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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

294 reports
Mileage unknown · Sep 6, 2025
Power Train

While driving my 2020 Jeep Cherokee, my four-wheel-drive light came on and the car felt like somebody had rear-ended me after checking the code that came on. It says it was a PTU failure. It is a known issue with Jeep, but no resolution has been made the same issue has been recalled for other VIN numbers, but not mine. This is a…

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While driving my 2020 Jeep Cherokee, my four-wheel-drive light came on and the car felt like somebody had rear-ended me after checking the code that came on. It says it was a PTU failure. It is a known issue with Jeep, but no resolution has been made the same issue has been recalled for other VIN numbers, but not mine. This is a safety issue because when the car did this, if someone was behind me, they would’ve actually hit me in the rear end because the car like actually stops.

NHTSA ODI #11685446

35,088 miles · Sep 5, 2025
Steering

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the "Steering Wheel with an Exclamation Mark" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact pulled over and turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however the s…

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the "Steering Wheel with an Exclamation Mark" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn to the left or right. The contact pulled over and turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however the steering function failed to respond as needed. The vehicle was left on the side of the road. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The contact stated that a mobile mechanic went to the vehicle; however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code with a handheld scanner. The mechanic advised the contact that there was a recall associated with the steering for the make and model. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V637000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact called a local dealer, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,088.

NHTSA ODI #11685216

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 2025
Power Train

The transfer case failed at 30,000 miles. There is a 3 month backlog on the part, so the vehicle is off the road until at least December 10. This part was recalled on the 2017-2019 models.

NHTSA ODI #11684661

Mileage unknown · Aug 29, 2025
Unknown Or Other

I was at a stop light, light turned green and as I started to accelerate there was a loud banging noise and it felt like I had been hit from behind. I pulled over to check out my car but nothing seemed wrong. The exact same thing happened about 2 1/2 months prior to this incident The jolt was so much so that my head hit the head…

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I was at a stop light, light turned green and as I started to accelerate there was a loud banging noise and it felt like I had been hit from behind. I pulled over to check out my car but nothing seemed wrong. The exact same thing happened about 2 1/2 months prior to this incident The jolt was so much so that my head hit the headrest hard enough to cause a headache for several hours

NHTSA ODI #11684031

Mileage unknown · Aug 27, 2025
Power Train

“Service 4WD” warning light came on. Took vehicle to mechanic who said error code indicates power transfer unit failure. Car is clearly unsafe to drive.

NHTSA ODI #11683465

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2025
Unknown Or Other

2020 vehicle is having PTU issues but not on recall. 2017-2019 models had a recall for same issue

NHTSA ODI #11682411

Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2025
Power Train

Every time I drive 20-30 my service 4wd light comes on. I got it scanned when the light was not on but it was showing no code

NHTSA ODI #11682141

Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2025
EngineUnknown Or Other

Engine warning light came on. Bloomington Chrysler Jeep repair shop said the active grill shutter connector wasn't working. This can cause engine overheating and damage and possibly a fire. I did not have this happen, as I caught it early.

NHTSA ODI #11680850

Mileage unknown · Aug 10, 2025
Electrical SystemLane DepartureVehicle Speed Control

Blind spot indicator light comes on and I have no control of the windows. Speeds up to four RPMs or more no matter what speed I am going including while I'm in cruise control. Turns off cruise control while driving. All of these are random incidents but they have become more and more frequent.

NHTSA ODI #11679637

Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainTraction Control System

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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11679000

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.