2015 Jeep Cherokee: fire, smoke or burning smell

Filed Oct 25, 2026 · Transmission · NJ · fire

Whilst driving on the highway at approx 65mph there was a clunk from under the car, followed by lack of acceleration, smoke was coming out from under the hood. We were unable to pull onto the shoulder immediately due to highway construction. We eventually pulled over and stopped the vehicle. We immediately popped the hood to check the source of the smoke and there was a fire coming from behind the engine with visible flames. The flames were burning and we could smell a strong chemical / oil burning smell. Fortunately we had a fire extinguisher and extinguished the flames quite quickly. We were towed off the highway and our insurance then towed us home. On inspection it was determined that the transfer case (PTU) had failed causing a catastrophic failure and a fluid thermal event caused by pressurized, superheated oil directly spraying onto the scorching exhaust pipe sitting right behind the engine block, triggering the immediate underhood fire. There were no warning lights on the dashboard and the car had been meticulously maintained. As serious PTU failures are common in 2015 Jeep Cherokees, I reported this immediately to Jeep, they sent a technician to inspect and he confirmed that the transfer case had failed, causing a fluid leak ignited by the hot exhaust. There are no recalls attached to my VIN and I am fighting with Jeep/Stellantis for a repair since this is a known and acknowledged issue across this model. I had the vehicle towed to the Jeep dealership on instruction of the Jeep call center and am waiting for Jeep to inform the dealer what to do. The dealer is angry to receive my damaged car and hold it. I am extremely angry with the lack of clarity from Jeep on next steps. We could have been seriously injured / died in this incident, if there was a car behind us when this failure occurred it would have hit us.

Filed Aug 19, 2026 · Transmission · NC

While driving my 2015 Jeep Cherokee on an interstate trip, we began noticing a strong unusual odor inside the vehicle. At first, we thought we were simply driving past a paper mill or another external source of the smell. A short time later, we noticed other vehicles beginning to merge out of our lane and realized something might be wrong with our vehicle. We exited the highway and pulled over as soon as we could safely do so. We did not see any smoke or steam while the vehicle was moving. After we had pulled over and stopped, we noticed steam coming from under the hood. When we opened the hood, smoke came out and there was a strong burning smell. Because we were concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to continue driving, we did not continue the trip and the vehicle had to be towed by AAA. An independent mechanic subsequently inspected the vehicle and diagnosed a leaking Power Transfer Unit (PTU) that requires replacement. There were no warning lights, warning messages, or other dashboard alerts before the incident, during the incident, or afterward. The unusual odor was the first symptom we noticed. I later contacted Jeep/Stellantis and was informed that the required OEM replacement PTU is currently unavailable, and they could not provide an estimated availability date. As a result, there is currently no clear OEM repair timeline for the vehicle. My safety concern is that this problem developed while the vehicle was being driven at highway speeds, with no dashboard warning, and resulted in smoke/steam and a strong burning odor once the vehicle was stopped.

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Electrical · MA

My Jeep caught on fire in the area of the power lift gate control module . A fire department report was filed.

Filed Jun 9, 2025 · Brakes, Engine · TX

This vehicle is not safe to drive because it doesn't brake, it takes several seconds to reduce speed after hitting the brakes, and at high speeds it takes longer, which can put anyone's life at risk. The engine is damaged, it releases smoke and is leaking oil, and it heats up when you're moving on the freeway, which can be dangerous. The car loses power while moving. They told me that it was in perfect condition, which they lied to me, putting the lives of many people at risk. The second day after I took it out of the dealership, I realized that the engine was damaged. It started to smoke and lose power. On the road, I almost had an accident because the car didn't brake well. They sold it to me like that. They didn't want to give me the carfax and it hasn't been inspected. They told me that it was in perfect condition, which they lied to me, putting the lives of many people at risk. The second day after I took it out of the dealership, I realized that the engine was damaged. It started to smoke and lose power. On the road, I almost had an accident because the car didn't brake well. They sold it to me like that. They didn't want to give me the carfax I took it to a workshop that they had and the car continued to have the same problems. I would like provide you the video I have it’s the test the engine of the car it’s in really bad condition releasing smoke Please observe the black part of the engine cover. The upper part, if you look closely, you can see the smoke coming out. It is a less visible photo. It has the problem

Filed Jan 14, 2024 · Electrical · TX

I have a recall for the electrical system due to a possibility of fire with or without the ignition on. I've called several dealerships to get this taken care of only to be told there is not a solution yet, that their waiting lists are backed up, that they can't help me, etc., and I cannot get in touch with the manufacturer. This recall is serious enough that they recommend not to park it near any structures in case the vehicle catches on fire. Obviously, this vehicle is not safe to drive. I am wanting options in terms of replacing the vehicle which the dealerships and manufacturer are not being forthcoming with.

Filed Aug 12, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · PA · fire

On August 11th, 2023, at approximately 12:50 pm, I drove my 2015 Jeep Cherokee into my houses’ garage and parked. I went inside my house to meet an air conditioning repairman. No sooner than a minute or two had passed that I immediately heard noises coming from my garage.The noises sounded like mechanical in nature. It almost sounded like a washing machine agitating. I opened my side door of the garage and saw a plum of grey smoke billowing from the engine’s hood. Then I saw what looked like sparks and very small flames coming from underneath the front engine. Within a split second, I got into my car and turned on the ignition. I saw no lights on the dashboard indicating that I had a problem. I proceeded to pull the car out of the driveway (the garage door was already up) and exited the car as quickly as I could. Within seconds the flame grew larger. I then called 911 while waiting on the front lawn. I had 2 dogs inside the that I considered were safe. The police came first and then two fire trucks. By that point, the Jeep was completed engulfed in flames including the tires.The fire started in the front of the vehicle and worked its way back. The firemen distinguished the fire which took about 30 minutes from beginning to end. The heat from the fire melted the siding over my two car garage (garage is attached to the house) as well as the siding to right hand side of the home. Glass and debris began to catch fire and pop and spit into the yard. Let me just say that I’m a breast cancer survivor still going through treatment and was at home alone at the time when this happened as my husband was out of town. I’m not in 100% back to my old shelf. I’m absolutely in shock and devastated over the loss of the car. And I’m in more shock to think what would have happened if I hadn’t had the foresight to pull the car out of the driveway. I’m simply devastated.

Filed May 23, 2023 · Electrical · MS · fire

2015 Jeep Latitude caught fire in the middle of the night on 03/29/2023 (6 weeks before Jeep's latest recall) with the ignition off, parked in my driveway - no one in it and the ignition had been off for over 3 hours. Fire started under the driver's side tail light INSIDE the framework of the Jeep with the electrical wiring. What is jeep going to do for those of us who have already lost their vehicle because of a Jeep design flaw? (FYI, Stellantis/FCA/Mopar/Jeep are all aware of this situation, and Stellantis reply to me was they would not tell me the cause of why my Jeep caught on fire and offered no solutions to what I was facing - their response to me was barely 3 weeks before they sent out the recall so Stellantis lied from the beginning about the issue and denied all accountability since it happened before they sent the recall even though they had been "investigating" the issue for over a 6 months at least with other Jeeps)

Filed Feb 22, 2023 · Engine · 60,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a burning oil odor inside the vehicle. After a long trip, the vehicle was parked in the garage and the contacts’ wife notice smoke coming from under the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact drove out of the garage and sprayed the vehicle with a water hose. During the incident no flames were present. The contact stated that the cause of the failure was due to a faulty oil cooler which leaked oil onto the catalytic convertor caused the burning oil odor and smoking. The contact stated that the oil cooler had been replaced on three separate occasions. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Filed May 12, 2021 · Engine · 100,000 miles · LA

Tl* the contact owns a 2015 jeep cherokee. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was an odor of burning engine oil with a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact stopped to inspect smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Jan 7, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · 67,000 miles · TX

Four times within the past two weeks the vehicle has shut off. Twice while turning into a busy intersection and twice while driving down the road. The vehicle instantly stalls and entire dashboard warning lights come on. Car takes 5-20 min to restart. There's no burning smell or sputtering/stalling when car shuts off. It is dangerous and almost was involved in accidents when stalling turning into a busy intersection.

Filed Dec 21, 2020 · 96,000 miles · MN

Had a burning smell coming from my vehicle and took it in to have it looked at. The mechanic said there is a leak in the oil filter adapter. When asked if this was a common problem he said yes and had contacted the main jeep dealer in our area and they said the same as well. It breaks causing a leak which then the oil pools by the engine causing the oil to get hot and burn. The burning started after driving long enough to heat the motor. The fix is a $600 to $700 fix. The mechanic and dealer also mentioned this problem has been popping up in newer and used jeeps and is a common problem no matter how new or old the jeep is.

Filed Aug 28, 2020 · Body · 72,249 miles · FL · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2015 jeep cherokee. The contact stated that water had come in contact with the electrical elements with the liftgate. The vehicle was at the dealer dayton andrews chrysler jeep dodge (2388 gulf to bay blvd, clearwater, fl 33765 727‑799‑4539) and as they were diagnosing the issue with the liftgate malfunction the vehicle caught on fire. The dealer put out the fire and there were no injuries. No police report was filed. The contact noted there was a recall for this issue back in 2015. The vehicle was not drivable and was currently at the dealer. The contact's insurance company was to inspect the vehicle at the dealer next week. The manufacturer had not been called by the contact yet. The failure mileage was 72,249.