Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. While the contact's daughter was driving and approaching a stop light, the vehicle continued to drive forward while the brake pedal was depressed. Later, while driving the vehicle experienced reduced power with the check engine warning light and the ETC warning light illuminated. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who determined that the PTU was faulty and needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 171,000.
Service Shifter light came on dash, all gears on shifter , red lights came on. I was driving at 55 mph and could tell the car wasn't accelerating and was slowing down . That's when I noticed the Service Shifter light on dash. I was in a lot of traffic and couldn't safely pull over , I was almost rear ended by the car behind me. I coasted to the side of the road and turned car off and back on . The light went off . This was yesterday , today I start the car and it starts rough ( which it usually doesn't ) and the service shifter light is back on. This is a very serious , dangerous and possibly deadly issue . I was so scared when it happened as I had no control of speed of the vehicle . I see many , many reports on this issue for several years and it shows past repairs have not corrected the issue. …
The shifter turns all red lights and service shifter appears in the warnings. There was a recall for this on certain vin #s for the same make and model but Chrysler refuses to acknowledge the wider problem effecting others. They advise you to pay out of pocket and I can't afford that. This is clearly an issue that is wide spread and the danger is unknown what can happen but I don't feel safe driving my [redacted] in a vehicle with all these warning lights. The issue started apparently 2 years ago but hadn't been addressed by my wife because she was out of work and not driving it much. We need both our vehicles safe and Chrysler needs to fix the issues that their manufacturers caused. There are so many articles and complaints about this same issue and Chrysler refusing to fix it. Please help us ensure the safety of our family until we can afford another car. …
I believe the PTU is malfunctioning and causing the transmission to slip or jerk. I am experiencing uncontrolled movement while driving. The vehicle is available at any time for inspection upon request. This puts myself and 2 small children at risk while driving, therefore my ability to use this vehicle is extremely limited and high risk. I have taken it to a jeep dealership in porterville ca who stated my transmission needed replacement. they verbally stated my ptu was ok but never confirmed it with documentation. i have taken it to private mechanics who could not find any issues saying that the problem is internal. the mechanics i have taken it to in the past year have not come to a solution other than to suggest i wait for a resolution to the recall. The service all wheel drive light came on/off about a year ago and was consistant for several months but has turned off for awhile now.
The shifting of the vehicle is erratic. Sometimes when accelerating it will not change gears, redlining before it eventually does shift, lurching the car forward. This can take an extremely long time for the car to shift like it should and is a safety concern in traffic as others are not expecting this odd behavior. It can cause issues when trying to accelerate and merge on to the highway. Multiple dealerships have indicated that they hear this from owners all the time but that Chrysler has provided no resolution. The manufacturer has refused on multiple occasions to inspect the vehicle. At 1200 miles the check engine light came on. The dealership indicated the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced but Chrysler refused to replace it.
The following occurred at approximately 10:40 am: While traveling on our way home from grocery shopping, heading west on G Ave (Kalamazoo County, Michigan, on the north side of WalMart), cruise control was set to 53 mph (55 mph speed zone). Vehicle began to accelerate up to 59 mph, well beyond speed control setting, whereupon I pushed the "Cancel" button. Engine immediately revved up to about 6000 rpm, although drive seemed to disengage (it did not accelerate further), then RPM gradually returned to normal and normal speed control resumed but not under cruise control. We returned home a few minutes later, without incidence.
While driving the service shifter warning has come on. The car will drive like it is not in the correct gear, and all the gear shift lights come on. It does not want to accelerate. If the warning comes on when starting up, the Jeep will not allow me to shift from park. It has to be shut off and restarted after waiting a few minutes. The auto stop-start no longer works. (It's the feature that helps to cut emissions that usually engages when at a signal light.). While researching, I found out that Mopar has recalled some Cherokee models, but not mine.
My 2017 has experienced multiple loss of power events( two on the highway!). The vehicle's transmission will disengage and I will have to coast to the side of the road. My ignition is still on but have been told previously that my PTU needs replacing. I will have the amber service transmission light illuminated but only after having transmission disengage. This power failure is a extremely serious safety issue- now the local Jeep dealers have "no fix" and I am having to rent a car because of this safety issue.
A SERVICE SHIFTER message appeared out of nowhere, and now all the lights turn on regardless of which gear I'm in. After a quick internet search, it appears MANY people have experienced this exact same issue with various Jeep models. It seems this is an issue the company should take responsibility for and fix with a recall. The parts to replace this faulty design are expensive, and a repair shop cost would be exorbitant.
Service shifter light comes on and all lights light up on shifter. This is a issue that I brought up about 2-3 years ago when I purchased the vehicle. Took it to dealership they replaced a cable and another part I believe. The issue is now happening again. My cruise control on the vehicle also does not always decelerate when it should and will speed up over the amount its set for.
Acceleration complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 60 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, 4% of the model year's 1,337 complaints. The component named most often is throttle (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Jeep Cherokee acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Jeep Cherokee acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 35% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.