general problems of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee - part 1

When driving a message popped up to "service shifter" and all the red lights turned on the shifter. I was unable to switch out of thus screen to bring the digital odometer back up like when other service message appear. When I was able to pull over and turn off the car and wait and turn it back on again the message and lights appeared again. I was able to get my car into the dealership that day to be looked at. The called later and said it would be $1700 to repair. From talking with the dealership and my own google searches this is a very well known problem. If this is a very well known problem by Jeep why is this not being recalled? it seems that they are just profiting from this issue instead of making it right.

My Jeep has been cutting off while driving for the past several months. I've taken it to be serviced several times and everything, from the alternator, engine, fuel pump, battery, etc. Are all fine. But the vehicle will cut of while driving or while idling at the traffic light. This is a major safety hazard. Not only for myself and the occupants of the vehicle but other drivers on the road as well. This could cause serious injury of even death. I have found dozens of reports of the same issues online, and none have identified an issue or recall but this has to be a manufacturer defect. No one should have to drive a car that checks out as "safe" but it an accident waiting to happen, either on the freeway or main roads.

Parking brake on the Jeep automatically engaged while driving. Had vehicle towed to dealership where a new parking brake switch was installed and programed and told it was ready to go. Picked it up and it did the same thing again and turned on the auto start stop light. Took it back to the dealership and they said water had gotten into the back area and corroded the parking brake module and the connector. They wanted to charge me $2500 to fix. I took the vehicle home and parked it and started doing research. This is a known problem that could affect 1. 2 million vehicles. My Jeep only has 73,500 miles on it and is regularly serviced. It's driven roughly 4 miles a day. This is a safety issue so why isn't there a recall on it. It is a defect in design not a consumer made issue.

A service shifter message appeared out of nowhere, and now all the lights turn on regardless of which gear I'm in. After a quick internet search, it appears many people have experienced this exact same issue with various Jeep models. It seems this is an issue the company should take responsibility for and fix with a recall. The parts to replace this faulty design are expensive, and a repair shop cost would be exorbitant.

Service shifter is displayed every now and then.

I have had this vehicle since 2017. Over the years the shifter lights have flashed but I turn off the car and it’s fine. I believe there are electrical issues with these models. Yesterday my car randomly shut off. It could have been due to the heat but it was very dangerous. My brights have gone out and it could be because of an electrical issue. I’ve had to change my thermostat twice. I will be looking into trading this car out soon. It could be dangerous as I travel often.

I submitted a complaint about the service shifter that I been having since 2020 right after I finance the car with dealership. The problem continued and it hasnt been resolved even after taking it back for repairing. Recently on 6/24/2025 my car stopped on the expressway, the service shifter came on and also electrical throttle service control. My car started trembling and it would turn on but I couldnt drive it. The expressway road assistance was able to push me out the expressway and in the process my car started to run but shaky still and I was able to get it back home.

I drive a 2017 Jeep Cherokee and have experienced repeated instances of power loss while driving. The vehicle will suddenly jerk, hesitate, or feel like its struggling to maintain momentum, especially at lower speeds or when turning. On one occasion, it felt like the transmission slipped and I briefly lost acceleration, which was very alarming and could have caused a crash if I been merging or crossing traffic. I've also had the "service 4wd" warning light appear intermittently. I took the vehicle to both a Jeep dealership and an independent shop for diagnostics, but neither was able to find an active trouble code. However, the symptoms have continued and are getting worse. After reading about the recent recall (NHTSA campaign 25v011) involving the power transfer unit (ptu) in 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokees, I believe this may be an issue I am experiencing. At this time, Jeep has not released a fix, and I'm concerned that the vehicle is unsafe to drive until the ptu can be inspected and repaired. This seems to be a known and widespread issue that puts drivers at risk, and I'm hoping this report helps move the investigation forward.

Service shifter alert.

When the car is in park, all of my shifter lights turn red and I receive a service shifter warning. It does not happen all of the time but over the past day, it has happened when the car is in park.

Over the past several months, I’ve experienced intermittent issues with the electronic parking brake on my 2017 Jeep Cherokee. On several occasions, the parking brake activated unexpectedly while I was driving, creating safety concerns and inconsistent vehicle behavior. As of two days ago, the issue became significantly worse. The electronic parking brake activated again while the vehicle was stationary and has since failed to disengage, rendering the vehicle undrivable. I had the vehicle examined by a certified mechanic, who performed a diagnostic test. The results indicated a water intrusion issue that has caused damage to the electronic parking brake module. The mechanic explained that moisture had likely entered the module area, leading to electrical malfunction and failure of the system to release the brake. This is now a critical mechanical and safety concern that requires immediate repair and resolution.

While driving, multiple warning alerts appeared on my dashboard, including “service airbag,” “service four wheel drive,” “service shifter,” “service abs,” “traction control off,” and “check engine light. ” shortly after, the vehicle lost power and became immobile, preventing me from moving it to the side of the road. The parking brake engaged automatically and could not be disengaged. Additionally, the windshield wipers activated without being turned on. These issues rendered the car unsafe and unmovable. I called a tow truck, but the vehicle was towed before it arrived, leading to further costs and complications. The malfunctioning systems pose significant safety risks, including the failure of critical components like the airbag and abs. The loss of power and inability to move the vehicle caused a hazardous situation, and I was unable to take preventive action. I request an investigation into whether this issue should be considered a recall. The situation raises serious concerns about the safety and reliability of the vehicle’s components.

I purchased a 2017 certified pre-owned Jeep Cherokee from a Jeep dealership in March 2020. Starting in late 2022/early 2023, while driving, everything electrical would shut off and stop functioning without warning (dashboard, radio, air or heat if on, lights near gear shift, could not use hazard lights, turning signal, or power windows), and shortly after the engine would die, leaving me stalled in the middle of the street. I would then have to put the car in park, turn the car off and turn it back on. I took it to 2 Jeep dealerships in michigan where I was living at the time and they refused to look further than scanning the car to determine if any codes appeared and found no codes. This started happening more frequently in summer 2023 and I took it to a dealership in indiana; no hard codes came up again and they were unable to replicate the issue. They found some worn wiring with the radio and replaced the radio, hoping it would resolve the issue (invoice attached). This issue started occurring again [xxx] more frequently than before (4 times in a 15-minute window) - this time I was on the highway and had no way to signal the cars behind as I could not use the turning signal or hazard lights and the electrical and engine cut off simultaneously without warning, almost causing a serious accident. The car has been at the dealership for 2 weeks now, and they are unable to replicate the issue; therefore, unable to provide a diagnosis. There was a safety recall for 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokees for the ptu (documentation attached), but my VIN doesn't fall within that recall. Therefore, I am filing a safety report to initiate an investigation for this issue, as this is a significant safety risk and has the potential to cause a fatal accident for myself as a driver and others on the road. This is happening quite often with the Jeeps ranging from 2014-2021 per Jeep forums (documentation attached), and no one has found a solution. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Service shifter warning light comes on when driving. When put in park and key is turned off will reset but periodically will reoccur. First occurred around 20,000 miles but is becoming more frequent now.

Issue: persistent “service shifter” warning on 2017 Jeep Cherokee I own a 2017 Jeep Cherokee, and the “service shifter” warning continues to appear even after replacing both the wiring harness and bezel. Despite these repairs, the issue persists, creating safety concerns and frustration. This appears to be a recurring problem for many Jeep owners, yet no permanent fix has been provided. I am seeking further assistance or a long-term solution to resolve this issue. Jeep should address this defect to ensure customer safety and satisfaction.

Every so often when putting vehicle in park while running or at start up I get a dash message “service shifter” and all the gear lights light up and I’m unable to shift out of park. The dealership mechanic has now looked at it three times replacing the shifting bezel, wiring harness, and shift box. The issues still happens almost daily.

My dashboard , screen caught fire from the wiring.

I was driving my vehicle and it lost power going down the highway about 65 mph maybe 70. The power shut off on my vehicle and then it came back on but it was very dim and it say that way for till I got out of it and it was very scary my my cruise control keeps shutting off okay I'm having major problems with my transmission it slips a lot I need to know what to do about that.

There are 3 things: sometimes when I go to start my Jeep, it will start and cut off. Secondly: my rear back up camera keeps going in and out. I’ve had it replaced and it still goes out. Especially if it rains. Lastly, my “service shifter” light pops up randomly while I am driving and all of the lights on the gear shift will light up. It will not let me upload my videos of the screen.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v011000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the battery had drained quickly and failed to retain a charge. The vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jump-started. The engine oil and check engine warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle jolted while driving and while coming to a stop. The contact stated that the start/stop system was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was black, and the vehicle also lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle resumed full power function and that the instrument cluster and power steering assist returned several seconds later. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred later, and that prior to the second failure the front passenger’s side window had lowered independently. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal operation independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic reset several functions and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer. The contact stated that the instrument cluster had started to flicker intermittently, as if the vehicle would lose power. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

Constantly randomly getting (service shifter) notification and all the lights on the shifter light up on the shifter . . . It resets when I put it in park and stop engine - when I ask the Jeep dealer about it they say it must be doing it when I bring it in before the can trouble shoot the problem. . . . They say they cant check the computer code list and see when its happened and why . . . . . I believe this is a safety problem that should be a recall and fixed - before it ends up causing an accident and death ! and may have already cause accidents and deaths !.

Have a problem with my call losing all power in my Jeep while sitting at an intersection waiting for the light to change. Almost got rear-ended cause my car just suddenly lost power. Power finally came back in 20 or 30 seconds but I had people honking horns and I'm was frazzled. Now I have this service shifter error on my dashboard and the pndr lights all are on and red. . Came on Jeep automakers. Do better!!.

On the speedometer screen a message “service shifter” popped up on my 2017 Jeep Cherokee latitude. Upon further research, this is an ongoing issue with thousands of Jeep owners.

Our 2017 Jeep Cherokee had the service 4wd light come on Tuesday. Our mileage is 60,800. We took it to our local mechanic, who ran a diagnostic. The code c14a7-97 came up as active on our vehicle. Our mechanic said there was a recall for this issue for our model year. We found "safety recall w47/NHTSA 20v-343 ptu input spline". Since our Jeep had the exact issue that the recall covers and falls within the 2014-2017 manufacture years, we made an appointment with a local Chrysler dealership. We took it in today for them to look at it. They confirmed that the code active on our vehicle is c14a7-97 and that our 4wd system is not working and that if we are in a situation that we need 4wd we will be at risk. They then told us that our VIN is not listed on the recall and our bill would be $3,200. I pressed that it makes no sense that we are having the exact issue in the recall, that we have a Jeep Cherokee as listed in the recall, that our model year is between 2014-2017 as in the recall, and that our mileage is exactly around the mileage listed in the recall that this problem surfaces("on about 67,240"); but it isn't listed in the recall. How can we be having the exact issue reported and not be covered in the recall? we feel they are taking some loophole and risking the safety of their customers, specifically our safety.

The electronic parking brake turned on after putting vehicle in park. Could this brake have been applied while driving? if so, there could have been multiple fatalities or serious injuries. I did find some text on how there was a lawsuit going on about this.

My car shuts off when I go over little bumps and light comes on saying press break and shift into park. Then it doesnt start right away but eventually starts again. Also when I go over little bumps my interior lights turn on.

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!.

2017 Jeep Cherokee shows "service shifter" in dashboard and all lights light up on shifter. This problem first happened in 2020 with 33,101 miles when the car was under warranty. The dealer "fixed" the problem and it went away. Now at 79,000 the exact same problem is back again. There was a lot of research on the issue done 4 years ago and most of the information came from [xxx] where everybody has the same problem. Obviously, whatever fix my previous dealer did is not the solution that Jeep recommended, if they recommended anything at all. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I’m not the only one with the same issues. I know a lady who has the same problem with her vehicle and has been quoted thousands of dollars to fix it. Cylinders and engine housing. . Anti freeze leak. . And then expect us to pay expensive car payments.

Vehicle is putting up a code for “service shifter” while driving, which turns off when the car is turned off. Code does not read for dealerships to fix issue. It is reoccurring and we are concerned as we have seen a 2017 Jeep Cherokee wreck out after throwing this code and “locking up the engine”. We are secondhand owners of this Jeep and believe the previous owner sold this car because of said issue because it came up within a month of us purchasing the car.

Service shifter light displays randomly with prnd all light up. Goes away if you turn the car off remove key and restart. Have taken it to a technician in the past, they said they couldn't tell us anything.

Service shifter warning light.

This past year my 2017 Jeep Cherokee has started to randomly turn on the service shifter light and at the same time all the shifter lights turn red. The transmission starts acting differently as well when it comes on. If I pull over and shut the car off and then turn it back on it will be normal again. I cannot bring this into the dealership as my warranty is no longer available and I will not pay loads of money for them to tell me nothing.