Engine complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2022 | 8 | 16% | 105,000 miles |
| 2021 | 29 | 16% | 51,000 miles |
| 2020 | 49 | 15% | 27,000 miles |
| 2019 | 472 | 28% | 17,000 miles |
| 2018 | 159 | 23% | 29,000 miles |
| 2017 | 265 | 20% | 40,000 miles |
| 2016 | 320 | 23% | 42,000 miles |
| 2015 | 371 | 21% | 30,000 miles |
| 2014 | 524 | 20% | 40,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 12% | 36,000 miles |
| 2001 | 44 | 19% | 79,000 miles |
| 2000 | 65 | 18% | 85,000 miles |
| 1999 | 37 | 10% | 79,000 miles |
| 1998 | 34 | 9% | 106,000 miles |
| 1997 | 51 | 13% | 150,000 miles |
| 1996 | 58 | 13% | 171,000 miles |
| 1995 | 139 | 23% | 125,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2022 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and taking an exit ramp, the parking brake engaged without driver input. The vehicle stopped and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle failed to shift into neutral. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was an unknown message displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tire and auto center. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was not available.
Traveling in heavy morning traffic in inside lane at approximately 25mph, engine suddenly lost power with simultaneous 'Shift to Park' error message and brief flash of amber warning light on instrument panel. Vehicle would not accelerate when gas pedal pressed, engine only revved. Driver (myself) had to slam on brakes and quickly put car in P then back to D in order to get car to accelerate forward, narrowly avoiding multi-car collision from behind. Car is brand new '22 (owned only 6 days) with less than 600 miles total. Vehicle will be dropped off at dealership 9/11/22 for diagnostics.
The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sweet/alcohol smell in the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent while in the process of performing a stress test drive. There was a popping sound from the ignition, and it stopped on the interstate. Upon opening the hood, he noticed smoke and flames, and the vehicle fully ignited and caught fire. The fire department was on the scene to extinguish the fire and determined that the cable installation or hose installation failure of equipment/leak resulted in an electrical fire. There was no reported crash, air bag deployment, or police report filed. The local dealer was contacted, who referred to the manufacturer and the NHTSA hotline. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. …
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a turn on the same day, the failure recurred, nearly causing the contact to crash into a vehicle and to be rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had recurred on another occasion. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the four-wheel drive overheated warning light illuminated. The contact reduced the speed, and the vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that a nearby driver pulled over and informed the contact that the vehicle was on fire. The nearby driver also assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The contact stated that there were several explosions. The contact stated that the vehicle was burned to the ground. The fire department and the local police arrived on the scene. There were no injuries sustained. A Fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle was condemned to total loss. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. In addition, the case is currently under investigation. …
The contact owned a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his nephew was driving approximately 70 mph, a burning odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The driver then noticed flames coming from the engine compartment. The driver stopped the vehicle and exited. No further information was available. The vehicle was destroyed and towed away from the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and an unknown dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,000.
The contact owned a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated after parking the vehicle near her residence, she saw fire coming from the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle with her dog before the fire caused an explosion and consumed the vehicle. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The contact was not injured nor sought medical attention. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance provider. The contact called and notified the local dealer of the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
I was involved in a single vehicle accident at 5 am on October 5, 2023 on a rural road in Deland, Florida. I was on an unfamiliar road with a sharp curve and as I was trying to slow down the I was unable to slow down or steer the vehicle. It slammed into a cluster of trees and immediately the engine caught fire. I crawled out of the vehicle in pain from the force of the crash and was disoriented. A good Samaritan came to my aide and called the Volusia County Sherriff. I can remember my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude was fully engulfed in very intense flames in less than 8 minutes. It was so intense it set fire to the wooded area. This wasn't the first problem I had with this vehicle. I purchased this vehicle new from a dealer in Bowie, MD in 2019. Since that time I replaced all 4 tires due to numerous flat tires starting around 20K miles. I replaced the battery at less than 25K miles. …
Related recalls (3)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the affected engine components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2018.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 1, 2014, to June 18, 2015. The affected vehicles may have a misrouted air conditioning suction/discharge hose.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the routing of the air conditioning hose. Any hose that is misrouted will be replaced and installed correctly. This work will be performed free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fire
On October 15, 2015, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, US LLC, (FCA), submitted a Defect Information Report (DIR) to NHTSA regarding an air-conditioning suction/discharge combo line routing condition that may result in engine compartment fire in approximately 75,574 model year (MY) 2015 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines and built from October 1, 2014 through June 18, 2015 (NHTSA Recall 15V-676, FCA Recall…
Frequently asked questions
Which Jeep Cherokee years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2014 (524), 2019 (472), 2015 (371), 2016 (320) and 2017 (265) model years. Engine complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 2014.
Is there a recall for Jeep Cherokee engine problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 18V-344 (engine, May 25, 2018); 17V-670 (engine, Oct 24, 2017); 15V-676 (exhaust system, Oct 19, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Jeep Cherokee engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles; 63% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine (180 mentions), followed by the engine › gasoline (120).
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.