2021 JEEP CHEROKEE Complaints

Car completely died while operating. No Power. Dead in middle of the road. Unable to signal other cars. Jeep dealership ran code and replaced battery. Did not check PTU as requested. Car is now acting up similar to PTU issues. Exact same experiences as outlined in the recall for 2017 to 2020. 2021 should be included for this recall and reviewed or repaired as this is a known issue in jeep cheerokes. This is a serious issue due to the fact that they shut down immediately leaving you in the middle of the road with zero ability to notify anyone you are stopped. No warning signs were present.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a turn on the same day, the failure recurred, nearly causing the contact to crash into a vehicle and to be rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had recurred on another occasion. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

I was driving on the highway with no overpass, no foreign objects flying, not behind anyone, and my sunroof shattered and exploded all over me with no explanation.

PTU went out at 42,900 miles 2 weeks ago traveling on I81, was very foggy and all of a sudden my rpm went crazy and check engine and service 4 wd light came on pulled to side of highway and car was reving itself on and off and when shifting to drive or reverse car would not move and emergency brake was engaging on it’s own. Called Triple A and had to have towed on truck to dealer . Just bought vehicle 3 months prior . Dealer tested and told me PTU went out in vehicle not sure when part will be available could be months . We were sitting on berm of highway for an hour in foggy conditions and semi trucks flying by was very scary.

Failed rear driveline failed rear differential and failed DTCM. Jeep is still sluggish upon shifting to acceleration. Clunk from park to drive and cold start to warm up normal to drop to normal rpm then rev up to 2.0 while sitting still. I have suspicions that the PTU could be having issues after all the above was replaced

The 4WD light keeps coming on and going off. This issue is reported all over the internet with Jeeps. It started about 60,000 miles, which is also reported as a normal mileage of failure. When the 4WD light is on the vehicle loses stability control which could result in an accident in anything other than dry road conditions. Why is this issue not a recall? A lot of the complaints online seem to be a faulty sensor or the PTU. With as many complaints as there are online, this issue should be covered by the manufacturer.

I have had 2 incidents involving drivetrain failure which almost resulted in accidents. On 26 September 2024, I was in left lane passing other vehicles when suddenly my vehicle (2021 Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk) started jerking, felt and sounded like something exploded under vehicle. I was among a group of vehicles, including semi trucks with trailers, both behind me as well as along side me. Vehicle suddenly lost forward motion, engine rpm kept increasing and decreasing, vehicle would jerk like something in drivetrain was binding up but still did not have forward power and losing speed. Dash lights started coming on and going off, then check engine light remained on. while still in passing lane, I had no power to drive forward so I immediately signaled to attempt a safe maneuver in traffic to right edge of road as there was no space on left shoulder. Several vehicles had to swerve to avoid hitting us, a very frightening and unsafe experience. Once I was on side of road, vehicle would not move in any direction, transmission made like a grinding sound if put from drive to park. Vehicle was towed to Papik Motors for repair. Dealer determined shift actuator forks were worn and replaced shift actuator. there were no loaner or rental vehicles available from dealership, I had to rent a Uhaul to get us and camper home. Vehicle returned 4 Oct 2024. On 21 January 2025 while attempting to pass a vehicle on 2 lane highway, my transmission seemed to go into neutral as I was passing causing me to almost be hit by oncoming vehicle as I had lost forward motion. After stopping, vehicle seemed to operate fine but on way home, vehicle made loud noises, transmission was grinding and would not drive. I was able to drive in 4x4 low along edge of road to the dealership. they found metal in PTU case. estimated time for repair is May or later due to parts not available. I have loaner vehicle. Contacted Stellantis twice. Case manager has not called back. I do not and will not feel safe driving

2/16/2025 Light for 4WD came on when the temperature was 11 degrees. 4WD System Unavailable Service Required 2/19/25 & 2/25/25 Taken into the dealer and stated that Debris in the PTU causing Actuator to stick - will need to be replace PTU - if approved will need to locate part. Car difficult to put into park

Vehicle hesitates to go into gear and upon takeoff resulting in slamming into first gear. This causes significant stress on the transmission and PTU causing premature failure. Additionally, loss of power to the wheels upon take off could result in a vehicle collision when turning into on coming traffic.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 75 MPH on I-15 and accelerating, the transmission seized, and the vehicle skidded to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that the engine was running but the vehicle failed to move. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where codes were retrieved for the power transfer unit (PTU); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.