. The failure mileage was approximately 26, 900.

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.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the parking brake engaged unintendedly, causing the vehicle to stop abruptly, almost causing the contact to hit her head against the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure nearly caused the vehicle to be rear-ended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could only be repaired free of charge if it was covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Vehicle randomly will engage the parking brake while vehicle is in motion and in drive. Vehicle then will stall and needs repeated attempts to restart before break will disengage. Have had it to the dealer, no less than three times with one visit lasting over 30 days with no resolution to date.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a routine service; however, while being serviced, the mechanic discovered that the lug nuts on all four wheels had swollen and that the factory lug tool could not be used to remove the lug nuts. The cause of the failure was unknown. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic where a special tool was used to remove the lug nuts. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure; and the manufacturer acknowledged that there was a failure with certain lug nuts; however, there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 23,500.

I was driving down the road when all of a sudden I felt a loss of power, and it started smoking. Turned out that the oil filter housing was made out of plastic, and had broken, the car was only ever taken to the Jeep dealership for service as it was purchased certified pre owned, and it was replaced with an aluminum part instead of this plastic piece. They replaced the oil filter housing and the valve cover gasket with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. Thankfully I was on my way home, but if I would've kept driving, it would've resulted in a fire or accident.

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.

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.

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.

Jeep was stalling randomly when coming to a stop or at a stop sign initially. It is now stalling completely when driving, states “push into park and start car”.

Parking break will automatically engage and stop the vehicle while driving or in motion. It happens randomly and at different speeds. Have taken to two separate dealerships, and neither seem to think there is a problem because they haven’t duplicated.

On Feb. 9th I was driving my 2020 Jeep Cherokee when the steering locked,I was unable to control the Jeep. Warning lights popped on the dash. Service power steering, four-wheel-drive system temporarily unavailable, Blindspot alert temporary unavailable, Service electric stability Control, stop start not ready. By the grace of God, somehow I was able to stop the car. I called AAA to have me towed to the dealership Autoland Springfield New Jersey. My car was in the service department from From February 9 to March 1 After checking my Jeep they called in a master mechanic and it was determined that the rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced.

1. This is not a safety issue. This is a cosmetic issue. 2. Not applicable to warning lights. 3. General Issue: Bottom portion of drivers seat, reported to be leather, is peeling. This peeling is discoloring the seat and shows signs that it will continue over the entire seat. Never before have I seen this issue with leather seats (in many previous vehicles), including other Jeep vehicles. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Jeep dealer and they provided me an estimate including labor to be more than $1000. This peeling is of course, a cosmetic issue, but it looks awful and should not happen on a Jeep that is only 4 years old and has been gently taken care of. I realize this is a "wear and tear" issue, however there is no over-use - only usual getting in and out of the car. Leather should wear much longer and should not peel over time.

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.

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.

Vehicle slowed while driving at highway speed and started making a rotational grinding noise. Shortly after, brake light lit up on dash along with service parking brake, auto start /stop light and flashing light on e brake button was flashing.Vehicle was taken to Jeep deslership and scanned. Found emergency brake module went bad and needs to be replaced. Part ordered and Jeep will be scheduled to have it replaced.

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.

There is something wrong with my front, driver side electric break. When I at the speed about 40 mph or bumping road the break is not working. And some thin it making noise l, look like it is engaged by itself. The problem started when the car only 26500 miles but the dealer denied to warranty because it a month after 3 years.

ESS (auto stop) stops functioning due to battery charging. Replace battery and system works for Approximately 30k miles before needing another replacement battery. May leave vehicle stranded. There are numerous online forums complaining about this issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact became aware that the vehicle was making abnormal sounds and had started jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,413.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle steering wheel had become firm. The power steering lock warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.