NHTSA Complaint #11705620 — 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE

The Jeep has a drivetrain defect involving the transmission and power transfer unit (PTU) that has existed since purchase and has progressively worsened over the years. From early on, the vehicle intermittently hesitated when accelerating from a complete stop, followed by sudden surging or lunging forward. Symptoms were reported to a Jeep dealership early after purchase while under warranty. Their inspections did not identify a defect at that time. Over time, the condition worsened and became more frequent, including hesitation on takeoff, bucking, and abnormal behavior when maneuvering at low speeds or turning the steering wheel to full lock in parking lot. This occurs unpredictably and creates a dangerous situation when entering intersections, making left turns across traffic, or merging, because the vehicle does not accelerate when expected and then suddenly surges. The Jeep was taken to an independent mechanic. After inspection and a test drive, the mechanic stated the condition was unsafe and suspected a transfer case issue, recommending that the vehicle be taken to an authorized dealership for further evaluation. After this referral, the Jeep dealership was able to reproduce the problem during a test drive and confirmed hesitation on acceleration, transmission shift issues, and PTU malfunction. The dealership documented that the transmission and PTU require replacement. The vehicle had previously received the manufacturer’s required powertrain recall software update. The dealership stated they could attempt another software relearn or update, but no guarantee it would resolve the issue. No warning lights or dashboard messages prior to or during these events. MOPAR says that the PTU is on national backorder with no ETA. The cost of repair exceeds the value of the vehicle and would be entirely out-of-pocket since the warranty is up, making repair financially impossible. As a result, the owner is left with an unsafe vehicle that cannot be reasonably repaired.