The Power Transfer Unit is malfunctioning and steering wheel sometimes out of control.
2019 Jeep Cherokee
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Cherokee years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee are substantially higher than the model-year median of 113.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cherokee years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
750 reports with mileage · 888 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 800 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 457 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 340 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Steering complaints
120 reportsThe contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. There was an abnormal noise detected from the front and rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was taken to the…
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The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle was shaking. There was an abnormal noise detected from the front and rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that there was an unknown issue with the tires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
My husband and my son were driving my Jeep on the highway going 70 MPH when with no warning there was absolutely NO power steering and almost went off the road over an embankment. Luckily it was my husband driving because I would not have been able to control the car. When researching this year of Jeep, there is a recall for t…
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My husband and my son were driving my Jeep on the highway going 70 MPH when with no warning there was absolutely NO power steering and almost went off the road over an embankment. Luckily it was my husband driving because I would not have been able to control the car. When researching this year of Jeep, there is a recall for this issue on only a certain number of vehicles, but of course when I put my VIN in my vehicle is not on the recall list and I also see several complaints of the same issue with the steering and not being on the recall list. This is a HUGE safety issue and NEEDS to be address immediately.
This particular year and model of jeep has 2 recalls not registered to my VIN number related to my accident. Airbags- impact and acceleration sensors. Steering- steering rack gear. Tonight while driving my jeep to my local walmart, my steering completely quit and locked up on me causing me to go off the road, hit a speed limit s…
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This particular year and model of jeep has 2 recalls not registered to my VIN number related to my accident. Airbags- impact and acceleration sensors. Steering- steering rack gear. Tonight while driving my jeep to my local walmart, my steering completely quit and locked up on me causing me to go off the road, hit a speed limit sign, almost roll my vehicle, and cause possible irreparable damage that may total my vehicle all together. The impact was hard enough to cave in my whole front passenger side fender, rip my mirror completely off, dent both passenger doors deeply, bend my door frames, and almost completely tore off my rear fender. During this, my air bags did not deploy, and I know the accident was bad enough that they should have. This could have been life threatening, and could have ended entirely worse than what it did. My power steering pump seems to be working fine, but my jeep itself is still registering it as a power steering issue, which makes me believe that there are significant electrical issues with the jeep itself.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle lost motive power, shuddered and jerked making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle swerved into an intersection and into the grass. The contact manually steered the vehicle back into the lane and pulled the vehicle over to the …
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The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the vehicle lost motive power, shuddered and jerked making it difficult to steer the vehicle. The vehicle swerved into an intersection and into the grass. The contact manually steered the vehicle back into the lane and pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. The contact inspected the vehicle but could not find a cause for the failure. The contact continued driving to the residence with only manual steering available. There was a power steering warning light illuminated on the vehicle after the failure occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the electric power steering failed and the steering wheel ceased. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle in manual steering mode to his residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicl…
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The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the electric power steering failed and the steering wheel ceased. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle in manual steering mode to his residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 65,000.
OIL CHANGE AND RECALL COMPLETED 3,000 MILES AGO FOR OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. DROVE 3,000 MILES AND STALLED ON ROADWAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A RIGHT HAND TURN. DURING SHUTDOWN THERE WAS STEERING CONTROL LOSS. PULLED CAR OFF ROAD AND CHECKED DIPSTICK. DIPSTICK WAS DRY. ADDED 2.5 QUARTS OIL. THIS CAR STILL CONSUMES APPROXIMATELY .75 …
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OIL CHANGE AND RECALL COMPLETED 3,000 MILES AGO FOR OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE. DROVE 3,000 MILES AND STALLED ON ROADWAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A RIGHT HAND TURN. DURING SHUTDOWN THERE WAS STEERING CONTROL LOSS. PULLED CAR OFF ROAD AND CHECKED DIPSTICK. DIPSTICK WAS DRY. ADDED 2.5 QUARTS OIL. THIS CAR STILL CONSUMES APPROXIMATELY .75 QUARTS OF OIL PER 1,000 MILES. WILL RESTART OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WITH JEEP DEALER IMMEDIATELY.*DT CONSUMER STATED HE WOULD LIKE THE CASE CLOSED, ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED.*JB
NOVEMBER OF 2019 BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS LOW. WHILE DRIVING STEERING WOULD JERK/PULL/GRAB TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. DID THIS MANY TIMES DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, MAKING TURNS AND A FEW TIMES THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN. I MADE SURE TO KEEP MY DISTANCE DURING THIS TIME WHILE DRIVING AND THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. SCARED TO DR…
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NOVEMBER OF 2019 BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS LOW. WHILE DRIVING STEERING WOULD JERK/PULL/GRAB TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. DID THIS MANY TIMES DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, MAKING TURNS AND A FEW TIMES THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN. I MADE SURE TO KEEP MY DISTANCE DURING THIS TIME WHILE DRIVING AND THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS. SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE. HAD THE BATTERY CHECKED AT AN AUTO PARTS STORE THEY SAID IT WAS GOOD. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THEY FOUND WIRES RAN BY JEEP DURING MANUFACTURE FOUND A WIRE CHAFE NEAR STARTER AND WAS A GROUND WIRE. FIXED THE ISSUE. FAST FORWARD 11/2020 GETTING NAV DISPLAY REPLACED DUE TO SCREEN SEPARATION. FIRST RADIO INSTALL WAS NOT COMPATIBLE, AND STEERING HAS BEEN MESSED UP SINCE THE FIRST RADIO WAS PULLED OUT AND PUT BACK IN. COINCIDENCE NOT SURE... JUMPY/PLAY/LOOSE/STIFF WHEN CORRECTING TO STAY IN LANE. EXPLAINED THIS TO DEALERSHIP, SAFETY CONCERN, HAVE TO FIGHT THE WHEEL TO DRIVE AND ONLY DID THIS WHEN THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN 2019. 4TH VISIT BACK TO DEALERSHIP 3RD RADIO FINALLY WORKED. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY INSTALLED A STEERING SOFTWARE UPDATE. THEY DROVE MY VEHICLE APPROX. 50 MILES. SAID THERE IS PLAY/JERKING/JUMPING IN STEERING WHILE DRIVING AND TO LET THEM KNOW IF IT CONTINUES... I FEEL LIKE A DRUNK DRIVER, UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AND MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 40K MILES. I CAN'T PIN POINT WHY THE CAR IS DOING THIS AND HOW TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. JEEP SHOULD BE FIXING THIS PROBLEM AS THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE COME ACROSS MANY COMPLAINTS FOR CHEROKEE STEERING ISSUES. THIS IS A HAZARD AND VERY DANGEROUS, I DRIVE 2 HOURS ROUND TRIP FOR WORK.
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING HAS A 'STICKY' SPOT THAT MAKES MINOR CORRECTIONS ON THE ROAD MORE DIFFICULT. IT'S AS IF YOU OVER CORRECT TO GET PAST THE STICKY SPOT. IT CAN BE SCARY TO YOU FOR FEAR OF OVER CORRECTING INTO ANOTHER LANE. I NOTICED IT AT ABOUT 15000 MILES. IT'S AT THE DEALER NOW. THEY ARE REPLACING…
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WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE STEERING HAS A 'STICKY' SPOT THAT MAKES MINOR CORRECTIONS ON THE ROAD MORE DIFFICULT. IT'S AS IF YOU OVER CORRECT TO GET PAST THE STICKY SPOT. IT CAN BE SCARY TO YOU FOR FEAR OF OVER CORRECTING INTO ANOTHER LANE. I NOTICED IT AT ABOUT 15000 MILES. IT'S AT THE DEALER NOW. THEY ARE REPLACING THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. UNSURE IF THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM OR PUT A BANDAID ON IT.
AROUND 2:30 AM ON DECEMBER 30, 2020 I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY. IT WAS RAINING A LITTLE BIT BUT NOTHING TO WHAT I HAVE DRIVEN IN BEFORE. I SET MY CAR TO CRUISE AT 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED LOCKING UP. I FOUND THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN THE WAY I WANTED IT TO AND WAS VEERING LEFT. I …
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AROUND 2:30 AM ON DECEMBER 30, 2020 I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY. IT WAS RAINING A LITTLE BIT BUT NOTHING TO WHAT I HAVE DRIVEN IN BEFORE. I SET MY CAR TO CRUISE AT 65 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY STEERING WHEEL STARTED LOCKING UP. I FOUND THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT TURN THE WAY I WANTED IT TO AND WAS VEERING LEFT. I HAD TO USE SOME FORCE TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT AND NOT GET INTO OTHER LANES. I THOUGHT I WAS OKAY UNTIL A LIGHT LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD. I BELIEVE IT WAS THE ENGINE LIGHT BECAUSE AS I HEARD IT GO OFF AND FLASH AT ME, MY CAR STARTED TO STALL UP AND THEN GO REPEATEDLY. AS IF IT WAS HARD FOR IT TO GRASP ON TO MOVING FORWARD. LAST NIGHT WAS THE SCARIEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE AND I HAND NEVER HAD THAT HAPPEN TO ME. ALMOST PULLED OVER BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO CRASH. I KEPT IT AT A STABLE 60 MPH AND OFF CRUISE CONTROL AS SOON AS THE STEERING WENT HAYWIRE AND IT SEEMED TO HAVE HELPED A BIT. I FEEL THE NEED TO GET MY CAR CHECKED BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ALL OTHER 2019'S SHOULD GET RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE.
Official recalls
1126V290000 · 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.
25V011000 · Power Train
Apr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
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.
19V449000 · Air Bags
Jun 13, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The impact and acceleration sensors may fail and reduce the air bag system's ability to properly detect certain crash events.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the inability to properly detect a crash may result in improper air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected sensors, free of charge. The recall began August 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V63.
19V248000 · Seats
Mar 28, 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The front passenger seat mounting bolts may be loose.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, the seat may move, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 11, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V31.
18V917000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel
Dec 20, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail resulting in a lack of activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Without the activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges to provide vehicle information to the driver, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UC4.
18V739000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Oct 19, 2018
Chrysler(FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Improper transmission calibration may result in a stall.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will re-flash the transmission controller with a new calibration, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UA9.
18V523000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper
Aug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.
18V524000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood
Aug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
18V492000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Jul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the wheels.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the transmission weld fails, the vehicle will stop moving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U85.
18V344000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
May 25, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage. These engines may also have a reversed camshaft cap that can damage the camshaft bearing causing camshaft failure.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Cylinder damage or camshaft failure can cause the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the affected engine components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U52.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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