There is a whining noise when I am driving down the road for anywhere between 3-6 minutes usually then it stops. Then mainly when I start after a stop it start up again. Once in a while it will just start whining at any spped. I took it in to get serviced as my srv4whdrv light came on. Dealership where I bought the 2016 cherokee latitude in sept. 2015 told me I need a ptu unit. Cost of about $3500.00. Issue is they told me they have had one on order since april 2025 for another customer and part is still on back order. I looked on jeep/mopar forums and this seems to be a very common issue. Are there no recalls on it. Noise started roughly in july of 2025, and while getting oil changed at dealership I spoke to service rep and he said there should be no issues driving it around 63000 miles. Now that the light came on--68000 miles--I wanted to get it looked at. Service person advised me to trade it in for another vehicle. I do not want to trade it in. Please advise on availabilty of getting relacement part or where to begin to find one. I like my jeep it has been a dependable vehicle, but with the common occurance I saw on the forums questions are starting to rise on the dependability. Please adivse/respond on anything you can or if there will be a recall coming out for this issue. Thank you [xxx] email- [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
2016 Jeep Cherokee transmission complaints
Page 3 of 22: complaints 41 to 70 of 638, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Transmission now won’t go into gear and is making a rattling noise when the vehicle gets turned on.
My Jeep has had 3 PTU replaced in its life, the third one has failed and I'm now left either putting in a 4th or junking it, either way I take a loss. The 2nd PTU failed over a long period of time, the 3rd PTU failed a week past my 1 year warranty coverage and it did so abruptly. I have written in before regarding this vehicle but I write again due to the danger of this failure. The PTU rattled, grinded before seizing all tires and motion. I was lucky by myself and my child wasn't present and that I wasn't on the interstate (had gotten off moments before it failed) and in a quiet neighborhood. I lost all momentum forward even giving it gas. Had I stopped abruptly on 380, going 60 mph... I would have rolled the vehicle or another would have rear ended me and I might not be here today. When my father and brother arrived on the scene we had to push it while I laid on the gas to unlock the wheels and then delicately maneuver it closer to the curb. The grinding occurs in both neutral and drive. There were no warning lights, no prior indication of failure. Insurance doesn't cover this because I wasn't in an accident either time, there are no warranties left, I still owe on my vehicle and repairs will cost more than the vehicle is worth. I was quoted $9,000 to have it replaced plus no ETA on when they could get the part in. Not only can I not afford to replace at that cost vs vehicle value, I wouldn't have mode of transportation for who knows how long. I missed the original manufactures recall by months, yet my vehicle has had more PTU's than one should ever have. If I could get a message back regarding this situation, ASAP that would be great.
Axle, driveshaft, and differential concern. The 4x4 warning light came on the dash and the four-wheel-drive system stopped functioning properly. Dealer diagnosed a failing PTU (Power Transfer Unit) and recommended installing an SOP PTU unit. Symptoms included grinding, vibration, and inconsistent 4x4 engagement, creating a safety concern during normal driving. Mileage at time of replacement (lights on dash 500 miles prior) : 49,536. Total repair cost: $2,416
Driving on freeway October of 2025 and PTU failed causing loss of power and electronic emergency brake engagement. There were no previous indications or warnings with vehicle prior to total loss of propulsion. Vehicle is at jeep dealership in Gaylord Michigan not repaired. Fortunate there was shoulder on right I was able to swerve into and stopped without collision as vehicles sped by at high rates of speed. Towed to dealership where purchased, Serra Ford Gaylord Michigan in August 2025, diagnostics revealed PTU failure. Serra Ford advised could not perform warranty repairs as not jeep dealership. Towed to jeep dealership, Snethcamp Jeep Gaylord Michigan, who advised not warrantied in United States as Canadian vehicle. Snethcamp Jeep diagnosed PTU failure. FCA Canada denied claim 94684480 and advised vehicle not registered to Canadian citizen. Chrysler Customer Service US denied claim 94727687 and advised this is a Canadian vehicle. Recall was performed on PTU, recall number 45A, April 24, 2025. Ordered replacement OEM parts through Snethcamp Jeep and was advised 400 units on back order with no replacement parts in stock and wait would be approximately four months.
Known for having bad transmission issues. Having bad transmission issues
The car had been showing a message to service the 4-wheel drive. We took it to a Mechanic and they told me that there was a Code: C14A7-97 pointing to the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Incident: While accelerating, the vehicle momentarily would loose power to abruptly regain it, providing a very unstable ride. Recently when it went into a "sleep mode" stopped at the red light at a busy intersection, when the light changed to green the engine was unresponsive when I accelerated and the car wasn't moving at all, and the engine wouldn't "wake up" either. I had to turn off the engine and turn it back on, before the car sluggishly started to move, and then again abruptly accelerated.
Unknown was traveling twenty five miles an hour heard a lot of thumping.Noises took it to the dealership Ptu is bad
4WD disabled, service required light came on. After taking my jeep in for inspection I was told I need a new Transfer Case
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to shift the gear shifter, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The steering and transmission were slipping intermittently. The Service 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the battery cable was faulty and needed to be replaced. The battery cables were replaced. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer stated that the repair was not covered under a recall or under warranty, despite having unlimited coverage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Vehicle is stalling out. While driving down the road any accelaration is fine but when stopped at a stop sign/light and you give the vehicle throttle from a dead stop or rolling stop it will either stall out and die or it will stall, surge, and come back. This is a serious issue as we drive this vehicle on busy road ways and could cause or will cause us to have an accident. I have had it the dealership and they checked the vehicle for any engines codes but none are present so they are not sure why the vehicle is stalling out. This is not a constant problem but a intermittent one where it comes and goes so you never know when it will happen. I am not sure when this first started happening as my wife usually drives the vehicle but I noticed it doing this about 2 months ago when leaving a gas station after getting fuel when I started leaving and I put the vehicle in drive and started to leave and it died on me with the message center telling me to put the vehicle in park to start.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the message “AWD Unavailable” was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V343000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 94,627.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed, with the "Service 4WD" warning light illuminated. The contact's son took the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where a scanner was used, and DTC: C14A7-97 was retrieved for an issue related to the power transfer unit. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was then provided with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
The PTU system is failing. If it completely fails, the car will lock at any time. The part is backordered and may take months to get here because so many Jeep owners are having this problem. The dealerships confirmed this. There is a service 4wd light.
Vehicle has been turning off while driving after pressing on the brakes. The dashboard will flicker/glitch, then the battery will go from 13.9V all the way up to 15.2V then back down then turn off. No service light or battery light will come up, I have taken it to auto zone and they said everything is fine with the battery/alternator. When the car shuts off, I have to press the start button, then shift into park and then press start again for it to work, if I shift it into park immediately when it turns off the car will not turn back on and I cannot shift gears.
The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, the “Service 4-WD” warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the power transfer unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. In addition, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Vibrating issue and missing fire originating from engine. Intake camshaft broken and left cylinder head is damaged and needs replacement. This should not be happening to this car. Cannot drive a faster rate either. There should be a claim out for all these issues.
My 2016 Jeep Cherokee Latitude is 9years old with 89,800 miles of regular driving & being fully maintained. The Service 4-wheel light came on & I brought it to my mechanic immediately the next day. I was advised after performing tests, it was the PTU in my car. I was advised there is a recall & to take it to the dealer. I did that immediately, while being terrified to drive it as I was advised it could be very dangerous. I or someone could have been badly injured or worse if this part gave way while driving. Something this dangerous should be mentioned immediately to ALL vehicle owners. The dealer confirmed it is the PTU & that it had to be replaced. I was advised my vin was not under the very large recall & well know issue on this part. After a lot of research, Stellantis is well aware of the issue & there is a recall for 2017- 2019 models. Also, they don't have plan in place or a way of correcting this part & distributing it quickly. I had a recall in 2020 for a software update on this and it was taken care of immediately. For some reason the failure of my PTU is not under this recall & I have to pay out of pocket. It has been 3 weeks & still no part due to the huge issue with this part and Stellantis not working hard enough to rectify this known issue or have replacements available. Stellantis needs to extend the recall to all 2016 Cherokee's especially since this is a major issue on this make and model. This is so unacceptable. I am without a vehicle and cannot even use it until the part comes in since it is extremely unsafe to drive (told by my mechanic and the dealer). The consumer should not be penalized due to the incompetence of these auto makers. We are supposed to be safe in our vehicles especially when they are maintained as well as mine is. We spend our hard-earned money and should not have to pay for all these defects due to the poor quality the auto makers are rolling out. Not to mention the resale has dropped significantly!
Vehicle in dealership service dept since July 16, 2025 for manufacturing recall; attempted repair rendered vehicle inoperable; 2nd part ordered arrived damaged; third part in open order until verbal date of February 2026; no recall remedy such as loaner vehicle; extended warranty purchased but cannot use; manufacturer warranty expired; need transportation
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the contact was informed that there was no recall on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000.
My power transfer unit busted into several different parts. There was no warning lights, it went to making a noise & when they took the skid cover off pieces came falling out. This happened last year & everywhere we look the part is on back order. So I'm paying a note on a vehicle that can't be used.
The Power Transfer Unit in my 2016 Jeep Cherokee failed when it only had 50,255 miles on it. The car was almost 10 years old. In the past month, when I tried to accelerate to 50 mph to merge on the highway, the Jeep did not accelerate normally when I pressed on the gas. Instead, it went slowly and made a revving noise, then when I hit the accelerator again, it made the revving noise louder and reluctantly started to accelerate. It would also lose drive power when going down a steep incline. There were a few instances of that and then the “SERVICE 4WD” light came on every day when I would put the car into reverse and stay on for the rest of the time I was driving the car. After that light came on, I noticed there was abnormal vibration underneath the middle of the car when I would drive it, too. The problem was confirmed on [XXX] in the service department of the Don White’s Jeep dealership in Cockeysville, Maryland, and the car is available for inspection there. My service advisor told me my Jeep needs a new PTU and the estimated cost of the repair is $3563 (not including tax). I ordered the new PTU on 7/29/25, but the parts manager at the dealership said the part is on backorder, and it will take at least 1 month, if not multiple months to get the part because there are “380 other Jeep owners” waiting for this same part. With the vibration, loss of motive power both on inclines and when attempting to accelerate and merge onto the highway, the safety of my family was put at risk; Our Jeep could lose drive power and the car could stop on the highway with cars speeding all around us. It could cause a crash. My PTU failed at 50,255 after not quite 10 years of very light driving. There’s no way that part should have failed under those normal conditions. My VIN number should be included in recall 20V343000 or FCA should reimburse me for this part. The repair would have been covered under my warranties if my VIN was included in the original recalls or X89 extension. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF IN
The PTU is defective. Service 4wheel drive dash light on. Did "software update" but did not fix problems. I need to have the ptu replaced!
On [XXX] my Jeep started making a grinding noise near the rear axle. Initially, thinking something had broken when I had hit a pot hole earlier that evening. We parked the car at a garage and the next day inspected it and said it sounded like the rear differential may be effected, advising it should be safe to drive in “sport” mode. I drove it to Blueridge Chrysler Jeep in Abingdon VA where I informed them I had discovered a Recall 45A on the Jeep, they kept the Jeep and called me in a few days saying it was only for an “software update” and it was fixed. Om [XXX], I drove my Jeep and upon getting less than a mile down the road it sounded like the backend was dragging. They called a tow truck & took it back to the garage & now with the MOPAR Extended warranty they would have to replace the PTU. It was part of the initial recall and it could affect the PTU and the RDM (rear differential). This part took months to be delivered and during that time I had to rent and borrow a car to get back and forth from work for over two months. In May, the service dept. called saying the Jeep was still making the dragging noise and may be the transmission or the Rear Differential, but they’re still looking into it. In June, after re-working the PTU, Blueridge has determined it is the Rear Differential that now needs replaced and when I asked about it all being a part of the MOPAR extended warranty and they told me I needed to call Chrysler Customer Care. I followed up and called and spoke to several people advising that the dealership would have to call MOPAR warranty. Today, 7/7/25, I spoke with Blueridge again and they are saying the Recall was only for an update. I referred to the details of the initial 45A recall that specifically says that if the update is not complete, it would lead to problems with the PTU & the rear differential. My stance is that MOPAR warranty should cover both the PTU and the Rear Differential under Both recalls the 45A and 20V343000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FO
Service four-wheel-drive light has illuminated and dealership recommends to replace PTU system
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced a hard shift while shifting from first gear to second gear. The contact stated that the vehicle felt like it had been rear-ended while shifting into 2nd gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V302000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
After buying the car from a used dealer, within 1,000 miles the car began grinding in slow accelerated turns. It has been diagnosed as the PTU which has many recalls before and after this particular D4 part. With all of the recalls and extended warranty adjustments for this part, why would mine not be covered? This was to be safe reliable car for my teenagers to drive, now that is no longer the case. Very disappointing
Vehicle started making growling noise. Engine light and 4wd lights came on. Transfer case has been diagnosed with damage.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A.)Transmission has been 'stuck in 2WD' since I bought it (I was unaware of the DT issue during purchase from Boktor Motors in Las Vegas, NV). I have tried to contact dealership with no response and a blocked phone number. Car has been towed 120 miles to Wolfchase CDJ in Bartlett, TN and is being diagnosed. [In ref: the federal safety agency campaign number: 25V011) Power Transfer Unit(PTU)] How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A.) I was on my way from Lakeland, TN to Chattanooga for summer vacation with my children and we were on a highway with a small shoulder and 2 lanes. We were able to pull to the side of the road and slowly make our way to the rest stop, Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A.) It is currently at Wolfchase CDJ in Bartlett, TN for full diagnosis. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A.) Not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A.) 'Service 4WD' was on at the dealership when I test drove it, but the owner, Mina Boktor, assured me that it was because they replaced the battery. He also wrote on the warranty page of my purchase paperwork that he would fix any repairs associated with the 4WD light if it was delivered to Tennessee with the same code. Boktor Motors associates refused to answer my calls and nobody ever returned my calls or emails. About 6 months later, my shifter started lighting up all red lights with the warning 'service shifter' in the notification screen.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "Service 4x4" warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who informed the contact that the PTU software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the "Service 4x4" warning light illuminated again. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the differential, rear axle, and PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and found that the failure had occurred twice, prior to the most recent failure of the same parts. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that there was no "Goodwill Assistance" available for the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
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