The sevice 4wheel drive light is on I had a problem with this 2 years ago and now again the ptu system needs replace this is the second time in 2 years and this time it’s not under warranty
2019 Jeep Cherokee
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Cherokee years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee are substantially higher than the model-year median of 113.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cherokee years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
750 reports with mileage · 888 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 800 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 457 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 340 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
800 reportsThe rear differential housing completely cracked open and all the fluids leaked out. This seems to be a common issue with 2019 Jeep Cherokees. I keep extremely well care of my vehicle and it has mostly highway miles and this issue should of never occurred. Not only could of the entire transmission been destroyed but there is no …
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The rear differential housing completely cracked open and all the fluids leaked out. This seems to be a common issue with 2019 Jeep Cherokees. I keep extremely well care of my vehicle and it has mostly highway miles and this issue should of never occurred. Not only could of the entire transmission been destroyed but there is no warning signal. The only reason I noticed anything was because there were oil spots in the garage towards the rear of the vehicle. This issue seems to be a manufacturer error through Mopar.
the rear differential housing started leaking and upon inspection it was found to be cracked along the bottom middle area. the part was replaced by an independent auto repair shop at considerable expense due to the cost of the part. the faulty part was not retained. if it had not been noticed it could have resulted in a catastro…
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the rear differential housing started leaking and upon inspection it was found to be cracked along the bottom middle area. the part was replaced by an independent auto repair shop at considerable expense due to the cost of the part. the faulty part was not retained. if it had not been noticed it could have resulted in a catastrophic failure resulting in loss of control of the vehicle and potentially a crash could have occurred involving one or more vehicles. the part was confirmed to be defective by the independent mechanic after a thorough inspection and consequent diagnosis. there were no warnings of the situation other than the gear oil leak which started 10/16/1923. the repair was completed 10/26/23 due to having to order the replacement part. this repair should be covered by Jeep and as a long time Jeep owner i am disappointed in the lack of attention to this matter and am registering this complaint in hopes that it can be addressed. thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
68,000 miles on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee. steering wheel started wobbling, hearing weird noises from the rear of the vehicle. took it in to get looked at (thankfully), rear differential and PTU is shot. mechanic was absolutely baffled and insisted I contact Jeep about this issue, as it shouldn't be my responsibility to fix their fa…
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68,000 miles on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee. steering wheel started wobbling, hearing weird noises from the rear of the vehicle. took it in to get looked at (thankfully), rear differential and PTU is shot. mechanic was absolutely baffled and insisted I contact Jeep about this issue, as it shouldn't be my responsibility to fix their faulty parts. I honestly do not understand how there isn't at least an extended powertrain warranty on these vehicles by now, especially seeing MULTIPLE complaints about the SAME ISSUES every month on the NHTSA website. have to pay upwards of $4k now to make my jeep drivable again because I am out of warranty by 8k. seems to be a little convenient that these failures happen between 65 and 78k, when the vehicles are just out of warranty. but what angers me more than the money is what potentially could have happened had I not taken it in to get looked at - especially since this vehicle is my daily driver, which includes driving my 2 year old to and from daycare every day. Is it going to take someone to die for this issue to be resolved?!?! unbelievable.
My jeep started smoking under the hood. No safety lights appeared on the dash. Confirmed by dealership the PTU needs replacement. I have 76,000 miles so no warranty even though I purchased it new. Estimate to fix is $3500. I have been without my Jeep for 2 months and still continue to wait for the parts to come in. Very disappoi…
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My jeep started smoking under the hood. No safety lights appeared on the dash. Confirmed by dealership the PTU needs replacement. I have 76,000 miles so no warranty even though I purchased it new. Estimate to fix is $3500. I have been without my Jeep for 2 months and still continue to wait for the parts to come in. Very disappointing in the cost and inconvenience this has caused me.
I know Chrysler is aware that this is a serious safety concern because you’re in the midst of traffic in a high-speed one way freeway, a traction light came on by itself, transmission and PTU failed then you lost power had to slowly pull over to the left-hand lane as you had no power improper because you’re supposed to be on th…
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I know Chrysler is aware that this is a serious safety concern because you’re in the midst of traffic in a high-speed one way freeway, a traction light came on by itself, transmission and PTU failed then you lost power had to slowly pull over to the left-hand lane as you had no power improper because you’re supposed to be on the right hand shoulder And you had no ability to accelerate and when you stopped the vehicle and tried to put it in the park, it rolled away when you went to reverse it you had a bit of reverse, but you had grinding so clearly something inside the transmission prematurely failed, causing the safety concern lucky Somebody wasn’t killed or an accident caused. Towed to dealer Then the dealership work order say tranny and power transfer unit needed to be replaced at a cost of $20,300. 5 mth past 5 yr warranty
While driving the vehicle, the rpm’s suddenly shot up and the vehicle lost power, I was able to safely pull over to the side of road where I tried to place the vehicle in park. There was a lot of revving and grinding and the vehicle would not go into park and was going to roll away if I had not placed the parking brake. The car …
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While driving the vehicle, the rpm’s suddenly shot up and the vehicle lost power, I was able to safely pull over to the side of road where I tried to place the vehicle in park. There was a lot of revving and grinding and the vehicle would not go into park and was going to roll away if I had not placed the parking brake. The car had to be towed to a dealer where they discovered the Power Transfer Unit had failed and the loss of motive power I was experiencing was the PTU failing.
While driving, car reved itsself up and when in neutral, sensor said 4wd Neutral Warning Vehicle May move even in park…..4wd System unavailable service required…Had a diagnostic done of the sensor light that came on. Diagnostic said codes u0403 for T-Case, C14A7 PTU motor. After much reading and research this same part was recal…
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While driving, car reved itsself up and when in neutral, sensor said 4wd Neutral Warning Vehicle May move even in park…..4wd System unavailable service required…Had a diagnostic done of the sensor light that came on. Diagnostic said codes u0403 for T-Case, C14A7 PTU motor. After much reading and research this same part was recalled in the years 2014-2017 Jeep Trailhawks. The PTU loss power and had me and my family on the side of the hwy! It made some jerking and clicking noise when attempting to switch the gears to drive. There is also an electrical issue where the heat will not stay on selected option. The radio flickers and will not stay on a station. The radio also was powered off and was still playing.
Engine oil leaks. VVT solenoid seal in the rear valve cover is leaking oil. That seal is integrated with the valve cover. Replace valve cover at 66,000 miles. I am excellent about my Jeep/vehicle maintenance. Warranty ended at 65,000 miles.
While driving the vehicle, it started to make a muffled whining sound then as you slowed down you would feel a thud then the whine would stop. This would repeat itself. This happened [XXX]. I brought it to my mechanic- First Class Alignment and Repair in Port Jervis, NY 12771. They informed me the vehicle should not be driven d…
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While driving the vehicle, it started to make a muffled whining sound then as you slowed down you would feel a thud then the whine would stop. This would repeat itself. This happened [XXX]. I brought it to my mechanic- First Class Alignment and Repair in Port Jervis, NY 12771. They informed me the vehicle should not be driven due to the vehicle could fail to operate while driving. They discovered a cracked Rear Differential. They had no explanation for this- they have never seen this before. I would say it is a manufacturers defect. I have pictures of the defect. I was unable to upload the pictures for some reason. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Official recalls
1126V290000 · Power Train
May 7, 2026
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Drivetrain Control Drivetrain Control Module, PTU, and Electronic Park Brake software, and replace the PTU, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed June 25, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy becomes available. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 40D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 14, 2026.
25V011000 · Power Train
Apr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
19V637000 · Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft; Steering:rack And Pinion:rack
Aug 29, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:rack And Pinion:rack
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.
Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.
19V449000 · Air Bags
Jun 13, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The impact and acceleration sensors may fail and reduce the air bag system's ability to properly detect certain crash events.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the inability to properly detect a crash may result in improper air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected sensors, free of charge. The recall began August 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V63.
19V248000 · Seats
Mar 28, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The front passenger seat mounting bolts may be loose.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the seat may move, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 11, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V31.
18V917000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel
Dec 20, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail resulting in a lack of activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without the activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges to provide vehicle information to the driver, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UC4.
18V739000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 19, 2018
Chrysler(FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Improper transmission calibration may result in a stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will re-flash the transmission controller with a new calibration, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UA9.
18V523000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
Aug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.
18V524000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Aug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
18V492000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the wheels.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the transmission weld fails, the vehicle will stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U85.
18V344000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
May 25, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage. These engines may also have a reversed camshaft cap that can damage the camshaft bearing causing camshaft failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Cylinder damage or camshaft failure can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the affected engine components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U52.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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