Electrical System Problems of Jeep Cherokee - part 1

On 05/30/2026 approximately 12:15. My Jeep radio screen prompted "service needed, no phone connected" and a few other words I did not have an opportunity to memorize. The check engine light came on and he oil light appeared. This all happened within a minute. It was very quick and scared both of us. As my mother was driving, she smelled heat, then the radio quit working, the air conditioning shut off and heat turned on without assistance, my mother attempted to open the electronic windows without success, the power steering stopped worked and locked up, then the entire vehicle shut off. She struggled to maintain control of the vehicle in order to guide us to a safe place off the side of the road. We were in imamate danger due to not having any control of the vehicle. The hood, driver and passenger doors, front and back were able to be accessed, however we could not open the hatch. And the interior lights would not remain shut off until the battery ceased to have amps. No the vehicle was not inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance representatives. We were on a major highway. She had no control of the vehicle. I bought this vehicle used from blue knob and have never received any recall notices however I researched and found 13 recalls I have never been informed of. This is unsettling and a dangerous form of noncommunication.

See all problems of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the brake pedal became inoperable and felt spongy while attempting to stop the vehicle. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to operate, and a crunching sound was heard while turning the steering wheel. Additionally, the contact stated that multiple incorrect warning messages illuminated on the instrument panel, including the start/stop warning message and a door open warning message. The contact stated that the failures began after the vehicle had been repaired under a tailgate recall. The vehicle was taken to another dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer advised the contact to return to the previous dealer for repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,600.

See all problems of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

The car continues to have an issue with the same recalls that were priorly fixed but continued to happen after a few years. The last repair for this recall only lasted six months and I now need to replace the exact same parts again. The vehicle is completely faulty. The computer control valve for the transmission continues to fail. My vehicle will say service transmission, and then you cannot switch gears and becomes undrivable until you clear the codes or replace the parts. . . . Again.

I was driving and going around the roundabout and I got an error message service shifter & park, reverse, neutral, drive, and drive minus or negative which is the manual part all lit up. I took it to the dealer and they said it would have to be examined, but I went online and found out between 2014 and 2018 of these vehicles, this is something that happens frequently. I don’t understand why it’s not a recall.

While I was driving my vehicle put the parking brake on and then I was unable to get it deactivated at first, after a few seconds I got it and moved forward in traffic. After a few feet the vehicle put the parking brake on and I was unable to move once again. This was in the middle of traffic and I ended up blocking the single lane road. I called a family member who was near by and they came and some how got the parking brake off and drove me and the vehicle home. My safety and everyone one around safety was jeopardized because they had to go into oncoming traffics lane to pass me until I got moving. Parking wouldn't engage when we got home and service parking brake light was on.

See all problems of the 2018 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

2020 Jeep Cherokee limited awd, VIN [xxx] , approx. 111,355 miles. Reporting serious safety concern: repeated/worsening electrical system failure with intermittent loss of power steering assist. For nearly a year, auto start/stop warning and battery warning lights have appeared. During episodes, power steering assist can stop working, especially at complete stops, making steering extremely difficult when stopped, parking, or pulling out. Battery, alternator, battery cables/connections, and belt have been replaced, but issue continues and is worsening. Recently while driving, radio shut off, dash/instrument cluster began shutting down, blower motor cycled on/off repeatedly, and windshield wipers slowed while raining. Warnings included battery/charging, auto start/stop, service electronic stability control, service park brake, abs, traction control, check engine, and blind spot alerts unavailable. Vehicle vibrated/ran rough, sounded like it might stall, then revved back up. Burning smell noted after failure and possible smoke near rear after shutdown. Vehicle was towed home due to safety risk. After tow, vehicle restarted but same warnings returned within minutes and radio/dash failures repeated. Concerned this is system-wide electrical, charging, power distribution, ground, or steering assist failure that could cause loss of steering assist, visibility systems, or safety systems while driving information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Within two years of owning this Jeep, the rear differential has failed, the battery has failed twice, they didn’t include the extra battery in this Jeep that every other model has so it needs a new battery every two years like clockwork to keep the power systems running normally. It’s needed new spark plugs after four failed at once. Now it has the service 4wd light back on even though supposedly there isn’t any recalls still. I’ve never owned a car that has needed as much work as this Jeep. Ever. I know several people that have owned them and not one person has enjoyed the vehicle due to the repairs being so often. I take care of my cars and do the maintenance on time continuously. It’s crazy to have this many things go wrong this often.

See all problems of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

There is an open recall for 2014 -2016 Jeep Cherokees for a problem with the power liftgate module. My vehicle is a 2016 Cherokee but it is not included in the recall. The liftgate module in my vehicle is being replaced right now for the same issue in the recall , water intrusion. I would like to know why vehicle is not included in the recall .

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!.

Per diagnostics, ptu has been compromised. I was driving on the highway and the car started to shake and make a loud, grinding noise and seemed to be stuck in gear. When I stopped it wouldn't go into park or go into drive.

See all problems of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Transmission control sensor.

Car shifts out of gear and when trying to accelerate the car won’t go any faster. Feels like it slips out of gear. Happened out of the blue, no check engine light and no warning.

The component that failed/malfunctioned was the module that activates the epb. It is available for inspection if requested. My safety was put at risk because the parking brake would engage every time the vehicle shut off leaving me stranded and could put other drivers at risk if my vehicle was stranded on the roadway. It would sometimes reset if the battery was disconnected and then reconnected, but eventually trying to reset it did not work. Within a week, the actuators completely seized and the vehicle was inoperable, requiring to be towed. The problem was confirmed by a Jeep dealership service center. They noted that water was leaking into the vehicle from the outside and pooling. The inside rear cargo carpets are moldy and need to be replaced and the module is completely water damaged along with other electrical components being rusted and corroded. The issue has been identified by a certified mechanic at the service center. I had planned to reach out to my auto insurance provider to file a claim, but was informed of an active recall on 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokees with similar symptoms to what I am experiencing. No warning lamps or messages were active prior to the failure. Both "service parking brake" along with the red "brake" light were active to let me know my epb was engaged. I was able to reset the message briefly to unlock the brakes by disconnecting the battery, but was only successful once. Then it needed to be towed to the dealership for further inspection.

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.

While driving less than one mile from my residence, my 2014 Jeep Cherokee suddenly displayed a warning related to shifting, followed immediately by a complete loss of engine power. The vehicle shut off without warning while in motion. At the time of the incident, the dashboard displayed the messages: “shift to desired gear” and intermittently “service shifter. ” I was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road; however, this incident has now occurred multiple times, consistently in the same general location and under normal driving conditions. The sudden loss of power creates a serious safety hazard, particularly given the lack of warning and potential for this to occur in higher-speed traffic conditions. This issue appears consistent with known problems involving the transmission wiring harness and shifting system in this vehicle model. Immediate investigation and corrective action are warranted to prevent potential accidents or injuries.

When going over bumps such as speed bumps or bumps in the road there has been a clunking noise and sometimes a grind, for a few seconds. With this the abs light also comes on. Then goes off. This has went on for the past 6-7months. Its not every time,it is very random. It will do it and not again for a while. On 3/16/26 the svc fwd warning light came on while driving. After restarting it it takes about 30seconds and it comes back on and stays on until the vehicle is shut off. There has been a couple times the vehicle has hesitated to go forward when the gas was pressed. I have taken it to an auto shop and they found code: c14a7-97 for ptu failure. They recommended to contact Jeep since there is a recall for that year. When the dealer checked my VIN it does not fall under the recall. I am afraid of driving it as I don't want it to stall on me or cause an accident as I usually have my young child with me. The shop said it would be around $6000 to repair. If not under the recall.

See all problems of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

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.

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.

I purchased this 2021 Jeep Cherokee, and it has developed a life-threatening defect where it performs an uncommanded braking while driving at speed. Without any warning the car slams on the brakes creating an immediate risk of a rear end collision. Diagnostic scans show multiple critical failures: po128 (the initial warning of a computer communication issues). Dealership (echo park) refuses to fix with the proper oem part and denies my warranty, (I called it in on day 15 on my warranty, 01/28/26) I let them know the fans were loud, rpms fluctuating, tailpipe full of black soot and making a loud sputtering, this is burning up my fuel fast. My appt was on 02/10/26 they said there was nothing wrong with it. A couple weeks go by and then the check engine light turned on (after my warranty) I took it back on 03/19/26, they visually verified the code, said I had to pay out of pocket to fix it with an aftermarket part not the oem part. They set up an appt for 03/25/26. Uo128 (lost communication with brake control module) and c008e-00(ecu internal performance). These codes are directly linked to the NHTSA safety investigation pe22- 009. When I took the vehicle to allways [xxx] on March 23, 2026, the service department refused to perform a safety inspection without an upfront payment, despite the vehicle having exposed wiring in the steering column and part of an active federal safety probe. As a small business owner (maid to sparkle) grandmother who transports a [xxx] daily, I am now stranded with a vehicle that is unsafe to drive due to a documented a manufacturer defect. While at the dealership I was simultaneously on the phone with Jeep customer care. Despite the vehicle being under federal safety investigation for the exact ghost breaking I am experiencing both the dealer and corporate representative denied assistance and refused a safety inspection without an upfront fee this shows a coordinated refusal to address a documented safety defect. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia),.

See all problems of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Headlights cut out when it says low beam out and both headlights are new and work fine until it decides it doesn’t. Transmission is faulty in these cars.

The rear defroster or related electrical wiring in the rear glass/liftgate area appears to have malfunctioned and shorted, causing a fire while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unattended. The fire resulted in the rear glass shattering/blowing out. The incident was recorded on a residential security camera. This posed a significant safety risk because the fire started while the vehicle was off, creating danger to occupants, bystanders, nearby vehicles, and surrounding property. There were no prior warning indicators, messages, or symptoms known before the failure. A dealership has inspected the vehicle and provided a repair estimate consistent with failure in the rear defroster/rear glass area. The vehicle and damaged components should be available for inspection. Based on the observed damage and location of the fire, this appears to be an electrical short involving the rear defroster system or related wiring.

I have a safety recall 49a on my 2014 Jeep Cherokee I took it in for the recall on 03/03/2026, my trunk was working perfectly fine before I had to recall done on it and now my trunk doesn’t work at all.

While driving, often at highway speeds, all of the lights on the shifter will light up and the dash will display "service transmission. " I took it to the dealer several times and their response has been that it is a software issue that they do not have a fix for and that I should stop the car, turn the engine off, open and close the door and then restart the car. This does temporarily reset the display but doing this on the highway poses a safety problem in trying to get to the shoulder in traffic.

Service four-wheel-drive warning light comes on – intermittently and randomly car still drives but vibrates just a little started at 36,000 miles and continues at 39,000 miles.

Vehicle was stopped at a light. When I let go of the break the car turned on the parking break. After I turned off the parking break it asked to shift into neutral or park and press the break button the break was locked. I tried to turn the car off but it wouldn’t shut all the way off. It unlocked everything after I turned the engine off and back on.

While stopped at stop signs or stop lights the emergency parking break will engage and unable to turn off with out restarting vehicle.

I am reporting a failure of the remedy for recall s55 (NHTSA 16v-529). The manufacturer’s authorized repair, a software-update only, failed to correct the underlying hardware defect in the transaxle jumper harness. As a result, the wires in the harness physically melted due to the high electrical resistance as stated in the s55 recall, which caused a total loss of motive power while driving and rendering the vehicle immobile. This created a significant crash risk as we were suddenly left completely immobile and stranded in the middle of busy traffic, not to mention a fire hazard. Prior to the total failure, the vehicle exhibited electrical symptoms including sporadic starting, locks locking and unlocking by itself, improper revolution, and harsh transmission shifting. In addition to the melted wires in the transaxle jumper harness, there is now oil pooling under the vehicle, signaling further critical damage caused from the recalled part's failure. In the aftermath we are now assessing our federal rights to repair from the manufacturer. The dealership and manufacturer claim the recall is 'completed' because of the initial software update, but the physical defect remains and has worsened into a hazardous state. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the adequacy of the s55 software-only remedy, as it does not prevent the hardware from failing, leaving countless in a dangerous situation. Any help or advice you could provide on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to open the liftgate, the liftgate failed to open. The contact stated that during inclement weather, water was entering the cabin of the vehicle, causing mold to develop inside the vehicle. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v338000 (electrical system, structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

My car shut down and lost power while in motion, it said “electrical instability “ “service shifter” and cut off. Auto stop start keeps going in and out seat belt comes undone while in motion.

Intermittent 4wd servicing displaying with no error codes when diagnosed. Loss of acceleration when displayed. Additionally there is a small vapor leak that cannot be found and the.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the radio went black, with the message "re-insert usb" displayed. The contact was unable to use the radio. Additionally, the rear-view camera, the ac/heat settings, and other safety features were inoperable and unavailable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the radio needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were no longer being manufactured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the parts were no longer being manufactured. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

The light came on that says cannot move vehicle, it just stopped. The power transfer unit went out--I cannot get a part since it is backordered over 1200 people right now are having issues with the part of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while in a drive-thru line, the front driver's side window started smoking. The contact disconnected the wiring to the door. The vehicle was taken to o'reilly, where it was diagnosed with an internal door electrical failure. The contact personally replaced the power window motor. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing hard shifts while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was previously taken to o'reilly’s, where it was diagnosed that the failure was related to the alternator and low battery voltage. The alternator was taken to two technicians for testing, and the contact was informed that the alternator was in good condition. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the abs warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was recently taken to o'reilly’s and autozone for diagnostic testing and the contact was provided fault codes for evap system leak detected, 1,2,3 active grille shutter (ags), throttle pedal position sensor switch a circuit high, system voltage below and above threshold, denied torque request signal, ecu configuration mismatch, ecu vehicle option mismatch, output speed sensor, input speed sensor/correlation, fan 1 control circuit, throttle pedal position sensor switches d and b circuit low, and dtc u0402-00 for tcm immediate repair. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

To whom it may concern, I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2019 Jeep Cherokee limited due to ongoing defects that create unsafe driving conditions. Vehicle information: •year/make/model: 2019 Jeep Cherokee limited •189,000 safety issues: my vehicle has experienced repeated and unpredictable failures, including: •loss of power while driving •electrical instability and voltage fluctuations •auto stop/start system malfunction •hard and delayed transmission shifting •“service shifter” warnings and parking brake alerts (p with exclamation point) •intermittent stalling and hesitation these issues occur without warning and significantly impair the vehicle’s ability to accelerate, shift, and operate safely in traffic. Recall concern: I am aware that 2018–2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles were recalled for transmission, powertrain, and electrical defects, including conditions that can cause loss of propulsion and unsafe shifting. My vehicle exhibits the same symptoms described in those recalls; however, my VIN has not been included. Repair history: I have contacted the dealership multiple times. The primary response has been battery replacement, which did not resolve the issues. No permanent repair or root cause has been identified. Safety risk: loss of power, transmission malfunction, and electrical instability while driving present a serious safety risk and increase the likelihood of a collision. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this complaint and investigate whether my vehicle is affected by a safety-related defect consistent with known recalls for this model sincerely [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown: not had problems since I got it. 66000 miles on it and now it’s losing electrical power at random. I’ll be driving normally, but my dash will go black, all lights go out and the engine will go into neutral. When I let off the throttle and coast, it will come back to life and go back to normal.