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2020 Jeep Cherokee

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Cherokee years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee are substantially higher than the model-year median of 113.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

87 reports with mileage · 207 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 169 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports5 fire reports6 injury reports

Power Train complaints

169 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2025
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

My vehicle started having issues in December saying that my oil levels were low. i couldn't pinpoint what the issue was so i called AAA due to how unsafe it would be to drive my car with it stating the oil levels were low and my engine light being on. AAA came out to my house and when he inspected it he stated that everything…

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My vehicle started having issues in December saying that my oil levels were low. i couldn't pinpoint what the issue was so i called AAA due to how unsafe it would be to drive my car with it stating the oil levels were low and my engine light being on. AAA came out to my house and when he inspected it he stated that everything in the engine looked good but that my oil was low because of leak even though we could not pinpoint where it was coming from. I took my vehicle to contintental transmission the next day on christmas eve, upon speaking with the manager of the shop he confirmed that the jeep cherokees that had the 3.2L or 3.6L engine had an issue with the oil filtration system, he stated that he estimates he fixes 2-3 of them per week and replaces the entire oil system. He stated how unsafe it was and that the issue occurs in those drivetrains specifically after 3-4 years of ownership, he told me the job was be $1500 to fix.

NHTSA ODI #11639996

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2025
Power Train

the vehicle lost drive and would not move. lost power and then would not shift

NHTSA ODI #11639889

49,000 miles · Jan 27, 2025
Power Train

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the engine temperature started to increase. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic where the tires were replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that while …

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, the engine temperature started to increase. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic where the tires were replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle stalled, and while shifting gear, the vehicle was making a grinding sound. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic where the brakes were replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle occasionally stalled and was very slow to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with PTU failure, a hole in the transmission line, and a valve leak in the oil gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

NHTSA ODI #11638938

Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2025
EnginePower Train

I was driving down the road when all of a sudden I felt a loss of power, and it started smoking. Turned out that the oil filter housing was made out of plastic, and had broken, the car was only ever taken to the Jeep dealership for service as it was purchased certified pre owned, and it was replaced with an aluminum part instead…

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I was driving down the road when all of a sudden I felt a loss of power, and it started smoking. Turned out that the oil filter housing was made out of plastic, and had broken, the car was only ever taken to the Jeep dealership for service as it was purchased certified pre owned, and it was replaced with an aluminum part instead of this plastic piece. They replaced the oil filter housing and the valve cover gasket with less than 40,000 miles on the clock. Thankfully I was on my way home, but if I would've kept driving, it would've resulted in a fire or accident.

NHTSA ODI #11638111

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2025
Power Train

The power Train Unit failed. My wife is a nurse that drives from PA to MD on the back roads everyday, The part will not be avaliable until 5-22-25 if I order it today. Are people expected to rent a car for 3 months while the part might come in? We are very frustrated. Thank you , [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREED…

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The power Train Unit failed. My wife is a nurse that drives from PA to MD on the back roads everyday, The part will not be avaliable until 5-22-25 if I order it today. Are people expected to rent a car for 3 months while the part might come in? We are very frustrated. Thank you , [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11635260

Mileage unknown · Nov 27, 2024
EnginePower Train

INITIAL CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE CASE #[XXX] NEW (ESCALATED TO SUPERVIOR) CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE #new case #[XXX] high idle new engine at about 50k miles when car was 3 years old new battery $270 recently SVC 4WD - in July dealer told me it wasn't covered under warranty and made no mentioned of goodwill warranty, 2-year grace on w…

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INITIAL CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE CASE #[XXX] NEW (ESCALATED TO SUPERVIOR) CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE #new case #[XXX] high idle new engine at about 50k miles when car was 3 years old new battery $270 recently SVC 4WD - in July dealer told me it wasn't covered under warranty and made no mentioned of goodwill warranty, 2-year grace on warranty, nor any options. several mechanics told me $3K to fix. declined. called dealer who told me to call Chrysler customer care who told me they can't do anything until dealer diagnoses the vehicle. Chrysler customer care tried various times to reach service team at sterling heights dodge - they would not take call or call him back. he finally reached someone who told him that i need to come by and they can look at my car and then after I could see receptionist to then make appt. he said it doesn't make sense for me to go there twice. I did call and make appt and have gotten the run around since. Chrysler customer care told me I would qualify to have this fully covered since I was just over warranty (now at 65K miles since months has passed since this first occurred in July (60,250 miles) and because I was the original owner and mentioned something about a 2-year grace. However, the goodwill warranty came back only covering 70% and making me responsible for 30%. This is ridiculous - this is just a start or continuation of more costly major repairs, and I cannot afford to keep this car any longer but need to get this fixed so I can trade it in or sell it and get a new car with a different automaker. I cannot get Chrysler customer care to call me back nor is the dealership willing to help. While I don't know the ins/outs of lemon law and this probably doesn't qualify, it feels s like a lemon. see attached letter for details/history. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11627792

Mileage unknown · Oct 27, 2024
Power Train

I was going 35 miles per hour the car as i was driving started acting abnormally driving in a lagging jerky way and then states 4wd unavailable service soon. I looked up the issue which seems like a ptu defective part and it seems to be a pretty common issue that jeep cars are experiencing and having difficulty with while drivin…

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I was going 35 miles per hour the car as i was driving started acting abnormally driving in a lagging jerky way and then states 4wd unavailable service soon. I looked up the issue which seems like a ptu defective part and it seems to be a pretty common issue that jeep cars are experiencing and having difficulty with while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11622162

52,000 miles · Oct 21, 2024
Power TrainService BrakesSuspension

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal scraping and crunching sound heard. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on a bumpy road surface and over a pothole. The vehicle was taken to several …

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal scraping and crunching sound heard. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on a bumpy road surface and over a pothole. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, where the brake calipers, the brake rotors, and the brake pads were replaced. Additionally, a wheel alignment was performed; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was test-driven; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

NHTSA ODI #11620966

Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2024
Power Train

My 2020 Jeep Cherokee limited started making a loud clunking sound when on the break coming to a stop. It also makes a grinding noise for a mine while accelerating speed and then will shift back to normal. I have had it looked at and the dealership is saying that it is either the transmission or the PTU, neither of which I can a…

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My 2020 Jeep Cherokee limited started making a loud clunking sound when on the break coming to a stop. It also makes a grinding noise for a mine while accelerating speed and then will shift back to normal. I have had it looked at and the dealership is saying that it is either the transmission or the PTU, neither of which I can afford to repair and with 70,000 miles on the car has no warranty. I was in an accident 2/24 and thought it was related to that however it is not. I did not have my car most of the summer while trying to figure this out and now there’s too many miles. I am a travel nurse and I drive 2 hours to work and o do not feel safe. There isn’t a recall however there are many recalls for the same issue but different years. I am frustrated because this is something that they should fix for obvious related reasons with other years having the same issue.

NHTSA ODI #11618064

Mileage unknown · Sep 25, 2024
Power Train

The 2020 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus has a defect in the PTU in which the 4WD system doesn't work. On the dashboard, a SVC 4WD light is always on which makes the car only driveable in 2WD. The Liberty Auto City Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram service center associate told me that the PTU is bad in my car, also that there are also a lot …

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The 2020 Jeep Cherokee Latitude Plus has a defect in the PTU in which the 4WD system doesn't work. On the dashboard, a SVC 4WD light is always on which makes the car only driveable in 2WD. The Liberty Auto City Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram service center associate told me that the PTU is bad in my car, also that there are also a lot of other Jeep Cherokee's that have defective PTU's all over the country as well. It's been discussed in the Jeep Community throughout the years.

NHTSA ODI #11616448

Official recalls

3

26V290000 · 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.

20V191000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Sep 10, 2020

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.

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.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.