Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
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).
I went into a ditch hit two trees and a culvert before stopping and no airbags were deployed My 2017 jeep is a total loss lucky I didn't receive any major injuries , a laceration to my face quick need to be closed and brusing and scrapes. Mentally I am not okay know it could have been with my children in the vehicle but that day it was just myself
in august 2021 my got a service parking brake warning. took to dealership to make a appointment got more warning on the drive there for traction control,brake warning and check engine. got a appointment for later in week. asked was it OK to drive was told yes it was OK. got in car to leave and every 4 to 6 inches parking brake would lock up. tried a few times to move car but couldn't go any where keep locking brakes up. went inside told service advisor said i would have to leave it with them. called for a ride and while waiting for ride service advisor tried to move car and same thing happened to him. they replaced parking brake module. then in January 2022 left work and got service parking brake warning again then traction control also after a few miles. managed to make it home and called dealership and got a appointment for a few days later. …
E-brake service light came on and couldn't release it, so it had to be towed for a second time in 3 days. The first mechanic released it and said I would be able to drive it until I could get it to the dealership for a possible computer issue that he wouldn't be able to preform. I drove it a total of 9.5 miles after this before it did it again and I had to have it towed. This was very scary to know that the e-brake could just lock up at anytime or anywhere. I could easily get injured or killed if it happened at the wrong time or place. The dealer found that the module was full of water and needed to be replaced. This is my 3rd Jeep in almost 31 years and now I'm not feeling safe with a Jeep anymore. Why hasn't there been a recall when it's a big safety issue? I did get warning lights when it happened the 1st time and did have it towed because it wouldn't disengage no matter what I did. …
My car back in June 2025 left me stranded in the turn lane with traffic backing up after the emergency parking brake turned on without warning. I was not able to drive e my car or to release the brake and move my car. I did a thorough review of all possible reasonable switches that could have caused the malfunction. So I tried to turn off all of the warning systems. Once I did this I couldn't drive faster than 5 to 10 mph. I was able to get to a parking lot about 100 ft away. I called a tow truck, spoke with my mechanic at the local dealership. He suggested what I had already done including removing the battery cables. We did all this to no avail. He got the car then took 3 days to get it to release after opening and closing the door 10 times before starting the car again. He said I need a modulator valve. We have been waiting for over 6 months and my car is still waiting for this part. …
W84 Powertrain Software- July 30 2022 Jerry Seiner Casa Grande Dealership technicians inspected and reprogram the PCM and TCM software and closed the recall but 2 months later all the lights on my dashboard came on check engine light service shifter park brake etc. I went back to the dealership and the advisor told me to go to the dealership where I bought it from. I ended up going to Larry Miller Chrysler Jeep Avondale in Arizona. The vehicle was braking on its own while driving high speeds on the highway and while driving I almost crashed. My vehicle was in and out of the dealership many times and the technicians didnt seem to know what was wrong with the vehicle. Almost 6 months after the initial problem it seems its fixed. 01/13/2023 was the last time I had to return because the dashboard lights were turning on after driving the vehicle an estimate of 100 miles.
Parking brake on the jeep automatically engaged while driving. Had vehicle towed to dealership where a new parking brake switch was installed and programed and told it was ready to go. Picked it up and it did the same thing again and turned on the auto start stop light. Took it back to the dealership and they said water had gotten into the back area and corroded the parking brake module and the connector. They wanted to charge me $2500 to fix. I took the vehicle home and parked it and started doing research. This is a known problem that could affect 1.2 million vehicles. My jeep only has 73,500 miles on it and is regularly serviced. It's driven roughly 4 miles a day. This is a safety issue so why isn't there a recall on it. It is a defect in design not a consumer made issue.
Jeep Cherokee - Unexpected 4WD / PTU Issue Out of nowhere, my Jeep Cherokee displayed a message on the dashboard saying "Service 4 Wheel Drive." I was driving normally at the time - no impact, no off-road driving, and nothing unusual occurred beforehand. After taking the vehicle to my mechanic, I was informed that the issue might be related to the PTU (Power Transfer Unit). It seems the system failed without any warning signs. Now, every time I start the car, the same "Service 4 Wheel Drive" message reappears. There are no strange noises or performance issues at the moment, but the warning remains, which is concerning and will need further inspection.
The automatic transmission shifter transmits a warning to the instrument panel display with the words SERVICE SHIFTER. All of the red shifter console lights light up at once. The vehicle will not engage the PARK safety brake at times after parking the vehicle when the warning is illuminated. While operating the vehicle no other instrument readings are available (speed, mileage, etc). The vehicle has not yet been inspected by a dealer or mechanic and is a continuing problem. This issue first appeared one month ago and there was no other indication of a problem prior to the first occurrence.
Lost power on thruway in 2017 jeep Cherokee, light came on reading"service electronic stability control ", followed by check engine light. Car is not drivable, been sitting at dealership for almost 3weeks now, currently no remedy for safety recall, and no timeline. I have no vehicle at moment, work fulltime, and am still making payments. Was told I can't have loaner car, both by dealership, and Mopar, and am left in disbelief. Vehicle was already inspected by jeep dealership, said their certain its related to recall. My life is upside down currently, am hopeless
Electronic parking brake engaged and wouldn't release. Possibility of occurrence while driving. Problem has been confirmed by independent service center to have been caused by water leakage into the area where the parking control module is located. Water was found pooling in parking control module which corroded connecters. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone but the service center. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, 2% of the model year's 1,337 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Jeep Cherokee collision avoidance problems?
No. NHTSA lists no driver assistance 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 collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to driver assistance 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.