Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle randomly accelerated. The RPM had increased to a high level. The 4WD service message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, there was an abnormal dinging sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the same local dealer, where it was determined that the PTU was blocked and not working. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to immediately accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle was hesitating while accelerating. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 19,000.
In January of 2021 I was driving my vehicle out of the car wash when it suddenly accelerated on its own across a busy roadway out of the parking lot. The vehicle was going 65 MPH without my foot on the gas. I had to keep my foot on the brake to control its speed and get myself to work that way. I got the car to stop in those parking lot and put the vehicle in Park. The RPMs shot up to 5000, the Stop Start and a couple of other warning lights were on. I shut the vehicle off, restarted it and then it was fine as if nothing ever happened. After work I brought the vehicle to the dealer, they checked the OBD computer and verified that the incident happened. They replaced some sensor and everything was fine until May 20th, 2021. On that day the vehicle started to accelerate on its own again. …
When driving I experienced the loss of power when trying to accelerate. My Jeep began to exhibit a loud noise and vibration which sounded like a "Jack Hammer" being used. There was a smell like something was burning, there was jerking, grinding, making clunking noises and happened each time I was making a turn or trying to accelerate. This put my safety and other drivers safety at risk because it could have caused an accident especially with the loss of power. My wheels can lock up and this will cause me not be able to steer or have control over my vehicle. This can cause harm to myself and others which can include death of either party. I do have fluid that leaks from under the vehicle and the burning smell comes through the car vents. The problem has been reported to a confirmed Jeep dealership, Fred Frederick with no resolution because they are still unable to obtain the parts. …
The vehichle is available for inspection upon request. While driving the vehichle will lose driving power and the D on the screen will begin blinking. The gas pedal will cause the vehichle to rev, however it does not accelerate. There have been times where an engine light comes on and i will get a message to put the vehichle in park and then back in drive. However, other times the D will just blink and it will not have an engine light or warning on the screen. I have had the vehichle in the Shop five times for the same issue. The first time they changed the wiring harness for the shifter, the second time they changed the shifter assembly. The third time we switched to another dealership and they replaced the whole transmission. When it happened again the dealsership claimed it was related to the recall. …
I was driving approximately 30 mph on an exit ramp and as I pressed the gas to accelerate when I got below speed, the drive power completely ceased, started making a noise that I have never heard, almost like a baseball card in a bicycle wheel. The screen flashed a 4WD alert, and then shut off / went completely black. I could not accelerate, I could not turn the wheel at all as it locked up, and once the car finally stopped, I had to keep the break pressed because it would not shift into park. it wouldn't move forward but i was afraid if i let my foot off, it would randomly start again. A truck behind me nearly crashed into the back of my car which would have killed me. I quickly had to pull off to the right in the shoulder as my car came to a dead stop. My car was towed by AAA and brought to the nearest mechanic, as that is the only way they will tow a car. …
Hello -- My Jeep has had a repetitive issue with the Start/Stop system since I took ownership. In recent months, my vehicle has stalled on two separate occasions by completely shutting down at a stop light. First the "hood switch is open" alert comes up, then an emergency braking alert comes up, all while the vehicle completely shuts off as I am accelerating. This is extremely dangerous as it could definitely cause an accident as I'm mid-intersection. I have taken my vehicle to Jeep to complain of the issue, but they have let me know that the vehicle is not recording the error codes and there is nothing to be done. They literally send me home to continue driving it and have the stalling happen again. I have done extensive research and found that I am not the only Jeep owner with this issue. …
My svc 4wd light came on in November of 2024. Took it to the dealer same month, they said my ptu failed and they couldn't do anything for it bc the parts were jot available. They weren't available on back order even. I paid for $130 dollars just to be told that they couldn't do anything. While at the dealer after they told me this news I went and talked to a salesmen, they told me they couldn't take the jeep in on trade bc they don't know when they could get the part so they would loose money with it sitting. Recall came out on this in January 2025 and it now is February of 2026..I'm still waiting. The car is unstable and is basically worthless and a death trap in rain and is worse in snow. I got offered a rental out of my own pocket. I'm still making payments on this and I can't even fix it. The cars going to kill me and then what. Nothing. …
On saturday 3/5/22 around 2:30 pm i was driving and the engine shut off on midlle of street. No warning or any previus signs. On sunday 3/6/22 i got a low oil presure warning ligth. The safety of my family and any person around us was at risk becouse my vehicle was in movement, it could have couse an accident luckily i was driving in a street at low speed if it had happened at high speed it could be really bad. There was not an accident for police to report and today is sunday so the jeep corporation does not work on sundays, so no one have inspected the problem. Like i stated on the day after the engine shut off i got a low oil pressure warning light on the dashboard. I have read some information on internet of issues were the tiger jeep engine shuts of and couses serius accidents and i am concern for my familly safety while using the jeep. …
The infotainment screen in my 2019 Jeep Cherokee intermittently shuts off while driving. This occurs unexpectedly and has happened multiple times, sometimes while using navigation or the backup camera. On several occasions, the screen has turned completely blue and remained unresponsive for several minutes. The screen controls audio, climate, and safety features, and its failure creates distractions and limits access to key vehicle functions. This issue occurs randomly and has not been resolved. I brought the vehicle to a dealership, and was told that unless there is a recall, there is little they can do beyond basic troubleshooting. I have not received any warning messages or error codes related to this issue. The problem appears to stem from either a software malfunction or a hardware issue with the Uconnect system. The component is available for inspection upon request. …
Acceleration complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2019 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, 5% of the model year's 1,669 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2019 Jeep Cherokee acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, though it has 11 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 2019 Jeep Cherokee acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 76% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.