2020 Jeep Cherokee Problems

Power transfer unit failed similar to recall on other 2020 Jeep Cherokees, though our Jeep was not covered under the existing recall.

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 unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and a case was filed.

Engine caught fire while parked

On September 23, 2026, my wife was driving our 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on I-65 South at mile marker 105.1 when the vehicle lost drive power and could no longer be driven. She became stranded on the side of the highway, and I had to pick her up. The vehicle also rolled while the gear selector was in PARK. We had it towed to Tom O’Brien Jeep dealership in Greenwood. Our vehicle is included in open safety recall 40D, NHTSA campaign 26V-290, involving the power transfer unit (PTU). The loss of drive power and rolling in PARK match the failure symptoms described in that recall. The specific mechanical cause still needs to be confirmed by the dealership. The Mopar recall lookup shows the recall is incomplete, the remedy is under development, and repair parts are not available. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. I am reporting an actual highway loss-of-propulsion incident and the vehicle rolling while in PARK. I am concerned about the risk of a crash or injury and the lack of an available recall remedy. Please document this incident under the existing recall and review the manufacturer’s response to vehicles that have already experienced these failures.

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

2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited AWD, VIN [XXX] , approx. 111,355 miles. Reporting serious safety concern: repeated/worsening electrical system failure with intermittent loss of power steering assist. For nearly a year, Auto Start/Stop warning and battery warning lights have appeared. During episodes, power steering assist can stop working, especially at complete stops, making steering extremely difficult when stopped, parking, or pulling out. Battery, alternator, battery cables/connections, and belt have been replaced, but issue continues and is worsening. Recently while driving, radio shut off, dash/instrument cluster began shutting down, blower motor cycled on/off repeatedly, and windshield wipers slowed while raining. Warnings included battery/charging, Auto Start/Stop, Service Electronic Stability Control, Service Park Brake, ABS, traction control, check engine, and Blind Spot Alerts Unavailable. Vehicle vibrated/ran rough, sounded like it might stall, then revved back up. Burning smell noted after failure and possible smoke near rear after shutdown. Vehicle was towed home due to safety risk. After tow, vehicle restarted but same warnings returned within minutes and radio/dash failures repeated. Concerned this is system-wide electrical, charging, power distribution, ground, or steering assist failure that could cause loss of steering assist, visibility systems, or safety systems while driving INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On September 23, 2026, my wife was driving our 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on I-65 South at mile marker 105.1 when the vehicle lost drive power and could no longer be driven. She became stranded on the side of the highway, and I had to pick her up. The vehicle also rolled while the gear selector was in PARK. We had it towed to Tom O’Brien Jeep dealership in Greenwood. Our vehicle is included in open safety recall 40D, NHTSA campaign 26V-290, involving the power transfer unit (PTU). The loss of drive power and rolling in PARK match the failure symptoms described in that recall. The specific mechanical cause still needs to be confirmed by the dealership. The Mopar recall lookup shows the recall is incomplete, the remedy is under development, and repair parts are not available. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. I am reporting an actual highway loss-of-propulsion incident and the vehicle rolling while in PARK. I am concerned about the risk of a crash or injury and the lack of an available recall remedy. Please document this incident under the existing recall and review the manufacturer’s response to vehicles that have already experienced these failures.

Vehicle suffered complete failure of the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) / drivetrain system, resulting in vehicle lockup, failure to engage drive gears, and automatic parking brake lockout when placed in PARK. ​The vehicle experienced its first documented PTU failure and replacement (Part #68333285AE) under warranty at 47,577 miles in November 2022. The PTU failed while we were driving 70 mph plus going down the highway. It sounded like the gas pedal was pushed to the floor even thought it wasn't then numerous dash lights came on and the vehicle came to a stop and wouldn't move. It took almost 2 months to get our vehicle back and that was only after contacting Chrysler customer care to start a care case and try to get parts expedited. The PTU failed again in April 2026. It was sounding like grinding gears when backing up and it was automatically putting the parking brake for no reason on when vehicle was put into park. After being retained by an authorized Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram franchise dealership ([XXX]) for nearly two months for warranty repair, the vehicle was released on XXX. They replaced the actuator instead of the entire PTU per Chrysler techs recommendation. We got it back and it was still automatically putting on the parking brake. ​Four days later, on XXX (after driving approximately 100 miles), the drivetrain suffered an identical breakdown, causing system faults, numerous dash lights and rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. The vehicle has remained inoperable at the dealership for over 100 cumulative day and remains there to this day. XXX ​This failure directly mirrors NHTSA Recall Campaign 26V290 (FCA Recall 40D) for 2019–2023 Jeep Cherokees with two-speed PTUs. Dealer states no factory remedy is available from the manufacturer, leaving the safety risk uncured. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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

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

In November 2024, while driving, my jeep began to lose power. Accelerator was not working and pulled over. It turned on but would unexpectedly turn off whenever I would drive it. It was in the shop 4 months. Last week, Nov 2025, while at a stop light it completely stopped working. When I tried to accelerate it wasn’t working. Break pedal was hard and I could not turn it back on. Dash lights were on and tank had gas. Had to get it towed. Was told engine was in good shape. Still looking at starter issues.

Blind spot indicator light comes on and I have no control of the windows. Speeds up to four RPMs or more no matter what speed I am going including while I'm in cruise control. Turns off cruise control while driving. All of these are random incidents but they have become more and more frequent.

On September 23, 2026, my wife was driving our 2020 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on I-65 South at mile marker 105.1 when the vehicle lost drive power and could no longer be driven. She became stranded on the side of the highway, and I had to pick her up. The vehicle also rolled while the gear selector was in PARK. We had it towed to Tom O’Brien Jeep dealership in Greenwood. Our vehicle is included in open safety recall 40D, NHTSA campaign 26V-290, involving the power transfer unit (PTU). The loss of drive power and rolling in PARK match the failure symptoms described in that recall. The specific mechanical cause still needs to be confirmed by the dealership. The Mopar recall lookup shows the recall is incomplete, the remedy is under development, and repair parts are not available. The vehicle is currently at the dealership. I am reporting an actual highway loss-of-propulsion incident and the vehicle rolling while in PARK. I am concerned about the risk of a crash or injury and the lack of an available recall remedy. Please document this incident under the existing recall and review the manufacturer’s response to vehicles that have already experienced these failures.

Issue #1: Fuel pump failure, had to completely replace the fuel pump at approx. 60,000 miles. Approx. $1,300 repair. Issue #2: Rear differential failure due to faulty/poor construction of materials, per the repair shop. Failed at approx. 63,000 miles. There was no external damage to the differential, it was caused by poor construction/defects of the materials used to build the car. Approx. $4,500 repair. Both issues are KNOWN issues with Jeeps of this model year, to the extent that I have not been able to find replacement parts due to them being in such high demand.

When I bought the jeep from the first week on air bag light won’t come on I will notice it flickers but if it does come on it’s for a few minutes and that is it. Ok next thing the seat belts up front and back almost cut you so tight you can’t move and you not even be driving and the seatbelt will just take spells that really hurt my girls don’t even like riding in it anymore. It’s been hectic with my kids and I driving somewhere due to safety concerns

I was involved in a head-on accident with another car. The airbags did not deploy in my 2020 Jeep Cherokee. This resulted didn’t some injuries to me in a driver of the other car. The other car driver airbags did deploy but my 2020 Jeep Cherokee airbags did not deploy vehicle damage was rated such that the car was totaled with heavy front damage on the driver side front.

4wd and power steering is off due to some recall issue that affects my make/model/year but for some reason my vin# wasn’t able to be repaired. Alignment is off and I constantly buy used tires

The power transfer unit, differential, spark plugs, and air induction failed. The vehicle is still having bad vibration problems at speeds above 50 mph despite $7,000 in repairs.

4wd and power steering is off due to some recall issue that affects my make/model/year but for some reason my vin# wasn’t able to be repaired. Alignment is off and I constantly buy used tires

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating, while the vehicle was idling, and while depressing the brake pedal. The failure was intermittent but became more frequent. The traction control warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the START/STOP button intermittently failed to start the vehicle, requiring several attempts to start the vehicle. The "A" for the Start/System remained illuminated long after the button was pressed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure might be caused by a failure of the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormally loud sound. The contact stated that the rear sunroof panel fractured without impact, and the shattered glass fell all over the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

I was driving to work this morning at 5:30am in the rain, heavy rain, so I had my wipers on. They were turned to high because of how heavy the rain was. All of a sudden the wipers went crazy and the drivers side wiper was hanging off the side of the car still trying to wipe. I immediately lost visibility and tried to move off the highway. I was struggling to see where the road was. I ended up off pavement at one point and I believe that's where I picked up the screw in my tire that made my tire go flat. I was luckily near an exit, but now leaning into the passenger side of the car trying to see and find a safe place to get off the road. This could've gone very badly I was lucky and blessed it did not. I took my Jeep to the service department at the dealership where the gentleman helping stated he's seen this a lot. He said there hasn't been a recall on the Cherokee only the truck, but he's seen it happening in a lot of vehicles. Evidently the screws come loose. If this is a common problem there needs to be a recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that on several occasions, after driving for several miles, the temperature gauge remained at HOT(H). The vehicle was steered to the side of the road each time and turned off for 10 minutes before restarting. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was a malfunction in the active grill system that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The paint on the passenger door panel close to window is peeling off it should not be doing this with it being 3 years old

The power transfer unit went out of car at 67000 miles (just out of warranty). Haven't got fixed due to expensive. Now has 144000 miles on it and still not fixed. Noticed there were other recalls but mine wasn't part of it yet PTU went out.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating, while the vehicle was idling, and while depressing the brake pedal. The failure was intermittent but became more frequent. The traction control warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the START/STOP button intermittently failed to start the vehicle, requiring several attempts to start the vehicle. The "A" for the Start/System remained illuminated long after the button was pressed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure might be caused by a failure of the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

1. This is not a safety issue. This is a cosmetic issue. 2. Not applicable to warning lights. 3. General Issue: Bottom portion of drivers seat, reported to be leather, is peeling. This peeling is discoloring the seat and shows signs that it will continue over the entire seat. Never before have I seen this issue with leather seats (in many previous vehicles), including other Jeep vehicles. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Jeep dealer and they provided me an estimate including labor to be more than $1000. This peeling is of course, a cosmetic issue, but it looks awful and should not happen on a Jeep that is only 4 years old and has been gently taken care of. I realize this is a "wear and tear" issue, however there is no over-use - only usual getting in and out of the car. Leather should wear much longer and should not peel over time.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2020 JEEP CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 69 MPH IN WINDY WEATHER AND PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE HOOD INADVERTENTLY UNLATCHED. THE HOOD AJAR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ALLEN SAMUELS CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM OF HUTCHINSON (1421 E 30TH AVE, HUTCHINSON, KS 67502, (620) 665-5567) AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS FLEX HOOD AND WORKING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MARMIE CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM (1724 10TH ST, GREAT BEND, KS 67530, (620) 792-2571) WHERE THE HOOD WAS ADJUSTED AND THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED HOWEVER, NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,900.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the transmission was failing and was slipping between 3rd and 4th gear. Additionally, the contact stated that the torque converter was also failing. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an abnormally sharp chirping metal-on-metal and a rumbling sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact speculated that the manufacturer was attempting to allow the warranty to expire. The contact was concerned that the warning lights were not activating as expected during the failure. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission and the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called another local dealer, Premier Cape Cod Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, A Premier Company at (556 Yarmouth Rd, Hyannis, MA 02601), but no additional assistance was provided. The manufacturer was contacted and declined the repairs and referred the contact to another dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 50 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle began to decelerate independently while making an abnormal sound. The contact stated that the 4WD Auto warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to her destination. The contact also stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle shifted out of park(P) into neutral(N). The contact took the vehicle to an unknown local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,201.

ESC LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY, CONDENSATION IN BOTH BODY SIDE TAIL LIGHTS ,SWITCHING FROM DEFROST TO A/C WARM AIR BLOWS TO FLOOR (SET AT 70),THEN I CHANGE TO FRONT VENTS WARM AIR CONTINUES ,THEN TRY TO SET ON AUTO AND NOTHINGS BLOWS OUT, THEN TURN TO A/C AGAIN AND IT GOES TO WARM DEFROST. FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SPEAKER RANDOMLY GOES OUT