Jeep Cherokee Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Yes. Owners have filed 2,160 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014–2023 Jeep Cherokee. For the Jeep Cherokee, that's 1.27 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, 2.9× the median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2014 and 2019.
Engine complaints
2,160
Filed with NHTSA, 2014–2023 models
Per 1,000 sold
1.27
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
22%
of 9,834 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
3
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Jeep Cherokee engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014WORST | 521 | — | 19.8% | 15 | — | 67 |
| 2015 | 370 | 1.68 | 20.8% | 24 | 15V676000 | 103 |
| 2016 | 319 | 1.58 | 22.8% | 6 | — | 66 |
| 2017 | 261 | 1.54 | 19.7% | 5 | — | 35 |
| 2018 | 159 | 0.66 | 23.5% | 3 | 17V670000 | 27 |
| 2019WORST | 461 | 2.41 | 29.2% | 14 | 18V344000 | 32 |
| 2020 | 39 | 0.29 | 15.1% | 5 | — | 43 |
| 2021 | 23 | 0.26 | 16.8% | 2 | — | 31 |
| 2022 | 7 | 0.17 | 15.9% | 0 | — | 16 |
| 2023 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 6 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Jeep Cherokee engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 2,160 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Jeep Cherokee years to avoid for the engine
2014 Jeep Cherokee
521 engine complaints (19.8% of the year's 2,636). Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
2019 Jeep Cherokee
461 engine complaints (29.2% of the year's 1,581), 2.41 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving. Covered by engine recall 18V344000.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Jeep Cherokee years to avoid.
Jeep Cherokee engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Jeep Cherokee model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 18V344000 · 2018-05-25 · 2019 models
The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage. These engines may also have a reversed camshaft cap that can damage the camshaft bearing causing camshaft…
- 17V670000 · 2017-10-24 · 2018 models
The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
- 15V676000 · 2015-10-19 · 2015 models
The affected vehicles may have a misrouted air conditioning suction/discharge hose.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2014 Jeep Cherokee have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 521 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 19.8% of all 2,636 complaints for that year. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (182 complaints). 15 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2019 Jeep Cherokee have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 461 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, 29.2% of all 1,581 complaints for that year, or 2.41 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (239 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 18V344000. 14 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Jeep Cherokee years have the most engine complaints?
2014 (521), 2019 (461) and 2015 (370), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Jeep Cherokee engine problems?
In the 2,160 engine complaints, owners most often describe stalling or shutting off while driving (39.4%), misfire or check-engine light (18.1%) and oil consumption or oil leaks (12.6%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Jeep Cherokee model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration