general problems of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee - part 1

43 problems related to steering have been reported for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee based on all problems reported for the 2017 Cherokee.

1 Steering problem

Failure Date: 08/10/2025

Vehicle has a known safety bulletin out from stellantis for the ptu but this model does not fall under it. I am having issues with the ptu and concerns with safety of driving and others. Will need repaired. Frustration that my certain subsection of this model is not covered under the safety bulletin despite known problems and significant safety risk.

2 Steering problem

Failure Date: 05/27/2024

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's husband struck a curb. The contact's husband depressed the brake pedal and attempted to make a turn, but the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The "service shifter" message was displayed, and the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled while driving. The steering wheel was firm while making the turn. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the failure was self-corrected. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was unable to be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the independent mechanic that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

3 Steering problem

Failure Date: 04/12/2024

I was driving my 2017 Jeep Cherokee latitude 2. 4l, car won't start, I have oil pressure sensor to warn me when low doesn't alert me at all, only time is when I realized a beep when I made turns and would indicate oil pressure low! I can't get my car to stop and it stalled on me while driving with no indication of low oil, and I have two kids and could have been very bad, since no power no breaks no steering!.

4 Steering problem

Failure Date: 04/10/2024

My Jeep Cherokee(VIN 1c4pjmds6hw510974) was being flat towed behind a class a motorhome. On 4 separate occasions the front wheels of the Jeep started bucking right to left and back to opposite side causing the whole motorhome to violently vibrate. 1) the first time it happened was at about 15 mph while turning left onto a connecting road. It started vibrating so I pulled to side of street and stopped. After getting out and discovering nothing of note I started off and the wobble was gone. 2) second time was while driving at around 50 mph. There was a bump and grade change in the road and the wobble started. Much more violent than the first. I had to stop while in the traffic lane, with no place to pull over. This time I could see the wobble in the rear camera of the motorhome. Jeep was violently bucking back and forth as before but much stronger. 3) slower speed at about 20 mph it happended again. Had to come to a stop before it corrected. 4) 40 mph and a very subtle road surface change caused wobble. I disconnected Jeep and drove it by itself to home. Never had an incident other than while being towed. This has happened 4 times in the past 5 trips of around 300 miles each. Since then I have discovered articles about "Jeep death wobbles" and have not found any evidence where Jeep has even acknowledged there is an issue. Until I see user manual that mentions a "mopar wiring kit" that needs to be installed. I do not know if this is considered a recall or if is an after thought mentioned in the manual. At any rate the Jeep was sold as a flat towable vehicle and Jeep should stand behind it and install the mopar fix as a safety fix at no charge to customers who bought it as a flat tow vehicle.

5 Steering problem

Failure Date: 01/29/2024

Today while driving, my vehicle’s power steering went out causing me to pull over to the side of the road. My car was running, but I was unable to move it. When I put it in drive, the lights on the shifter would flash, but the car would not change gears. The problem appears to be electrical as the battery is brand new, and the engine was running.

6 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/30/2023

After the weekend rain, I went to start the 2017 Jeep Cherokee it did not start. I had the battery car jumped and it started up when driving it the steering wheel locked up. The dashboard started to display antilock brake assist off system, power steering assist off system, service transmission restart in park with vehicle 0 speed, and so many red lights started flashing afterwards. I was in the car with my children a car that was coming behind me had to swerve around me as my car instantly stopped. This could’ve been a horrific or fatal car accident. I just hit my car check to renew my plates the emissions pass and everything safety was good. With this current situation, I would now have to get my car back to the dealership for further inspection, and will be without a car.

7 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/30/2023

I believe the ptu is malfunctioning and causing the transmission to slip or jerk. I am experiencing uncontrolled movement while driving. The vehicle is available at any time for inspection upon request. This puts myself and 2 small children at risk while driving, therefore my ability to use this vehicle is extremely limited and high risk. I have taken it to a Jeep dealership in porterville CA who stated my transmission needed replacement. They verbally stated my ptu was ok but never confirmed it with documentation. I have taken it to private mechanics who could not find any issues saying that the problem is internal. The mechanics I have taken it to in the past year have not come to a solution other than to suggest I wait for a resolution to the recall. The service all wheel drive light came on/off about a year ago and was consistant for several months but has turned off for awhile now.

8 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/10/2023

My 2017 Jeep Cherokee (VIN:1c4pjmcs3hw532433) has two recalls that are affecting the vhicle. The first is the shifter and harness recall that causes the vehicle to display "service shifter" messages randomly, and all of the shifter lights turn on. The second is the recall effecting how the vehicle shifts. Please send me information on how to get these recalls fixed without having to pay a fortune. Lucasatoms@gmail. Com -lucas adams.

9 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/03/2023

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the contact had heard an abnormal noise. The vehicle had started overheating. The vehicle was hesitant to accelerate and the steering had became firm. Several warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty shifter vessel and ecu jumper harness. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,808.

10 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/06/2023

I brought car in for oil change and was told the r front axle was leaking. Brought it to dealer for repair and told both that both front and rear axles needed to be replaced along with ptu. Was informed that the that was ordered was cancelled b/c 800 people across the country were looking for the same part. There were no safety warnings. I was told very unsafe to drive b/c front axle came out of ptu.

11 Steering problem

Failure Date: 06/28/2023

Service shifter message has been appearing and at times, all lights on prnd lighting up. The vehicle transmission may still engage or may not. Recent occurrence on 07/13/2013, vehicle took 20 minutes before transmission engaged. Fortunately, I was parked at work, going home. If this occurred on the road, has potential of wreck happening. Jeep dealership leaning towards voltage error, cleaned battery terminals, test drove, could not replicate error. Did not drive until 07/17/2023, service shifter message came back without all prnd lights coming on.

12 Steering problem

Failure Date: 05/01/2023

Service shifter keeps going on but no dealer ship know what the problem is and I have been stuck because of it.

13 Steering problem

Failure Date: 01/02/2022

While driving at approximately 50 mph, the vehicles steering wheel locked, all lights on the dash came on and the car shut completely off. My daughter was able to slowly pump the breaks to stop because there was no traffic but had there been she could have been in a serious accident since the car completely shut down. This is a huge safety concern.

14 Steering problem

Failure Date: 10/03/2021

I was driving like normal about 15 mph after just pulling out of the gas station onto the main road and have no issues with my car as of late and all of a sudden it just stopped. All the lights lite up on the shift, every light lite up on the dash saying everything needed to be serviced, I was unable to move or do anything with the car, not even turn it off and I was in the middle of the road! luckily no one was behind me and I was still able to engage my hazards. After about 10 min's my car turned off on it's own. I sat for another 10 before finally being able to turn it back on and move it to the side of the road and eventually get it back to my house 2 miles away. Clearly this is a serious safety issue and is not ok, especially the fact that my car was bought brand new and is not even 5 years old!.

15 Steering problem

Failure Date: 09/11/2021

Car stalls without warning or indicator lights and will not restart in a safe manner. There are dozens of reports concerning this situation online and it is a serious safety issue that has received no attention. There is apparently and “incomplete” notice from Jeep that has failed to reach all customers. This has now happened to me three times — 2 of which were in situations that created significant safety risk.

16 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/18/2021

Service shifter warning. Car stalled twice. It has 45 k miles only. Won't start on first try.

17 Steering problem

Failure Date: 06/28/2021

While driving the service shifter prompt came on and all the lights on the gear box turned red. The safety risk when this prompt came on is huge as you are driving and trying not to panic as you don't know if the car will stall or stop suddenly. Many other people with Jeeps have experienced this problem. There should be a recall for this issue. This vehicle has under 25,000 miles. I went to the dealership and was informed the parts are not covered under warranty. It was confirmed the bezel and wire harness will have to be replaced which the dealership did on 6/24/2021. The vehicle was only inspected by the dealership. No other warnings or dashboard messages prior to 6/23/2021.

18 Steering problem

Failure Date: 05/22/2021

When breaking or turning on multiple occasions the vehicle shifts into neutral and turns off. It then stalls until it is switched on again.

19 Steering problem

Failure Date: 03/18/2021

Doesn't seem to be turning right. A lot of clicking making noise when I back up. And turn wheel.

20 Steering problem

Failure Date: 02/06/2021

Jeep says �service shifter� and shows up on the dash and all the lights turn red on the shifter itself. This has happened multiple times in my Jeep. The frequency has gotten worse. I had to restart my Jeep in the middle of a road to get the lights to go away, and within minutes now it is back on. It has gone away in the past but for an unknown time (sometimes a day sometimes weeks. ) it has happened while shifting, driving, and while parked. The light is not only dangerous because you cannot see anything else on the dash but also concerning since it is a known shifter issue.

21 Steering problem

Failure Date: 09/06/2020

While driving down d rthe highway my Jeep shut off mid motion, my daughter and I were in the middle of a 4 way. We costed to side of road I cranked it 5-6 times then it started . When my Cherokee stoped the dash read shift to park then select a gear. The next time it died again in the middle of the road I was running 55 mph, the oil light flickered for a split second and the car died. The car lot I bought from said they found no issue this is an issue it is going to get me or my kids hurt. I have no warning when it will shut down. The only lights that come on is the shift into park press brake select gear. It is terrifying I use this Jeep Cherokee to transport my kids. It is happening more frequently.

22 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/22/2020

When coming to a stop on a city street my vehicle dinged, turned off and a message displayed on the dash �shift to park or neutral, press brake, select gear�. I could not use my steering wheel or breaks during this time. I put the vehicle in park, turned the ignition off and full took my key out. Then attempted to start it. I only heard a slight sound but no turn over. I repeated this step and this time, after momentarily sputtering, I was able to give the car gas and it stayed on. I could smell oil at this point. It seems this is related to excessive oil consumption, which triggers the car to shut off to protect the engine. Except the oil level in the vehicle is fine and there are no prior warnings before this happens.

23 Steering problem

Failure Date: 07/05/2020

~tl-the contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee latitude 4x4. The contact stated while driving at 30 mph the service shifter warning light illuminated as the gears light up. The contact veered to the shoulder of the road, turned the vehicle off and back on which failed to resume back to normal. The vehicle then was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however no further assistance was taken. The failure mileage was 30,600. Ck.

24 Steering problem

Failure Date: 03/06/2020

My service shifter light has came up 3 separate times. The last time it came on, my Jeep took itself from drive to park while I was in motion, locking up my tires and steering wheel. I could not get my park back into drive, and it caused me to slide off the road. It has happened on 3 separate occasions. I have also had my bluetooth and my radio malfunctioning. It changes stations and volume by itself, switches between am and fm and changes volume randomly. My u connect bluetooth stopped working entirely.

25 Steering problem

Failure Date: 02/28/2020

My Jeep along with several other have been affected by this! service shifter and all the lights come on the shifter. Just driving down the highway that alert appeared.

26 Steering problem

Failure Date: 01/10/2020

A service shifter message come up on my optometer screen 4 times in 3 days. The warning appears in red letters that also highlight all gear lights red and the screen was locked to service shifter. This takes places when I attempt to start my vehicle. The vehicle starts but I cannot shift the gears. I have read other reports of 2019 models having this happen and car stops while in motion. Please review this case, so many Jeep Cherokee models 2016-2020 have been widely affected by this shift system failure.

27 Steering problem

Failure Date: 12/17/2019

I was driving when my car locked and told me service shifter, I immediately call Jeep who told me to go the dealership near who told me they couldnt do anything because it hasn't been recalled.

28 Steering problem

Failure Date: 11/17/2019

Car will shut off while in motion driving in the middle of highway traffic. Brakes and gas won't work. Power steering function is lost. Error message on dash reads service transmission restart in park with vehicle at zero speed.

29 Steering problem

Failure Date: 09/15/2019

Vehicle completely shut down while driving. Had driven about 1/2 mile on a county road, made a left turn and everything shut down. No steering, braking. Very scary!!! was able to restart vehicle after about 10 minutes and immediately drove home. Have not driven it since.

30 Steering problem

Failure Date: 06/20/2019

Driving to work this morning, turn into a busy road and my lights started flashing on the dash and said that you can't shift gears while in motion. . Obviously I hadn't done that. . Took 3 mins just to get the car to turn off since everything was locked up. . Let it sit once off, didn't want to start. . Did it again and finally it started and the lights were no longer lit up! do the recall already! obviously with all the other complaints it's a Jeep issue, not an operator issue. .

31 Steering problem

Failure Date: 06/03/2019

My 2017 Jeep Cherokee with little under 45,000 stalled this morning on my way to work. The car lost steering/braking control. The battery light came on and stated I needed to shift to park then to desired gear. My Jeep would not run at this point. I had to wait a good 5 minutes until I was able to attempt starting my vehicle. However, when attempting to start the vehicle it did not start on the first 2 tries. The 3rd time it finally started. Furthermore, after letting my vehicle sit and cool once I got to my work location which is 40 miles away. I and another CO worker checked the oil, and the oil barely registered on the dipstick. I will be going to get the oil changed again since the oil was dark and smelled burnt. This is not the first time I've had issued with the Jeep Cherokee. The other instance all the shifting gears on the console lite up and a message on the dash stated to shift into the desired gear. This too happened while I was driving. This is unsafe, especially in the first instance whereas you lose all control of your vehicle. I have called the dealership to have the vehicle checked out; however, they are unable to get my vehicle serviced until 2 weeks after this occurrence.

32 Steering problem

Failure Date: 04/23/2019

This problem has occurred at least 4 times in a 2 week period. While driving on service streets a pinging noises goes off. . The battery light a lightening bolt and shift into drive appears and lasts a few seconds. The steering wheel gets very heavy and hard to turn. The vehicle turns off! the radio continues to play. I cannot shift into park. When I try to turn the ignition it makes a screeching noise. . After the second attempt it usually will restart. This is very dangerous and I am afraid to get behind the wheel of my car!.

33 Steering problem

Failure Date: 03/08/2019

While the vehicle has been running and in motion on city streets, the engine will cut off. The car is left without power steering and without power braking. The car must be placed in park to restart thus necessitating the need to come to a complete stop. This has occurred on four separate occasions and appears to be a problems other have on the same model (without resolution).

34 Steering problem

Failure Date: 01/14/2019

While driving this vehicle made a right hand turn and accelerated uphill. The car died and lost all systems including steering and limited braking. I took vehicle to dealer and found out this was due to low oil. This happened twice within 4 months. No oil indicator ever appeared in either instance. Said it was a safety feature to save engine but apparently not human lives. It as scary. . I do not trust this vehicle and why is it consuming so much oil.

35 Steering problem

Failure Date: 01/07/2019

My Jeep has less than 30,000 miles on it and I keep up to date on oil changes (every 500 miles); however, when the 5,000 mile marker starts approaching I will be in driving in a forward motion and the dashboard will light up saying "shift to neutral or park", the gas pedal tightens up to the point I am no longer able to step on it anymore, and the steering wheel tightens up and I can no longer move that. At this point my vehicle just completely stops in the middle of driving. The most recent time (4,100 miles after my last oil change) I was attempting to merge onto the highway the other day and this same thing happened. It takes about 4 minutes for the car to start working again, but this is an extremely unsafe issue that should not be happening. I have had this issue happen multiple times in the past, and the dealership shrugged it off. I have had enough of this, a vehicle (even without a recent oil change, let alone a vehicle that is up to date on oil changes and hasn't hit the 5,000 mile marker) should not come to a complete stop in the middle of driving. This is a huge safety hazard. Obviously other people are experiencing the same issue. At any point, I feel as though my vehicle might stop working on me at a random time (again without any warning whatsoever) and cause me to be in a sever accident. This is not a matter to take lightly, I have been contacting my dealership and have yet to have any help/ issues resolved.


Other Steering related problems of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee

Steering problems
43
Lose Power Steering problems
2

Cherokee Service Bulletins
Cherokee Safety Recalls
Cherokee Defect Investigations