Jeep Cherokee Reliability
Quick answer
The Jeep Cherokee has 5.81 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Cherokee places 25th: one of the highest complaint rates in that group. Across model years 2014–2026, owners filed 10,147 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and the engine, and NHTSA lists 43 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2015 and 2019 as years to avoid and rates 2020–2022 as better years. The 2026 model year has had less than three years on the road, so its complaint counts are still building.
By CarWhere Research · Last reviewed 2026-11-10 · Source: NHTSA
5.81
Complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022)
10,147
NHTSA owner complaints (2014–2026)
43
Recall campaigns
3
Years to avoid
Most-reported Jeep Cherokee problems
NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2014–2026, by the component owners named, filed 2014–2026. A complaint can name more than one component. The last three columns count complaints that report a crash, a fire or an injury.
| Component | Complaints | Share | Crash | Fire | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain / transmission | 5,241 | 52% | 55 | 14 | 22 |
| Engine | 2,153 | 21% | 26 | 49 | 10 |
| Electrical system | 2,018 | 20% | 25 | 34 | 12 |
| Service brakes | 652 | 6% | 35 | 4 | 9 |
| Speed control / throttle | 557 | 5% | 21 | 0 | 8 |
| Steering | 455 | 4% | 23 | 2 | 13 |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 372 | 4% | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| Body structure | 270 | 3% | 16 | 14 | 13 |
Of all 10,147 complaints, 236 (2%) report a crash, 101 (1%) a fire and 130 (1%) an injury.
For 2020-and-newer models (580 complaints), the most-reported areas are the transmission (341), the engine (84), the electrical system (69), the brakes (44).
Jeep Cherokee complaints by model year
Where problems concentrate. Year flags come from CarWhere's years-to-avoid analysis, which compares each Cherokee model year with the model's other years. The full year-by-year verdicts are on the years-to-avoid page.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,652 | 13 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2015 | 1,794 | 11 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2016 | 1,415 | 9 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2017 | 1,339 | 6 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2018 | 690 | 7 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2019 | 1,677 | 11 | Powertrain / transmission | Avoid |
| 2020 | 336 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | Better year |
| 2021 | 180 | 4 | Powertrain / transmission | Better year |
| 2022 | 52 | 3 | Powertrain / transmission | Better year |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | Powertrain / transmission | — |
| 2026(new) | 9 | 4 | Fuel / propulsion system | — |
Raw counts are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints. Years marked "new" have had less than three years on the road. — = not flagged either way.
Jeep Cherokee recalls
NHTSA lists 43 recall campaigns across Jeep Cherokee model years 2014–2026. The ones below cover the most model years (campaigns with a park advisory first). Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Model years | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23V338000May 11, 2023 | 2014–2016 | Electrical system — wiring / rear compartment/trunk | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a power liftgate. An electrical short in the power liftgate module may lead to a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.NHTSA advisory: park outside until repaired. |
| 26V290000May 7, 2026 | 2019–2023 | Powertrain / transmission | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail. |
| 18V332000May 17, 2018 | 2014–2018 | Electrical system — wiring | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300,… |
| 20V343000Jun 11, 2020 | 2014–2017 | Powertrain / transmission — driveline / differential unit | Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a two-speed Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Relative movement in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) between the differential input splines and the transmission… |
| 25V011000Jan 16, 2025 | 2017–2019 | Powertrain / transmission | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function. |
Best and worst Cherokee years
- Years to avoid: 2014, 2015 and 2019.
- Better years: 2020–2022.
- 2026: too new to judge fully; complaint counts are still building.
Jeep Cherokee years to avoid: the verdict for every model year →
What to inspect on a used Jeep Cherokee
Based on the components owners report most. None of these replaces an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Transmission: test-drive from cold through every gear, feel for slipping, harsh or delayed shifts and shudder, and ask whether the fluid has been serviced.
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: check the VIN for open recalls; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any Jeep Cherokee can be better or worse than the model's record. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
Jeep Cherokee reliability FAQ
Is the Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The Jeep Cherokee has 5.81 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold across the 2015–2022 model years. In CarWhere's ranking of 26 SUVs by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022, serious complaints weighted double and adjusted for vehicle age), the Cherokee places 25th: one of the highest complaint rates in that group. Across model years 2014–2026, owners filed 10,147 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the transmission and the engine, and NHTSA lists 43 recall campaigns. CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2015 and 2019 as years to avoid and rates 2020–2022 as better years. The 2026 model year has had less than three years on the road, so its complaint counts are still building.
What are the most common Jeep Cherokee problems?
In NHTSA owner complaints for model years 2014–2026, the most-reported areas are the transmission (5,241), the engine (2,153), the electrical system (2,018) and the brakes (652). For 2020-and-newer models, the most-reported areas are the transmission, the engine and the electrical system. One complaint can name more than one component, and complaints are unverified owner reports.
What years of the Jeep Cherokee should you avoid?
CarWhere's year-by-year analysis flags 2014, 2015 and 2019 as years to avoid and rates 2020–2022 as better years. Each model year is compared only with other Cherokee years: complaints are adjusted for time on the road, and serious ones (engine, transmission, brakes, steering, fuel system, or a reported crash, fire or injury) count double, with a smaller adjustment for recall campaigns.
How long does a Jeep Cherokee last?
In CarWhere's lifespan study, 1.2% of 16,543 used Cherokee listings in the US had passed 200,000 miles and 9.9% had passed 150,000. Among those 10+ years old, 3.7% are past 200,000 miles. Maintenance history matters more than the model average for any one car.
How many recalls does the Jeep Cherokee have?
NHTSA lists 43 recall campaigns covering Jeep Cherokee model years 2014–2026. The one covering the most model years is 23V338000 (electrical system, 2014–2016). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How do I check a specific used Jeep Cherokee?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
How we measure Cherokee reliability
- Complaints are every NHTSA owner complaint filed for the Jeep Cherokee, model years 2014–2026, across all the body-style and trim names NHTSA files them under, de-duplicated by complaint number. They are unverified owner reports.
- Complaints per 1,000 sold divides the 7,483 complaints for the 2015–2022 model years by 1,287,698 vehicles sold in the US in those calendar years (published sales figures), times 1,000.
- The SUVs ranking uses the same complaints and sales, weights serious complaints double and adjusts for vehicle age, then compares 26 models. See the full ranking.
- Year flags compare each Cherokee model year only with other Cherokee years, so they say which years to prefer, not how the Cherokee compares with other models.
- This is federal complaint and recall data, not a survey and not comparable to Consumer Reports or J.D. Power ratings. It does not estimate repair costs.
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints and NHTSA recall campaigns (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-11-10; published U.S. sales figures; CarWhere years-to-avoid analysis.
More Jeep Cherokee research
Jeep Cherokee reliability by model year: