Jeep Cherokee steering lock-up problems

Filed May 8, 2026 · Transmission · 139,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25E003000 (POWERTRAIN). The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and went into limp mode. Multiple warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the power steering seized. The contact's wife was able to cruise into a dealer. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed that the power transfer unit (PTU) had failed. The contact was informed that the part was on a national backorder. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred in the past and was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that a request to expedite the part was submitted. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Steering · TX

I’m having power steering issues , when i start my vehicle the power steering light comes on and my steering wheel locks up

Filed May 12, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · FL · crash

The stop start system has been malfunctioning ever since shortly after I purchased the car. When I purchased the car, my father and I asked for a printout of the CARFAX history to ensure we weren't buying a '"lemon". There was no information reflecting that the 2019 Jeep Cherokee Lattitude 2.4 2WD had been serviced for anything other than routine car maintenance. The CARFAX reflected that the previous owner took care of the car, propelling us to seal the deal, otherwise we would've kept looking if there were any found issues. It wasn't until I attempted to get my car serviced at Gettel the first time it malfunctioned that I learned it had been brought to their service department numerous times before it even reached 100 miles. They refused to work on it because the warranty had JUST expired recently, not even a whole year after buying the car (of course) and handed me a piece of paper with the recalls and services regarding the stop/start system. At this point I had to just repair it myself. Fast forward to the second time it malfunctioned: I was in traffic and preparing to slow down to turn when the wheels, brakes, and steering locked up, parking brake turned on and the whole car shut off causing a small collision. The other driver understood what happened and claimed the same thing happened to his wife, therefore he hates stop/start vehicles. He made me promise to never buy another electrical car, charged it to the game and drove away. Fast forward again to currently, now the third time my car broke down: While sitting at a light, it was still running, but as I lifted my foot from the brake pedal the car shut down. There was no indication of anything wrong with the car (S.N. none of the lights on the dash have EVER lit up since I bought it). I contacted Gettel via Google review and NOW they want to do something about this death trap they sold me because I made my situation public. P.S. When I search my VIN# on this site, a completely different car pops up?

Filed Feb 3, 2025 · Transmission · OR

1) The Power Transfer Unit and possibly driveline/driveshaft. 2) The car turns off while driving and all systems lock up, no matter how fast you are going. Power steering fails, steering wheel locks, and the car cannot be turned back on until it is put back in park, which means you come to a full stop and attempt to turn back on. Sometimes the car has no power to turn back on to put in park leaving you stranded in the middle of the road with cars behind you. This has mainly happened while we are slowing down to a stop, but still going 20-25 MPH. Thankfully not faster yet. 3) The dealer and another mechanic have identified a PTU issue, but could not reproduce. On 9/2021 the check engine light came on. Took it to a mechanic and they noted: "POWER TRANSFER UNIT SYSTEM OPERATION OBSTRUCTED, WHILE IN THE AIR WE SAW THAT THE OUTPUT DRIVELINE HAS EXCESSIVE PLAY AND AN OBLONGED BEARING CAP." No further issues until on 11/28/2022 Check engine light came on. took it to Dealership and they noted: "Found code C14A7= PTU motor component or system operation obstructed or blocked. Checked condition of PTU fluid and found it is contaminated and burnt. Also found that the driveshaft connection to the PTU is very loose on the PTU output splines. Recommend PTU and driveshaft. 1/2025: Over two weeks, the car has shut off 6-8 times while driving. 4) No 5) Check engine light came on 9/2021 took to a mechanic and they noted: "POWER TRANSFER UNIT SYSTEM OPERATION OBSTRUCTED, WHILE IN THE AIR WE SAW THAT THE OUTPUT DRIVELINE HAS EXCESSIVE PLAY AND AN OBLONGED BEARING CAP. RECOMMEND GOING TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS." No further issues until: On 11/28/ 2022 Service 4WD light came on and took it to dealership Recommended PTU and driveshaft No problems after until 1/2025 when drive power started randomly turning off while driving. This has happened 6-8 times in a 1.5-2 week timeframe.

Filed Jan 3, 2025 · Steering · OH · crash · 1 injury

The contact's mother owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at unknown speeds, the steering wheel stiffened and was difficult to maneuver. The failure would occur intermittently. The contact stated that while his mother was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the steering warning light illuminated and the steering wheel seized. The driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby tree where it came to a stop. No air bags deployed. The driver sustained bruising to the chest, and back injuries, and hit their head against the steering wheel. Medical attention was required. A police report was failed. The police department towed the vehicle. The vehicle's front end was severely damaged causing the radiator to leak. It was unknown if the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

Filed Mar 3, 2024 · Steering · NJ

On Feb. 9th I was driving my 2020 Jeep Cherokee when the steering locked,I was unable to control the Jeep. Warning lights popped on the dash. Service power steering, four-wheel-drive system temporarily unavailable, Blindspot alert temporary unavailable, Service electric stability Control, stop start not ready. By the grace of God, somehow I was able to stop the car. I called AAA to have me towed to the dealership Autoland Springfield New Jersey. My car was in the service department from From February 9 to March 1 After checking my Jeep they called in a master mechanic and it was determined that the rack and pinion steering needed to be replaced.

Filed Oct 31, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · MO

After the weekend rain, I went to start the 2017 Jeep Cherokee it did not start. I had the battery car jumped and it started up when driving it the steering wheel locked up. The dashboard started to display antilock brake assist off system, power steering assist off system, service transmission restart in Park with vehicle 0 speed, and so many red lights started flashing afterwards. I was in the car with my children a car that was coming behind me had to swerve around me as my car instantly stopped. This could’ve been a horrific or fatal car accident. I just hit my car check to renew my plates the emissions pass and everything safety was good. With this current situation, I would now have to get my car back to the dealership for further inspection, and will be without a car.

Filed Oct 10, 2023 · Steering · 23,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle steering wheel had become firm. The power steering lock warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired by a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

Filed Aug 3, 2023 · Steering · 90,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The message "Service Power Steering" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Filed Aug 26, 2022 · Steering · 63,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that after shifting to park(P) with the engine running, the contact exited the vehicle and offloaded groceries. After returning to the vehicle and shifting into drive(D), the steering wheel seized and became difficult to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the battery was charged; however, after diagnosing the vehicle, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle then performed without failure for four days however, the failure then recurred. The vehicle was taken to another dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake pads needed to be replaced and the power steering module also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.