2020 Jeep Cherokee Power Train
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The Power Transfer Unit failed, needing repair. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety, and other's safety on the road, was put at risk because now the power can shut off while driving. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer, as we took it in when a warning light appeared. They confirmed it was a power transfer unit failure. They first appeared about a month ago, and today's date is 9/19/25.
The PTU AND PTU Actuator have failed. The repair is estimated to be App $3000 at a local independent repair shop. The parts are unavailable to do a timely repair. We still have to drive it because it cannot be repaired until parts are available, we were told it could be months because there are so many jeeps failing from the same thing. ( "a similar repair was done today after waiting for 3 months for parts"- Bob from Donelinger in Cohasset, Mn) We may be in danger every time we use the jeep but have no choice with it being needed for our transportation. The 4WD service lights are on or blink all the time. We only have 85,000 miles on this jeep we have had since we purchased it new. Please help speed up parts availability and a recall on these Jeeps.
PTU unit has went out. 4wd light on shows needs service. Currently with dealership and told ptu needs replaced, but told there's only 112 available in the nation with over 1200 orders for one Currently. It looks that this has been an ongoing problem with Jeep Cherokees with under 100,000 miles. Mine only has 88.000. Other year models have been recalled in fact up to Feb. 2019 for manufactured cherokees. I missed it by a year. With this Increasing problem, it sure looks as though they should recall since the odds are becoming greater for failure and people are out thousands of dollars and still making payments on it in this economy for not being able to have confidence in a vehicle and company. Thank you for your attention and action!
PTU failure at 65,000 miles. Unknown timeline for the replacement part
A light appeared on the dash that said AWD Failure. After 2 weeks of being at the dealership, I was told it was a complete PTU failure. Other VINs have been recalled but not mine. This was after I had already taken the car because it just stopped while driving and wouldn’t start. I was told then it was the starter needed to be replaced. I am just happy it wasn’t my [XXX] that was driving. I believe it was the PTU the whole time. The car also will not start after stopping at a stop light unless I turn the Automatic setting off. Dealership says PTU is on back order with ETA of 45-60 days. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
“Service 4WD” warning light came on. Took vehicle to mechanic who said error code indicates power transfer unit failure. Car is clearly unsafe to drive.
Every time I drive 20-30 my service 4wd light comes on. I got it scanned when the light was not on but it was showing no code
The check 4 wheel drive light lit up on my dash. Shortly after, there was aloud noise coming from the front passenger side tire area. I replaced the front hub assembly as was the code it was throwing. 1 week ater, noise returned and I took it into Elkhorn Automotive in Waterloo, NE. They said it was throwing a code of C14A7-97...power transfer unit. Dealership said there are no active recalls for my 2020 jeep. Looks like Jeep has had issues with this PTU. What can I do to get my vehicle fixed.
PTU Failed. 4x4 service light came on weeks after warranty ended. I called jeep and was told if it is not driving bad I can take my time in repair. My car ended up not working on Jericho Tpke., Commack a few days before Christmas. I was not provided a loaner due to the holiday week.
Component: Power Transfer Unit (PTU) The power transfer unit has failed. This appears to be a manufacturing defect identical to those listed under the recall. Left me stranded in traffic.
PTU/Transmission failure. Vehicle is available for inspection. Traveling 70mph on a local highway when the vehicle gave two large jolts/shutters and loud bangs. Lost all power to the vehicle while on the highway and had trouble safely exiting the highway with other vehicles passing by and having no power to the vehicle. Transmission/gear fluid from the ptu/Transmission completely emptied itself onto the road after the failure. The Jeep brand is well aware of these issues plaguing the 2015- present Jeep cherokee 4x4 models. However, only the 2015-2019 are currently recalled. Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or service center but is able to be.
Ptu failure at 75,325 miles as well as active grill shutter at same time. Was told the ptu is on back order and last person it took 6 months to get it. We have had vehicle since new and always dealer serviced. Super disappointed on time to fix it, meaning there is obviously a problem.
Service 4wd light is on, diagnostic is reading code for transfer case
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "4WD Unavailable" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transfer case unit was faulty and needed to be replaced; however, there were no parts available for the repair. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "4WD Unavailable" remained displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that that the transfer case unit was faulty and needed to be replaced; however, parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Hello, The widespread issue of defective the PTU (power transfer unit) is far beyond the recall 25V011. We have 2 Jeep cherokees in my family and both have a bad PTU and they both aren’t under the recall. Thank you
No injury or incident yet. The PTU was diagnosed as failing at 46,500 miles on June 30, 2025. The vehicle is still being driven because the driver has no alternative, but no dealership has been able to confirm whether it is safe to operate in this condition. A failing PTU can result in sudden power loss, drivetrain lockup, or loss of park function—especially in AWD vehicles. These symptoms match those described in NHTSA Recall 25V011000 affecting Jeep Cherokees. The lack of clear safety guidance and the delay in repair have created a potentially hazardous situation. This should be investigated as part of the broader PTU defect pattern.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from under the floorboards. The contact stated that the "Service 4-WD" warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle started losing motive power and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The contact was able to continue driving to the destination. The failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the failure was possibly related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
While driving my 2020 Jeep Cherokee, my four-wheel-drive light came on and the car felt like somebody had rear-ended me after checking the code that came on. It says it was a PTU failure. It is a known issue with Jeep, but no resolution has been made the same issue has been recalled for other VIN numbers, but not mine. This is a safety issue because when the car did this, if someone was behind me, they would’ve actually hit me in the rear end because the car like actually stops.
Vehicle jerked and lost power to the gas pedal while accelerating. After about 20 seconds the gas pedal reingaged again. The vehicle coasted until that point. The service department of the dealership stated that they will not be able to diagnose the problem unless a code shows up that they can read, which none did. It appears that the issue is similar to the PTU issue of the 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee. The vehicle was purchased in 2019 even though the model is 2020.
I bought my vehicle in summer of 2020 brand new. It currently has 66k miles on it. A week ago the 4 WD service light came on. I took it in for diagnostic and it came back with code C14A7-97 PTO motor operation. The motor is functioning obviously, but the trasfer case is not engaging. There is currently a recall on vehicles similar to 2020, on the same issue but none have been issued on mine yet. The PTU should be good for 100k miles but not even close to that & it’s a super pricey fix on a vehicle I still pay on monthly. PTU input spline is the power transfer unit, so basically my 4 wheeled drive vehicle is not gonna function in 4 wheeled drive. I am hopeful as I saw similar complaints to mine here, that this is the next batch of recalls for Jeep, as I doubt I am alone.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the message "4-Wheel Drive Unavailable" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PTU had failed and needed to be replaced. The PTU was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 21,794.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly jerked, and the message “4X4 System Service Required” was displayed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward. The contact engaged the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power transfer unit (PTU) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the contact was referred to the dealer for further assistance. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,301.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into two-wheel drive (2WD). The contact turned off the vehicle and, after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The "Service All-Wheel Drive" warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the power transfer unit (PTU) was damaged and disengaged the transmission and differential. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact related the failure to Jeep Recall: 01C. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Was driving vehicle, started making grinding noise and would not move. After a couple restarts it moved, but was locked in 4x4 snow mode and would not change. Limped pinhole and had tow truck take to dealership. Diagnosis PTU is bad and needs to be replaced. Estimated cost is about $4000. Replacement PTU is on back order for at least 30 days.
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The 2020 Jeep Cherokee has 87 Power Train complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.