2017 Jeep Cherokee: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
64%
836 of 1,333 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
64% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 85% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN06/08/20261 INJURED
2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk suffered a Power Transfer Unit failure leading to sudden motive power. Vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road with a narrow shoulder. Exiting the vehicle put driver at risk of being struck by traffic. Driver had to exit the vehicle via the passenger side leading to neck injury. Not…
POWER TRAIN10/12/20211 INJURED
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH and going up a hill, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The contact stated he veered the side of the road and switched gears to park. The contact stated as soon as he exited the vehicle, the vehicle rolled down and ran over his …
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE06/25/2020CRASH1 INJURED
MY JEEP HAS ABOUT 26,000 MILES ON IT, SINCE I'VE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT, IT HAS BEEN TOWED 6 TIMES FOR ENGINE FAILURE. MY ENGINE IS BURNING THE OIL, WITH OUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SHUTS OFF. THE DEALER INSISTS THIS IS NORMAL, BUT IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR A CAR TO ABSORB OR BURN OIL. *TR
Three of 836 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a two-speed Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Relative movement in the Power Transfer …
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 …
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted duri…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Jeep Cherokee
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
