Transfer Case Problems of Jeep Cherokee - part 1

I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding a recent ptu failure associated with a recall on my Jeep vehicle. This issue nearly cost me my life when the vehicle abruptly stopped in the middle of a highway. Unfortunately, Jeep has refused to cover rental expenses related to this incident. Initially, the company did not acknowledge the problem, and now it appears they are purposefully delaying necessary diagnostics to evade responsibility. Given the circumstances, I feel it is imperative to seek legal counsel to protect my rights and ensure that my safety concerns are addressed appropriately. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

See all problems of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

The service 4 wheel drive warning light came on when backing into a parking space. The light came and went intermittently throughout the following day. I called for a service appointment for my vehicle where it was determined via electrical diagnostics that the ptu actuator had failed, rendering the car undrivable without repair.

See all problems of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Took to dealer they informed us the put motor needs to be replaced. There have been recalls for this however ours has not been recalled.

I am the owner of a 2021 Jeep Cherokee that is subject to NHTSA recall 26v-290 (fca recall 40d) for a defective power transfer unit (ptu). The recall notice states that the ptu may fail internally, causing an unexpected and unrecoverable loss of drive power at any speed or allowing the vehicle to roll while in park without warning. The notice also states that these conditions can result in a vehicle crash or injury. While the manufacturer has acknowledged this as a safety defect, the recall notice also states that no remedy is currently available. I have been left with a vehicle that has a known safety defect but no means to have it repaired. I rely on this vehicle every day as my family’s only vehicle to transport my two young children to school, childcare, activities, medical appointments, and for my employment. Without a repair or transportation assistance, I must either continue driving a vehicle with a known safety defect or be left without reliable transportation. I am requesting that NHTSA document the hardship and ongoing safety concern created by this recall and the lack of an available remedy. I will also be contacting Jeep customer care to request a loaner or rental vehicle while a repair is unavailable. I believe owners should not be expected to continue driving a vehicle with a known safety defect or be left without reliable transportation while waiting for a remedy.

Svc 4wd light came on took to repair shop found it needs a new transfer case.

My vehicle is currently experiencing active, dangerous symptoms related to the open fca/stellantis power transfer unit (ptu) safety recall (recall campaign 40d / NHTSA campaign 23v-407). The vehicle is experiencing severe drivability issues related to this defective part, including vibrations and intermittent power issues, creating an immediate safety hazard of sudden power loss or roll-away while driving or parking. The problem with the manufacturer’s response:the manufacturer has issued a "remedy not yet available" notice and has failed to provide a replacement part to fix this known safety defect. Local dealerships refuse to repair the vehicle because the re-engineered recall part does not exist yet. Furthermore, the manufacturer and dealership have failed to provide a safe loaner vehicle or an immediate stop-gap repair while my vehicle remains unsafe to operate. Safety risk:I am being forced to either drive an inherently unsafe vehicle that faces an active recall for sudden loss of motive power, or leave the vehicle completely inoperable without alternative transportation. The manufacturer's unreasonable delay in producing the remedy part, combined with a lack of interim consumer support, poses a severe and direct risk to my safety, my passengers, and other drivers on the road. I request that the NHTSA investigate the manufacturer's delay in providing a timely remedy for campaign 23v-407.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact became aware of a fluid leak on the driveway. The contact inspected the rear of the vehicle and discovered that the fluid leak was coming from the transmission case. The contact associated the failure with an unknown recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

I have a 2019 Jeep Cherokee with only 30,000 miles. The car is mostly used to drive to and from work. Nothing crazy. The svc 4wd light came on. I took it to a Jeep dealership. They said, “transfer case - clutch pressure regulating solenoid: c14a7-97 - ptu motor-component or system operation obstructed or blocked, found that the transfer case collar splines are gone, we need to replace the transfer case assembly. ” like others have posted, a similar recall was issued but they said it doesn’t apply to my car. However, so many people are having this issue the parts are on back order. They want to charge $13,000 to fix it. How is this possible with a car that has only 30,000 miles, no accidents, and regular maintenance?.

6 months ago I was driving my Jeep home and my service 4 wheel drive light came on. The Jeep was running rough but made it home. Had Jeep dealer do diagnosic and it said it needed transfer case he said the part was approximately $1600 but would considerably more with labor. I consulted my warranty company and they refused to fix it they said itvwas a bad part before tje warranty was purchased. (endurance) the Jeep has beensitting till I can figure out if I can trade it in or just surrender it no use keeping a car I cant fix or drive. This recall is the exact part Jeeps are being recalled for why is my Jeep not included the Jeep was only driven to work and grocery store.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating, while the vehicle was idling, and while depressing the brake pedal. The failure was intermittent but became more frequent. The traction control warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the start/stop button intermittently failed to start the vehicle, requiring several attempts to start the vehicle. The "a" for the start/system remained illuminated long after the button was pressed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure might be caused by a failure of the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the shifter light and the 4wd lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the lights had illuminated due to the transfer case failure. The contact was informed that the transfer case needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000. The VIN was not available.

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The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, he observed a clicking noise coming from the front undercarriage of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that he observed a warning chime and the service 4-wd warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent dealer where it was diagnosed that the ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

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The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4wd intermittently failed, causing the rear tires to not engage. The 4wd warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

See all problems of the 2016 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4x4 warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA campaign number: 23v302000 (power train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service 4-wheel drive message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the ptu needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

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The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the while driving at approximately 60 mph, she heard a loud explosion sound when her vehicle slightly lifted off the ground. The contact then stated that she was able to veer the vehicle off the exit decreasing the speed at approximately 40 mph. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transfer exploded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it was then diagnosed that the transfer case failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 90,140.

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unintendedly downshifted into neutral(n). Additionally, the engine revved loudly but failed to move forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transfer case might explode and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,452.

The power transfer unit went out of car at 67000 miles (just out of warranty). Haven't got fixed due to expensive. Now has 144000 miles on it and still not fixed. Noticed there were other recalls but mine wasn't part of it yet ptu went out.

My power transfer case is bad, 4 wheel dr light is on and mechantic said transfer case is bad and must be replaced and they didnt include mine for recall for some reason it is the same problem as others and replacements are not available, say they are on back order? help please.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was displaying a failure with the power transfer unit (ptu). The contact stated that the ptu needed to be replaced and the service shifter needed to be repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the part was on back order. The service shifter had been repaired through a software update under recall. The contact stated that the service shifter failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee overland. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "service 4-wheel drive" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with ptu actuator failure. The dealer informed the contact that the ptu actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated the vehicle would not start or drive while in the 4wd mode. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle in 2wd mode, the four-wheel drive message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and local dealer who both confirmed that the transfer case was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 61,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4-wd inoperable warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a power transfer unit failure with metal shavings inside the differential fluid; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 114,303.

Service light on dash "svc 4wd" took it to the dealership, and they told me in 30 minutes it was the transfer case gone bad. 2014-17 had a recall on the same issue, and they already knew what was wrong with it. Your 2019 was not included with this recall yet, but it is going to cost your $3,500 for us to fix it. A full diagnoses requires the transfer case to be remove and a test to see if the gears turn, and that is a 4. 5 hour labor job. This was not done, because the dealership already knew the transfer case was faulty. I called Jeep and opened a case # 78851829, but they told me it was VIN# sensitive and the 2019 Cherokees have not been added to the recall for the 2014-17 yet. Save my receipts, so I can be reimburst on this model is added.

Under the Chrysler warranty, multiple problems with the transmission resulted in complete replacement. Right now, (out of warranty) the power transfer unit has failed. It appears to be related to the recent recall that required a flash of the computer system to prevent deterioration of "splines" within the unit. I had that done several months ago. Now the entire transfer case is clattering and the dealer told me that it was not covered under any recall. I am being asked to pay over $3,200 including today's diagnosis and wait 3 or more weeks to backorder the part. I will proceed with the work, however, they have no clear timeline, so I parked the car as it is apparently dangerous to drive, even if I could stand the noise. I believe this is part of the prior recall and want help to try to determine this. I now understand that this report is really just a bookmark in case you all decide to investigate if there are multiple instances of the same thing. The transfer unit clatters when I press on the gas to make the wheels turn. I have had it assessed by an independent mechanic first, then the dealership and they are in agreement that the power transfer unit must be replaced.

After the recall 20v-343 in Aug of 2020 the vehicle exhibited the following in November while drive over 55mph. The mil light came on, could feel the power train switched to rear wheel drive and once pulled over the computer locked the transmission into park. The engine continued to run, the brake lite lit and the display reported error of "service transmission". We could no longer shift the transmission. Later the dealer reported metal shavings in the transfer case called ptu along with a substance like clutch material. On replacement we were charged $3,200+ with a delay of several months and two ptus were order as the replacement didn't make it out of the shop. On request to fca they denied the reimbursement as listed in the recall as a "field service" we submit the paper work identifying the VIN tied to the recall, the service work describing the damages and an image of the dash configuration at the time reflecting the intended purpose of the software patch as outlined in the recall.

The svc light came on. The traction control/all wheel drive/4wd stopped working. I had to pay $2400 to replace transfer case. Come to find out this is very common.

Pulling away from a stop sign a loud bang was heard and all forward propulsion was gone. I was able to drift to a safe location but the car would not hold in park it was later found that the splines in the ptu had striped and the transfer case would need replacing. Chrysler knew this could happen and issued a recall that included telling the computer to engage the 4 wheel drive low to engage for forward movement and to engage the parking brake to hold the car when stopped. This is a band-aid. They refuse to repair what they themselves discovered was a design flaw. Ref. Odi# 11340866.

Around may 2020 I was contacted by Jeep for a recall I had no idea about; got her in quick for the ptu input spline. There were no issues before this. The update was atempted but not completed. From there, I expereinced several issues. Problems started with alerts displaying for no reason while in motion and stationary. Took her to another dealer where they updated the software/looked at the power train. When "finished" I pulled out to my Jeep makng a popping noise and rough drive. When I parked, there was fluid spilling out of the differential and splattered over the rear of the Jeep. The dealer stripped a plug; wasnt seated correctly and popped off from pressure. Since then, I have had several other issues concerning the drivetrain to inclde hard jumping into gear (especially into 1st from a stop), rough down shift, and transfer case damage. Most recent issue is hard shift into drive and radiator leak. I did take her in before my powertrain warrany ran out but there was apparently no issue - they only drove it a few miles. I attribute all issues to incomplete maintenece and unknowledgable staff. The main issue being computers; when not serviced properly, a chain reaction occurs througout components. An issue can arrise where you least expect it. I contacted national level Jeep for help; no avail.

I was driving my car on the city street going to the grocery store and it was making a weird noise. Then every time I came out of braking it would seize up, jerk and make a grinding noise. I took it to a tire plus shop because I thought it might be the brakes. The mechanic put the car on a rack and should me that the transfer case was cracked and leaking fluid. He said that if I drove any further I would have been stranded.

Vehicle has been a constant headache. Purchased Aug 21, 2018. December something broke, ended up being a transfer case shattered. Damaging our radiator. A week after picking up I still felt the vehicle was off and tried to return to dealer, they didn't have another trailhawk and said they would call me when they did. A few months gone by of hearing nothing. We did a tire rotation and noticed a huge difference in wear. Obviously the front end hasnt been right for months as ai originally complained about. Scheduled the vehicle in for service again to find it needs a wheel bearing replacement. Received the vehicle back and the notice the passenger rear is still making a lot of noise, enough you can hear over the radio, and the steering feels tight and pulls to the left.

Beginning about two month ago, I have been going back to the dealer for drive train related issues. The initial issue was a failed rear hub at around 25,000 miles which was found during an oil change. Next, the main drive shaft (propeller shaft) began making grinding noises as well as a wobble/thumping sound at highway speeds. The grinding sound was resolved but the wobble/thumping continued. The followup for that sound found failed half-shafts (both sides), failed rear differential, and failed transfer case/module. The car was returned to me without all repairs being completed due to lack of parts and "warranty not authorizing additional days of rental" the car then began to give failed parking brake service codes and check air bag system codes which supposedly are related now to a failed on board control module. When the most recent codes (today) were given the car would not shift into gear initially.

I took my Jeep in to autonation Jeep in littleton colorado where I bought it; after about a year of fighting with the service manager "justine", and service advisor keith!! 5 safety recalls, and now in January of 2016 I thought finally they completed it!! also replaced the pcv unit in the transfer case! leaking; so now I tried using the snow mode after I had the Jeep back and it does not engage! I can feel that it doesn't! I got stuck in the snow on the freeway, and was in the middle of the street I had to dig out, and sliding around! I have called the service advisor keith, service manager dave and the general manager steve! and they are ignoring me and not calling me back! I know how my Jeep operates in the snow mode and it is a awd it made it in the snow good before they replaced the pcv unit. They apparently don't care about the safety of customers or other people on the highways, because someone could of plowed into me, because the part they replaced is evidently defective. And I also called chryslers corporate hotline and nothing has been resolved! this is a dangerous Jeep and should be repaired,.

I had the n23 recall addressed in late 2013 on my 2010 Jeep grand Cherokee laredo 5. 7l in order to eliminate the chance for it to shift into neutral randomly. Since this recall was performed, I no longer have the ability to activate my 4wd-low option and instead am greeted with "service 4wd" message. At first I thought it was just a glitch but after it kept occurring, I finally took it to be looked at in February 2014. I was told that I need a transfer case actuator and that they were on back order. For the next 3 months, I checked in with the dealer every other week only to be told that there was still no update on the part and they were still on back order. Not once was I ever told that this issue is likely related to the n23 recall. During the last call, I was told that Chrysler had rolled out a new software fix and that I need to bring in my Jeep (I was also told that the actuator order had been cancelled per Chrysler direction). I've been following a thread on a Jeep user forum that has clearly laid out this issue and the fact that there is sill no known fix, only an apparent cover up by Chrysler and all parties involved. In the last 3 months since I first formally went in to have this looked at, no one has called me or made an effort to resolve it. This is unacceptable. I have paid a lot of money and put in a lot of time with this vehicle only to have key features not work. This in itself is a safety hazard. If I were to get stuck and need 4w-low and wasn't aware that it wasn't available, we would have bigger problems. I'm currently scheduled to take it in again on 5/31/14 to have the "new fix" applied and I have low expectations. Chrysler needs to address this issue and start rolling out new parts that aren't flashed with the n23 and then develop a new n23 that doesn't affect the 4w-low setting.

See all problems of the 2010 Jeep Cherokee 🔎.

Unintentional shifting of the transfer case into the neutral position. The vehicle rolled back. This occurred in a parking lot and at a home driveway.