6.7

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
9,963 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad
problem #44

Feb 012025

Cherokee

  • miles
Ptu unit not working. I brought to dealership, and he confirmed issue. However, there is a recall for 2017-2019 jeep Cherokees. My jeep was manufactured 8/2019 even though I purchased it in January 2020. How do I know they checked my Jeeps vin number with the 2019 models? I understand it's a 2020 but it was made with the 2019 models.

- West Islip, NY, USA

problem #43

Jan 222025

Cherokee

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk, lost automotive power, and stalled. The contact later discovered that the vehicle would reverse. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transfer case had experienced an internal failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #42

Nov 252024

Cherokee

  • miles
Power train problems at 17,000 miles, 5 years 3 weeks from purchase, with a 5-year / 60,0000 mile warranty. First diagnosis required replacement of the transmission valve body. This did not work. The second repair required replacement of the transmission. This failed after a 3 mile drive. The third repair was the power transfer unit. I have only driven about 5 miles since then and am hesitant to drive more. The repairs above took 102 days to complete and cost $4907. Other than the transmission failure and need to pull off the road and await a tow, there was no safety risk apparent. The vehicle was serviced by a dealer. The manufacturer is aware of the problem(s). No warning lamps or messages were noted.

- Highland Lakes, NJ, USA

problem #41

Feb 282025

Cherokee

  • miles
The engine light comes on randomly. And causes the transmission to bog down and unable to accelerate. We have to pull over and shut the vehicle off and cycle it a few times to get the engine light to come off and then it drives fine. Has happened multiple times and has happened on the highway while driving. I-??ve also had the vehicle completely shut off while driving. I-??ve taken it to 2 dealerships and was told there is nothing wrong with it. I-??m afraid it will cause a bad accident and I-??m gonna get hurt if this issue isn-??t resolved soon. The Dealership I bought it from Tim Witt Chevrolet in Crivitz Wi. And they took it to Riverside Jeep Dealership in Marinette Wi.

- Peshtigo, WI, USA

problem #40

Jan 072025

Cherokee

  • miles
srvc4WD. This IS a reoccurring issue. Not only for the 2020 jeep TH but for other years as well. I follow many forms on Jeep Cherokee, everyone states this to be an issue. This issue can cause the vehicle to shutdown or malfunction causing a horrible accident. Jeep needs to get this situated as this is a life risk.

- Clarksville, TN, USA

problem #39

Feb 022025

Cherokee

  • 48,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle and the service 4-WD warning light was illuminated. The contact parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair; however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

- Yonkers, NY, USA

problem #38

Dec 232024

Cherokee

  • miles
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.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #37

Nov 152024

Cherokee

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

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #36

Mar 222023

Cherokee

  • 49,000 miles
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.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #35

Apr 242024

Cherokee

  • miles
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.

- East Berlin, PA, USA

problem #34

Dec 232024

Cherokee

  • miles
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)

- Cochranville, PA, USA

problem #33

Jul 242024

Cherokee

  • miles
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)

- Shelby Twp, MI, USA

problem #32

Oct 202024

Cherokee

  • miles
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.

- Dearborn Heights, MI, USA

problem #31

Mar 292024

Cherokee

  • 52,000 miles
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.

- Fall River, MA, USA

problem #30

Mar 082024

Cherokee

  • miles
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.

- Little Egg Harbor , NJ, USA

problem #29

Jun 132024

Cherokee

  • miles
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.

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #28

Aug 142024

Cherokee

  • miles
ptu premature failure

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #27

Apr 152024

Cherokee

  • miles
The power transfer unit failed, requiring a replacement of the power transfer case. It is still on the vehicle and has not been replaced yet. The 4WD on the car is unavailable, which puts my family and I at risk when driving in snowy conditions as are common in the area I live in. Additionally, the dealership stated that there are no replacement parts available since the part is -??under development-??, likely due to a flaw. I have taken the vehicle to two Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealerships who have both reported the same issue. The component has not been inspected besides the inspections done at the car dealerships. There were no symptoms of failure besides the -??Service 4WD-?? warning light coming on, as well as warnings every time the car is turns on, indicating that 4WD is unavailable.

- American Fork, UT, USA

problem #26

Jun 272024

Cherokee

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the transmission failed without warning and the RPM became extremely elevated; however, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. Despite the failure, the contact was able to coast the vehicle off to the shoulder of the highway. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence where it remained. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Cleveland, OH, USA

problem #25

Jan 222024

Cherokee

  • 79,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Service Four Wheel Drive" message remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the PTU 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 79,000.

- Middletown, NJ, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »