general problems of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee - part 1

On September 14, 2025, while driving on the highway, the vehicle began shaking violently, the check engine light illuminated and began flashing, and the vehicle progressively lost power and became undriveable. The vehicle had to be towed. No warning lights appeared prior to the incident. This failure follows a documented history of power transfer unit (ptu) issues. In may 2024 at approximately 88,000 miles, diagnostic codes including c14a7-97 (ptu motor - component/system blocked) were retrieved at an independent service center. The 4-wheel drive system was found to be stuck engaged. The transfer case actuator motor was replaced in December 2024 at approximately 93,000 miles by the same shop at my expense. The vehicle is a single-speed ptu configuration and was excluded from equipment safety recall 02c (two speed ptu failure), despite experiencing substantially similar symptoms: loss of drive power, vibration, and drivetrain malfunction. The ptu and transfer case are available for inspection. The failure has been confirmed by an independent service center. Prior to the highway failure, the vehicle exhibited difficulty accelerating, particularly at highway speeds, and an audible whirring sound from the drivetrain. It also jerked forward when shifting into park. Safety was put at risk due to sudden loss of motive power at highway speed.

I am filing this safety complaint regarding my 2019 Jeep Cherokee latitude plus 2. 4l awd. This vehicle is experiencing severe, life-threatening safety hazards involving sudden engine stalling and a complete loss of motive power while in motion. Despite my vehicle exhibiting the exact failure symptoms of multiple major fca/stellantis safety recalls for this model year, my specific VIN is currently showing as excluded from the recall database, leaving me with a highly dangerous vehicle and no dealership remedy. The vehicle is suffering from two distinct, interrelated defects that have recently caused terrifying incidents in heavy traffic. First, while driving, the dashboard suddenly illuminated both the "svc 4wd" (service 4wd) and the "auto start-stop" warning lights simultaneously. Immediately following these warnings, the vehicle lost forward power and unexpectedly rolled forward while I was fully stopped at a red light, failing to hold its position. This mirrors the exact mechanical behavior of the known Jeep ptu spline-wear defects that cause sudden rollaways and a loss of drive power. Second, the vehicle completely stalled out and shut down while I was driving on a highway exit ramp. The engine lost all power without warning, forcing me to coast through traffic, shift into park, and completely cycle the ignition to restart it. This engine shutdown creates an imminent risk of a rear-end collision on high-speed roads. The vehicle has a severe issue with oil consumption, which I suspect is dropping hydraulic pressure and forcing the engine to shut off while the car is shifted into drive. The manufacturer’s current recall parameters for the ptu failures and engine stalling issues on 2019 Cherokees are clearly too narrow. My vehicle is dealing with identical, dangerous safety failures as the units already recalled, but I am being denied a safe, free repair due to a VIN exclusion. I request that the NHTSA investigate this specific batch of 2019 vins and force a recall.

The motor experiences a malfunction, which the passengers feel as a slight ‘bump’ in the engine. The dash flashes service electronic stability control and the engine experiences a loss in power followed by a gain in power, experienced as slight lurching. The dash esc icon lights up yellow simultaneously as the esc button on the center dash instrument cluster. The vehicle continuously lurches as it tries to stabilize, at this point the most ginger touch to the accelerator is necessary, otherwise the engine may stall out. I have been left stalled in the middle of a road where there was moving traffic passing by both ways. The mechanic said the engine codes read- p0340- camshaft position sensor b1s1 & u1428- received engine torque request signal stuck.

Plastic manifold cover has developed a hairline crack and is leaking oil. Vehicle has only 68,000 miles. Mechanic advised there is a national backorder of replacement manifold covers so up to the mercy of the manufacturer to produce more. From what I've seen online, this is a notorious issue with many different Jeep models over many years.

Automatic transmission shifts hard at approximately 30 mph causing a sudden lurch. It has happened several times. It is such a sudden movement that it feels unsafe as if someone has hit my car from behind. I took my car to the dealer of purchase for the first time for this issue on 7/18/26. This has happened at least 4x and there were no warnings prior to it happening. Also, when I hit a small speed bump the lights went off on the dashboard and car was still running. No findings were reported.

An nhsta #26v290000 report received on 07/05/2026-power train from aaa, nhsta campaign #25v011000- power train, and nhsta #18v523000- service brakes, hydraulic foundation and components disc caliper. On July 9th, 2026, I was driving on the highway and about to approach the delaware memorial bridge. All the lights on the dashboard started flashing: temperature, engine, coolant, etc. I lost braking performance and the car's ability to use it because the entire electronic system locked. I could not put the car in neutral, nor could the truck drivers move it. I was in a dangerous location. Both repair shops also impacted the powertrain and differential; during the test drive, they noted noise from the rear differential when turning and a sense of locking up. These are symptoms of early differential failure. The initial gauge fluctuated, and due to the high temperature, it burned out the engine and radiator; the car smoked heavily inside and out. I have had to pay more than $ 3,500 in repairs for two recalls that were indicated to me when I called about them; they were for 2019 Jeeps, but not my vehicle. It appears as though the recall should be for all 2019 Jeep Cherokees. This is my 4th Jeep, and I have driven each one well over 140,000 miles before getting another vehicle. Before that, any recalls were for all Jeep makes and models that carried those parts or were manufactured with a possibility of failure. I want a refund for what I have had to put into the vehicle. If I had not pulled off the highway at the last exit as was laid on my mind by a higher power, I would have been a fatality due to not being able to move the car off the highway.

Engine failure at 90,000 miles need a whole new engine.

My 2019 Jeep Cherokee limited suffered a complete loss of power while driving down the highway and now has a service 4wd light on as well.

While driving the 2019 Jeep Cherokee 2. 0l turbo lost power and stalled. Had it towed to mechanic and was advised cylinders 1&2 had low compression and needs new motor.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "reset - start unavailable" and "start/stop system unavailable" were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact was unable to pull over, and the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was restarted after a while and was driven to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred. The battery was disconnected and taken to an auto zone store, where it was determined that the battery voltage was low. The contact replaced the battery; however, the new battery drained prematurely. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence, and the throttle body was replaced, but the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was determined that the pcm and tcm needed to be reprogrammed to restart the vehicle; however, the repair could not be completed due to a loss of communication, and the vehicle went into limp mode. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

I was slowing down coming to a stop in a left turn lane. I went to give the car gas to make the turn and for 4 seconds I had no power. My car was stuck in the middle of the intersection. When the vehicle regained power it slammed forward really hard.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving check engine light had suddenly illuminated and the message "unspecified service unavailable" had displayed along with the 4 wheel drive warning light had illuminated. During the failure the vehicle did not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the ptu had malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer was not yet contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 25v011000(power train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 81,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rpm was unexpectedly elevated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed from the scene. After the failure, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the pistons and valves had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

I was on a highway in the middle lane to accelerate, and after that the car started to lose power and acceleration and the engine started to make noise and I saw smoke behind me. It was only at this point that an engine light came on and then it went off and did not return. It was a safety hazard and dangerous because it lost power on a highway and there were cars around me doing 60 to 80 mph and I had to navigate and then quickly to exit. I exited the highway and pulled off as soon as it was safe, although I had very little power to do so. , the car was towed to a mechanic who said there was a cylinder 1 scoring and cracking of piston. The car was towed to a Jeep dealership who told me it just needed a cylinder pack and it was only $1,000. They kept the car for a week and didn't answer calls until we went over there. The service manager told us we did in fact need a new engine. This is where I bought the car and I still owe $6,000 on it and now I'm looking at a $8,000 job. I have contacted stellaris and opened a case on April 23rd.

While driving ,the vehicle just shuts off while in motion, then dashboard lights come and message says if you want to start vehicle step on brake and push button , but once I push the button it struggles to start. Mechanic ran a diagnostic test and said its the power train control module that is under a recall on other Jeeps but not mine.

The rear crank shaft seal is leaking on my car. It was a recall on the same engine but on the grand Cherokee. Not the Cherokees. It’s $2500 to fix it.

The vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure while driving. Prior to failure, a flashing check engine light appeared along with severe engine misfire, sputtering, and loss of power. The vehicle became unsafe to operate and required towing. The vehicle had recently undergone recall service (ptu recall 01c) at an authorized dealership. Shortly after that service, the engine failure occurred. It is unknown if the recall repair contributed to the failure, but the timing is notable. The vehicle has been regularly maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. A dealership has inspected the vehicle and indicated that the engine requires replacement due to internal failure. The failure has been identified as involving piston #2, with coolant intrusion into the cylinder. This condition is consistent with loss of compression and internal engine damage. Numerous other owners of similar vehicles have reported nearly identical failures, frequently involving piston #2, suggesting a potential pattern or common defect affecting that specific cylinder. The sudden loss of power while driving created a safety risk, particularly if this had occurred at higher speeds or in heavy traffic. This issue appears similar to other reported problems involving 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with the 2. 0l turbo engine, including misfire conditions and potential loss of compression leading to engine failure.

I was driving on the highway going approximately 75mph, everything was 100% normal. All of a sudden, and at once, my steering wheel started to shake, the car lost power/acceleration and speed quickly dropped. The engine was making loud noises. We pulled over, called my mechanic I've had for 35yrs. We were able to get the car to the garage driving very slowly, it wouldn't go above maybe 30mph. My mechanic initially did a diagnostic test which indicated issues with coils??after further investigation he, and 2 of his fellow mechanics determined it was a much more serious issue that has resulted in a total malfunction of the motor. I bought my car in 2021 with 46,740 miles on it, it currently has 84,756 miles. I still owe $4349. 63, 1yr left on my loan. My mechanic said he is aware of a number of recalls on Jeeps . I looked up my VIN bought found nothing. Similar issues, but nothing with that VIN.

Well the engine definitely failed to provide power for me to drive my vehicle. And as I am doing more and more research on what the ptu does, which is what there is a recall on. It appears the ptu not working correctly on my vehicle affected the engine, and the ability for car to properly utilize oil, thus affecting the operation of the cylinders 1 and 4 on my vehicle. I am being told I need a new engine however, I believe the ptu problem directly affected my engine because everything that happens with the failure of the ptu is similar things that happen with the failure of my engine, thus the two really are related. And if the ptu "talks to" the engine for proper consumption and usage of oil then, my current engine replacement needs to be covered under the recall of the ptu and any other possible engine problems with other Jeep Cherokee engine recalls. I would like someone to contact me and have a discussion with me and/or an attorney as I am considering now hiring one because of the safety risk of continued problems especially putting in another engine and having the ptu affect the engine again. Also mechanics are saying there is no way that this engine failed unless there was something else wrong upon installation of the engine or something else affected the operation of the engine, as in the ptu.

I was driving down the interstate in the mountainous region of montana. While coming down the hill, I lost all power in my vehicle. My car continued to slow down, unable to accelerate. I had multiple warnings/things flash across my screen that identified that I no longer had access to them. After about 30 minute or more of driving slower and slower, able to initially go 30 mph, then it continued to decrease. I was maybe to go 10 mph up a hill to try to get to the next town. I inched my way to the dealership to drop my car off. I know there is a recall on my vehicle for something related to power however in the past year, every time I take it to dealer, they say there is nothing available to fix it. I now have no vehicle and I could have easily been hit from behind during the time where I continued to lose power in the vehicle. It was a terrifying feeling to know I could be stranded on a mountain road with no cell service, etc. If there is something wrong with a vehicle because of manufacture errors, then they need to do something ASAP or provide me a new car immediately for my safety and well being. If the whole 2019 model of Jeep is an issue, then provide me a new vehicle. This is not the first issue I had with this car. Early on after purchasing it, my dash lights would all disappear while driving down the road. No speedometer, nothing. The area where the radio and other communication is at, got so hot that one could not even touch it. They did eventually replace whatever caused that problem but that was a safety issue as well. Last year I was in a car accident because I stepped on the gas to go, and there was nothing and then all of a sudden it took off and by then the car in front of me stopped. This is when I realized there is a significant problem with the power of the car. The dealer said it was probably related to the recall but don't have a way to address it.

I'm pretty sure it's the ptu . I was driving up a hilly road and my Jeep had no power all of a sudden. Then the service 4wheel drive light came on in the cluster,/ dash. Then when I stopped the tires would not quit spinning. But I could tell only one at a time was rolling. But it would switch to a different tire . Each time it switched it would almost catapult me of to the side or towards the middle of the road. . I finally just shut the engine off . Because it seemed as though it had a mind of its own . . . Thank god the plow truck came up this road I was on . Because I was afraid to start it again due to the fact I did not want to go off in a trench . I had no traction when the wheels kept kicking in and out of 4 wheel drive . That to me is a big safety concern. I took it to a mechanic shop the following day and he put a scan tool on it and it came back, ptu . And he told me that this year model has a recall for the same problem .

While driving my 2019 Jeep Cherokee, the engine randomly shuts off without warning. This has happened multiple times at different speeds. The vehicle suddenly loses all power, and I have to coast to the side of the road. There are no warning lights, messages, or diagnostic codes before or after the stall. The specific component causing the failure is unknown, but it seems related to the electrical/engine/powertrain system. This failure puts my safety at serious risk because the engine dies unexpectedly in traffic, which could easily cause a rear-end collision or loss of control. I had a diagnostic scan done at autozone and no trouble codes were found. There were no symptoms or warning lamps prior to each incident ,the engine simply shuts off while the vehicle is in motion. This is a recurring safety hazard.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on three occasions after refueling the vehicle and driving approximately two feet, the vehicle unexpectedly shutoff. The message to “shift to park” was displayed. The contact activated the hazard lights. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was eventually restarted. The contact associated the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 25v011000 (power train). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

My 2019 Jeep Cherokee service light for 4wd came on. After having the car into a Jeep dealership for diagnostic/service I was told it was the ptu and no replace/fix is available. There is a recall for this year, make, model for this exact problem ( ptu ) however , my VIN# is not included under this recall. They need to widen the recall to all affected by this problem. Clearly , my car has a ptu issue confirmed by the dealership, is the same year, make and model as the recalled cars with exact same problem.

I was getting off the highway and my car stopped on me. I put my emergency lights on. I put the car on park and tried turning it on. The brake was hard to push down. I gave it a few minutes to rest and I tried 2 more times. The second time it turned on but imediately turned back off. I let it rest a minute or so and it finally turned on. I was scared for my life because there all on coming traffic coming off the interstate. I did call the police for help but as soon as I got it started I called back for them not to come. I also got a warning saying engine warming. 6:30 am 10-30-25.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and unintendedly came to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

My 2019 Jeep lost all power. Shortly after that my service 4wd light came on. I understand that this is a recent recall for the ptu but, my VIN number is not showing this recall. How do I get my jepp added to this recall for the service 4wd indicator?.

When driving I experienced the loss of power when trying to accelerate. My Jeep began to exhibit a loud noise and vibration which sounded like a "jack hammer" being used. There was a smell like something was burning, there was jerking, grinding, making clunking noises and happened each time I was making a turn or trying to accelerate. This put my safety and other drivers safety at risk because it could have caused an accident especially with the loss of power. My wheels can lock up and this will cause me not be able to steer or have control over my vehicle. This can cause harm to myself and others which can include death of either party. I do have fluid that leaks from under the vehicle and the burning smell comes through the car vents. The problem has been reported to a confirmed Jeep dealership, fred frederick with no resolution because they are still unable to obtain the parts. I contacted them as soon as I was notified of the recall which was January 23, 2025. My awd light does come on and off but I am uncertain of the dates. My Jeep Cherokee has the 2. 4l turbo engine. I also notice that the fcw does not operate properly as before and since this incident, I am not able to drive my vehicle due the unexpected loss of motion/power while driving and to prevent further damage.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v011000 (power train). While driving at 55 mph, the vehicle began shuddering and stalled. The 4x4 warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to remain in 4wd. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

My vehicle is under an open safety recall 01c involving the ptu system, and there has been no remedy available for nearly a year. This defect caused a dangerous and sudden loss of acceleration while I was driving, and the manufacturer has still provided no fix, and no support through the dealership. The incident occurred when I was stopped at a red light. When the light turned green,I pressed the gas and the vehicle immediately made a loud grinding/shaking noise, shuddered violently, and lost all propulsion. The car would barely move. I was extremely lucky that there was a parking lot directly next to the intersection, and with the tiny amount of movement left,I was able to coast into it. If this failure had happened anywhere else—on a highway, in the middle of an intersection, or without a place to pull off—I could have been rear-ended or caused a collision. My safety was put at immediate risk due to this recall defect. I contacted the dealership, but they stated they could not repair the vehicle because Jeep/stellantis had not released a remedy, parts, or service procedure for the recall. I was told multiple times that there was nothing they could do until Jeep provided a fix. After the breakdown, an independent shop confirmed the ptu failure, since the dealer still had no ability to repair it. All failed components and documentation are available for inspection. I lost use of my vehicle and was forced to take safety into my own hands. When I submitted reimbursement documentation to Jeep customer care, they denied it because the repair was not done at a certified dealer and did not use mopar parts—even though no certified repair or mopar parts exist for this recall. This leaves me without a safe vehicle, without a remedy, and without support. I am requesting NHTSA intervention due to the ongoing safety risk and the manufacturer’s failure to provide a timely fix and proper reimbursement for their admitted issue with the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 70 mph, there was an abnormally strong burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. On another occasion, while the vehicle was parked, there was condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the contact inspected the vehicle and observed that the ptu seal was damaged. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact believed that the failure was associated with an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

In March 2025 I experience shaking while driving every time I stopped. Took to dearlership and power transfer unit was replaced. Now September 2025, I experience shaking while accelerating. No clear answer on what is causing this.

The vehicle experienced a sudden and catastrophic failure of the powertrain/engine system. Based on dealer inspection, the failure requires complete replacement of the engine long block assembly, indicating an internal engine failure rather than a minor or maintenance-related issue. The vehicle and failed components are available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others were placed at significant risk. The vehicle first shut off completely while I was proceeding through a four-way stop intersection, forcing me to restart the vehicle while stopped in the middle of the intersection. Later, while driving on a very busy highway, the vehicle again lost power and became completely inoperable. I was barely able to maneuver the vehicle onto the shoulder, narrowly avoiding a collision. The vehicle then would not fully shut off despite multiple attempts, further indicating a serious malfunction. The problem has been confirmed by an authorized dealer, krebs Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram in gibsonia, PA. After diagnostics, the dealer issued a repair estimate calling for full engine long block replacement with an estimated total cost of approximately $13,900, confirming the severity of the failure. The vehicle has been inspected by the authorized Jeep dealership listed above. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer directly, police, or insurance representatives to my knowledge. There were no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or noticeable symptoms prior to the failure. The shutdowns occurred suddenly and without advance notice.

The start stop warning light is on now vehicle was idling when vehicle shut down emergency brake automatically engaged then the panel went blank and the windows the emergency warning lights all stopped working unable to warn motorists in back of me I couldn’t drive vehicle. Then panel lights up again saying to step on brake to start but fails to do so until after several attempts.

My check engine light comes on and stays on now. I have to put oil on my truck between oil changes. They haven't found any leaks. A diagnostic showed the camshaft as needing fixed at one point but the diagnostic hasn't given any other code problems. I'm having to put in oil frequently but the engine light had remained on. The check engine light will go off sometimes street I hey an oil change but then it comes back on.