← New search

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 · Oct 6, 2023
Unknown Or Other

My vehicle is cutting off in the middle of traffic. I understand the start stop feature but it cuts off when I come to a stop and I need a jump to get going again.

NHTSA ODI #11548609

Mileage unknown · Sep 29, 2023
EngineService Brakes

The vehicles emergency brake engaged while driving down the highway at 70 mph on its own. This caused the vehicle to come to an immediate stop almost causing a serious wreck. We have had the vehicle in the shop for it dying and this happening when stopped or at very sloe speeds but never like this. Each time we have been to…

Read full complaint

The vehicles emergency brake engaged while driving down the highway at 70 mph on its own. This caused the vehicle to come to an immediate stop almost causing a serious wreck. We have had the vehicle in the shop for it dying and this happening when stopped or at very sloe speeds but never like this. Each time we have been told there is nothing wrong with the vehicle since no codes were thrown. Clearly this is not the case.

NHTSA ODI #11547243

Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2023
Power Train

PTU Issue: A recall was already done on this problem with a Jeep Model years 2016/2017. I now have the same problem on my 2020 Jeep. The transmission slips and the 4 wheel drive is not reliable. I was told by the dealer I needed the PTU replaced. The dealership diagnosed the issue as the PTU and wants 4k to fix. It is the same…

Read full complaint

PTU Issue: A recall was already done on this problem with a Jeep Model years 2016/2017. I now have the same problem on my 2020 Jeep. The transmission slips and the 4 wheel drive is not reliable. I was told by the dealer I needed the PTU replaced. The dealership diagnosed the issue as the PTU and wants 4k to fix. It is the same issue described in your recall. Jeep USA and the dealer acknowledge the issue but where its not a recall on this model told me " I have to pay." and I need fixed asap! I could not even get an appt for 2 + months. They avoided it.

NHTSA ODI #11546667

Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2023
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

Vehicle stopped at a red light, auto stop/start activated. Took foot off brake when light turned green, car struggled to restart, all lights/system went off and finally restarted. Kicked the auto emergency break on and the auto stop/start warning light came on. Has happened 5-10x in the last month. Started around July 2023. Some…

Read full complaint

Vehicle stopped at a red light, auto stop/start activated. Took foot off brake when light turned green, car struggled to restart, all lights/system went off and finally restarted. Kicked the auto emergency break on and the auto stop/start warning light came on. Has happened 5-10x in the last month. Started around July 2023. Sometimes forward collision breaking turns on out of nowhere, when cars are 2 car lengths in front of me.

NHTSA ODI #11540137

Mileage unknown · Aug 17, 2023
Service Brakes

My emergency brake engages when I’m actively driving. This has happened sporadically over the past 2 years & I feel that both my safety and the safety of others is at risk. I don’t feel safe driving my car. I took my car to the dealership to get it looked at but they said everything came up fine on a diagnostic test so I’m not s…

Read full complaint

My emergency brake engages when I’m actively driving. This has happened sporadically over the past 2 years & I feel that both my safety and the safety of others is at risk. I don’t feel safe driving my car. I took my car to the dealership to get it looked at but they said everything came up fine on a diagnostic test so I’m not sure where to go from here

NHTSA ODI #11539262

60,000 miles · Aug 9, 2023
Power Train

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of gear. The vehicle failed to remain in automatic and instead shifted into 4WD and snow mode. The vehicle failed to engage or disengage. While in park, the vehicle shifted into neutral. While in the park, the parking brake engaged wit…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of gear. The vehicle failed to remain in automatic and instead shifted into 4WD and snow mode. The vehicle failed to engage or disengage. While in park, the vehicle shifted into neutral. While in the park, the parking brake engaged without driver interaction. The START/STOP warning light was illuminated. The 4WD not available message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fork in the transfer case might be fractured or stuck. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11537450

Mileage unknown · Aug 4, 2023
EnginePower Train

Our Jeep has had multiple accounts of shifting hard, hesitation while shifting, and a on and off service 4wd light. We reported these issues to the Jeep dealership it was purchased from and they said nothing was wrong after 4 scheduled maintenance visits. We brought our Jeep to a neighboring dealership who immediately found the …

Read full complaint

Our Jeep has had multiple accounts of shifting hard, hesitation while shifting, and a on and off service 4wd light. We reported these issues to the Jeep dealership it was purchased from and they said nothing was wrong after 4 scheduled maintenance visits. We brought our Jeep to a neighboring dealership who immediately found the issue and said it was a major transmission component that went bad. Fast forward to a week later and the part has been fixed but the issue is still happening!

NHTSA ODI #11536588

Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2023
EnginePower Train

When coasting at low speeds the vehicle makes multiple click sounds and now there has been a clunking sound seems like when. Trying to downshift or upshift almost as it can't find a gear. When in a stoped position I put it in drive ease the gas and it will jump into gear. Has been multiple complaints about clicking and clinking …

Read full complaint

When coasting at low speeds the vehicle makes multiple click sounds and now there has been a clunking sound seems like when. Trying to downshift or upshift almost as it can't find a gear. When in a stoped position I put it in drive ease the gas and it will jump into gear. Has been multiple complaints about clicking and clinking with the vehicle and nothing fixing the problem unless ptu,transmission,u joint or driveshaft is replaced this is scary to spend so much on a vehicle for my family and worry about when it's going to break down.

NHTSA ODI #11536161

46,201 miles · Jul 3, 2023
Power Train

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle began to decelerate independently while making an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the 4WD Auto warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue drivin…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle began to decelerate independently while making an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the 4WD Auto warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact also stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shifted out of park(P) into neutral(N). The contact took the vehicle to an unknown local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,201.

NHTSA ODI #11530063

Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 2023
Power Train

Transmission intermittently does not engage immediately into 1st gear causing engine to rev up and unintended acceleration to occur. Vehicle has been taken to dealer for service on this issue several times but problem still remains. This is a safety issue as several near accidents have been experienced. Issue seems to occur in t…

Read full complaint

Transmission intermittently does not engage immediately into 1st gear causing engine to rev up and unintended acceleration to occur. Vehicle has been taken to dealer for service on this issue several times but problem still remains. This is a safety issue as several near accidents have been experienced. Issue seems to occur in tight spaces such as parking areas or when going from reverse to forward. Issue does not generate a fault code and dealer will not take action unless a code is present. Issue happens frequently and is known to happen with this vehicle model.

NHTSA ODI #11529305

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.