2016 Jeep Cherokee Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer
  4
• Instrument cluster/panel
  1
• 12V/24V/48V battery
  1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  4224%
• 25k–50k
  6134%
• 50k–75k
  4525%
• 75k–100k
  1911%
• 100k–150k
  106%
• 150k+
  11%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owned a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that she had parked the vehicle in the driveway near the garage of her friend's residence, and 10 minutes later, she was informed that the vehicle had caught on fire. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire from the front seats onward. The contact stated that the fire expanded to the garage, causing the whole residence to catch on fire. The contact stated that the five adults and two children, who were occupying the residence immediately exited the residence. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. The contact did not recall whether a police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was totaled. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. …

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the message "Shift to Park(P)" was displayed, and several other warning lights were illuminated on the instrument cluster. The failure had occurred while exiting a parking lot and turning left. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle stalled and stalled while accelerating and changing lanes. There were no warning lights illuminated immediately, but then several unknown warning lights were illuminated. After the vehicle had stalled, several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. During several failures, the headlights and the hazard lights were not functioning as needed. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. …

I parked my vehicle at 6pm on February 15th. at 2:45 pm I awoke to a loud explosion outside my bedroom window. There was a very large fire, and it was my car. I was in shock we could only watch from our window as the fire department arrived and put out the fire which was spreading to the carport and mailboxes near my parking spot. It also burned a truck parked next to mine. both cars a total loss. My insurance company sent someone to tow my vehicle, but the tow truck driver refused saying the vehicle was untowable, due to the massive damage. the next day a neighbor informed me that he got the whole incident on video start to finish. 'The video shows my engine igniting while off and had been parked for over 6 hours. In the video you see a small flame start under the hood near the windshield wipers. the flame then grew and grew!!!! until the car was completely engulfed in flames. …

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that on several occasions while either of her children were driving at various speeds, the transmission warning light illuminated. On one occasion, the FWD warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact added that the vehicle then lost power and did not accelerate as intended during each occasion. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted each time, after which it resumed normal driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transfer case unit needed to be replaced due to the Jeep Active Drive One. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where the contact was provided with the same diagnosis: the transfer case unit needed to be replaced due to the Jeep Active Drive One. The vehicle was not repaired. …

At approx. 49,000 miles I brought my Jeep to an authorized dealership to inspect hard shifts/skips in the transmission shifting. Dealership was unable to reproduce issue. At approx. 59,000 my vehicle was fully repaired and guaranteed from an authorized collision center (passenger side impact) when the transmission light began to illuminate. The same dealership cleared these codes without diagnosis for the issue. At approx. 71,000 the 4WD light illuminated and the dealership replaced the PTU, indicating it was "unresponsive" yet not due to collision. Days after this repair the module that communicates connection between my vehicle and the starter/alternator has gone out "inexplicably" I believe my model has faulty electrical components similar to the recalled models and I would like to raise complaints everywhere and anywhere that my issue is relevant.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate was unlocked; however. the liftgate failed to open as intended. The contact noticed a burning odor. The contact drove the vehicle for a short distance, and the liftgate opened with the door alarm and warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the EPS warning light intermittently illuminated, and the odometer was flashing. The vehicle then lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined, and no error codes were retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an unknown speed, there was smoke coming from the liftgate. Fellow motorists alerted her son of the failure as he pulled over and allowed the liftgate to cool down. The contact stated that her son was able to drive the vehicle home without further incidence; however, the liftgate failed to open. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V338000 (Electrical System, Structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle was stopped however, the odometer remained operational providing incorrect vehicle information. The contact stated that while accelerating the speedometer kept running and would not stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that vehicle was experiencing the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the gear shifter error message was permanently displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the information from the speedometer, fuel gauge and other features were not available due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced a gear shifter wire and bezel, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.

Related recalls

Electrical complaints in other Cherokee years