My vehicle’s E-brake engaged and would not released. After having it towed to the dealership, I was told that a leak into my rear storage of my spare tires occurred and shorted the E-brake electrical system! There are no visible leaks coming from within the car.
2014 Jeep Cherokee brakes problems
211 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 52,000. 10 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 211
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical mileage
- 52,000
- crashes
- 10
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Electrical: control module2
- Electrical: switch1
- Electrical1
- Antilock: ABS warning light1
- Antilock1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Jeep Cherokee brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Electronic Parking Brake Water Ingress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE22-009 after having received 80 complaints on model years 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokees alleging the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) inadvertently activated while the vehicle was in motion.During this investigation, the subject vehicles were updated to include only Model Years (MY) 2014-2016, while MY 2017-2020 were considered peers.Based on related repair invoices, ODI believed the EPB module was damaged by water leaking into the vehicle. When the EPB inadvertently activates, it can cause a stalling condition bringing the vehicle to a stop. ODI was aware of recall 15V‑393 that addresses water ingress affecting the power liftgate module on nearly the same population of vehicles subject of this investigation. The liftgate module can potentially catch fire as a result of the water damage. Both the liftgate and EPB modules are located in a similar area of the vehicle.  On May 11, 2016, the manufacturer released a Technical Service Bulleting (ODI #10191415, FCA #08-060-16) that instructs dealers on replacing the EPB module and inspecting the electrical connector for corrosion if a customer describes having the EPB not releasing.  This Preliminary Evaluation was opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. On September 8th, 2022, ODI sent an information request letter to Fiat Chrysler US LLC (FCA) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee and Peer 2017-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. FCA Provided its full response on October 27th, 2022 after ODI granted a one-week extension. ODI has reviewed the information FCA provided as well as new reports submitted to the federal safety agencyâs Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on a review of all available information, ODI has identified evidence supporting a total of 1,655 subject vehicles that likely experienced a failure of the subject EPB. Within the subject vehicle complaints, ODI identified the 2014 Model Year (MY) Jeep Cherokee as having the highest rate of failure, while also being the oldest group of vehicles in this investigation. The 2014 Jeep Cherokees that likely experienced a failure of the subject EPB represent an incident rate of approximately 0.58%. The average Time In Service (TIS) at failure was 2.6 years and the oldest failure occurred at 8.5 years in service. The 2014 population of vehicles is at 9 years in service. All other MY Jeep Cherokee vehicles (both subject and peer) within this investigation had significantly lower failure rates than the 2014 MY Jeep Cherokee. ODI has reviewed all the information available at this time, and identified four allegations of a crash, three allegations of injuries, and one allegation of a fire.Two of the crash allegations alleged injuries, and the alleged injuries were minor severity.All of the alleged injuries appeared to be consistent with hard braking and did not need medical attention. There was no supporting information that demonstrated a fire had occurred on the vehicle. In its response to ODI, FCA provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, stating that it does not believe the alleged defect poses an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.  FCA states the majority of incidents involving the EPB inadvertently activating occurred while the vehicle was stationary and that a small number of incidents occurred while the vehicle was backing up or at low speeds. This is consistent with ODIâs observations. Based on the analysis conducted by ODI, this investigation will be closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. the federal safety agency reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
PE22009
What 2014 Jeep Cherokee owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Parking brake engages while driving down the road pulled control module out and has water corrosion looked up causes and seen there was a recall/lawsuit in need of recall
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle from the sunroof, causing the parking brake to become inoperable. The “Service Parking Brake” warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the parking brake failed to function properly and failed to disengage as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the parking brake actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator lights were illuminated, and the message "Service Shifter" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to CarMax, where the contact was informed that no failure was found; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. Upon parking the vehicle in the garage and then starting the vehicle later, the parking brake unintendedly engaged and seized. The vehicle was towed to Dependable Car Care, where it was diagnosed with water intrusion in the parking brake module. The mechanic determined that the parking brake module needed to be replaced, and an electrical connector cleaning was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however, while driving 45 MPH, the failure recurred, causing the vehicle to brake hard. The message "BRAKE" was displayed. The vehicle was pulled over into a parking lot and remained in the parking lot. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,072.
My car is safely in my driveway. It only has 18,000 miles driven. It became stuck in wheel drive, greatly reducing my ability to drive the vehicle. The 2014 Cherokee is known for PTU failures in which the unit overheats or leaks fluid into the electronics, causing the system to lock in 4WD and display "Service 4WD" or "4WD System Unavailable". Will my dealership fix this problem under a past recall?
In November 2025, I recently completed a recall repair to my 2014 Jeep Cherokee (NHSTA #XXX/Jeep #49A). I picked up my Jeep and parked it and did not drive it for several weeks. In December 2025, I rented my 2014 Jeep Cherokee on Turo and within the first 24hrs of driving, the renter contacted me and told me the electronic parking brake malfunctioned when the vehicle was parked, which prevented the car from further operation. I towed the car to a mechanic who confirmed the problem with malfunctioning electronic parking brake (EPB) due to water intrusion in the rear of the vehicle, who then isolated the EPB to enable vehicle operation, and referred me to the Jeep dealership for repair. I retrieved the vehicle and dropped it off at a local Jeep dealership for assessment and repair. The Jeep dealership has confirmed that there is significant water intrusion into the vehicle rear (likely from failing sunroof, as the headliner is also soaked and damaged), where water has collected behind the plastic interior panels; and indicated the EPB module, located in the rear, needs to be replaced. I authorized this replacement/repair which was completed. My research of this issue indicates in addition to the above recall for power tailgate malfunction due to water intrusion, that the defective EPB is also due to water intrusion [XXX] ). I believe this to be highly likely since after owner and operating the vehicle daily for two years and this issue only arising immediately following the power tailgate recall repair INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was at a stop took my foot off the break to put it on the gas and we started to move and all of a sudden my emergency brake came on and stopped my car and I could not get it to go and I was in traffic no warning lights nothing it just came on by itself
Service AWD and Service Parking Brake warnings are present on the dashboard. The problem lies in a bad PTU (Power Transfer Unit) and the DTCM that controls it. Part is not available for purchase and currently back ordered nationwide indefinitely. The cost of the part and labor combined approaches to 80% of the residual value of the vehicle at 118,000 miles.
Electronic parking brake engages at random. Gauge info shows “P” with a circle warning, as well as “brake” in red. Says “4wd system unavailable”. Parking brake module has water/corrosion at connection terminal. Parking brake switch by gear shifter flashing constantly. Car will drive fine then will not move when attempting to go later, had to leave on side of road until it could be towed recently. Extremely frustrating and upsetting. This needs recalled as dealership says it costs $1000’s and requires reprogramming. Now left with a Jeep I can not drive and can not afford to fix.
Rear tires locked up in reverse. While in gear they lock up randomly. Car shut off and broke down while driving on expressway and lost control. No accident but could’ve been bad. 4x4 light on says svc. Mechanic says shows signs of new safety recall 02C? Talked to Jeep dealership and they weren’t aware of such recall on this model. Need help on who to contact and what to do.
Questions about the 2014 Jeep Cherokee brakes
Does the 2014 Jeep Cherokee have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 211 complaints about the brakes of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee, 8% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2014 Jeep Cherokee brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 52,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2014 Jeep Cherokee brakes?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Jeep Cherokee have bad brakes?
The Jeep Cherokee model years with the most brakes complaints are 2014 (211 complaints), 1991 (163 complaints) and 1990 (152 complaints).
Other 2014 Jeep Cherokee problems
Transmission 1,472Engine 524Electrical 450Fuel system 200Acceleration 185Steering 119Driver assistance 117Body 111Visibility 75Suspension 63Airbags 49Lights 47Wheels 22Seat belts 6Seats 6Locks 4
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