Jeep Cherokee Problems by Year
NHTSA has 12,916 owner complaints and 58 safety recalls on file for the Jeep Cherokee, across 19 model years (1995–2026). The 2014 model year has the most complaints (2,650). The most reported problem area overall is power train.
Jeep Cherokee years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cherokee year: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2014 Cherokee: 2,650 complaints, 13 recalls
- 2015 Cherokee: 1,789 complaints, 11 recalls
- 2019 Cherokee: 1,661 complaints, 11 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2023 Cherokee: 3 complaints, 1 recall
- 2026 Cherokee: 8 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2006 Cherokee: 17 complaints, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Jeep Cherokee problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 5,516 | 19 | 123 |
| Electrical System problems | 2,257 | 18 | 26 |
| Engine problems | 2,186 | 17 | 26 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 691 | 16 | 81 |
| Service Brakes problems | 647 | 14 | 36 |
| Steering problems | 598 | 16 | 35 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 574 | 14 | 43 |
| Structure problems | 522 | 16 | 21 |
| Air Bags problems | 457 | 17 | 228 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 445 | 16 | 6 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 395 | 17 | 3 |
| Suspension problems | 317 | 17 | 24 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 259 | 12 | 5 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 208 | 11 | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 201 | 16 | 3 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance problems | 156 | 9 | 11 |
| Visibility problems | 136 | 14 | 4 |
| Wheels problems | 135 | 14 | 10 |
| Seat Belts problems | 115 | 14 | 24 |
| Seats problems | 111 | 14 | 6 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 109 | 11 | 2 |
| Parking Brake | 91 | 15 | 6 |
| Tires | 85 | 12 | 2 |
| Equipment | 84 | 13 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 84 | 6 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 63 | 14 | 2 |
| Back Over Prevention | 22 | 8 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 20 | 9 | 1 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 17 | 3 | 1 |
| Lane Departure | 15 | 6 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 9 | 6 | 1 |
| Child Seat | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Insert, Padding | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Other/unknown | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Jeep Cherokee problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2021: power train (100)
- 2020: power train (189)
- 2019: power train (821) · engine (459) · electrical system (341) · steering (120) · service brakes (100) · vehicle speed control (83)
- 2018: power train (295) · electrical system (190) · engine (155)
- 2017: power train (648) · electrical system (342) · engine (259) · vehicle speed control (60) · service brakes (56)
- 2016: power train (632) · engine (314) · electrical system (297) · service brakes (92) · vehicle speed control (76) · steering (53)
- 2015: power train (1,004) · engine (364) · electrical system (327) · service brakes (128) · vehicle speed control (120) · structure (85) · steering (59) · electronic stability control (esc) (51)
- 2014: power train (1,471) · engine (516) · electrical system (449) · fuel/propulsion system (186) · vehicle speed control (185) · service brakes (184) · steering (119) · structure (110) · electronic stability control (esc) (88) · suspension (63) · visibility/wiper (63)
- 2001: service brakes, hydraulic (53)
- 2000: service brakes, hydraulic (104) · engine and engine cooling (53)
- 1999: service brakes, hydraulic (95) · power train (53)
- 1998: service brakes, hydraulic (80) · power train (65) · air bags (52)
- 1997: fuel system, gasoline (85) · service brakes, hydraulic (62) · fuel system, other (52)
- 1996: service brakes, hydraulic (86) · power train (60) · engine and engine cooling (54)
- 1995: structure (149) · engine and engine cooling (136) · service brakes, hydraulic (77) · vehicle speed control (72)
All Jeep Cherokee model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cherokee | 8 | 4 | — | Fuel/propulsion System | |
| 2023 Cherokee | 3 | 1 | 4★ | Power Train | |
| 2022 Cherokee | 51 | 3 | 4★ | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Cherokee | 173 | 4 | 4★ | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2020 Cherokee | 324 | 3 | 4★ | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2019 Cherokee | 1,661 | 11 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2018 Cherokee | 687 | 7 | 4★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2017 Cherokee | 1,336 | 6 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2016 Cherokee | 1,409 | 9 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2015 Cherokee | 1,789 | 11 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2014 Cherokee | 2,650 | 13 | 4★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Cherokee | 17 | 0 | — | Visibility | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2001 Cherokee | 229 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Cherokee | 369 | 1 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1999 Cherokee | 366 | 2 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1998 Cherokee | 399 | 5 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1997 Cherokee | 390 | 4 | — | Fuel System, Gasoline | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1996 Cherokee | 447 | 6 | — | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | About as many complaints as other years |
| 1995 Cherokee | 608 | 6 | — | Structure | More complaints than other years |
More from Jeep: all Jeep models · Jeep VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Jeep Cherokee years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2014 (2,650), 2015 (1,789), 2016 (1,409), 2017 (1,336), 2019 (1,661) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Cherokee year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Jeep Cherokee?
Power Train, with 5,516 complaints across 19 model years.
How many recalls does the Jeep Cherokee have?
58 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.