general problems of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee - part 2

My 2016 Jeep Cherokee latitude is 9years old with 89,800 miles of regular driving & being fully maintained. The service 4-wheel light came on & I brought it to my mechanic immediately the next day. I was advised after performing tests, it was the ptu in my car. I was advised there is a recall & to take it to the dealer. I did that immediately, while being terrified to drive it as I was advised it could be very dangerous. I or someone could have been badly injured or worse if this part gave way while driving. Something this dangerous should be mentioned immediately to all vehicle owners. The dealer confirmed it is the ptu & that it had to be replaced. I was advised my VIN was not under the very large recall & well know issue on this part. After a lot of research, stellantis is well aware of the issue & there is a recall for 2017- 2019 models. Also, they don't have plan in place or a way of correcting this part & distributing it quickly. I had a recall in 2020 for a software update on this and it was taken care of immediately. For some reason the failure of my ptu is not under this recall & I have to pay out of pocket. It has been 3 weeks & still no part due to the huge issue with this part and stellantis not working hard enough to rectify this known issue or have replacements available. Stellantis needs to extend the recall to all 2016 Cherokee's especially since this is a major issue on this make and model. This is so unacceptable. I am without a vehicle and cannot even use it until the part comes in since it is extremely unsafe to drive (told by my mechanic and the dealer). The consumer should not be penalized due to the incompetence of these auto makers. We are supposed to be safe in our vehicles especially when they are maintained as well as mine is. We spend our hard-earned money and should not have to pay for all these defects due to the poor quality the auto makers are rolling out. Not to mention the resale has dropped significantly!.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while either of her children were driving at various speeds, the transmission warning light illuminated. On one occasion, the fwd warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact added that the vehicle then lost power and did not accelerate as intended during each occasion. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted each time, after which it resumed normal driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transfer case unit needed to be replaced due to the Jeep active drive one. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where the contact was provided with the same diagnosis: the transfer case unit needed to be replaced due to the Jeep active drive one. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The power transfer unit in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee failed when it only had 50,255 miles on it. The car was almost 10 years old. In the past month, when I tried to accelerate to 50 mph to merge on the highway, the Jeep did not accelerate normally when I pressed on the gas. Instead, it went slowly and made a revving noise, then when I hit the accelerator again, it made the revving noise louder and reluctantly started to accelerate. It would also lose drive power when going down a steep incline. There were a few instances of that and then the “service 4wd” light came on every day when I would put the car into reverse and stay on for the rest of the time I was driving the car. After that light came on, I noticed there was abnormal vibration underneath the middle of the car when I would drive it, too. The problem was confirmed on 7/28/25 in the service department of the don white’s Jeep dealership in cockeysville, maryland, and the car is available for inspection there. My service advisor told me my Jeep needs a new ptu and the estimated cost of the repair is $3563 (not including tax). I ordered the new ptu on 7/29/25, but the parts manager at the dealership said the part is on backorder, and it will take at least 1 month, if not multiple months to get the part because there are “380 other Jeep owners” waiting for this same part. With the vibration, loss of motive power both on inclines and when attempting to accelerate and merge onto the highway, the safety of my family was put at risk; our Jeep could lose drive power and the car could stop on the highway with cars speeding all around us. It could cause a crash. My ptu failed at 50,255 after not quite 10 years of very light driving. There’s no way that part should have failed under those normal conditions. My VIN number should be included in recall 20v343000 or fca should reimburse me for this part. The repair would have been covered under my warranties if my VIN was included in the original recalls or x89 extension.

Vehicle in dealership service dept since July 16, 2025 for manufacturing recall; attempted repair rendered vehicle inoperable; 2nd part ordered arrived damaged; third part in open order until verbal date of February 2026; no recall remedy such as loaner vehicle; extended warranty purchased but cannot use; manufacturer warranty expired; need transportation.

After buying the car from a used dealer, within 1,000 miles the car began grinding in slow accelerated turns. It has been diagnosed as the ptu which has many recalls before and after this particular d4 part. With all of the recalls and extended warranty adjustments for this part, why would mine not be covered? this was to be safe reliable car for my teenagers to drive, now that is no longer the case. Very disappointing.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? a. )transmission has been 'stuck in 2wd' since I bought it (I was unaware of the dt issue during purchase from boktor motors in las vegas, nv). I have tried to contact dealership with no response and a blocked phone number. Car has been towed 120 miles to wolfchase cdj in bartlett, TN and is being diagnosed. [in ref: NHTSA campaign number: 25v011) power transfer unit(ptu)] how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? a. ) I was on my way from lakeland, TN to chattanooga for summer vacation with my children and we were on a highway with a small shoulder and 2 lanes. We were able to pull to the side of the road and slowly make our way to the rest stop, has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? a. ) it is currently at wolfchase cdj in bartlett, TN for full diagnosis. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? a. ) not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? a. ) 'service 4wd' was on at the dealership when I test drove it, but the owner, mina boktor, assured me that it was because they replaced the battery. He also wrote on the warranty page of my purchase paperwork that he would fix any repairs associated with the 4wd light if it was delivered to tennessee with the same code. Boktor motors associates refused to answer my calls and nobody ever returned my calls or emails. About 6 months later, my shifter started lighting up all red lights with the warning 'service shifter' in the notification screen.

Vehicle started making growling noise. Engine light and 4wd lights came on. Transfer case has been diagnosed with damage.

The ptu system is failing. If it completely fails, the car will lock at any time. The part is backordered and may take months to get here because so many Jeep owners are having this problem. The dealerships confirmed this. There is a service 4wd light.

Car goes into "limp mode" while driving. Will slow to a complete stop, not rev, and says "shift to p then desired gear". All other components of car are on (battery barely a year old). Try to follow command prompt; after putting car in p, and shifting to d, it still won't rev. I was on an incline and began rolling backwards. Good thing no one was behind me at the time. Had to turn completely off. On startup, it's stuttering and takes a while to start. Turns on fine and will drive, but is physically jerking between gears. Then, the first time I have to stop for a significant time and idle, it will do it again. I follow process again and was able to record video, because I was on a back street and pulled over in time, luckily. Upon driving the next day and taking to dealer, it is still jerking. Dealer cannot replicate and shows no error codes, so they say to just keep driving and can only help if I bring in while it is happening? that is literally insane. Same thing happened a year ago, but after filling up and being on "empty". I went to a independent mechanic then, which is why I was hopeful the dealer would have more insight into the problem. That mechanic also could not replicate. They said it could be a fuel line or pump issue and to never let gas get too low, or go through costly man hours to check the fuel line, but then it couldn't be that at all, so could still be back at square one. That time, it stopped me in a busy intersection twice and was far more terrifying. I decided to skip the potentially pointless and definitely expensive fuel line investigation. I decided to take it in again when it happened and followed the "don't let gas get too low" directive and had no further issues until 5/5/25.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the "service 4x4" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who informed the contact that the ptu software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the "service 4x4" warning light illuminated again. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the differential, rear axle, and ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and found that the failure had occurred twice, prior to the most recent failure of the same parts. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that there was no "goodwill assistance" available for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

My 2016 Jeep Cherokee is displaying the service 4x4 & has vibration while driving. I took it to a shop & was told the transfer case needed to be replaced so I had it done. The transfer case was replaced with new one & the module software keeps kicking it back & the mechanic replaced the software module twice & it keeps happening. On 2 separate occasions I have taken the Jeep to the Jeep dealer due to the power train software needing to be updated cause it was under recall. I have had the Jeep since June 2024 & already had to replace 4 different parts. It would turn off while driving when I first got it & after 3 parts were replaced it stopped & the "service 4x4" message showed up.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the "service 4wd" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective power transfer unit. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA campaign number: 23v302000 (power train); which the contact linked to the failure. The contact searched the VIN and discovered that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

Service 4 wheel drive alert warning. Dealership inspected and said power transfer unit.

My daughter was driving home from work at the very busy time of day. Her vehicle just shut down. It was still running, but it had no power. She was almost hit by many other vehicles because of this. She called in a panic. I told her to kill it and restart it. She killed it, but had trouble restarting it. But she did get it restarted and was able to get it off the road and pulled into a church parking lot. My son and I went to help her and I was able to drive it home. But it tried to shut down a couple of times on the way. We took it to a dealer shop and they said it needs a new power transfer unit. Very expensive part and it’s on back order because it’s failing on so many vehicles. They can’t even order it for 45 days. After researching this part, it seems it’s failing on many of this same vehicle. When I searched for a recall, it shows no recalls. I think this should be investigated. There was a recall on the power train that we had fixed. But it was just a software update. Now she has no vehicle for an indefinite period of time, and has been very traumatized by the incident.

The car shuts off while driving.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle violently began jerking after releasing the accelerator pedal and depressing the brake pedal. There was an abnormal popping sound coming from the vehicle. The engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 23v302000 (power train). The contact called the local dealer, who discussed updating the software. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

I parked my vehicle at 6pm on February 15th. At 2:45 pm I awoke to a loud explosion outside my bedroom window. There was a very large fire, and it was my car. I was in shock we could only watch from our window as the fire department arrived and put out the fire which was spreading to the carport and mailboxes near my parking spot. It also burned a truck parked next to mine. Both cars a total loss. My insurance company sent someone to tow my vehicle, but the tow truck driver refused saying the vehicle was untowable, due to the massive damage. The next day a neighbor informed me that he got the whole incident on video start to finish. 'the video shows my engine igniting while off and had been parked for over 6 hours. In the video you see a small flame start under the hood near the windshield wipers. The flame then grew and grew!!!! until the car was completely engulfed in flames. I also had a full tank of gas!!! once the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. The whole thing was melted to the concrete. The engine laying on the ground. A total loss!!!!.

2016 Jeep Cherokee, owner since nov22. Transfer case (service 4-wheel drive), warning light appeared after driving 1x time off-road in sand. From my knowledge, there was a previous recall/complaints however isn’t covered currently by manufacturer. Last year I previously went to a local Jeep dealer to fix the ptu software issue for the same component. The transfer case issue has been verified by a mechanic and is estimated to be +$3,200 for parts and labor. The vehicle is well maintained, transfer case’s fluid was not replaced upon inspection by mechanic. The vehicle has been used for daily commute on paved roads/highways. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the gear shifter was stuck in park(p). The contact stated that once the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter remained stuck in park(p). The contact manually depressed the button under the gear shifter to move the gear shifter. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

On [xxx] my Jeep started making a grinding noise near the rear axle. Initially, thinking something had broken when I had hit a pot hole earlier that evening. We parked the car at a garage and the next day inspected it and said it sounded like the rear differential may be effected, advising it should be safe to drive in “sport” mode. I drove it to blueridge Chrysler Jeep in abingdon va where I informed them I had discovered a recall 45a on the Jeep, they kept the Jeep and called me in a few days saying it was only for an “software update” and it was fixed. Om [xxx], I drove my Jeep and upon getting less than a mile down the road it sounded like the backend was dragging. They called a tow truck & took it back to the garage & now with the mopar extended warranty they would have to replace the ptu. It was part of the initial recall and it could affect the ptu and the rdm (rear differential). This part took months to be delivered and during that time I had to rent and borrow a car to get back and forth from work for over two months. In may, the service dept. Called saying the Jeep was still making the dragging noise and may be the transmission or the rear differential, but they’re still looking into it. In June, after re-working the ptu, blueridge has determined it is the rear differential that now needs replaced and when I asked about it all being a part of the mopar extended warranty and they told me I needed to call Chrysler customer care. I followed up and called and spoke to several people advising that the dealership would have to call mopar warranty. Today, 7/7/25, I spoke with blueridge again and they are saying the recall was only for an update. I referred to the details of the initial 45a recall that specifically says that if the update is not complete, it would lead to problems with the ptu & the rear differential. My stance is that mopar warranty should cover both the ptu and the rear differential under both recalls the 45a and 20v343000. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (fo.

I own a 2016 Jeep Cherokee limited 4x4. The service 4wd light came on a few weeks ago. After research and several mechanic's input, I was told the problem was the ptu, and, since Jeep no longer makes the part, I was given the quote of $2700-$3200 to replace the ptu with a remanufactured part with only a one year warranty. According to the mechanics, when driving with a broken ptu it may cause damage to the drive shafts. Transmission and axles, which, in turn can break while in use, leading to a very dangerous situation. I was told that I should put the Jeep in two wheel drive manually and drive it like that, but my shifter doesn't have that option. It shifts automatically. So, I have a bad ptu, but my VIN doesn't have a recall, and there are several people with the same problem, according to the NHTSA site. I am filing this complaint so the NHTSA will step in and require the manufacturer to further the recall to include all of the vins with defective ptus and make them safer to drive. Yes, the vehicle is available to inspect at your convenience.

Vehicle making grinding noise when wheel is turned last week. Previously a "service shifter" light came in sporadically. No codes were ever found. Recently the 4wd service light came on and stayed on. Ptu failure. I searched and realized this specific vehicle was not included in the recall and I don't understand why because it should be. It's been wonky for years, right after the warranty. I may end up without a vehicle for all this beauracracy. It should be included in the recall. . .

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the drivetrain control module but later the message "service four wheel drive" was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the ptu needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 23v302000 (power train). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 110,000.

Ptu failure/ loss of motive power.

My vehicle losses all power to the wheels or does not not allow me to accelerate on occasion. Mechanic told me I have a faulty ptu. This has almost cause me to get into an accident several times. Unfortunately due to a very long back order I'm not able to get my vehicle repaired any time soon. I was told to report this due to a recall for this issue but my vehicle is 1 year older than the recall years.

*while driving vehicle on highway heard a loud noise and grinding sound and ptu exploded and not able to maneuver vehicle properly. *fluid that was leaking out . Caused fire . Once car turned off this stopped flames . This could have been a very dangerous situation if it had not gone out for us and others on the highway. * we brought the vehicle to our mechanic who diagnosed it and said there was a problem to bring it to the Jeep dealer who also diagnosed the same problem. * it is currently still at the Jeep dealer . Because there are no parts available, which makes us wonder if this has happened to many other people. . * there were no warning, lamps or messages that came on.

Four wheel drive quit working. There is no traction on the rear wheels and four wheel drive error and stuck in traffic during freezing temperatures and snow on the road. This almost caused a collision. Why is there a recall on 2016 Jeep Cherokees for four wheel drive issue but not on my 2016 Jeep Cherokee?.

There was absolutely no warning driving at 55 mph heard a loud noise and smelt fluid pulled over small flame that extinguished by itself and fluid everywhere did a little research and many of these same Jeeps had a ptu issue and were recalled.

According to my mechanic the sway bar broke, also I get a 4wd system unavailable service required! which is ptu module needs replaced! that is a rescalled issue, do to safety issues! please look into it! thanks.

Swc 4wd notice car starts shaking go beyond 60 mph.

Intermittent 4wd svc light - code c14a7-97 comes up. There is an outstanding lifetime warranty on my vehicle to replace the power transfer unit, however Jeep/Chrysler refuses to fix this under the warranty because this code does not fall under the extended warranty, even though it is related to the same part (ptu). The part is 3-6 months backordered anyway. This is ignorance and a safety hazard from Jeep/Chrysler.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the vehicle jerked while in first gear. The contact stated that after a short while the vehicle returned to normal functionality. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

Transmission is slamming into gear aswell as loss of all power to the wheels.

Svc 4wd - code that appeared, c14a7-97. Spoke with stellantis and was told that this VIN was not covered under the recall. Not sure why not - it is experiencing the same issue. The diagnostic trouble code (dtc) c14a7-97 in a Jeep Cherokee indicates a problem with the power transfer unit (ptu) motor component or system. This issue can cause the transmission to disengage, resulting in a loss of drive power or park function. Symptoms the "service 4wd" light is on the "awd system service required" message is illuminated possible causes the input shaft ring on the ptu may not be fully seated the ptu may have been built to allow relative movement between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft possible consequences a vehicle crash without prior warning and injury to others outside the vehicle. 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. As of April 20th, 2023, fca us is not aware of any accidents or injuries potentially related to this issue for all markets. On April 20th, 2023, fca us determined, through the vehicle regulations committee, to conduct a voluntary safety recall of the affected vehicles.

My car has 123,000 done everything by book. Been report issues for over yr. Car almost got my killed by not stopping, turning, jerking on accelerating and decelerating when shifting. All my motor mounts, transmission mount busted , messed up suspension control arm, ball joints, struts , axle, brakes all once. Drained battery. Spent 4500. Then my service shifter just came on. So back at shop. This is insane my shifter should last life time of my car. Due to the damage of that it cause a downfall of front end issues. This is well known issues of Jeep 2016 but not mine for a recall. It has cost me thousands and should not be happening at 122,000 miles . Car is at dealership again now and I have rental so not sure what that will cost. This started 2/11 not codes just could tell already filed reports with you all. My brakes lasted years , rotors was changed 2/11 hoping it helped per papers already damaged due to all this other crap. I’m very upset my car shouldn’t be having all these issues at 122,000 we are 1 car family.