2016 JEEP CHEROKEE Power Train Problems
598 NHTSA complaints on file
Power Train Issues in the 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE
598 power train complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE. Of these, 6 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, and 2 resulted in injury.
598
Complaints
6
Crashes
3
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Power Train Complaints
My Vehicle VIN isn't listed under the massive recall of the PTU (Diagnostic code C14A7-67) Vehicle is the same manufacture year of the recalled vehicles. If the PTU fails it can cause sudden loss of drive power, inability to stay in Park (rollaway risk). The check 4WD light is on and Diagnostic code C14A7-67 comes up. Jeep said my vehicle isn't included in the recall so there isn't anything they can do. I am wondering why this Vin isn't included in the recall and if it should be since it is having the identical issue as the massive recall of similar vehicles. My vehicle lost drive power on a highway and had to carefully glide over to the shoulder.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle sputtered, jerked, and hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an inoperable PTU actuator. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,900.
The PTU was bad and was replaced by the dealership under Chrysler extended warranty. The dealership then said the transfer case module and motor needed to be replaced and while at the dealership replacing those components they informed me that the rear differential axle is bad resulting from the bad PTU
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and attempting to make a left or right turn the rear driver’s and passenger’s side wheels locked up as if the brake pedal was depressed, with a grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it diagnosed and determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The PTU was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The failure had occurred on several occasions with the past two months. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but declined to cover the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the PTU was faulty and needed to be replaced. The PTU was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle later experienced transmission failures and failed to properly accelerate or reverse as needed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Service 4WD” was displayed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 25,749.
Multiple incidents from different shops after oil changes, car continues to leak oil from around filter. Have had to replace the shifter sensor twice within the last 5 years. Regular driver back and forth to work. Drive less than 8k miles a year
Transmission, yes it’s available for inspection I was on the highway driving approximately 70 MPH going up hill, and my car starts to downshift and lose power on a high traffic highway without warning no lights flickered or anything Yes it was seen by dodge dealership No it was not inspected by the manufacturer or others No, The check engine came on Approximately 15 minutes AFTER the failure. so no warning before it started to downshift so I could pull over!
Power Transfer Unit needs to be replaced. I took vehicle to repair shop for noise in left front tire. They informed me that the unit needs to be replaced. They checked for recall will a Chrysler Dealer. The recall does not apply to this vehicle. I purchased this vehicle new from a Chrysler Dealer in CT. The repair shop informed me that the PTU unit in my car is a used one from a Junkyard, the said it has writing on it that junkyards use to identify parts. I never had it replaced so it had to come from the dealer like that.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure persisted and the "Service 4WD" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed, and the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective power transfer unit. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); which the contact linked to the failure. The contact searched the VIN and discovered that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
So I was driving to work one morning and I pulled into the parking lot, put my car in park and a few mins after I get a message/ alert on my dash saying “service shifter”…. Indicating It’s the p1c86-1D, an electrical issue with the shifter display circuit. I took it to the dealership I bought it from (Della Chevrolet) they did a diagnosis. They said I needed to replace the whole shifter and if I did I’d have to pay over $1000 for them to do it and it wouldn’t be covered if it went out again because the car isn’t a Chevy… but long story short they told me that at any time my shifter can stop working.. an no got into park or drive etc… I’m not trying to be stuck there Also another electrical is when I got my car and when I stopped at lights...
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the message “4WD not Accessible” was displayed. While reversing out of the driveway, the light turned off and on. While driving at 25 MPH, the 4WD warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that the power transfer unit (PTU) might be damaged and had disengaged the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power or a loss of parking functionality. The dealer determined that parts were not available and were under back order until January 2026 or possibly later. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had obtained a loaner vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
THERE IS A WHINING NOISE WHEN I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 3-6 MINUTES USUALLY THEN IT STOPS. THEN MAINLY WHEN I START AFTER A STOP IT START UP AGAIN. ONCE IN A WHILE IT WILL JUST START WHINING AT ANY SPPED. I TOOK IT IN TO GET SERVICED AS MY SRV4WHDRV LIGHT CAME ON. DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE 2016 CHEROKEE LATITUDE IN SEPT. 2015 TOLD ME I NEED A PTU UNIT. COST OF ABOUT $3500.00. ISSUE IS THEY TOLD ME THEY HAVE HAD ONE ON ORDER SINCE APRIL 2025 FOR ANOTHER CUSTOMER AND PART IS STILL ON BACK ORDER. I LOOKED ON JEEP/MOPAR FORUMS AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE. ARE THERE NO RECALLS ON IT. NOISE STARTED ROUGHLY IN JULY OF 2025, AND WHILE GETTING OIL CHANGED AT DEALERSHIP I SPOKE TO SERVICE REP AND HE SAID THERE SHOULD BE NO...
Transmission now won’t go into gear and is making a rattling noise when the vehicle gets turned on.
My Jeep has had 3 PTU replaced in its life, the third one has failed and I'm now left either putting in a 4th or junking it, either way I take a loss. The 2nd PTU failed over a long period of time, the 3rd PTU failed a week past my 1 year warranty coverage and it did so abruptly. I have written in before regarding this vehicle but I write again due to the danger of this failure. The PTU rattled, grinded before seizing all tires and motion. I was lucky by myself and my child wasn't present and that I wasn't on the interstate (had gotten off moments before it failed) and in a quiet neighborhood. I lost all momentum forward even giving it gas. Had I stopped abruptly on 380, going 60 mph... I would have rolled the vehicle or another would have rear ended me and...
Axle, driveshaft, and differential concern. The 4x4 warning light came on the dash and the four-wheel-drive system stopped functioning properly. Dealer diagnosed a failing PTU (Power Transfer Unit) and recommended installing an SOP PTU unit. Symptoms included grinding, vibration, and inconsistent 4x4 engagement, creating a safety concern during normal driving. Mileage at time of replacement (lights on dash 500 miles prior) : 49,536. Total repair cost: $2,416
Driving on freeway October of 2025 and PTU failed causing loss of power and electronic emergency brake engagement. There were no previous indications or warnings with vehicle prior to total loss of propulsion. Vehicle is at jeep dealership in Gaylord Michigan not repaired. Fortunate there was shoulder on right I was able to swerve into and stopped without collision as vehicles sped by at high rates of speed. Towed to dealership where purchased, Serra Ford Gaylord Michigan in August 2025, diagnostics revealed PTU failure. Serra Ford advised could not perform warranty repairs as not jeep dealership. Towed to jeep dealership, Snethcamp Jeep Gaylord Michigan, who advised not warrantied in United States as Canadian vehicle. Snethcamp Jeep diagnosed PTU failure. FCA Canada denied claim 94684480 and advised vehicle not registered to Canadian citizen. Chrysler Customer Service US denied claim 94727687 and advised this is a Canadian vehicle. Recall was performed on...
Known for having bad transmission issues. Having bad transmission issues
Unknown was traveling twenty five miles an hour heard a lot of thumping.Noises took it to the dealership Ptu is bad
The car had been showing a message to service the 4-wheel drive. We took it to a Mechanic and they told me that there was a Code: C14A7-97 pointing to the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Incident: While accelerating, the vehicle momentarily would loose power to abruptly regain it, providing a very unstable ride. Recently when it went into a "sleep mode" stopped at the red light at a busy intersection, when the light changed to green the engine was unresponsive when I accelerated and the car wasn't moving at all, and the engine wouldn't "wake up" either. I had to turn off the engine and turn it back on, before the car sluggishly started to move, and then again abruptly accelerated.
4WD disabled, service required light came on. After taking my jeep in for inspection I was told I need a new Transfer Case
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the gear shifter, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The steering and transmission were slipping intermittently. The Service 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the battery cable was faulty and needed to be replaced. The battery cables were replaced. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer stated that the repair was not covered under a recall or under warranty, despite having unlimited coverage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Vehicle is stalling out. While driving down the road any accelaration is fine but when stopped at a stop sign/light and you give the vehicle throttle from a dead stop or rolling stop it will either stall out and die or it will stall, surge, and come back. This is a serious issue as we drive this vehicle on busy road ways and could cause or will cause us to have an accident. I have had it the dealership and they checked the vehicle for any engines codes but none are present so they are not sure why the vehicle is stalling out. This is not a constant problem but a intermittent one where it comes and goes so you never know when it will happen. I am not sure when this first started happening as my wife usually drives the vehicle but I noticed it doing this about 2...
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the message “AWD Unavailable” was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 94,627.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed, with the "Service 4WD" warning light illuminated. The contact's son took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where a scanner was used, and DTC: C14A7-97 was retrieved for an issue related to the power transfer unit. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then provided with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
The PTU system is failing. If it completely fails, the car will lock at any time. The part is backordered and may take months to get here because so many Jeep owners are having this problem. The dealerships confirmed this. There is a service 4wd light.
Vehicle has been turning off while driving after pressing on the brakes. The dashboard will flicker/glitch, then the battery will go from 13.9V all the way up to 15.2V then back down then turn off. No service light or battery light will come up, I have taken it to auto zone and they said everything is fine with the battery/alternator. When the car shuts off, I have to press the start button, then shift into park and then press start again for it to work, if I shift it into park immediately when it turns off the car will not turn back on and I cannot shift gears.
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the “Service 4-WD” warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the power transfer unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. In addition, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Vibrating issue and missing fire originating from engine. Intake camshaft broken and left cylinder head is damaged and needs replacement. This should not be happening to this car. Cannot drive a faster rate either. There should be a claim out for all these issues.
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee Latitude is 9years old with 89,800 miles of regular driving & being fully maintained. The Service 4-wheel light came on & I brought it to my mechanic immediately the next day. I was advised after performing tests, it was the PTU in my car. I was advised there is a recall & to take it to the dealer. I did that immediately, while being terrified to drive it as I was advised it could be very dangerous. I or someone could have been badly injured or worse if this part gave way while driving. Something this dangerous should be mentioned immediately to ALL vehicle owners. The dealer confirmed it is the PTU & that it had to be replaced. I was advised my vin was not under the very large recall & well know issue on this part. After a lot of research, Stellantis is well...
Vehicle in dealership service dept since July 16, 2025 for manufacturing recall; attempted repair rendered vehicle inoperable; 2nd part ordered arrived damaged; third part in open order until verbal date of February 2026; no recall remedy such as loaner vehicle; extended warranty purchased but cannot use; manufacturer warranty expired; need transportation
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.
My power transfer unit busted into several different parts. There was no warning lights, it went to making a noise & when they took the skid cover off pieces came falling out. This happened last year & everywhere we look the part is on back order. So I'm paying a note on a vehicle that can't be used.
The Power Transfer Unit in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee failed when it only had 50,255 miles on it. The car was almost 10 years old. In the past month, when I tried to accelerate to 50 mph to merge on the highway, the Jeep did not accelerate normally when I pressed on the gas. Instead, it went slowly and made a revving noise, then when I hit the accelerator again, it made the revving noise louder and reluctantly started to accelerate. It would also lose drive power when going down a steep incline. There were a few instances of that and then the “SERVICE 4WD” light came on every day when I would put the car into reverse and stay on for the rest of the time I was driving the car. After that light came on, I noticed there was abnormal vibration underneath the middle of the car when...
The PTU is defective. Service 4wheel drive dash light on. Did "software update" but did not fix problems. I need to have the ptu replaced!
On [XXX] my Jeep started making a grinding noise near the rear axle. Initially, thinking something had broken when I had hit a pot hole earlier that evening. We parked the car at a garage and the next day inspected it and said it sounded like the rear differential may be effected, advising it should be safe to drive in “sport” mode. I drove it to Blueridge Chrysler Jeep in Abingdon VA where I informed them I had discovered a Recall 45A on the Jeep, they kept the Jeep and called me in a few days saying it was only for an “software update” and it was fixed. Om [XXX], I drove my Jeep and upon getting less than a mile down the road it sounded like the backend was dragging. They called a tow truck & took it back to the garage & now with the MOPAR Extended warranty...
Service four-wheel-drive light has illuminated and dealership recommends to replace PTU system
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced a hard shift while shifting from first gear to second gear. The contact stated that the vehicle felt like it had been rear-ended while shifting into 2nd gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
After buying the car from a used dealer, within 1,000 miles the car began grinding in slow accelerated turns. It has been diagnosed as the PTU which has many recalls before and after this particular D4 part. With all of the recalls and extended warranty adjustments for this part, why would mine not be covered? This was to be safe reliable car for my teenagers to drive, now that is no longer the case. Very disappointing
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A.)Transmission has been 'stuck in 2WD' since I bought it (I was unaware of the DT issue during purchase from Boktor Motors in Las Vegas, NV). I have tried to contact dealership with no response and a blocked phone number. Car has been towed 120 miles to Wolfchase CDJ in Bartlett, TN and is being diagnosed. [In ref: NHTSA campaign number: 25V011) Power Transfer Unit(PTU)] How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A.) I was on my way from Lakeland, TN to Chattanooga for summer vacation with my children and we were on a highway with a small shoulder and 2 lanes. We were able to pull to the side of the road and slowly make our way to the rest stop, Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by...
Vehicle started making growling noise. Engine light and 4wd lights came on. Transfer case has been diagnosed with damage.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "Service 4x4" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who informed the contact that the PTU software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the "Service 4x4" warning light illuminated again. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the differential, rear axle, and PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and found that the failure had occurred twice, prior to the most recent failure of the same parts. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that there was no "Goodwill Assistance" available for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
The car is not shifting properly and will "jump" or "lunge" forward while driving. I have noticed that the RPM's will jump and bounce around, seemingly down shifting, then shift again, and then down shift again, which causes jerking motion.
Car goes into "limp mode" while driving. Will slow to a complete stop, not rev, and says "Shift to P then desired gear". All other components of car are on (battery barely a year old). Try to follow command prompt; after putting car in P, and shifting to D, it still won't rev. I was on an incline and began rolling backwards. Good thing no one was behind me at the time. Had to turn completely off. On startup, it's stuttering and takes a while to start. Turns on fine and will drive, but is physically jerking between gears. Then, the first time I have to stop for a significant time and idle, it will do it again. I follow process again and was able to record video, because I was on a back street and pulled over in time, luckily. Upon driving the next day and taking to dealer,...
Since having the vehicle in for recall 45A/NHTSA 23V-302, there is a loss of drive and a clunking sound when accelerating from approximately 25-30 mph. This does not occur all the time, however when it does and there is traffic behind me, the vehicle behind me will close up quickly almost hitting me.
PTU failure, confirmed by dealership
My Daughter was driving home from work at the very busy time of day. Her vehicle just shut down. It was still running, but it had no power. She was almost hit by many other vehicles because of this. She called in a panic. I told her to kill it and restart it. She killed it, but had trouble restarting it. But she did get it restarted and was able to get it off the road and pulled into a Church parking lot. My Son and I went to help her and I was able to drive it home. But it tried to shut down a couple of times on the way. We took it to a dealer shop and they said it needs a new Power Transfer Unit. Very expensive part and it’s on back order because it’s failing on so many vehicles. They can’t even order it for...
I was driving and was at a residential stop sign and out of no where my vehicle just shuts off on me. At first I thought it was the on and off gas conserver device but I realized that wasn’t the issue when it wouldn’t turn on anymore and all the vehicles behind me started honking and then proceeded to go around me. This lady walking her dog even shouted what the hell was wrong with me thinking I was purposely stopping traffic. Then this nice guy came out of nowhere to help me move my vehicle out the way from ongoing traffic. He was nice enough to try and give my car some battery from his vehicle thinking that might be the problem and nothing would make my car turn on not even the starter would want to start. So I had no choice but to call a tow...
Service 4 wheel drive alert warning. Dealership inspected and said Power transfer unit
My 2016 jeep cherokee is displaying the service 4x4 & has vibration while driving. I took it to a shop & was told the transfer case needed to be replaced so I had it done. The transfer case was replaced with new one & the module software keeps kicking it back & the mechanic replaced the software module twice & it keeps happening. On 2 separate occasions I have taken the jeep to the jeep dealer due to the power train software needing to be updated cause it was under recall. I have had the jeep since June 2024 & already had to replace 4 different parts. It would turn off while driving when I first got it & after 3 parts were replaced it stopped & the "service 4x4" message showed up.
The car shuts off while driving
Other 2016 JEEP CHEROKEE Problem Areas
Engine
311 complaints
Unknown Or Other
309 complaints
Electrical System
284 complaints
Service Brakes
90 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
75 complaints
Steering
50 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
43 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
30 complaints
Air Bags
27 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking
23 complaints
Structurebody
21 complaints
Suspension
20 complaints
Exterior Lighting
19 complaints
Wheels
15 complaints
Visibilitywiper
11 complaints
Parking Brake
10 complaints
Structure
10 complaints
Power Traintransfer Case 4 Wheel Drive
6 complaints
Seats
5 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
4 complaints
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
4 complaints
Electrical Systeminstrument Panelspeedometerodometer
3 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control
3 complaints
Seat Belts
3 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings
2 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
2 complaints
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
2 complaints
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
1 complaint
Electrical System12v24v48v Battery
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingengineoillubrication
1 complaint
Equipment
1 complaint
Equipmentotherownersserviceother Manual
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingheadlights
1 complaint
Firerelated
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly
1 complaint
Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection
1 complaint
Latcheslockslinkagestailgatelatch Plate
1 complaint
Power Trainaxle Assemblyaxle Shaft
1 complaint
Power Traindrivelinedifferential Unit
1 complaint
Power Traindrivelinedriveshaft
1 complaint
Steeringlinkagesknucklespindlearm
1 complaint
Structurebodyhatchbackliftgate
1 complaint
Structureinterior Panelsdashboard
1 complaint
Suspensionmultiple Axle
1 complaint
Tires
1 complaint
Trailer Hitches
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control
1 complaint
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System
1 complaint
Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield
1 complaint
Wheelslugsnutsboltsstuds
1 complaint