2020 Jeep Cherokee Owner Complaints

Fwd service light is on and my jeep keeps jerking and at times acts like it doesn’t want to go

NHTSA ID

11756429

Incident

Jul 29, 2026

Warning light SVC 4WD and dashboard message 4WD System Unavailable Service Required. Jeep Dealer found diagnostic code C14A7. Dealer checked Power Transfer Unit (PTU) operation and PTU fails to acuate. Needs to be replaced and part ordered. Time for repair could not be determined. I was told at least two months, possibly longer. In researching this issue I found there is a safety recall for PTU on 2020 Jeep Cherokees, but my VIN is not included in the recall. NHTSA Campaign Number 26V290000. I am concerned continuing to drive my vehicle and hopefully not experience a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway. Also concerned about further damage to car, i.e. transmission, if I continue to drive. Dealer told me if vehicle leaks fluids, hear grinding noises, and/or it feels like gears slipping to bring vehicle back in.

NHTSA ID

11755891

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

Service 4 wheel drive light came on. Car loses acceleration randomly. Weird winding noise. Higher than normal rpm. See there is recall for this but states mine not included. Had mechanic look at it and was told it’s the PTU. Normal issue with these. Unfortunately over 10000 on back order. Hhmmm

NHTSA ID

11755606

Incident

May 16, 2026

Sudden total loss of power steering assist while driving over a small pothole on Pearman Dairy Road. Full details, diagnostic trouble codes (U0420-00, U0010-00, U1428-00, B2309-64), and Jeep case reference 97368807 are fully documented in the attached formal PDF letter

NHTSA ID

11755280

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact was informed that there was an oil leak underneath the vehicle. The contact was unsure if the oil was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to the residence and parked, and the contact observed puddles of oil underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer stated that the radiator, engine, turbo, thermostat, torque converter, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced, and that the engine control valve was possibly stuck, resulting in oil and coolant contamination. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

NHTSA ID

11754914

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

Mileage

115,000 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel suddenly turned to the right and the vehicle became difficult to steer. There was an abnormal roaring sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact waited until the vehicle decelerated before stopping the vehicle. The contact waited for a while before being able to continue driving and coasting into a parking space. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with PTU failure. The vehicle was not repaired because parts were on backorder for 2 months. The dealer suggested that the contact not drive the vehicle until the vehicle was repaired to avoid further damage. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 111,299.

NHTSA ID

11754362

Incident

Jul 23, 2026

Mileage

111,299 mi

The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failed on my 2020 Jeep Cherokee. Started hearing grinding and roaring noises coming from the front wheels and was having trouble stopping. There is a recall already going for the same make and model but for other specific vin numbers, mine not included. The problem was inspected and confirmed by the dealer previously bought from The original warning light was ‘svc 4wd’ and came onXXX and within a couple minutes the noice and issue started. When I called the Jeep recall and warranty specialists they said they wouldn’t do anything until “the car is in an accident or myself, my [XXX] daughter or someone else is seriously injured or dies before they open an investigation” INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11754076

Incident

Jul 29, 2026

My 2020 Jeep cherokee car made a sound and seemed to lose some power a warning came on serv 4wd took to mechanic was told PTU is causing error I put my vin in and it says no recalls I have contacted Jeep Corporate who said they do not have a fix for this at this time and would email me. My husband has the same year make, and model and also has this error. I did call Jeep Corporate and spoke to a Mia who said she had no information on the issue and gave me a case #

NHTSA ID

11753847

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

error : service 4wd , I have had it to 2 mechanic shops and said ptu is causing error, parts r not available. there are recalls for this problem, but I put in my vin in and it says no recalls. please seen nhtsa recall no 26v290 or manufacturer number 40d

NHTSA ID

11753836

Incident

May 4, 2026

Ptu failure. Open recall with no fix. Jeep fixed at dealer. Plenty of time has passed since recall was opened. The only fix is to replace the non serviceable ptu. Jeep needs to stop stalling and fix the problem. I want my money back

NHTSA ID

11753412

Incident

May 31, 2026

On July 21st while making a left turn the PTU of the Jeep failed. Vehicle was towed to a Dealership and is now waiting for repairs.

NHTSA ID

11753143

Incident

Jul 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle intermittently lost automotive power and there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle independently accelerated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 330,000.

NHTSA ID

11753090

Incident

Jun 27, 2026

Mileage

330,000 mi

The PTU has failed and is causing power lose when driving.

NHTSA ID

11752712

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at 65 MPH on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); and declined to pay for the repair fee. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered partial assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ID

11752328

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

Mileage

63,000 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. 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.

NHTSA ID

11751763

Incident

Jul 21, 2026

Service 4wd light came on and lost 4wd. Took to dealer I purchased from and was told I had a PTU failure. My extended warranty through ford would cover but jeep will not sell the parts. Apparently my jeep is not in the recall for the last 10 years of ptu failures. It failed by 50000 miles but a month after the manufacture date 5 year mark

NHTSA ID

11751539

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

Pulling into gas station and power steering went out when pulling in, almost hit pump. Not only did it now need a new power steering rack but the clock spring had to be replaced to program it

NHTSA ID

11751453

Incident

Jun 22, 2026

I went to this dealership today to get my steering column control module reprogrammed. Which includes What the Dealer’s Reprogramming Usually Covers (Standard & Expected) • SCCM (Steering Column Module)programming/configuration — Loads the correct software and vehicle-specific data into the new module.• Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) calibration — Teaches the system the straight-ahead wheel position (critical for fixing hard steering and related codes).• Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) relearn — Calibrates the new sensor so the vehicle accurately monitors battery voltage/charging (helps with electrical gremlins and odometer issues). • Instrument cluster synchronization/reset — Clears the blinking odometer light and syncs the cluster with the new module. • Clearing all DTCs and running a full system scan (before/after reports). • Basic test drive/verification to confirm power steering feel, turn signals, and no lights.These are normal “post-repair setup” steps. Labor time is usually 0.5–2 hours total. I was quoted 200 dollars for this specific work to be done. They came back with codes C0051-04, C0051-64, U0420-00 which they said were codes that heavily recommended the rack and pinion to be changed but the codes that recommend that to be changed are C1592, C2217, or U0131. None of them showed. Then with the codes that they showed me they showed a low battery voltage even though I changed the battery recently, the smart battery sensor as well recently which they even said they reprogrammed for free which apparently they didn’t. They never showed me any reports of the steering control module programmed with all the parameters showing it passed or failed. They just immediately recommended the rack and pinion with the wrong codes. Go figure. Someone please help the service writer Jorge Rocha to better explain things with proper codes and the mechanic who should also be looked into for rights of worked done improperly.

NHTSA ID

11750966

Incident

Jul 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with powertrain unit failure. The contact was informed that the powertrain unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,173.

NHTSA ID

11750890

Incident

Jul 16, 2026

Mileage

93,173 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was upshifting roughly while accelerating, causing the vehicle to jerk forward abruptly. The contact stated that while releasing the accelerator pedal, the transmission downshifted roughly. The contact stated that the Service 4WD message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a power transfer case failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

NHTSA ID

11749990

Incident

Jul 1, 2025

Mileage

56,000 mi

I own a 2020 Jeep Cherokee with approximately 87,000 miles. Approximately one month ago, my "Service 4WD" light illuminated on the dashboard, and I heard a severe grinding noise coming from the drivetrain. A mechanic scanned the vehicle's computer and pulled active diagnostic fault code C14A7-97 (PTU Motor Component or System Operation Obstructed or Blocked). The mechanic cleared the code to test the system, but the C14A7-97 code immediately returned, proving a hard mechanical or electrical failure exists. This vehicle is experiencing the onset of a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure. The timing of this active malfunction perfectly coincides with the release of NHTSA Recall 26V290 (FCA Campaign 40D), which was issued just last month for 2020 Cherokees experiencing the identical PTU defect. However, my specific VIN is currently excluded from the recall list. According to the recall documentation, this component defect poses an immediate safety hazard, including a sudden loss of drive power while moving and a park roll-away risk. Because my vehicle has the exact same active fault code (C14A7-97) as the recalled vehicles, the manufacturer must expand this safety campaign to include my VIN before a full failure and a serious accident occurs.

NHTSA ID

11748244

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The contact called several local dealers. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11747668

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

My 4WD guage is displayed with a "service repair needed." I believe the PTU is defected as my vehicle never needed to engage to 4WD. My vehicle vibrates while driving, and acceleration handling is poor.

NHTSA ID

11747314

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

this is not a safety issue but not sure who to notify..The black paint on the front side window frames is peeling off real bad. Would this be a warranty issue? Thank you,

NHTSA ID

11746691

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Sometimes when I am driving and stop, the automatic engine does not turn back on. This has caused my car to stop and need to be restarted in the middle of the road and the amount of times this happens has been increasing.

NHTSA ID

11745998

Incident

Jun 19, 2026