10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,551 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Jeep Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 3 of 24)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #425

Jun 092023

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2016 Jeep Cheroke with 75,000 miles started to show a yellow 4WD service light. It would come on and off. I brought it to a Jeep service repair center, where it currently sits, and they confirmed the PTU is NO good. Needs to be replaced at a cost of over $3,000. And to make matters worse, I was advised not to drive the Jeep because it is a safety issue! Also, there is a recall out for "certain" Jeep Cherokees, not mine, with the same exact issue! My Jeep Cherokee was manufactured during the time of the recalled Cherokees but it isn't part of this recall at this point?! I do not have $3,000 to repair a failed PTU which is part of a recall but not my jeep "yet, " but if I am driving the Jeep and the PTU totally fails, the Jeep will lose power to the wheels and it can cause an accident. Jeep knows this PTU is an issue but won't help. This is a safety issue.

- East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

problem #424

Jul 212023

Cherokee

  • miles
Alike several other report I have read on here, my service 4wd dashboard light came on. I took it to the Oxford Dodge dealership where I purchased it and was told the PTU (power transfer unit) needed to be replaced and is currently on backorder. I am concerned that 1000-??s of jeeps 2016&2017-??s had been recalled for a PTU issue, but like mine and several others on here they were not included in the recall yet her the issues arise and fear that there may be a lot of Jeep-??s needing to be recalled and that ppl-??s safety is at risk if not performed.

- Port Huron , MI, USA

problem #423

Jan 272023

Cherokee

  • miles
Transmission light will come on. Then I'll lose power. I've taken it to my local jeep shop who have said it's a bad PTU.

- Alum Bank, PA, USA

problem #422

May 032023

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

4WD Service light came on for 2 mins then would turn on off after driving for 3 weeks. Then light came on and would not turn off. Car was taken to independent auto shop and was diagnosed as a bad PTU (power transfer unit). Currently waiting for service at jeep dealership. Service wait is over 3 weeks. Car is stuck in 2wd and has no traction control even if it is stated as being engaged. Front wheels spin on slightest touch from a stop and on turns at speeds over 35 mph.

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #421

Jun 202023

Cherokee

  • miles
PTU motor failure.

- Bethlehem, PA, USA

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problem #420

Jun 142023

Cherokee

  • miles
Approx. 4 weeks ago (6/14/23), the service 4WD service light started to come on/off at random times in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee (upon starting car, putting car in reverse, making a turn and just during driving). On 6/22/23, I took my vehicle to an independent auto shop to see if they could pull a code as to the issue of the service 4W drive light and they could not pull a code to find out what the issue was. I then scheduled an appointment with a Chrysler/Jeep dealership on 7/6/23 to have them investigate the service 4WD light. I was advised that the PTU (Power Transfer Unit) needs to be replaced as metal was found inside. A new PTU has been ordered as of 7/11/23 but was advised that this part is on backorder with no ETA. Upon research, Jeep issued a recall in 2020 for 2016 and 2017 Jeep Cherokees over PTU's affecting 93K vehicles. I believe the internal recall # was 45A and the previous recall # was W47. My 2016 Jeep Cherokee (64K miles) was not a part of said recall. I believe Jeep has a larger problem with the PTU's being used in their vehicles but does not want to admit it. Upon reading the NHTSA Part 573 Safety Recall report - 23V-302 regarding the recall of the PTU's, the safety risk is a loss of motive power which can cause a vehicle to crash without prior warning. My Jeep may not have had the component parts numbers listed in said report but did the recall for the PTU's go deep enough than the part numbers listed" Has Jeep really corrected the issue with their PTU's" At this time, I do not know if I have a safe vehicle to drive. I do not know if I am putting myself and other's at risk for an unknown time period. I am concerned about the safety of driving my vehicle based on the Safety recall report.

- Aurora , CO, USA

problem #419

Jul 062023

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The SRV 4WDR light is still coming on after getting the recall work done on the PTU at the Fox jeep dealership today. A spline was replaced I think. Recall 45A. I believe the whole PTU is bad.

- Allen Park, MI, USA

problem #418

Jul 012023

Cherokee

  • miles
My "service 4wd" light continues to come on and the shop said my PTU needs replaced but my VIN number isn't part of the recalls so it's going to cost me several thousand dollars.

- Oak Ridge, TN, USA

problem #417

May 302023

Cherokee

  • miles
I just bought my vehicle and I looked it-??s been driving funny I took it to the shop they said I need my ptu fixed when I looked it up there is a recall but I don-??t understand why my car not involved in the recall when it-??s majority jeeps problem right now

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #416

Jun 012023

Cherokee

  • miles
For months now I keep having something wrong not sure whats wrong either it-??s engine, powertrain. It keeps doing different stuff. First it-??s acting like it want to dye like stall out for no reason. Sometimes it loses power like hitting the gas peddle but won-??t go engine just fires up. The other day I had issues trying to put into reverse to back up hit the gas and it just accelerated really bad but didn-??t move almost like it was stuck in gear. I-??ll be driving down road and out of nowhere my car accelerated gears to 3/4 wouldn-??t go down when i was going 40 on straight road. Took few minutes to unstick. Whatever is going on seriously needs looked into bc i am worried it-??s gonna cause me get hit. This been going on for couple years and i am about ready to trade my Jeep in for different dealer

- Antioch, TN, USA

problem #415

Jun 162023

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

PTU failure, dealer cannot effectively perform recall 45A without a whole PTU replacement, at a cost of upwards of $4000. This is a known issue with the PTUs in these Jeeps, with numerous service bulletins and recalls regarding the part. Failure of the 4x4 system has put my, and others-?? safety at risk because unreliability in inclement snowy weather conditions and forcing the vehicle into 2wd mode unexpectedly could cause loss of traction or control. The problem is well known, simply search -??Jeep Cherokee PTU failure-?? and hundreds if not thousands of other owners have experienced the same issue. The component has been inspected by a Jeep dealership/service center and confirmed to be faulty. At highway speeds, seemingly randomly, the warning message -??4WD System Temporarily Unavailable-?? would sometimes come on briefly, then go away. After failure of the part, -??4WD System Unavailable, Service Required-?? would come on persistently and 4WD was not functional at all.

- Dillon, CO, USA

problem #414

Apr 152023

Cherokee

  • miles
When I came to a stop, and turned right or left, I could hear a low "growl" in the rear.This started around April, I went for my oil change and regular maintenance on June 2 and mentioned to my mechanic about the noise. The warning light "service 4WD" was coming on. A computer check was done. It was suggested it was most likely a differential issue with the 4WD. The repairs were not done at the time. I reviewed the cost of repair/replace and also found reports of other people with the same vehicle and issue. I saw the campaign #23V-302, 20V343000, and FCA recall 45A.

- Wolcott, CT, USA

problem #413

Jun 062023

Cherokee

  • miles
While driving on the freeway transmission went out without any warning or signs. Was going 65 mph in the fast lane and engine rpm went up but speed dropped to 35 mph almost getting rear ended and barely made it to the emergency lane.

- Eastvale , CA, USA

problem #412

May 292023

Cherokee

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the -??Service 4-WD-?? warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the power transfer unit and informed the contact that the unit needed to be replaced. After investigating cause of the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Juneau, AK, USA

problem #411

May 282023

Cherokee

  • 73,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering column was moved, and the 4-WD warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the light remained illuminated until the wheel was straightened. Additionally, the contact stated that when the steering wheel was turned, a grinding sound was coming from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the powertrain control unit (PCU) had an internal malfunction and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #410

Dec 012022

Cherokee

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH or less, the vehicle was losing motive power and the vehicle decelerated and came to a stop. The contact waited several minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a banging sound coming from the transmission. The speedometer was blinking and the Service 4WD warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The failure occurred approximately 4 times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the Power Transfer Units (PTU) had failed. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V302000 (Power Train) and 20V343000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, USA

problem #409

May 262023

Cherokee

  • 90,400 miles
The contact's daughter owns 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the Service 4WD warning light was intermittently flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken a dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic discovered a failure with the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). The vehicle was not repaired. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) which he linked to the failure. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 90,400.

- Schenectady, NY, USA

problem #408

Oct 012018

Cherokee

  • miles
I don-??t as on vacation in the Smokey Mountains. I turned a corner, heard a noise and my Jeep wouldn-??t go anymore. Luckily there was a pullout near me and I coasted in. I had to walk about a mile to get a cell signal to call Jeep. A tow truck came 4 hours later and it took over 3 weeks to get repairs. The Power Transfer (a known defect) was the issue. It was replaced by Jeep under warranty. I only had a little over 26k miles on the vehicle at the time. It was dangerous because had a I been higher up in the mountains or on an interstate, it could have cost me my life. Additionally, I was alone and the Knoxville TN dealership where the vehicle was towed was absolutely NO HELP whatsoever & rude to boot!

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #407

May 262023

Cherokee

  • miles
We were told at dealership that the vehicle needs a new PTU, however, we are not under recall as of now. This looks like a widespread issue with 2014-2016 jeeps and they need to be replaced.

- Hermann, MO, USA

problem #406

May 242023

Cherokee

  • miles
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Oak Lawn, IL, USA

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