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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
79,000 miles · Feb 23, 2024
Power Train

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 f…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11573630

Mileage unknown · Jan 31, 2024
Power Train

My wife was driving the Cherokee on a level street at approximately 40 miles per hour and the power transfer unit malfunctioned causing the wheels to lock up. The 4-wheel drive was disabled and the emergency brake began engaging randomly. She was able to drive to the local Jeep dealer who informed her that the Power Transfer Uni…

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My wife was driving the Cherokee on a level street at approximately 40 miles per hour and the power transfer unit malfunctioned causing the wheels to lock up. The 4-wheel drive was disabled and the emergency brake began engaging randomly. She was able to drive to the local Jeep dealer who informed her that the Power Transfer Unit had broken and needed to be replaced. This car is approximately 5,000 miles out of their 60,000 mile drivetrain warranty and has never been driven off road. When looking at the frequency of this part failure on the internet, it appears to be a chronic problem and in fact previous model years have been recalled for this issue. This year should be recalled too. On top of the part failure, Jeep can't even get the part to repair it due to the extreme demand. We cannot be given an estimate of when the part will be available.

NHTSA ODI #11569172

Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2024
Electrical SystemPower Train

I was driving on an on ramp on an interstate and the vehicle suddenly went from drive mode into losing power and completely stalling out. From that point, the vehicle would not start and had to be pushed to the side of the on ramp. The manufacturer says that the Power Transfer Unit failed and needs replacement.

NHTSA ODI #11567742

Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2024
Service Brakes

Vehicle slowed while driving at highway speed and started making a rotational grinding noise. Shortly after, brake light lit up on dash along with service parking brake, auto start /stop light and flashing light on e brake button was flashing.Vehicle was taken to Jeep deslership and scanned. Found emergency brake module went bad…

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Vehicle slowed while driving at highway speed and started making a rotational grinding noise. Shortly after, brake light lit up on dash along with service parking brake, auto start /stop light and flashing light on e brake button was flashing.Vehicle was taken to Jeep deslership and scanned. Found emergency brake module went bad and needs to be replaced. Part ordered and Jeep will be scheduled to have it replaced.

NHTSA ODI #11566841

Mileage unknown · Dec 31, 2023
Service BrakesSuspension

There is something wrong with my front, driver side electric break. When I at the speed about 40 mph or bumping road the break is not working. And some thin it making noise l, look like it is engaged by itself. The problem started when the car only 26500 miles but the dealer denied to warranty because it a month after 3 years.

NHTSA ODI #11562812

Mileage unknown · Dec 15, 2023
Power Train

SVC 4WD light comes on dash screen. Power to wheels is no longer equal and is interrupted. Drive power can go directly to either front wheel. This causes an abrupt change in direction requiring immediate correction of steering to avoid hitting vehicles in next lane or driving into a parked car along the road. Only quick react…

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SVC 4WD light comes on dash screen. Power to wheels is no longer equal and is interrupted. Drive power can go directly to either front wheel. This causes an abrupt change in direction requiring immediate correction of steering to avoid hitting vehicles in next lane or driving into a parked car along the road. Only quick reaction kept me from hitting the vehicle in the lane next to me! Vehicle has been taken to dealer and inspected. They confirmed the PTU is defective. This was on Aug. 9, 2023. Today is Dec. 14, 2023. I have now been told the new ETA is the second week of Jan. 2024. I was originally told the part was to arrive Sept. 21, 2023. The vehicle is not safe to drive. I'm sure not many people know to report this issue. I understand that Jeep was replacing PTUs at the rate of approx. 700 a month back in may of 2023. I also understand this part has been superseded 7 times. So a total "fix" has not yet been found.

NHTSA ODI #11560295

Mileage unknown · Nov 19, 2023
Electrical System

ESS (auto stop) stops functioning due to battery charging. Replace battery and system works for Approximately 30k miles before needing another replacement battery. May leave vehicle stranded. There are numerous online forums complaining about this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11555886

49,413 miles · Nov 14, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact became aware that the vehicle was making abnormal sounds and had started jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made…

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the contact became aware that the vehicle was making abnormal sounds and had started jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,413.

NHTSA ODI #11555089

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2023
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

Had trans and transfer case PTO unit replaced, cause was transfer case and trans slines stripped. there is a recall for for this issue but not for my model year. 2020 jeep Cherokee trail hawk. recalls are for 2016-17 however because of the year of my jeep it isn't part of the recall but had the same issue regarding the same p…

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Had trans and transfer case PTO unit replaced, cause was transfer case and trans slines stripped. there is a recall for for this issue but not for my model year. 2020 jeep Cherokee trail hawk. recalls are for 2016-17 however because of the year of my jeep it isn't part of the recall but had the same issue regarding the same part # need reimbursement still 4 work. (In 2020, Fiat Chrysler America recalled 67,248 units of the 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee in the United States over a transmission issue that could result in a loss of power or rollaway situation. At the time, paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explained that certain "vehicles were built with a two speed Power Transfer Unit ("PTU") that allows relative movement between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft." The movement could wear down the input splines, causing a loss of engagement between transmission and differential, thereby cutting power to the front wheels. Worn splines could also prevent the transmission from engaging Park when stationary, leading to a possible rollaway situation. That recall applied only to all-wheel-drive models with the two-speed Power Transfer Unit, which simulates the two-speed transfer case found in many part-time four-wheel-drive trucks and SUVs. Jeep brands the affected systems as "Active Drive II" or "Active Drive Lock." Vehicles among the recall population that featured the PTU model in question benefited from "more robust differential splines." The fix for the recalled vehicles wasn't replacing the worn PTU splines with the upgraded versions. The fix was a software update that worked around the fault to either alert the driver, to shift power to the rear wheels when the malfunction occurred, or to automatically apply the parking brake if the fault happened while the driver was attempting to shift into park. What's stranger is that Jeep has issued a new recall for a subset of the original recall population,)

NHTSA ODI #11549962

23,000 miles · Oct 10, 2023
Steering

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle steering wheel had become firm. The power steering lock warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failu…

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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle steering wheel had become firm. The power steering lock warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI #11549265

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.