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 2020 Jeep Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while at a complete stop at a stop light, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle shut off and lost electrical power. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. However, the failure reoccurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown repair was completed; however, the failure recurred while driving and the brake warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would follow up with him. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shut off independently. While at a stop light, the vehicle shut off. There were unknown beeping sounds and warning lights illuminated. The driver was unable to exit the vehicle. The contact called 911. The vehicle was pushed off the road by a good Samaritan. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The battery was checked by a neighbor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was low voltage in the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stopped. There was a temporary message of no bus, then the instrument panel went blank. The contact waited 10-15 minutes to press the Auto START/STOP button for the vehicle to restart. The vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed a failure with body control module (BCM). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
The systems that failed included the shifter, which causes the car to lock so that it cannot shift out of park . This is most likely due to a shifter assembly and/or sensor malfunction. Several months prior to this event occurring (i.e., the car would not start, despite a new battery and consistent scheduled maintenance), this operator of the vehicle complained to the dealership that the car started to feel tremulous, along with the gas gauge reading 30-40 miles below the expected fill on a full tank. The dealership "checked the sensors" and determined nothing was wrong. The driver has been noticing shaking and continued problems with this vehicle shifting in and out of lower gears (1st through 3rd in an automatic V6 engine). The culmination is now this car will not start, and states both 'service shifter' and 'brake sensor service' lights illuminate upon attempting to start the engine. …
2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited AWD, VIN [redacted] , approx. 111,355 miles. Reporting serious safety concern: repeated/worsening electrical system failure with intermittent loss of power steering assist. For nearly a year, Auto Start/Stop warning and battery warning lights have appeared. During episodes, power steering assist can stop working, especially at complete stops, making steering extremely difficult when stopped, parking, or pulling out. Battery, alternator, battery cables/connections, and belt have been replaced, but issue continues and is worsening. Recently while driving, radio shut off, dash/instrument cluster began shutting down, blower motor cycled on/off repeatedly, and windshield wipers slowed while raining. …
After having the issue diagnosed by an authorized service center, it has been confirmed that my PTU has failed and needs to be replaced. Upon further research, I discovered that the PTU part is recalled for vehicles manufactured between 2017 and 2019. However, as my vehicle is a 2020 model, it unfortunately falls outside of the recall window. Despite this, it appears that similar PTU failures are still occurring in vehicles manufactured in 2020 and beyond, indicating that the issue may not have been fully resolved in later models. I am deeply concerned about the safety implications of this issue, particularly the risk of losing power to the wheels while driving. This could lead to a serious accident, especially in adverse weather conditions or on the highway. As a result, I am requesting that you take immediate action to address this problem. …
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating, while the vehicle was idling, and while depressing the brake pedal. The failure was intermittent but became more frequent. The traction control warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the START/STOP button intermittently failed to start the vehicle, requiring several attempts to start the vehicle. The "A" for the Start/System remained illuminated long after the button was pressed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure might be caused by a failure of the power transfer unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I will try to answer each question: The electronic emergency brake engaged on its own at a stop light, then later while driving on the highway. Could have easily been re-ended and lost control on freeway causing extreme damage. It was a night, and driving alone. Called dealership, they said to bring it in or tow it but wouldn't be able to get to it until Oct. 20th and then if a part needed to be ordered it would be longer. I then took it to our mechanic, who said it was the electronic brake module and most likely was caused by water leak. They showed me complaint article with complaints of same thing. I notified my insurance company of same. The warning lights only came when it happened last night. 10/04/22. They are not currently on, and I only drove it to the mechanic shop where they diagnosed the problem.
The PTU failed on a well maintained 2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited. The SVC 4WD warning light came on my vehicle and the 4x4 system is not working. I took the vehicle to a Jeep dealership. The Jeep dealership looked at the issue and said I needed a new battery, which I paid a lot of money for then to install. They said the light would eventually go out. It did not. I had to bring it back and then they performed a diagnostic and inspection of the vehicle and determined that the vehicle has a bad PTU. This is a leased vehicle and I have been having to rent cars for the past month while we wait for a part for over a month. The dealership told me I could drive the car without a problem but it is such a terrible sound that I do not feel it is safe.
The engine light comes on randomly. And causes the transmission to bog down and unable to accelerate. We have to pull over and shut the vehicle off and cycle it a few times to get the engine light to come off and then it drives fine. Has happened multiple times and has happened on the highway while driving. I've also had the vehicle completely shut off while driving. I've taken it to 2 dealerships and was told there is nothing wrong with it. I'm afraid it will cause a bad accident and I'm gonna get hurt if this issue isn't resolved soon. The Dealership I bought it from Tim Witt Chevrolet in Crivitz Wi. And they took it to Riverside Jeep Dealership in Marinette Wi.
Electrical complaints in other Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2020 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, 11% of the model year's 328 complaints. The component named most often is body control module/bcm (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Jeep Cherokee electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, though it has 3 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 2020 Jeep Cherokee electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 8,000 miles, and 75% before 25,000 miles.
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.