When i pulled into my garage the fuel gauge read 20 miles remaining and the needle was still in the yellow. The next morning when I got in my car it wouldn't start. Out of gas. Upon putting in a gallon of gas, the vehicle started and the gauge read "low". This is the second time this has happened. The first time the car was in motion on a busy street. This is a major safety issue.
Jeep Cherokee fuel gauge problems
142 of the 14,523 owner complaints about the Jeep Cherokee describe wrong fuel gauge reading, most of them for the 1997 model year.
- owner complaints
- 142
- worst model year
- 1997
- typical mileage
- 55,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 18Fuel pump 5Won't start 4Loss of power 3Check engine light 3Transmission failure 2Brake failure 2Wipers 1
What owners say
I was driving on a busy street. The fuel gauge said I had 10-12 miles of range left before I was out of fuel. 2 miles later, at a major intersection, my car stalled in middle of the intersection. A kind stranger help me push it off of the road. I could have been hit by a car. This is a major safety issue. This is the first of two times this has happened since August.
The systems that failed included the shifter, which causes the car to lock so that it cannot shift out of park . This is most likely due to a shifter assembly and/or sensor malfunction. Several months prior to this event occurring (i.e., the car would not start, despite a new battery and consistent scheduled maintenance), this operator of the vehicle complained to the dealership that the car started to feel tremulous, along with the gas gauge reading 30-40 miles below the expected fill on a full tank. The dealership "checked the sensors" and determined nothing was wrong. The driver has been noticing shaking and continued problems with this vehicle shifting in and out of lower gears (1st through 3rd in an automatic V6 engine). The culmination is now this car will not start, and states both 'service shifter' and 'brake sensor service' lights illuminate upon attempting to start the engine. From reading, it is likely to have a transmission range sensor failure, a faulty shifter module, or wiring corrosion. Also, Stellantis (software manufacturer for these sensors) has admitted fault of these sensors in the past, and had extended warranties for some, but not all vehicles. Unable to operate a nonfunctioning vehicle now stuck with towing to a dealership I've not had good results with since the purchase of this vehicle.
There was a Recall on 2016 jeep cherrokee latitude fuel pumps - i think several years ago. This VIN Not on the list. But, the fuel pump has gone on this 2016 Jeep several weeks ago- vehicle stopped in busy city roadway. Towed to repair place -another make of fuel pump installed- then gas gauge not keeping track of gas . Called Jeep DEALERSHIP in Warren, Pa; and was told NO ONE HAS THESE MAIN JEEP FUEL Pumps. None in any 9 locations. They are on back order throughout the country. Sounds like there is a problem with the 2016 Jeep fuel pump. It needs to be recalled. This is a no brainer; and, not fair to Jeep customers that this issue wasn't made public and that the company didn't make a RECALL on THIS PUMP. There is a waiting lists for these pumps won't start distributing them till December. Please help with this matter.
Unknown: Headlights will dim/flicker making it harder to see at night and digital display on dashboard will go completely off causing driver to not be able to see current speed, fuel gauge, etc.
When I take a turn or slam on my brakes sometimes my vehicle shuts off and flashes battery on the dash. Even though I’ve changed the battery I’m still having the same issue. I also have issues with my fuel level. The numbers jump around constantly and seem to not add up to the miles I drive.
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and driving occasionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and it was determined that the torque converter clutch needed to be updated. The contact stated that the fuel gauge was low. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 163,000.
The car has been stalling when the fuel level reaches the half point for over a year now. Now it is stalling at any time regardless of the fuel line level. Recalls completed and up to date. Informed it was a software issue. Car still performing the same after recall.
In May 2021 I leases a brand new car. In Jan 2021 I was driving my car and at a busy intersection, my car stalled. I just got a full tank of gas but the low fuel tank light came on. The car would not turn off, the clutch was stuck and I could not shift out of any gear. I brought my car in to the service center where I bought my car and let them know that I think electrical issues were causing problems with my fuel gauge and my clutch. They held on to my car from Jan 20-Mar 28th they could not say what electrical problems caused my car to stall or my fuel tank to register as low but they gave me a whole new transmission. At this time I had only about 2,700 miles on the car. Less than a month later I stalled again on a busy road but I was able to pull the car over and waited for a family member to arrive to help. After letting the car sit for a little I was able to start the car again however the low fuel light came back on and the engine light came on. Additionally this time I was not able to shut off the car, radio, blinkers did not work, as well as break lights did not work. I brought the car back in and expressed my concerns about the electrical problems causing saftey issues on April 20 2021. I drove to the dealership with my hazards in which it stalled 3 times on my way there. They had my car til April 26 and said a cluster of alerts came up and the reset them but they couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again. Only one day later I started my car to find the fuel tank alert on again and the car not being able to turn off and brake lights, signal lights were not working and the windshield wipers going crazy. I then called a tow truck to tow my car as it was unsafe to drive. Now my car has been in the shop since April 27 almost 50 days and counting and they still can't find what is causing the issues. They want to release my car again but cannot guarantee it will not happen again. I am terrified to drive the car as nothing was fixed and very unsafe.
After filling up the gas tank the engine stalls at stop light. I must quickly place car in park and restart the engine. This happens multiple times as I drive home. Then as I start driving again the engine seems to be hesitant and feels like it is "bucking" me. After the first time this happened it seemed to go away after fuel level in tank went down. When I filled the tank again the problem reappeared. This has happened twice to me. This is really a life threatening hazard.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine. These vehicles may have been manufactured with a fuel tube that may leak fuel into the engine compartment.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U39.
Recall number 18V282000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system: injectors
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with a 4.0l engine only, the design of the intake and exhaust manifolds could allow debris to accumulate at the #3 cylinder location.
- Risk
- This could result in a vehicle fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install a manifold shield to modify the air flow characteristics and to prevent the accumulation of debris in the area of the #3 cylinder. Owner notification began may 13, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact daimlerchrysler at 1‑800‑853‑1403.
Recall number 02V104000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: multi-purpose passenger vehicles. The fuel tank mounted fuel level sending unit accuracy can degrade over time, indicating significantly more fuel in reserve than is actually present.
- Risk
- Owners may not be aware that their vehicle is low on fuel increasing the risk of a vehicle crash if the vehicle stops due to no fuel.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel level sending unit.
Recall number 97V194000 · Recall details
Questions about the Jeep Cherokee fuel gauge
Which Jeep Cherokee years have wrong fuel gauge reading problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1997 (83 complaints), 1998 (25 complaints) and 2014 (9 complaints).
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