2016 Jeep Cherokee Problems: Transmission / driveline (1,404 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee is Transmission / driveline (38% of 1,404 owner reports). There are 9 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-16 1,404 complaints · 9 recalls
What problems show up on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
535 of 1,404 filings named Transmission / driveline (38% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (177 reports).
There are 9 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Electrical and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2015 has 1,787 reports on file; this year has 1,404. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Transmission / driveline 535 complaints · 38.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 37
- Fires 15
- Injuries 27
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 535 | 38.1% | 5 crashes · 4 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 177 | 12.6% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 97 | 6.9% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 51 | 3.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 37 | 2.6% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 36 | 2.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) | 29 | 2.1% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 26 | 1.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 22 | 1.6% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 366 | 26.1% | 9 crashes · 6 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-16 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 16V284000 was reported 149 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V287000 was reported 149 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V332000 was reported 693 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V343000 was reported 1,641 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V302000 was reported 2,691 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 23V338000 was reported 2,513 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 39 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 66 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 90 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 76 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 67 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 56 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2026-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V826000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V284000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V287000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V590000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V824000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V332000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V343000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V302000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V338000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE22009 |
Safety Recalls (9)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Electrical and Transmission / driveline.
-
Recall campaign 15V826000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A short circuit in the module increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the module and connectors for corrosion, replacing the damaged components as necessary. The mastic shield will be removed and the module will be covered with a water shield. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R67. This recall is superseded by NHTSA recall 23V-338.
-
Recall campaign 16V284000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A fractured halfshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right halfshaft, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall number is S39.
-
Recall campaign 16V287000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A fractured halfshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left halfshaft, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall number is S38.
-
Recall campaign 16V590000
Safety recall 16V590000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- Loose fasteners may allow the seats to move, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupants in the event of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seats or seat sets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during September 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall S63.
-
Recall campaign 17V824000
Safety recall 17V824000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
-
Recall campaign 18V332000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
-
Recall campaign 20V343000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A loss of drive can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. A loss of the Park function can cause unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy:
- FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update that will maintain vehicle propulsion by engaging rear wheel drive and prevent rolling in Park by activating the electronic parking brake if a failed input spline occurs. This recall began July 14, 2020. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is W47.
-
Recall campaign 23V302000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy:
- FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2023. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 45A. This recall expands previous recall number 20V-343.
-
Recall campaign 23V338000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will relocate the power liftgate module and add a water shield. In addition, dealers will inspect for corrosion and replace the module and electrical connectors, if necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 1, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 49A. This recall supersedes recalls 15V-393 and 15V-826. Vehicles repaired under the prior recalls will still need to have the new remedy performed.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-16
Showing 5 of 1,404 complaints · page 1 of 57
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Warning message of 4 Wheel drive overheating and disengaging. a few minutes later a loud pop occurred, and flames overtook the engine and drive train. I pulled off the road and the fire department came and put out the fire. It is a total loss. I believe that this is a safety recall but I was never notified of any repairs needed.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
i took my 2016 jeep cherokee trailhawk to big star chrysler jeep dodge ram in webster tx. for campaign 23v302 (fca recall 45a). The first time i took the vehicle they performed the recall update on the ptu and charge me a service fee of over $200. after picking up the driving it for about a week the vehicle started stalling and actually died in the middle of an intersection twice. Then the vehicle started displaying all sorts of dtcs about no communication, 4 wheel drive not available, speed sensor not reading and so on.. So i had the vehicle parked in my driveway for a few months until i was able to take it back to the same dealership and explained to them what was happening. So after about two weeks they said they replaced my PTU and speed sensor and my vehicle was ready to be picked up and the cost was going to be over $900 . When I got there and I disputed the cost and replied absolutely not. They botched the update on the ptu that should have been fixed the first time. so they said ok well will cover the speed senor cost and I would just pay for the inspection fee. Again I disputed this cost. Then agent left and came back and told me that i would owe nothing but they could not service my vehicle anymore. Well after a week went by i heard a slapping sound in between me slowing down and the transition of me speeding back up. Well after doing some investigation/troubleshooting i found that the drive shaft that connects to the ptu (which they replaced) had play in it because i was able to move it up and down to make slapping sound i was hearing in the transition of slowing down and speeding back up. Now I stuck with an unsafe vehicle (that i took in for a recall and they did not fix properly)to drive because the big star chrysler in webster tx. blacklisted and told me they will not service my vehicle anymore and now i wait while corporate decides on what actions to take.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle was leaking fluid. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined the cause was the PTU and transmission, and there were metal flakes inside the transmission. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be removed for the repair. The dealer advised the contact not to drive the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the check engine warning light was not illuminated, and the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was towed to the residence. There was an abnormal burning odor before the failure. The customer service was contacted by phone. Upon research, the contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 102,900.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving home from work, the digital display (center)!showed my speed at 82m/h and revving the engine, the actual speedometer showed the actual speed I was doing of 32m/h…(right side of display). Computer reading lights and license plate light not working, yet they are. Took to repair shop and they could only reset, but it returned almost immediately. Gear shift malfunction. The lights on the gear shift and the alert in the display saying gear shift malfunction… all within 2 days… car has @97 000 miles…
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle suffered a complete internal failure of the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) drivetrain assembly. Authorized dealership Milford Auto Group diagnosed the vehicle on Invoice #45604 and confirmed in writing: "THE PTU HAS FAILED INTERNALLY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED".The manufacturer (FCA US LLC) issued a 15-year extended warranty campaign (XJ1) specifically to address safety hazards related to internal PTU mechanical failures causing loss of power. However, FCA US LLC and the dealership are refusing to remedy this documented defect under the warranty extension due to fault code C14A7-97, demanding $4,600+ tax out-of-pocket. Chrysler’s own internal publication, STAR Case S1721000016 Rev. A (MC-10247452-9999), explicitly confirms that fault code C14A7-97 is triggered by damage and debris on the internal PTU mode/range shaft splines and collars, requiring complete PTU replacement. Operating the vehicle with a compromised, internally disintegrated PTU creates an immediate safety hazard of sudden drivetrain lockup, loss of vehicle propulsion while driving, or rollaway risk. The manufacturer's refusal to honor their written warranty extension based on code technicalities forces the vehicle to remain in an unsafe, hazardous condition.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 535 of 1,404 reports (38%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA lists 9 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Electrical and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-16. YearTell is not a government agency.