2016 Jeep Cherokee Engine Problems
Owners have filed 314 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 41,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “put park” (9% of reports).
- 314engine complaints
- 41,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 22%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.
- Put park: mentioned in 29 of 314 complaints (9%)
- Service shifter: mentioned in 25 of 314 complaints (8%)
- Oil consumption: mentioned in 24 of 314 complaints (8%)
- Desired gear: mentioned in 18 of 314 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 215 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 314 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Jeep Cherokee engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Cherokee | 1 | 13% | — |
| 2022 Cherokee | 8 | 16% | 105,000 |
| 2021 Cherokee | 28 | 16% | 27,028 |
| 2020 Cherokee | 46 | 14% | 14,900 |
| 2019 Cherokee | 459 | 28% | 15,000 |
| 2018 Cherokee | 155 | 23% | 28,000 |
| 2017 Cherokee | 260 | 19% | 38,500 |
| 2016 Cherokee | 314 | 22% | 41,000 |
| 2015 Cherokee | 364 | 20% | 28,000 |
| 2014 Cherokee | 516 | 19% | 40,000 |
| 2001 Cherokee | 7 | 3% | 118,500 |
| 2000 Cherokee | 12 | 3% | 133,500 |
| 1999 Cherokee | 1 | 0% | 207,000 |
| 1998 Cherokee | 4 | 1% | 146,000 |
| 1997 Cherokee | 6 | 2% | 150,156 |
| 1996 Cherokee | 4 | 1% | 223,000 |
| 1995 Cherokee | 3 | 0% | 125,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
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…
pulling out of a gas station the engine revved and accelerated without me pressing on the pedal harder. i tried pressing the brakes and they would not respond. It caused my vehicle to crash into a pole where it continued to rev until the vehicle was turned off.
Beginning in late October 2025, my 2016 Jeep Cherokee North Edition began experiencing a recurring electronic shifter and transmission malfunction. The vehicle displays a âService Shifterâ warning (with an A! with a circle arrow and the check engine light is on) and shakes violently upon…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Jeep Cherokees have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 314 owner complaints about engine for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee (22% of the 1,410 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 engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 41,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
The most frequent phrase is “put park”, in 29 of 314 complaints, followed by “service shifter” (25).
Other 2016 Jeep Cherokee problems
See all 2016 Jeep Cherokee problems or engine problems across all Cherokee years.