Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
My family and I drove from San Antonio, TX to El Paso, TX on [redacted]. In the car were 4 passengers, including a 11 month old child. At the start of the drive, a warning message that read "4WD overheated. Temporarily unavailable" was seen. The alert showed 1 time and upon a quick search online, was seemingly insignificant. It never showed up again during the drive. We did leave around 4pm so the sun was out and hot, we believed it to be a temporary warning that would not affect our drive as we did not need 4WD during the drive. The jeep did not have a lot of miles on it and was only serviced at the dealership at appropriate windows as recommended by professionals. Once we reached El Paso, a strong smell occurred. Followed shortly by fire and flames coming from the front area, under the hood, near the engine. We pulled off to the side of the road while the flames grew bigger. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used an excessive amount of effort to maneuver the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who failed to diagnose and remove the steering gear rack and pinion. The mechanic determined there was a short circuit in the electrical system for the power steering. The contact stated that the short circuit had caused the rack and pinion to burn out and fail. The mechanic then replaced the wire and the rack and pinion again. Approximately 3 days later, while driving approximately 30 MPH the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic who then brought the vehicle to the dealer who would be better equipped to repair the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the messages "Reset - Start Unavailable" and "START/STOP System Unavailable" were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact was unable to pull over, and the vehicle was pushed to the side of the road with assistance. The vehicle was restarted after a while and was driven to the residence; however, the failure reoccurred. The battery was disconnected and taken to an Auto Zone Store, where it was determined that the battery voltage was low. The contact replaced the battery; however, the new battery drained prematurely. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence, and the throttle body was replaced, but the vehicle failed to restart. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle shut off without warning. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective alternator. The contact disputed the mechanics findings and contested that the vehicle would not restart if the defect was related to the alternator. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective oil sensor. The mechanic replaced the oil sensor and the battery; however, the failure returned soon after the repair. The contact then stated that several warning lights and messages appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. …
This particular year and model of jeep has 2 recalls not registered to my VIN number related to my accident. Airbags- impact and acceleration sensors. Steering- steering rack gear. Tonight while driving my jeep to my local walmart, my steering completely quit and locked up on me causing me to go off the road, hit a speed limit sign, almost roll my vehicle, and cause possible irreparable damage that may total my vehicle all together. The impact was hard enough to cave in my whole front passenger side fender, rip my mirror completely off, dent both passenger doors deeply, bend my door frames, and almost completely tore off my rear fender. During this, my air bags did not deploy, and I know the accident was bad enough that they should have. This could have been life threatening, and could have ended entirely worse than what it did. …
The contact owned a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact parked the vehicle and went inside a restaurant for approximately 30 minutes. Upon returning to the vehicle, the contact opened the front driver's side door as black smoke poured out of the vehicle. The contact stated that all four windows were covered with black soot. The windshield was cracked. The heater vents and ignition had melted and had fallen to the floor. The dashboard and instrument panel were severely burned with several wires exposed because the contact was able to see inside the dashboard. The authorities were called, but no assistance was provided because there was no active fire. A Police report was filed over the phone. No injuries or property damage were reported. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed by the Insurance provider to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was later deemed a total loss. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH at night, the headlights turned off momentarily. Additionally, the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the instrument panel and the infotainment system screen display turned on after 15 seconds. The contact also stated that the instrument panel and the infotainment system screen display were turning off intermittently while driving. The contact stated that the forward collision system chime failed to engage while there was another vehicle in the rear proximity of the vehicle; however, the forward collision avoidance system chime engaged while driving by another vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving from a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound while shifting into 2nd gear. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a stoplight, the brake pedal was depressed, and the parking brake was activated unintendedly. The contact pressed the parking brake button, but the parking brake failed to release. The vehicle was turned off and restarted, and the parking brake released. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic to be inspected. The certified mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V917000 (Electrical System). The mechanic informed the contact that the instrument panel needed to be replaced. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. An appointment for the vehicle to be inspected was scheduled. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, where the contact purchased a new battery and had the battery replaced. After the battery replacement, the failure recurred with the messages "Service Stop/Start System" and "Check Engine" displayed. The failure persisted with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The mechanic also replaced the transfer case and the rear differential. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving up an incline, the vehicle lost power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle before the vehicle was reset and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the electrical system was rebooted because of a loosened wire inside the vehicle. Despite the reboot, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and was diagnosed with a defective alternator. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the alternator was replaced. Approximately a month after the repair, the failure returned, and the power steering assist, battery, 4WD, and other unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 61,738
Related recalls
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail resulting in a lack of activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019.
Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018…
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Electrical complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2019 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 341 complaints about the electrical system of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, 20% of the model year's 1,669 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Jeep Cherokee electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-917 (instrument cluster/panel, Dec 20, 2018); NHTSA recall 18V-524 (front underhood, Aug 9, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Jeep Cherokee electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles, and 64% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.