2017 Jeep Cherokee complaints

Every so often when putting vehicle in park while running or at start up I get a dash message “service shifter” and all the gear lights light up and I’m unable to shift out of park. The dealership mechanic has now looked at it three times replacing the shifting bezel, wiring harness, and shift box. The issues still happens almost daily.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, who determined that there was grease being splashed from the drive axle. The contact was informed that the drive axle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

Parking brake malfunction. Parking brake will not disengage

My parking brake goes on out of the blue and my warning lights next to the shifter are on indicating there is a problem. My mechanic cannot fix it and the dealership said there is a recall but does not have a remedy, but says it is a SAFETY ISSUE.(!) I am afraid I will get into an accident. Please advise.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the 4WD warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times in one day. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that parts to repair the vehicle were not available. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

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. It’s costing me $400+ to replace the module and $400+ to put in a new Multifunctional Switch that the dealers repair shop also states is involved with this issue. Also, it cost me $105 for the 1st tow and $171 for the 2nd and $110 for the 1st mechanic to look at it. Again, I’m a senior citizen and should not feel scared to drive my vehicle nor need to spend $800+ and an additional $386 to resolve an issue that Jeep has known about for years and is just waiting for it to kill someone before they respond!

Notification of "Service Shifter" light came on. After reading other reviews this is a common problem and not easily diagnosed. Other vehicle owners noted that the car will just stop while in drive and moving! Is this a major safety issue. Others states this is a recall item? Please advise.

Service shifter message comes on can't change gears.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to move while shifting to drive(D). The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that a snap ring had failed and caused the transmission to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

4wd light has been on along with engine light. Took it to a mechanic but and a problem with cylinder 2 came up and they checked it and everything was fine. t'll sometimes slightly roll in park before perking to a stop. While driving it'll sputter sometimes.

There are 3 things: sometimes when I go to start my jeep, it will start and cut off. Secondly: my rear back up camera keeps going in and out. I’ve had it replaced and it still goes out. Especially if it rains. Lastly, my “service shifter” light pops up randomly while I am driving and all of the lights on the gear shift will light up. It will not let me upload my videos of the screen

My JEEP vehicle currently has a safety recall. My car has been in the shop for two months with no update with the recall. My vehicle currently is in the shop and is not drivable due to the PTU failure. I am currently waiting for the recall remedy. I need my vehicle for work and it is very upsetting having to wait months for repairs.

The "Service 4WD" light came on. Upon inspection, the dealership found a problem with the power transfer unit, which lines up with the recall. I have been informed by the dealership that the replacement part may not be in until May of 2025 due to a backorder.

SERVICE SHIFTER WARNING LIGHT

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while stopped at a stop sign or at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The failure had occurred on several occasions. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the main electrical fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the main electrical fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer again and it was determined that the main electrical fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

4WD Unavailable Service 4WD. Vehicle has approximately 118,000 miles. Based on several forums this is a known issue by manufacturer.

I am not sure what is failing but I was driving on the highway when all the sudden it lost power and when I pressed the gas to try and get back up to speed it acted like there was no power at all the started to kick in very slowly. This was extremely dangerous and when I got off the highway it did it more again. I believe this would fall under the PTU recall but I've looked, and it's not listed as my vehicle is included in the recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the park(P), reverse(R), and neutral(N) warning lights were illuminated with the “Service Shifter” message was displayed. The message to depress the brake pedal to shift to neutral(N) was displayed while driving. The vehicle lost motive power while driving at undisclosed speeds or while stopped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 171,491.

I was driving my vehicle and it lost power going down the highway about 65 mph maybe 70. The power shut off on my vehicle and then it came back on but it was very dim and it say that way for till I got out of it and it was very scary my My cruise control keeps shutting off okay I'm having major problems with my transmission it slips a lot I need to know what to do about that.

I had my 2017 Jeep repaired at the mechanic on January 30. I drove it straight home from the mechanic and within five minutes the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The service provided was tires, struts control arms, and of course placing the tire sensors on the car, no electrical work and no prior incidents of electrical concerns. The car is a total loss. It started in the engine compartment. I'm sure and burned all the way through the backseat.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms part not available.

We experienced a loss of motive power while on the interstate in busy high speed traffic [XXX] . We had to attempt to maneuver the constantly slowing vehicle to the shoulder while being passed by tractor trailer drivers who were driving at full speed. Luckily 2 of them in the right lane were paying attention and swerved aggressively to avoid hitting my family and I. This very easily could have resulting in multiple fatalities. It was extremely terrifying to not be in control of the vehicle. This experience sounds exactly like the issues referenced in the recent safety recall 01C, but the FCA website doesn't show my VIN as being affected. They need to expand the VIN list to cover this vehicle and fix it. My family and I are terrified to drive this thing now, not knowing when this event will happen again. Thank you for your help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving on the highway and I lost the ability to accelerate after getting a pop noise and was forced to pull over. The car had begun to rev up on its own then I wasn't able to accelerate at all, I could hear the engine moving but the wheels weren't getting power. I had the vehicle towed to a dealership ship and authorized payment on all the necessary inspections to determine if the incident had to due with the ptu recall. The service department said it's most likely the recall but I'm out of luck because they can't officially say it is because then they works have to provide me a rental. They then tricked me into going to the dealership to look at cars that weren't there and tell me I need to call there customer service line, after almost a month of trying to get any information out of them I finally got an email back saying nothing and thanking me for being a loyal customer! The car has been out of commission for almost a month now and it's effecting my ability to do my job and live my life. I'd appreciate a rental until this is resolved but would prefer for them to buy out the pre-incident value of the car so I can move on with my life. The incident is very clearly what is stated in the recall notice for my 2017 Jeep Cherokee.

I originally reported the issue in October 2023. Repairs had recently been completed to the transmission and I have still had ongoing issues. I have seen quite a few reports of the same problem I am having. The problem is while driving, the vehicle seems to drop out of gear without warning. Most recently about 2 weeks ago it happened on a 55mph highway going uphill. I was almost rear-ended while trying to coast to the shoulder to pull off. When this happens the engine stutters and cuts off. I sometimes get the "service transmission" or "service engine soon" or "service shifter" warning after this. It looks like there is a recall for this issue for 2017-2019 model years but i have checked using my VIN and it says there is no active recall for my specific vehicle. I am fairly certain this issue is related to the recall.

My car shuts off when I go over little bumps and light comes on saying press break and shift into park. Then it doesnt start right away but eventually starts again. Also when I go over little bumps my interior lights turn on.

I financed a brand new 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk from a local dealership in July of 2017 that I now own due to a recent payoff in November of 2024. However, for the past 3 years, I’ve been getting a ‘Service Shifter’ message appearing with all P-R-N-D gear shift lights illuminated.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH, the “Service 4-WD” message was displayed. The contact drove the vehicle to a Hyundai dealer for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (POWER TRAIN). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 132,000.

My dashboard , screen caught fire from the wiring

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle suddenly seized, causing the vehicle to spin off the road. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to Modern Day Automotive, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The mechanic replaced the part with a refurbished part; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle became drivable. The contact was able to drive to the residence, where the parking brake warning light and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle and shifting to reverse(R); the vehicle made an abnormally loud popping sound. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the radiator due to a radiator leak. During the diagnostic test the engine failed, and the engine was replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 4 months later. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the radiator. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the radiator for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a warning message displayed reading "Service the shifter and 4WD." The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The Critical Fault detected warning light was illuminated. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was black, and the vehicle also lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle resumed full power function and that the instrument cluster and power steering assist returned several seconds later. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred later, and that prior to the second failure the front passenger’s side window had lowered independently. The contact stated that the vehicle returned to normal operation independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The mechanic reset several functions and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for additional assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that she had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer. The contact stated that the instrument cluster had started to flicker intermittently, as if the vehicle would lose power. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 210,000.

Went to go through a busy intersection and power transfer unit failed, almost causing an accident. A second accident almost happened when car started rolling away due to park not working. Car had no warning, it is well maintained and I had 0 indication of a looming failure. This could have been a very bad accident (intersection and when it started rolling away)

While driving less than 5 MPH in a school parking lot, the vehicle went over a speed bump and the "Service 4WD" light came on. This occurred in November of 2024. It was intermittent at first and then stayed on. At times, note some transient loss of power after this occurred while driving on freeway or on city streets. Took to the Jeep dealer to be evaluated. The vehicle was diagnosed with power transfer unit failure. The vehicle was not repaired because of the significant cost and the vehicle was not under recall. Was going to take to a local transmission repair shop and noted the recall instead that just came through on the vehicle. Have not had a recall before and was unsure if reporting this was required or not.

PTU engagement failure while driving. ‘4WD overheated’ message erroneously; PTU will not engage rear wheels. FWD worked. Happened around November 2024, brought into shop, they said I need a complete new PTU.

My 2017 has experienced multiple loss of power events( two on the highway!). The vehicle’s transmission will disengage and I will have to coast to the side of the road. My ignition is still on but have been told previously that my PTU needs replacing. I will have the amber service transmission light illuminated but only after having transmission disengage. This power failure is a extremely serious safety issue- now the local Jeep dealers have “no fix” and I am having to rent a car because of this safety issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact stated that the power transfer unit warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with power transfer unit failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

June 16, 2023 We were driving down the interstate with cruise control on and the jeep just shifted out of gear and stopped operating. It was still running, but was not operational. July 13, 2023 We towed it to the dealership in our hometown and were told that it was one month out of recall for the exact same problem. On the bill the dealership listed that the dog clutch failed and we were billed $5,563.95 to replace the PTU unit and told there was nothing Jeep would do for us. 1/15/2025 I took the Jeep back to the same dealership and now it is throwing codes for Transfer Case Motor Current- Performance or INcorrect Operation and Transfer Case Clutch Pressure Sensor-Signal Plausibility Failure. The soonest they can get it in is one month from now for further diag. Our safety was put at risk when the Jeep shifted out of gear and just stopped on the interstate with no other warning. The problem was confirmed by the dealer. I am not aware if anyone inspected the component when it was repaired in August 2023. No, there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms in 2023, but now there is a Service 4WD light on, until i took it to the service department. Then it was off, but came back on the minute the sales manager drove it off the lot.

Service shifter code being thrown, with check engine light. Code is showing the tcm malfunctioning and an impossible driver shift request. Has been happening for over a year and now a check engine light has illuminated. Dealer won’t fix due to it not being a recall

2016-17 have multiple recalls for the PTU defects. I have had the exact same problem with mine. While driving i lost all power to the vehicle after making a turn and I was unable to keep the car from rolling while in park without the aid of the parking brake. Upon inspection and removal of my PTU that I preformed myself I was able to ascertain that the splines of my PTU input shaft were almost completely warn away. I tried to reach out to FCA but they said my car was not one of those effected by the recall. Even while having the exact same problem as listed in said recall

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the "4 Wheel Drive Unstable" warning illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and at any speed and the warning was always illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

Started receiving 4 wd unstable notification. Took jeep to dealership who advised that my PTU Component was at fault. the cost is $3700 to repair. Only certain VIN numbers are eligible for repair through Jeep. I have read many complaints from other Jeep Cherokee customers that also were not covered by 2017 PTU recall. This jeep only has 71 K miles and 4wd barely used mostly highway driving.

Vehicle had PTU and Transmission replaced in May 2020 for both components failing. Was repaired at dealership under warranty. On [XXX] the car front wheels locked up and would not move. Luckily, this failure occurred during a lower speed turn. At highway speed this incident would have certainly caused an accident with catastrophic results. The car was towed to the dealership and the PTU and Transmission were bad once again. PTU has been received at the dealership but not yet installed. The car is now out of warranty and will cost about $10,000 to fix. There is a Technical Service Bulletin, TSB 21-014-23, that describes the exact issue we have. This TSB applies to cars manufactured between April 14 2014 until October 10 2016. Our car was manufactured in January of 2017. So, the dealer would not honor the TSB and fix the car. Here is a link to moparinsiders that describes the issue. [XXX] There is info in this link that indicates the manufacturing date ranges past October 2016 have experienced the same failure. Here is a small excerpt: Recall Chronology: On March 7th, 2023, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization opened an investigation into 2016-2017 MY Jeep Cherokee vehicles for potential PTU failures that experience a loss of motive power (“LOMP”) and/or park function. During March 2023, FCA US TSRC conducted an analysis of LOMP and/or loss of park function patterns associated with two-speed PTU replacements. As of April 20t

Have a problem with my call losing all power in my jeep while sitting at an intersection waiting for the light to change. Almost got rear-ended cause my car just suddenly lost power. Power finally came back in 20 or 30 seconds but I had people honking horns and I'm was frazzled. Now I have this Service Shifter error on my dashboard and the PNDR lights all are on and red..Came on Jeep automakers. Do better!!

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate and had experienced a sudden loss of power. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the power transfer unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was 107,000.

On the speedometer screen a message “service shifter” popped up on my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. Upon further research, this is an ongoing issue with thousands of jeep owners.

4wd not working and now the speedometer keeps blinking

There is a power transfer unit (PTU) issue affecting certain 2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. My 2017 Jeep Cherokee has been diagnosed with a PTU failure, which matches the symptoms of the defect covered under an extended warranty program provided by Jeep, however, my VIN does not apply to this program somehow. There is a “SVC 4WD” alert on my dash that alerted me to the issue. Because the PTU cannot be replaced, due to the part being on back order across the nation, the vehicle’s 4WD will not work. Being in southeast WI, where snowfall can become heavy, puts the lack of 4WD availability a hazard to me and my family.

Driving on the highway I was alerted with a warning on my dashboard display to "Service Shifter". At the same time all of the gear symbols illuminated red and stayed on. I did a web search regarding this issue and found this is happening to a very large number of Jeeps like mine and suggesting I fill out this form.

For about two years we have been getting a "Service Shifter" display code on the dash, red lights on all the gear indicators by the shift knob, and the service chime sound when the code comes on. At first the issue happened occasionally, and now it is on almost constantly. We have no dashboard visibility when the code is displayed and are concerned that the problem is worsening. We will be bringing it to a local Jeep dealership to run diagnostics, but are dubious of what can be done to actually fix the issue after following many Jeep forums online. So we are raising our concerns here. The FCA Service Bulletin seems to correctly identify the problem: Number: 08-103-18 Group: 08 - Electrical Date: 08/09/2018 Subject: Service Shifter Message We have observed that this is a common problem with Jeep products, especially with 2017 Jeep Cherokees. It should likely result in a recall.