Service Brakes Problems of Jeep Cherokee - part 1

On September 23, 2026, my wife was driving our 2020 Jeep Cherokee trailhawk on I-65 south at mile marker 105. 1 when the vehicle lost drive power and could no longer be driven. She became stranded on the side of the highway, and I had to pick her up. The vehicle also rolled while the gear selector was in park. We had it towed to tom o’brien Jeep dealership in greenwood. Our vehicle is included in open safety recall 40d, NHTSA campaign 26v-290, involving the power transfer unit (ptu). The loss of drive power and rolling in park match the failure symptoms described in that recall. The specific mechanical cause still needs to be confirmed by the dealership. The mopar recall lookup shows the recall is incomplete, the remedy is under development, and repair parts are not available. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. I am reporting an actual highway loss-of-propulsion incident and the vehicle rolling while in park. I am concerned about the risk of a crash or injury and the lack of an available recall remedy. Please document this incident under the existing recall and review the manufacturer’s response to vehicles that have already experienced these failures.

See all problems of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Issues started in 2025 when the emergency brake system started engaging by itself. I was at a stop light when it happened the first time. Then it happened again in our driveway and we ended up having to unplug the battery to get it to turn off. Then on 09. 14. 2026 I was at a customers home and I put it in park got out and when I got back in to drive off I got the ((p)) light along with the warning to get it serviced. Please see pictures. This popped up on all occasions. I ended up having to tow the Jeep to my mechanic. Please see pictures of the module. Water under my spare tire and corrosion on the part.

See all problems of the 2015 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

The parking brake comes on when driving shutting down the car. . This happened yesterday and has happened once before.

See all problems of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

I was leaving the parking lot of a grocery store - I was probably 100 yards from where I parked to the exit to the road. My [xxx] and [xxx] were in car seats in the back. I went to merge into traffic going left out of the parking lot. As I accelerated to merge into traffic and get up to speed, the emergency brake on my car engaged with roughly half of my vehicle in the lane of oncoming traffic. As quickly as I could, I realized what had happened and turned off the emergency brake so that my car would move. By this time the car coming at us had to swerve around us and another car behind them was honking at us for being in the way and in the lane. The emergency brake was engaged because the driver side door was not 100% entirely closed. It was closed enough that when I would have realized on my own that it wasn't fully closed, I could have safely and easily done it. Instead, it put mine in my daughter's lives at risk. To my understanding, this is the way this "safety" feature is supposed to operate. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle suffered complete failure of the power transfer unit (ptu) / drivetrain system, resulting in vehicle lockup, failure to engage drive gears, and automatic parking brake lockout when placed in park. ?the vehicle experienced its first documented ptu failure and replacement (part #68333285ae) under warranty at 47,577 miles in November 2022. The ptu failed while we were driving 70 mph plus going down the highway. It sounded like the gas pedal was pushed to the floor even thought it wasn't then numerous dash lights came on and the vehicle came to a stop and wouldn't move. It took almost 2 months to get our vehicle back and that was only after contacting Chrysler customer care to start a care case and try to get parts expedited. The ptu failed again in April 2026. It was sounding like grinding gears when backing up and it was automatically putting the parking brake for no reason on when vehicle was put into park. After being retained by an authorized Chrysler Dodge Jeep ram franchise dealership ([xxx]) for nearly two months for warranty repair, the vehicle was released on xxx. They replaced the actuator instead of the entire ptu per Chrysler techs recommendation. We got it back and it was still automatically putting on the parking brake. ?four days later, on xxx (after driving approximately 100 miles), the drivetrain suffered an identical breakdown, causing system faults, numerous dash lights and rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. The vehicle has remained inoperable at the dealership for over 100 cumulative day and remains there to this day. Xxx ?this failure directly mirrors NHTSA recall campaign 26v290 (fca recall 40d) for 2019–2023 Jeep Cherokees with two-speed ptus. Dealer states no factory remedy is available from the manufacturer, leaving the safety risk uncured. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 25–30 mph on the highway, the brakes locked up, and the vehicle failed to move. The "service brakes" message illuminated on the instrument panel after the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 18v523000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic brake module had failed due to water intrusion and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

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Parking brake engages while driving down the road pulled control module out and has water corrosion looked up causes and seen there was a recall/lawsuit in need of recall.

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.

Parking brake module went out and locked up the back end this has happened multiple times now while driving at different speeds!.

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.

The parking brake has engaged on it's own 4 times. Twice while I was driving and twice while I was parked in my driveway with car started and attempting to leave. When parked it will not let me roll. When driving the vehicle shimmies and acts like it has serious problems like the wheel is about to fall off. One time there was a yellow exclamation point as a warning light as it was having the issue. The other time there were no warning lights. I never use my parking brake. It came on when I was about a mile down the road. I believe the first 2 times were in March. The last 2 were in may 2026.

See all problems of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

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.

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My vehicle has an open ptu recall and when driving down the road my vehicle completely lost power was unable to drive or put vehicle in park in the middle of a turn which resulted in on coming traffic coming towards my vehicle. There were no injuries thankfully. My car was towed to the Jeep dealership in anchorage, ak to have the ptu recall done as that was the suspected reasoning of the failure. After weeks of back and forth I was told the transmission was damaged and needed replaced and the ptu recall was not able to be done due to the recall instructions. I was quoted 8-12 thousand dollars in repairs which was unrealistic to me. I then had vehicle towed to an auto body shop that could replace the transmission for a lesser price. Once at the auto shop they discovered there was a complete ptu failure which caused the transmission damage and told me to take it back to the dealership for repairs to be covered under the recall. The dealership submitted the information and I was denied the recall and repairs. The dealership informed me I would have to pay for a new transmission out of pocket. However once I had the new transmission testing the ptu recall could damage and that I also need to pay out of pocket for the ptu. This has been extremely frustrating and given the pictures and evidence submitted for ptu failure causing the transmission failure and still being denied I find it absolutely appropriate to submit a claim.

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.

I was stopped at a traffic light and when it tire we green I was unable to drive as the emergency brake was holding the vehicle. I was unable to release it. Car would not go forward or backwards. Finally was able to drive after disconnecting battery for a few minutes. Drive directly to repair station. They changed the e brake switch, and the motor on one side of rear brake and the caliper also. Was working for less than one day and I am still experiencing the problem. The service brake light is still on dashboard.

The 2021 Jeep Cherokee sporadically and infrequently engages the parking brake and hazard flashers. In order to disengage it, the car must be put in park and turned off then on, sometimes repeatedly. It has happened multiple times when the car is at a stop and in drive (at a stoplight, etc. ) recently it started happening while driving. The parking brake engaged and the car slammed to a stop nearly causing the car behind me to rear-end me. The dealership's service department has not been able to duplicate the problem or find any codes indicating a problem. They confirmed the software is up to date.

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The parking assist, parking, abs warning continues. There is a recall on the year model but not my VIN. I have not even been able to afford the sales tax (over $1000 usd) and dealer refuses to assist with the cost of diagnostic or malfunction repair.

While driving home from church Sunday afternoon, I was on the highway driving 65 mph. Suddenly, and without warning lights or any other ability to know or prepare for the catastrophe about to take place, my 2019 Cherokee trailhawk lost all control and function in the drive-train and braking. The rear differential completely froze, forcing the vehicle to skid recklessly without operator control or ability to brake. Steering was near impossible as the car veered first to the guard-rail on the median, and then across 2 lanes of traffic towards the guardrail on the shoulder. A terrible accident was avoided by an alert and skillful driver who was behind me. After what I later came to find out from the dealer (having the vehicle towed) was the rear drive train gears sheered, I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop on the shoulder.

My car is safely in my driveway. It only has 18,000 miles driven. It became stuck in wheel drive, greatly reducing my ability to drive the vehicle. The 2014 Cherokee is known for ptu failures in which the unit overheats or leaks fluid into the electronics, causing the system to lock in 4wd and display "service 4wd" or "4wd system unavailable". Will my dealership fix this problem under a past recall?.

My daughter was driving her car in the middle of a busy intersection when the parking brake locked up causing her to come to an abrupt stop and almost cause an accident. A quick google search appears to indicate that this issue has already been under investigation by NHTSA for a period of time.

The parking brake will sometimes activate while driving the vehicle, I happens twice driving loosing control of the vehicle.

Less than 57,000 miles on vehicle. January 3, 2026. Parking brake engaged and froze. Interrupted driving. Got vehicle home. "service brake" came on. Attempted all recommended actions to disengage parking brake. Parking brake continued engagement and the vehicle cannot be driven.

I was at a stop took my foot off the break to put it on the gas and we started to move and all of a sudden my emergency brake came on and stopped my car and I could not get it to go and I was in traffic no warning lights nothing it just came on by itself.

In November 2025, I recently completed a recall repair to my 2014 Jeep Cherokee (nhsta #xxx/Jeep #49a). I picked up my Jeep and parked it and did not drive it for several weeks. In December 2025, I rented my 2014 Jeep Cherokee on turo and within the first 24hrs of driving, the renter contacted me and told me the electronic parking brake malfunctioned when the vehicle was parked, which prevented the car from further operation. I towed the car to a mechanic who confirmed the problem with malfunctioning electronic parking brake (epb) due to water intrusion in the rear of the vehicle, who then isolated the epb to enable vehicle operation, and referred me to the Jeep dealership for repair. I retrieved the vehicle and dropped it off at a local Jeep dealership for assessment and repair. The Jeep dealership has confirmed that there is significant water intrusion into the vehicle rear (likely from failing sunroof, as the headliner is also soaked and damaged), where water has collected behind the plastic interior panels; and indicated the epb module, located in the rear, needs to be replaced. I authorized this replacement/repair which was completed. My research of this issue indicates in addition to the above recall for power tailgate malfunction due to water intrusion, that the defective epb is also due to water intrusion [xxx] ). I believe this to be highly likely since after owner and operating the vehicle daily for two years and this issue only arising immediately following the power tailgate recall repair information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown.

Recall was done for this and my Jeep has this issue I currently have a power train controller that is out I have no power from controller to rear. Currently now my all wheel drive doesn't work at all .

On 11/1/25 we were driving our Jeep and it malfunctioned while at a stop light. We heard a loud "clunk" and the car would barely go and if we tried to put in park, it would continue to roll. We were on top of a hill so thankfully we didnt roll back or into traffic. We could not drive the car and had to have it towed since it was not safe to drive. Our Jeep is at an authorized Jeep dealer since 11/3/25 and we were told the issue was a power transfer unit that would be covered on the recall but the part was on backorder until 12/2. Jeep would only cover $50/day for a car rental, so we had to rely on borrowing cars from others. Once 12/2 came, we reached out to the dealership and they said the part ship date was moved to 12/18! this is not a timely manner. We have made at least 3 calls to Jeep over the past week, and they keep telling us since 12/10/25 that they will let us know in 2 days. . . 2 days pass and they transfer our case. Another two days pass and still no call from them so I called them back and they have yet to call me. We had our Jeep in the week of 11/17 or 11/24 for inspection and it passed. We noticed some lagging when we were going up hills in the 1-2 rpm range but mechanic did not notice it. Between the inspection and when it finally broke down, no lights came on and there were no warning messages. Not until the car broke down on 11/1.

Their was no incident.

Driving on freeway October of 2025 and ptu failed causing loss of power and electronic emergency brake engagement. There were no previous indications or warnings with vehicle prior to total loss of propulsion. Vehicle is at Jeep dealership in gaylord michigan not repaired. Fortunate there was shoulder on right I was able to swerve into and stopped without collision as vehicles sped by at high rates of speed. Towed to dealership where purchased, serra Ford gaylord michigan in August 2025, diagnostics revealed ptu failure. Serra Ford advised could not perform warranty repairs as not Jeep dealership. Towed to Jeep dealership, snethcamp Jeep gaylord michigan, who advised not warrantied in united states as canadian vehicle. Snethcamp Jeep diagnosed ptu failure. Fca canada denied claim 94684480 and advised vehicle not registered to canadian citizen. Chrysler customer service us denied claim 94727687 and advised this is a canadian vehicle. Recall was performed on ptu, recall number 45a, April 24, 2025. Ordered replacement oem parts through snethcamp Jeep and was advised 400 units on back order with no replacement parts in stock and wait would be approximately four months.

My transmission quit working and my parking brake turned on while driving!!!!! this is the same problem that was recalled on Jeep Cherokee years from 2017-2019, but my 2020 is not covered in the recall and my neighbor has the same exact car and year and has had to replace his put twice!!!!!! my model year should be included!!!!!!!.

First brake switch stopped working. I could not move vehicle and had to have it towed to dealer where the brake switch was replaced. Now less than year later I get a svc 4wd notice. This happened right after I had my vehicles oil changed and tires rotated. I am told I now have a faulty ptu actuator that must be replaced for almost $2k. I have a 2019 Cherokee l with 88,500 miles.

My car is jerking when driven and enabling the park brake while driving. There is a recall on other similar models. I purchased this vehicle brand new and within the same year, had the engine replaced by the manufacturer due to mechanical issues. Please assist in getting this ptu fixed not at my expense. The dealership is telling me $3k but I feel this should be covered due to other recalls and the fact that this motor was replaced shortly after purchasing the car.

There has been an open recall for over a year and no remedy has been found. I am having failure with my speed power and every dealership wants to charge me because there is no remedy for this recall. My vehicle is eventually going to give out if I don't get this fixed and unfortunately I don't have the money.

Electric parking brake light keeps coming on also the shifters light comes on a lot as well.

Parking break engages when car comes to a stop engine light is on them goes off.