general problems of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee - part 1

Sometimes when I am driving and stop, the automatic engine does not turn back on. This has caused my car to stop and need to be restarted in the middle of the road and the amount of times this happens has been increasing.

Power transfer unit failure diagnosed by safford Dodge, Jeep dealership in fredericksburg, va. My VIN is not showing up as part of the recall. My car is still awaiting repair.

I started getting a warning light in my Jeep (svc 4wd). The dealer diagnosed it as an internal failure of the ptu motor, which needs replaced. I learned that the ptu motor is a recall item for Jeeps long before mine was. Manufactured, extending long past my manufacture date. For some reason, my VIN is not included, even though my ptu is failed and presents the symptoms that logically should include it. My discussion with the repair person went so far as to suggest I always use the parking brake, just in case, to prevent spontaneous roll-away. I also learned there are many other Jeep owners facing the same problem, causing at least a month's delay in obtaining a replacement ptu to fix this problem. I believe and respectfully request that this issue should be considered a part of the original recall, to include all Jeeps within the stated time frame. This submission is in reference to 2019–2023 Jeep Cherokee (NHTSA recall 26v-290 / fca recall 40d). Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Service four-wheel-drive light came on. Took vehicle to the Jeep dealer for inspection and paid $220. 94 diagnostic fee. Jeep dealer stated that the power transfer unit had an internal failure code c1487–97. Dealership quoted a repair cost of $2836. 75. Dealership stated the part was on backorder and would not be available for weeks or months or longer. Although there are three recalls specifically associated with this issue for this specific model… the VIN number to this vehicle is not included for some reason. It seems evident that if the part failed it obviously suffers the same issue as the others that are included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the warning message "service four wheel drive" and "four wheel drive unavailable" had displayed. Also, while operating the vehicle the parking brake had malfunctioned. The cause of the fialure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA campaign number: 26v290000(power train ). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 82,000.

4wd has issues with the transfer case and cars up to 2019 had issues. I cant get parts and it is not safe to drive.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 75 mph, the vehicle began to lose propulsion upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that an abnormal, clunking sound began to emti from the without warning. The contact pulled the vehicle over and attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle lost all forward propulsion. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they also experienced the same failure. The dealer managed to get the vehicle to move while in reverse(r); however, the vehicle failed to accelerate forward. The dealer had diagnosed the vehicle with a defective ptu(power transfer unit) and it was later discovered that a recall had been placed on the vehicle for NHTSA campaign number: 26v290000(power train). Although a recall was placed on the vehicle; the part for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and the contact was informed that the repair would not be covered under warranty. The contact was given an estimate to have a new ptu placed inside the vehicle; however, that would only be a temporary fix. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Service 4wd indicator.

I was driving and my power steering suddenly went out by its self. It was a very dangerous and traumatic experience. I had to get a good grip on the steering wheel to keep from hitting a parked car or something! I read that it was once a recall for this part but when I took it to the dealer they said it wasn’t. I need some type of help. My car isn’t safe for me or my son.

At about 50,000 started noticing a shift in transmission noise, and a new “burnt smell”. There was a delay in shifting to a lower gear. Took to a shop 2x different times for them to say it was “normal”. Srv 4x4 light came on after 2nd time in shop. Went in again for light diagnostics, to find that ptu actuator is faulty and is a known issue in this vehicle. Repair $5000. 00 with a back order on the part of over 900 people! Jeep fix and own your mistake!.

I was driving on the highway on my way to work around 7:45 am. As I was driving my car lost all power and I heard a grinding sound. As the grinding sound was happening, I had no control over my car. I managed to move to the side lane and put my hazards on. I then had to wait for a tow truck. Ultimately, the brakes, the transfer case, and the rear differental needs replaced.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the 4wd warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with ptu failure; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under NHTSA campaign number: 26v290000 (power train); because the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

The systems that failed included the shifter, which causes the car to lock so that it cannot shift out of park . This is most likely due to a shifter assembly and/or sensor malfunction. Several months prior to this event occurring (I. E. , the car would not start, despite a new battery and consistent scheduled maintenance), this operator of the vehicle complained to the dealership that the car started to feel tremulous, along with the gas gauge reading 30-40 miles below the expected fill on a full tank. The dealership "checked the sensors" and determined nothing was wrong. The driver has been noticing shaking and continued problems with this vehicle shifting in and out of lower gears (1st through 3rd in an automatic v6 engine). The culmination is now this car will not start, and states both 'service shifter' and 'brake sensor service' lights illuminate upon attempting to start the engine. From reading, it is likely to have a transmission range sensor failure, a faulty shifter module, or wiring corrosion. Also, stellantis (software manufacturer for these sensors) has admitted fault of these sensors in the past, and had extended warranties for some, but not all vehicles. Unable to operate a nonfunctioning vehicle now stuck with towing to a dealership I've not had good results with since the purchase of this vehicle.

I received a warning light svc and, had the car looked at a Jeep dealership in late Feb early March, the ptu case needs to be replaced. There seems to be a recall for this on Jeep Cherokees but my car isn't listed and my car has had a failure.

I’ve got the dreaded service 4wd light coming on which means my 4wd system is not working. It’s also known as the c14a7-97 dtc. I bought a 4wd vehicle to have 4wd not front wheel drive. I drive approx 130 miles a day in rain, snow, ice, mud, etc so I need a vehicle that I know will get me to my destinations. I ask dealers about my problem and they are like OH another ptu issue. There’s many Jeeps with the same problem. That makes a person feel better. Parts are back ordered but also my 2020 doesn’t fall into recall even though it’s the same issue as the prior Jeep Cherokee years. Apparently this is a very well common problem but they refuse to fix them. Shouldn’t have to be worrying about these kinds of problems when the vehicle don’t even have 50k mileage yet. I’ve read on many different forums to report about this issue to you. Thanks.

The power transfer unit stopped working and we got a message on the dashboard about the four-wheel-drive not working. We had to replace the ptu.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while changing lines and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond with a grinding sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over into a parking lot and attempted to shift to park, and the vehicle started to reverse unintendedly. The contact stated that after returning to the residence, the vehicle was parked and the parking brake was activated to keep the vehicle from moving unintendedly. The “service 4wd” warning light was illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred twice. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number:25v011000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to another dealer to seek assistance with repairing the vehicle. The failure mileage was 68,000.

Was driving my vehicle and the service light came on that said (svc 4x4) when I took the vehicle in the fury dealership to get a diagnostic check, I was told that my ptu system need to be replaced and it would cost $4500. 00 to repair, upon doing some research it seems that Jeep Cherokee has had many problems with this particular parts failure. Upon going back and forth with the service manager about the repair cost I was told they would do the repair, but I would have to pay about $1000. 00 for the repair which is insane because this is something that Jeep should be required to fix due to the many complaints and repairs for this vehicle. I was told that the part was on back order and could take months to get, this was in February 2026 and its now April 22, 2026. I have not received any updates as to when the part will come in in the meantime I'm driving a vehicle that can potentially kill me.

No accident or incident cause issues with the power train. Seems like a recurring problem that this specific model of Jeep has been facing.

Warning light came on that said "service 4wd system" at approximately 86,969 miles on a 2020 Jeep Cherokee trailhawk. Took to dealer and was advised that ptu (power transfer unit) must be replaced at a cost of $3,945. 19. Was also advised that dtcm "transfer case control module must be replaced at a cost of $776. 95. Total cost to resolve "service 4wd system" problem as quoted is $4,722. 14. It has been noted that older versions of this same vehicle model have been recalled by the manufacturer for this same problem. I would like to know why this particular model year has not been included that recall as it appears that the earlier noted manufacturing defect was not corrected for the 2020 model year.

Issue #1: fuel pump failure, had to completely replace the fuel pump at approx. 60,000 miles. Approx. $1,300 repair. Issue #2: rear differential failure due to faulty/poor construction of materials, per the repair shop. Failed at approx. 63,000 miles. There was no external damage to the differential, it was caused by poor construction/defects of the materials used to build the car. Approx. $4,500 repair. Both issues are known issues with Jeeps of this model year, to the extent that I have not been able to find replacement parts due to them being in such high demand.

Failed power train unit, and this is available for inspection. I was driving on the highway with my grandson and husband going 70 mph when the unit failed it basically felt like the car was thrown into neutral. Thankfully no one was hurt. Dealership has confirmed the issue. No issues driving the vehicle before the issue after the issue the light did come on and the vehicle is undriveable.

My ptu failed while driving 70mph on a 4 lane interstate during a heavy rush hour, I'm 7 months pregnant and this was mortifying for me. I lost all power moving forward and could not accelerate. My rpms would near red-line. When I pulled on to the shoulder, while trying to not get hit or cause an accident from 3 lanes over, I put my car in park and shut it off, it sounded like a dying weedwhacker. It started rolling backwards without me noticing and I almost rolled back into the outside lane. I put on the e-brake, had it towed to firestone where they said it was likely the ptu that failed as I have every gear, except moving forward. When they had my vehicle on the lift they moved the tires in reverse motion and there was no noise, when they moved the tires in forward motion there was a loud knocking coming out of the ptu and the tires wouldn't budge. If in park on a decline, park works. If in park on an incline or flat, it rolls backwards. It can drive in reverse, but no forward movement at all. I got it towed to another shop where they took out&opened the ptu and checked the gears on the shaft inside, one of the gears was completely missing. Just completely disintegrated. There was no warning that anything was failing on my car. No check engine lights, no noises. Just loss of acceleration. Ptus are on back order 3-5 months right now because they're a known issue on the 2017-2019 models of Jeeps. My Jeep is a 2020 trailhawk with the v6 3. 2l.

4wd service light came on. The code was c14a7-97. A well known ptu problem. There was a previous recall for the same problem. It can be a dangerous situation if it completely fails while driving. Also a very expensive repair bill. My 2020 Jeep Cherokee only has 72k miles and a has a major known failure already.

Transfer case failure, I had started to notice as if the transmission were shifted to neutral, high engine rpm and no output to the wheels. This happened a few times but not consistently. After the 3rd time this occurred, I decided to bring the vehicle in to a well-known local shop transmission shop. It was diagnosed as the transfer case a known issue with previous years. Still such a popular failure that local dealerships were told by mopar they could only order one replacement per month. I was without my vehicle for nearly 3 months while it was inoperable. The vehicle is now repaired with a mopar remanufactured transfer case. $3000 and 10 weeks later.

While driving in northwestern pennsylvania during a snowstorm, the driver engaged the vehicle’s factory “snow mode. ” immediately thereafter, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and loss of steering control. The driver was forced to pull off the i79 interstate in severe winter conditions and exit the vehicle to avoid being struck by a snowplow. This created a dangerous roadside exposure and a significant risk of collision or injury. The vehicle was towed to a Jeep dealership and diagnosed with a failed rear differential requiring replacement. The dealership stated the part has been on national backorder since 2024, with no estimated availability. The failure occurred without warning and rendered the vehicle completely inoperable. The dealership further advised that this rear differential failure is a known issue, and recommended against installing a used replacement due to reliability and safety concerns. Safety concern: this failure resulted •sudden loss of vehicle control in hazardous weather •loss of motive power •forced roadside exposure in active traffic conditions the inability to obtain replacement parts compounds the safety risk by leaving the vehicle unusable and preventing timely repair. Request: I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether this represents a systemic safety defect related to the rear differential in this vehicle platform, including failure mode, warning adequacy, and parts availability affecting safe remediation.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The message "service 4wd system" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with ptu failure. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 20v343000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle stalled. The transmission message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and there were metal particles in the transmission fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic called an unknown local dealer and confirmed that parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

When I attempted to turn left onto the highway from a complete stop on an incline, I pressed the accelerator and the car made a loud grinding noise. The vehicle would not move forward or reverse. The parking brake engaged on its own and would not disengage. After exiting the vehicle, I found a loose bearing behind the car. The vehicle had to be towed to a mechanic. I was informed by the mechanic that the failure was caused by the ptu (power transfer unit), and the repair cost me $2,600. I was later told that the initial failure had also stripped another component, which required an additional $100 repair. I was not given the specific name or details of that additional part.

2020 Jeep Cherokee power transfer unit (ptu) per a discussion the dealer service manager, I realized the vehicle is undrivable because the ptu could fail at anytime. The danger is losing propulsion to the wheels on an interstate or other high speed or high capacity road. The problem was discovered by the dealer when I took my Cherokee in on 11/24/25 to have them fix the "svc 4wd" warning light. Once they explained the issue I decided to leave the vehicle at the dealer to replace the ptu. There is no timeframe for them to receive a new ptu. Jeep had recalled 2017-2019 Cherokees due to issues with the ptu. The 2020 Cherokees should also be recalled so owners don't have to pay for an issue Jeep is aware of with the power train.

The 4wd service light indicated an issue. After a week of the light staying on, the vehicle was brought to a local dealer for diagnosis. After diagnosis from a dealer, the ptu failed which can result in complete propulsion of vehicle.

Vehicle has been having a grinding noice since I bought it, had it checked and nothing came up. Now service 4x4 light comes on intermittently. Took back to the dealer and diagnostic says that the ptu has low voltage. Needs to be replaced. I have to pay for the part first ($2000), but it's been on back order for over 6 months.

The "4wd needs service" light appeared on the dashboard of our 2020 Jeep Cherokee trailhawk. We took vehicle to the enumclaw Chrysler Jeep Dodge ram dealer located in enumclaw, wa. Their service technician determined that the ptu (power transfer unit) was failing and found active code c14a7-97 "ptu motor-component or system operation obstructed or blocked". Had the ptu completely failed we could have been left without any power to the drive wheels. This would have been very dangerous if the vehicle had lost power while driving on a freeway or major highway and the vehicle could not have been driven to a safe location. The dealer replaced the ptu and confirmed that the problem had been repaired. We don't know if the defective part is still available for inspection.

Ptu unit on my Jeep Cherokee failed at 70 miles per hour on the highway. The car is located on a Jeep dealer lot and is available for inspection. Traveling at high speeds I suddenly lost and transfer of power from the motor to the wheels and was unable to keep speed in traffic. The problem has been noted on Jeep models of prior production with this exact problem per consumer reports. The car went through a full Jeep inspections and found that the ptu was the culprit of the issue. When the ptu failed it displayed a message stating “service 4wd”. This did not occur until after the incident occurred. Additionally when the issue occurred the car turned itself into snow/ice mode. I was driving in the standard drive mode as there was no snow or ice. I had driven for over an hour prior to this failure in the car. It was mid morning when the failure happened.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked, and the message “4x4 system service required” was displayed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power transfer unit (ptu) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,301.