2015 Jeep Cherokee transmission problems

Filed Oct 27, 2026 · Transmission · CA

SVC 4 WD Warning Light always on. Several diagnostics bring me to the PTU needing replaced. I am told by the dealer that the part alone is upwards of $2500 and is a severe warning that the vehicle will just stop functioning and place a whole lot of vehicles and passengers in an unsafe situation. I am now afraid of the vehicle and am not even finding a recall for this issue that is affecting many, many vehicles of this model.

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 Oct 16, 2026 · Transmission · 175,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed on multiple occasions, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and entered Limp mode. Concurrently, a warning light illuminated with a message reading "Service Transmission." The contact stated that turning off and restarting the vehicle temporarily reset the system to normal operation; however, the failure recurred approximately 10 minutes later. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed a preliminary diagnosis and identified an internal transmission sensor failure. The independent mechanic indicated that a definitive diagnosis required extensively dismantling the transmission assembly. The failure mileage was 175,000.

Filed Oct 2, 2026 · Transmission · DE

My jeep has the PTU with the extended warranty due to known failure. Wednesday September 30th I was driving on a highway. I heard a loud bang and my vehicle slowed and stopped moving. My dash lights lit up and told me to put the vehicle in park and turn the vehicle off. The problem was it didn't want to move off the highway! If someone had been behind me I would have been rear ended with my child in the car. This is unsafe. I had the software update from the recall for this. When the PTU failed collateral damage was the rear differential. It's very scary and I thank God I wasn't on the way to one of my children's specialist appointments as instead of going on the highway I would have been on the interstate.

Filed Oct 1, 2026 · Transmission · MD

The component involved is the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) / four-wheel-drive system on my 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. The vehicle has experienced four PTU-related failures. The most recent replacement was a brand-new genuine Mopar PTU professionally installed in October 2025. The vehicle and repair records are available for inspection upon request. The failures created a safety concern because the PTU is part of the drivetrain and four-wheel-drive system, and the repeated failures left the vehicle unreliable and at times undrivable. The vehicle required towing and could not be safely relied upon for normal operation. I am concerned that another PTU failure could result in loss of drivetrain function or other unsafe operation while driving. The problem has been confirmed and addressed by both independent repair facilities and an authorized Jeep dealership. Atlantic Shift Transmission replaced the PTU and documented catastrophic PTU failure and related drivetrain/transmission damage. After the new Mopar PTU was installed, an authorized Jeep dealer performed programming, diagnostics, and approximately 91 miles of test driving, but the four-wheel-drive problem persisted. The vehicle has been inspected and worked on by independent repair facilities and an authorized Jeep dealership. Stellantis/FCA has also been notified through my warranty dispute and related communications. Warning messages and four-wheel-drive system errors continued after the replacement PTU was installed. The condition persisted through dealership programming and testing and was still present when the vehicle was released. Exact timing of every warning message prior to each PTU failure is UNKNOWN, but PTU/4WD-related symptoms and fault codes have repeatedly occurred throughout the repair history. I have repair invoices, dealership records, diagnostic information, warranty documents, and a detailed failure timeline available upon request.

Filed Sep 14, 2026 · Transmission · 132,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the transmission independently shifted to neutral(N). The power train warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with range sensor failure. The contact was informed that the range sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

Filed Aug 28, 2026 · Transmission · 144,233 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the A/C unit while in operation. The contact also stated that after starting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the vehicle shifted into neutral(N) without warning and rolled backward. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V529000 (Power Train) and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer initially informed the contact that the vehicle was included in the recall; however, the contact was later informed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 144,233.

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 Aug 6, 2026 · Transmission · MO

Slipping of transmission

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Transmission · IN

The power transfer unit (transfer case) went out as I was driving. I wasn't able to drive it and had to towed it to a mechanic. We found that later, the transfer case actuator and seals also needed replaced. Because this went out on a whim while I was driving, I had to continue through stop lights and traffic through downtown without a way to fully stop, control my speed, and was starting and restarting my car to get to where I needed to be. From what I've found, there are recalls on these parts, however not on my specific vehicle as of now. There weren't any other symptoms or warning signs before these went out. The parts have been inspected by a mechanic and are currently being replaced. Even without a recall, if I'm able to be reimbursed for any of this, it would be appreciated.