2015 Jeep Cherokee Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on multiple occasions, the brake pedal became inoperable and felt spongy while attempting to stop the vehicle. The contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to operate, and a crunching sound was heard while turning the steering wheel. Additionally, the contact stated that multiple incorrect warning messages illuminated on the instrument panel, including the Start/Stop warning message and a door open warning message. The contact stated that the failures began after the vehicle had been repaired under a tailgate recall. The vehicle was taken to another dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer advised the contact to return to the previous dealer for repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,600.

NHTSA ID

11739326

Incident

May 21, 2026

Mileage

118,600 mi

My Jeep is disabled due to a drivetrain failure covered under Jeep’s XJ1 Warranty Extension. The required part is on extended backorder (weeks) and Jeep is unable to provide a remedy or transportation while the vehicle is inoperable. This results in a safety hazard and unreasonable delay of repair. Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure under warranty extension XJ1. Vehicle is disabled and cannot be safely driven. Jeep is unable to provide the part required for repair, resulting in an unreasonable delay of remedy.

NHTSA ID

11704225

Incident

Oct 24, 2025

The vehicle suddenly started showing parking brake, traction, ABS, and check engine lights after being started. Earlier in the day, I had also started the vehicle but cancelled the errands and returned to start it later when the dashboard and warning lights came on. Putting it in reverse, the steering was stiff as if in neutral. Never left the driveway as I wasn't taking a chance in steering or braking. The battery is less than a year old. This is the second time this has happened.

NHTSA ID

11690181

Incident

Sep 25, 2025

I had an incident in 2018 with the power transfer unit in this vehicle wherein I lost all control of the vehicle while driving. The dealer repaired it at that time. However, recently I was advised by the dealer that I am likely to have the same issue because the power transfer unit needs to be replaced and is a known issue yet for some reason my specific model is not included in the recall.

NHTSA ID

11625107

Incident

May 16, 2024

A few months after i got the car, a bump feels at first gear before 2nd gear starts, its been doint it till today, a vibration started a year ago, it hasn't gone away, power steering went out year and a half ago or so, its electrical so i had to change the whole part, went car is turned off you can hear the vibration sound for a second, some mechanics say the motor mounts are worn out, who kmows. For 2015 to have theese problems? I have older cars and dont have these problems, wonder what these can be. Guess just bad car and still paying it, good thing its still runs, just hoping not to break the road.

NHTSA ID

11514977

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

Transmission has malfunctioned, will not properly shift into higher gears, when stopped is not able to be put into park. Issue started with not warnings, was driving perfectly fine before. Cruise control has failed, parking brake has malfunctioned, and power steering has malfunctioned.

NHTSA ID

11504343

Incident

Jan 29, 2023

Nearly all of the warning lights came on suddenly at the same time. Service parking brake, service transmission, service antilock braking system, service forward collision system and more. The vehicle then starts to have trouble shifting and sometimes acceleration is gone completely. I had to coast over to shoulder on the freeway multiple times. Turning the vehicle off and restarting seems to help somewhat and allowed me to get the vehicle home. Sometimes acceleration is jumpy (slowing down then speeding up again). I have had the vehicle serviced 3 times for this issue. First time they stated it was fixed with a software update. Second time they replaced a sensor inside the transmission, and the third time they replaced the PTU. All of these repairs and the $1,000+ I have paid for the repairs have done nothing to address the issue.

NHTSA ID

11438120

Incident

Oct 4, 2021

While driving my jeep forward or in reverse my jeep launches forward very hard. I have to press on the brake abruptly so that I don't hit anything. Also when accelerating my speedometer shows the numbers increasing but my wheels are barely moving then it kicks forward abruptly. When turning or going over bumps I feel a pop in the steering column and sometimes the dashboard icon with the vehicle & squiggly lines under it appears. I told my dealership but the mechanic just said there is nothing wrong with it even though I know there is.

NHTSA ID

11421403

Incident

Jun 18, 2021

SERVICE SHIFTER ERROR- WARNING LIGHT APPEARS. ALL OF THE GEAR LIGHTS ARE LIT SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEY WON'T TURN OFF UNTIL I RESTART THE JEEP (2015 CHEROKEE) ONLY TO START A SHORT TIME LATER. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION AND HAS OCCURRED ON STREETS.

NHTSA ID

11413056

Incident

Apr 20, 2021

Mileage

151,000 mi

MY 4WD UNAVAILABLE SERVICE REQUIRED LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND A LOUD KNOCKING/GRINDING SOUND AND SENSATION OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DEALER. I WAS TOLD THERE IS AN ISSUE BUT NO RECALL YET. ONCE AT THE MECHANIC, HE TOLD ME THAT MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL EXPLODED AND SHATTERED THE CASE AND THERE WAS FLUID EVERYWHERE. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL AND HE HAS PERSONALLY SERVICED VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11403653

Incident

Mar 11, 2021

Mileage

82,000 mi

WHILE OPERATING THIS VEHICLE ON A ROADWAY THE VEHICLE IS MAKING SCRAPING NOISE AS IF IT NEEDED BRAKE PADS, AND HAS HARDLY ANY BRAKING ABILITIES AND DOES NOT WAIVER IN INTENSITY OR BRAKING ABLITY EVEN WITH EXTRA PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES PEDDLE. THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS CHECKED AT A SERVICE REP. WHO ADVISED THE BRAKE PADS WERE FINE, HOWEVER THE ON BOARD COMPUTER GAVE CODES THAT THE POWER STEERING COMPUTER SOFTWARE WAS INTERFEARING WITH THE BRAKING SOFTWARE. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT I NEED TO DO THIS IS MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTERS DAILY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11397391

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

Mileage

100,000 mi

SHIFTER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY AND THEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND IT ROLLED.

NHTSA ID

11364794

Incident

Oct 16, 2020

Mileage

120,000 mi

WHEN ROAD IS WET, VEHICLE RANDOMLY FISH TAILS ON CITY STREETS AND/OR DOES COMPLETE 360 DEGREE SPIN ON THE INTERSTATE. TIRES ARE GOOD. REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING. SUSPECTED DIFFERENTIAL FAILED. WE GOT THE LEAK FIXED BUT NOISE PERSISTED. JEEP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS NOW REPLACING ENTIRE DIFFERENTIAL. WARRANTY EXPIRED AT 100,000 MILES. VEHICLE AROUND 120,000 MILES NOW. SUSPECT A DEFECT IN DIFFERENTIAL, BASED ON OTHER INTERNET SEARCHES. ALSO HAD SIMILAR ISSUE ABOUT A YEAR AGO, AND THOUGHT THAT BALDING TIRES WERE TO BLAME. OTHER SYMPTOMS INCLUDE RUBBING SOUND WHEN TURNING SLOWLY AND SHARPLY, SUCH AS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY OR TURNING SHARPLY INTO A PARKING SPOT.

NHTSA ID

11360638

Incident

Sep 9, 2020

Mileage

120,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING 30-55MPH ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE CAR LOST ALL POWERSTEERING AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON! TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE , WOULDN'T RESTART FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SET BEFORE OR AFTER NO OTHER DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS PRESENT DURING THIS TIME

NHTSA ID

11340639

Incident

Mar 12, 2020

Mileage

68,000 mi

I WAS AT A RED LIGHT TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. SUDDENLY, THE CAR STALLED. MY STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO FROZEN THAT COULD NOT BE TURNED ANYMORE. THE DASHBOARD DISPLAYED "SHIFT THE GEAR TO P". MY STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO FROZEN THAT COULD NOT BE TURNED ANYMORE. AFTER I DID THAT, I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET BUT STILL VERY SCARY DUE TO STALLING. I CHECKED ONLINE AND IT SEEMS THERE WAS A RECALL ABOUT STALLING BEFORE, BUT I WAS NOT CONTACTED BY JEEP; AND I DID NOT SEND MY CAR ANYWHERE FOR THIS MATTER.

NHTSA ID

11331873

Incident

Jun 30, 2020

Mileage

44,000 mi

SINCE 2015 WHEN THE JEEP WAS PURCHASED I HAVE HAD SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE RPMS WOULD GO UP TO 3 OR 4 AND I WAS NOT ACCELERATING THE GAS WHEN IT HAPPENED. IT ACTED LIKE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS . THE JEEP DEALER COULD NOT FINE ANYTHING WRONG AND WOULD UPDATE THE COMPUTER, IT WOULD LAST FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEN THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN. ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8TH 2020 I PARKED THE CAR IN A PARKING LOT AND RETURNED 3 HOURS LATER TO A CAR THAT WOULD NOT START , LIGHTS WOULD WORK AND THE BATTERY APPEARED DEAD. I GOT A HOTSHOT TO TRY TO START THE CAR. IT DID START BUT THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING , NO POWER BRAKES, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND THE LIGHTS WERE CLICKING OFF AND ON. THE CODE STATED SERVICE TRANSMISSION RESTART IN PARK WITH VEHICLE AT ZERO SPEED. AND WOULD CHANGE TO SERVICE PARK BRAKE. WHEN I TURNED OFF THE CAR IT WOULD TURN ON AGAIN AND IT WAS TOWED TO THE JEEP DEALER AND THEY WILL LOOK AT IT ON MONDAY FEB, 10TH. I WILL KNOW MORE AT THAT TIME.

NHTSA ID

11308036

Incident

Feb 8, 2020

Mileage

100,250 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF COMPLETELY, LOCKING THE STEERING WHEEL AND RENDERING THE BRAKES AND THE GAS INEFFECTIVE... THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING 65MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND IT SHUT OFF. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ONE ON THE ROAD, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP, SHIFT TO PARK, AND RESTART THE ENGINE... IT PROCEEDED TO HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES, NO MATTER HOW FAST I WAS DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11300868

Incident

Jan 20, 2020

Mileage

88,125 mi

I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP TWICE FOR GEAR SHIFT ISSUE AS WELL AS A BLOWER MOTOR 3 TIMES. IF I REPLACE THIS BLOWER MOTOR IT WILL BE THE 3RD IN 2 YEARS. THE GEAR SHIFTING ISSUE WAS SUPPOSEDLY JUST AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE UPON RETURNING WITH THE SAME ISSUE I WAS TOLD AN ENTIRE GEAR SHIFT REPLACEMENT WAS NECESSARY ON MY 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE. A SUPPOSED RECALL EXISTED BUT PER JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE IS WAS ONLY FOR CARS BUILD IN 2014 IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. HOWEVER IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TODAY 12/13/2019 JEEP WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY RECALL RELATED TO THE GEAR SHIFT OR ANY ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS THAT WOULD AFFECT THE GEAR SHIFT OR TRANSMISSION. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A TRACKING OF CALLS, EMAILS, REPORTING OF ALL RELATED ISSUES TO JEEPS BUILT IN 2014 LABELED AS 2015 THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE THESE ISSUES AND A RESPONSE TO HOW MANY VEHICLES NEED TO BE INCLUDED TO WARRANT A RECALL. THE VEHICLE ISSUES HAPPEN BOTH IN PARK, DRIVE, NEUTRAL AND IN REVERSE.

NHTSA ID

11288917

Incident

Nov 28, 2019

Mileage

77,000 mi

I WAS PARKED AND TRIED TO START MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT CRANK UP. TURNED IT OFF AND IT HESITATED TO START AGAIN. THEN I TRIED TO SHIFT IT INTO REVERSE, IT WAS BLINKING AND IT JERKED LIKE WHEN SOMEONE HITS YOU FROM BEHIND REALLY HARD. AS I TRIED TO REVERSE THE STEERING LOCKED AND IT HARDLY WANTED TO BRAKE. THE SERVICE BRAKE LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW AND EACH TIME IT GETS WORSE. IT'S NOT A SAFE VEHICLE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

11246238

Incident

Aug 23, 2019

Mileage

83,849 mi

IT JUMP WHILE DRIVING AND GEARS GET STUCK. AND STEREO TURNS BLANK FOR SOME PERIOD TIME . TRANSMISSION BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS SINCE DAY I BOUGHT IT

NHTSA ID

11241913

Incident

Jan 24, 2016

IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS, WHENEVER I TRY TO TURN THE WHEELS RIGHT OR LEFT IT MAKES A LOUD CREAKING NOISE. I HAD IT LOOKED AT AND HAD THE TOP TOP STRUT BUSHING LUBRICATED THINKING THAT WAS THE ISSUE ONLY TO HAVE IT CONTINUE MAKING THE SAME NOISE.

NHTSA ID

11192478

Incident

Mar 16, 2019

Mileage

36,000 mi

THE CAR STARTED SHAKING WHEN TOWING. WE HAD TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. IT SHOOK SO BAD IT SHOOK THE MOTOR HOME. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY AND TURNING TO THE RIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11166094

Incident

Nov 10, 2018

Mileage

32,000 mi

WHILE FLAT TOWING OUR JEEP LATITUDE BEHIND OUR MOTOR HOME AT 45MPH THE JEEP BEGAN TO WOBBLE VIOLENTLY. WE BOUGHT THE JEEP BRAND NEW IN 2015. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED WE NEEDED TO INSTALL A SPECIAL WIRE HARNESS. THE JEEP DEALER INSTALLED OUR TOWING PACKAGE SO THEY NEW IT WAS GOING TO BE TOWED. WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT THIS TUESDAY TO TRY AND REMEDY THIS DEATH WOBBLE AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. WE ARE LUCKY NO ONE WAS HURT. FROM DOING RESEARCH ON SOCIAL MEDIA I WAS DIRECTED TO BULLETIN KL-08-022-16. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTIFICATION ON THIS BULLETIN. NOW OUR WARRANTY HAS RUN OUT.

NHTSA ID

11152337

Incident

Nov 12, 2018

Mileage

17,800 mi

WHILE TOWING MY JEEP CHEROKEE BEHIND MY RV, I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING KNOWN AS THE 'DEATH WOBBLE'. THIS CAN BE VERY SERIOUS DANGER AS THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY RV WAS SHAKING SO VIOLENTLY, IT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. THINKING IT WAS MY RV, I SPENT $1200 TO HAVE MY RV EXAMINED ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT IT WAS MY TOWED VEHICLE, A 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE CAUSING THE MASSIVE VIBRATION. THIS CAN BE A VERY SERIOUS DANGER. THINKING IT WAS MY RV, I SPENT $1200 TO HAVE MY RV EXAMINED ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER THAT IT WAS MY 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE CAUSING THE SEVERE VIBRATION. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE? WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO REQUIRE JEEP TO MITIGATE THIS KNOWN PROBLEM? WHAT KIND OF REQUIREMENT DID JEEP HAVE TO NOTIFY ME OF THIS ISSUE? MY SECOND PROBLEM AS TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION. AGAIN, THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS ALL JEEP CHEROKEES WITH THE 9-SPEED TRANSMISSION AND IS KNOWN TO JEEP BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME THEY HAVE CLAIMED IT REQUIRED A COMPUTER UPDATE. THESE UPDATES NEVER CLEAR THE PROBLEM. WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO ALMOST A STOP, AND PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE HAS DIFFICULTY FINDING A GEAR THEN LURCHES FORWARD. AS YOU COULD IMAGINE, THIS CAN LEAD TO FATAL ACCIDENTS. WHAT RECOURSE DO I HAVE AGAINST JEEP?

NHTSA ID

11149464

Incident

Nov 4, 2018

AN ALERT MESSAGE READS "SERVICE SHIFTER" ACROSS DASH MESSAGE CENTER WHILE DRIVING. . THE GEAR SHIFT WILL LIGHT UP EVERY GEAR AND NEITHER CLEAR OFF UNLESS I PULL OVER AND KILL THE ENGINE. THE MESSAGE DOES NOT STORE IN THE "ERROR MESSAGE" REPORTING SYSTEM AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD FROM THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED FROM AS WELL AS ANOTHER THAT THERE IS NO RECALL AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE SINCE THE MESSAGE ISN'T STORED. I'M READING REPORTS OF THESE MAKE/MODELS LOCKING UP THE STEERING AND CAUSING CRASHES.

NHTSA ID

11124376

Incident

Sep 4, 2018

Mileage

90,000 mi