2017 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,927 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 48/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 47,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2017 sits among all Cherokee years
What owners report
“Warning light on dash said service shifter and all gears at shifter where all red.it has happened 2 more time all when driving down the road.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
“Vehicle will randomly say 'service shifter' then all the lights on gear shift will light up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
“When i was pulling into a driveway, a "service shifter" light came on in the instrument cluster, and all the lights in the gear shifter were on. I thought i was stuck, but thankfully, i was able to shift into reverse and park the vehicle and shut it off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
“'check shifter' light came on and all lights on my shifter lit up as well. Car shifts very hard as well !”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
“The electronic emergency brake engaged on its own. The car would not move and there was nothing I could do to get it out of park.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
“Vehicle started rapidly accelerating and was unable to turn off cruise control. Dash lights flashed on and off. Had to put the car in neutral and slow to a stop.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,133 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 41,030 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,000 and 56,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
Fix: Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may…
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power or loss of park function.
Fix: FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2023. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a two-speed Power Transfer Unit (PTU). Relative movement in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft may…
Fix: FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update that will maintain vehicle propulsion by engaging rear wheel drive and prevent rolling in Park by activating the electronic…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire and rim combination being…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners and will provide a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 13, 2016, to October 17, 2016. Improper welds on the driver's knee air bag inflator may prevent the air bag from properly inflating.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's knee air bag module, free of charge. The recall began November 9, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Technical service bulletins
257 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2017 Cherokee TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2017 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 2017 Jeep Cherokee drew 1,927 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 48/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2017 Jeep Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee are transmission & drivetrain (647 complaints), other (383), and electrical (349).
At what mileage do 2017 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 Jeep Cherokee problems around 41,030 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,000 and 56,000 miles.
Does the 2017 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 Jeep Cherokee. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.