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2013 Jeep Cherokee problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
229 of 804 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2013 Jeep Cherokee. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 69% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Jeep Cherokee have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 229 of 804 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2012 scores 34% and the 2014 scores 73%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
229
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
804
this model year
Fires reported
27
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
10
23 crashes · 28 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM376 · 47%
SERVICE BRAKES152 · 19%
ENGINE106 · 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM105 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER58 · 7%
SEATS57 · 7%

The years either side

2010
38%
41 of 118
2011
38%
596 of 1,639
2012
34%
527 of 1,644
2013
30%
229 of 804
2014
73%
1,869 of 2,647
2015
72%
1,246 of 1,788
2016
66%
895 of 1,406
2017
64%
838 of 1,335
2018
63%
421 of 686
2019
73%
1,164 of 1,648
2020
72%
217 of 309
2021
74%
116 of 166
2022
77%
34 of 51
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN02/08/20161 INJURED
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND KNOCKED MY WIFE DOWN. RAN OVER HER . BROKE ARM IN 2 PLACES. CUT GASH ON HEAD. CUT 8" GASH ON ARM. RAN OVER HER LEG. DIDN'T BREAK FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. TIRE BARELY MISSED HER HEAD. CAR THEN WENT THROUGH CHAIN LINK FENCE DAMAGING CAR $ 1600.00. HAPPENED JAN. 2015. WIFE STILL IN P…

One of 229 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger17E061000 · Oct 2017

Accessible Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is recalling certain ProCharger Superchargers, model numbers AB037A-100, AB037A-100P, and A037A-100B, sold for installation on 2012-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and SRT vehicles. The supercharger mounting bracket may contact and damage the ABS line, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.

Risk: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. Owners may contact ATI customer service at 1-913-338-2886.

9 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system19V813000 · Nov 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6, 5.7, or 6.4 liter engine and previously recalled under NHTSA Recall 14V530 or…
service brakes17V572000 · Sep 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator17V435000 · Jul 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have…
electrical system: wiring15V879000 · Dec 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured December 3, 2009, to September 1, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the…
electrical system15V115000 · Feb 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured September 17, 2010, to August 19, 2013, and equipped with a 3.6, 5.7 or 6.4 liter engine, and…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator14V634000 · Oct 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010,…
electrical system: wiring14V391000 · Jul 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured January 5, 2010, through December 11, 2013. In the affected…
service brakes14V154000 · Apr 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013. The subject…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip14V104000 · Mar 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 11, 2011, through October 1, 2012. Under certain braking…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Jeep Cherokee? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee

Does the 2013 Jeep Cherokee have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 229 of 804 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total: 17E061000 (engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Jeep Cherokee years are better?

The 2013 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Jeep Cherokee years we track (30%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2013 Jeep Cherokee?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2013 Jeep Cherokee shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.