2019 Jeep Cherokee

The contact owned a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact parked the vehicle and went inside a restaurant for approximately 30 minutes. Upon returning to the vehicle, the contact opened the front driver’s side door as black smoke poured out of the vehicle. The contact stated that all four windows were covered with black soot. The windshield was cracked. The heater vents and ignition had melted and had fallen to the floor. The dashboard and instrument panel were severely burned with several wires exposed because the contact was able to see inside the dashboard. The authorities were called, but no assistance was provided because there was no active fire. A Police report was filed over the phone. No injuries or property damage were reported. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed by the Insurance provider to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was later deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle remained with the Insurance provider. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.

We were notified earlier this year regarding recall number 25V-011. When we checked then, a repair was being investigated. It has been several months and the recall is still categorized as "Recall incomplete, remedy not yet available." We also tried to identify with the local dealer the possible severity of the failure but could not get a definite answer. According to the recall, the fault could cause " an unexpected loss of motive power or loss of PARK function while stationary" with no further explanation. The risk is listed as "a vehicle crash without prior warning". Would the loss of motive power be the simple failure to transfer the engine power to the wheels? Or more severe option of one or more drive shafts becoming disconnected and causing the vehicle to roll when it contacts the road? If so, the vehicle is not safe to be driven at highway speeds. The local dealer was unwilling to escalate our concerns or provide any assurance of safe operation on the highway. So far, we have not noticed any issues related to the recall but have not driven significantly outside the local community.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the message “Four Wheel Drive System Requires Maintenance” was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the power transfer unit (PTU) was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 61,500.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a humming sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The following morning, the contact discovered that oil had leaked from the rear of the vehicle onto the garage floor. The vehicle was driven to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rear differential was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed the diagnosis that the rear differential was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 128,553.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the transmission warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with the power transfer unit (PTU) failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds up to approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was shaking with the transmission shifting hard. The contact stated that while his girlfriend was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted incorrectly, and the vehicle stalled with the message “4WD Unavailable - Service Required” was displayed. The vehicle was able to restart. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.