2016 Jeep Cherokee Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 297 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, 21% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 43,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “service shifter” (31% of reports).
- 297electrical system complaints
- 43,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Service shifter: mentioned in 91 of 297 complaints (31%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 178 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 297 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 1 an injury.
Jeep Cherokee electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cherokee | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2022 Cherokee | 8 | 16% | 300 |
| 2021 Cherokee | 23 | 13% | 45,050 |
| 2020 Cherokee | 35 | 11% | 5,650 |
| 2019 Cherokee | 341 | 21% | 12,300 |
| 2018 Cherokee | 190 | 28% | 35,250 |
| 2017 Cherokee | 342 | 26% | 40,000 |
| 2016 Cherokee | 297 | 21% | 43,000 |
| 2015 Cherokee | 327 | 18% | 30,500 |
| 2014 Cherokee | 449 | 17% | 40,500 |
| 2006 Cherokee | 2 | 12% | 23,354 |
| 2001 Cherokee | 19 | 8% | 84,280 |
| 2000 Cherokee | 44 | 12% | 85,000 |
| 1999 Cherokee | 26 | 7% | 78,680 |
| 1998 Cherokee | 47 | 12% | 128,000 |
| 1997 Cherokee | 23 | 6% | 140,000 |
| 1996 Cherokee | 43 | 10% | 134,256 |
| 1995 Cherokee | 40 | 7% | 112,600 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate; electrical system:wiring: rear compartment/trunkPark outside
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a power liftgate. An electrical short in the power liftgate module may lead to a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:software; vehicle speed control:cruise control; electrical system:wiring
Problem: 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 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate; electrical system:wiring: rear compartment/trunk
Problem: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 18, 2015, to September 10, 2015 and equipped with the power liftgate option. In the affected vehicles, water may leak into the Power Liftgate Control Module and result in a high resistance short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the module increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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/hâ¦(right side of display). Computer reading lights and license plate light not working, yet they are. Took to repair shop…
The vehicle show code B0020-13. This is a fault in the wiring system for the airbags. Caused by Jeep engineering being bad. This has nothing to do with how is driven or used and is a massive safety issue and shuts the entire airbag system down. It requires fix 10-001-20. This issue is so common…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 86,778 and at the time of the vehicle's oil change, it was discovered that on the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Jeep Cherokees have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 297 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee (21% of the 1,409 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee electrical system?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 43,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “service shifter”, in 91 of 297 complaints.
Other 2016 Jeep Cherokee problems
- Power Train problems (632)
- Engine problems (314)
- Service Brakes problems (92)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (76)
- Steering problems (53)
See all 2016 Jeep Cherokee problems or electrical system problems across all Cherokee years.