2020 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

In November 2024, while driving, my jeep began to lose power. Accelerator was not working and pulled over. It turned on but would unexpectedly turn off whenever I would drive it. It was in the shop 4 months. Last week, Nov 2025, while at a stop light it completely stopped working. When I tried to accelerate it wasn’t working. Break pedal was hard and I could not turn it back on. Dash lights were on and tank had gas. Had to get it towed. Was told engine was in good shape. Still looking at starter issues.

Brought to dealer to evaluate for loud popping in/out of park, clunking and grinding noises on accelaration and stops. Dealer determined it was the PTU. Was told it is covered under warranty, but the part is on backorder for 3 months, so I'm still waiting. I'm unsure if safe to drive. Seems like a known issue with ealier models of Jeep Cherokee, likely issue with 2020s as well.

PTU unit on my Jeep Cherokee failed at 70 miles per hour on the highway. The car is located on a Jeep dealer lot and is available for inspection. Traveling at high speeds I suddenly lost and transfer of power from the motor to the wheels and was unable to keep speed in traffic. The problem has been noted on Jeep models of prior production with this exact problem per consumer reports. The car went through a full Jeep inspections and found that the PTU was the culprit of the issue. When the PTU failed it displayed a message stating “Service 4WD”. This did not occur until after the incident occurred. Additionally when the issue occurred the car turned itself into snow/ice mode. I was driving in the standard drive mode as there was no snow or ice. I had driven for over an hour prior to this failure in the car. It was mid morning when the failure happened.

While driving, the car began making a rattling noise and felt unstable. Shortly after, the “Service 4WD” warning light came on. I took the vehicle to the dealership, and they diagnosed a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure that requires replacement. This is a serious safety concern, as the vehicle could lose the ability to drive, especially in certain road or weather conditions. After researching the issue, I discovered that PTU failures appear to be a widespread problem in Jeep Cherokees, yet there has been no effective recall or permanent fix. Owners are being put at risk due to potential loss of power while driving.

Hello, The widespread issue of defective the PTU (power transfer unit) is far beyond the recall 25V011. We have 2 Jeep cherokees in my family and both have a bad PTU and they both aren’t under the recall. Thank you

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked, and the message “4X4 System Service Required” was displayed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,301.

My 2020 Jeep Cherokee was in for a multi-point inspection and oil change on 9/10/2025. On 10/15/2025, the Service 4wd, AWD System Service Required light turned on as I was driving. I called the same dealership immediately and was able to get it in for diagnosis on 10/21/2025 (the soonest appointment available). They called me on 10/27/2025 to inform me that they diagnosed a faulty PTU part #68333254AI. They sent me a quote of $3,129.81 for the part, labor, and fluid. My Jeep has remained at the dealership since it was diagnosed. I was told that there could be a loss of power to the wheels that could result in loss of control and a potential crash. I was also told that it may be an extended period of time before they can get the part. The dealership has stated that this would not be covered under my warranty because the warranty ended on 10/17/2025. The warning light actually came on before this date. I understand that there was safety recall/class action lawsuit for this issue on the 2017-2019 years but not the 2020. I feel that this is a known safety issue and believe that it should be covered by my warranty or the manufacturer. My vehicle's mileage is 43,230 miles.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the parking brake engaged independently while idling at a stoplight. The contact activated the hazard lights, shifted to park, turned off and restarted the vehicle, then reversed to unlock the parking brake to shift to drive to continue driving. The message "Parking Brake Engaged" was displayed with an audible chime, and the light indicating that the parking brake was activated was illuminated. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was diagnosed by a certified mechanic, and determined that the Engine Control Module (ECM) needed to be replaced. The ECM was replaced; however, the ECM could not be aligned with the vehicle and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and another ECM was ordered; however, the ECM could not be aligned or programmed. The dealer diagnosed that the shifting console needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Approximately one month after having the vehicle repaired, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. The VIN was unavailable.

I dropped my car for a service appointment on October 25, 2025 because the car was running loud at highway speeds and felt as though something was grinding. I was told that the recommendation is to replace the PTU. I was unfamiliar with the term and guessed, "Power Takeoff Unit" and the service technician agreed with me. He then informed me that there was an issue with the part and it would be 45-days before the part would be available. He told me that other shops were contacted and there was no shop in the area that was willing to part with the PTU, and I would need to wait 45-days for the repair. I asked if it was safe to drive the vehicle until the repair and he informed me it was. He appeared to be a new team member, so I clarified again, "I just want to be clear it is safe to drive the car". He responded it was, and then said he would check with his manager. After checking with the manager, he came back and said it was okay to drive the car but it may lead to further damage. Following the call I Googled PTU and learned that there was a recall on Jeep Cherokee's, due to defective PTUs which could cause a loss of power when the vehicle is in motion - leading to a crash, prevent the driver from putting the vehicle in park, or causing the vehicle to come out of park. Given the large number of vehicles involved in the recall, 660K + it is not surprising that the part is on back-order. It is frustrating that this is a voluntary recall, and that the scope of the recall has grown from 2016/2017 to now include 2017/2019 but not yet 2020. Please consider including the cars manufactured in 2020, and changing this from a voluntary recall.

The vehicle piston failed which led to complete engine failure. This has been diagnosed by a service center.