2019 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
2,415 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 11 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 62/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 52,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2019 Jeep Cherokee sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1990–1992, 1997–2001, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2019 sits among all Cherokee years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the 4WD warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power transfer unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
“The engine light came on and it was said that it was the evaporator canister and that it had to be replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
“First the auto stop quit working. The vehicle lost power as I was driving and no warning lights have come on. Now the cruise control has stoped working with no warning lights. Periodically the vehicle will lose power the radio/screen will reset as your driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
“The fm radio stations go in and out, it only happens in the radio mode. It happens when your driving or not.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
“I’m having power steering issues , when i start my vehicle the power steering light comes on and my steering wheel locks up”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
“Vehicle locked up after stepping on brake at stop light. Dash lights started blinking off and on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 1,009 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 22,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 5,000 and 52,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (11)
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
Fix: The remedy is currently under development. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk are expected to be mailed June 25, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy…
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 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The impact and acceleration sensors may fail and reduce the air bag system's ability to properly detect certain crash events.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected sensors, free of charge. The recall began August 8, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The front passenger seat mounting bolts may be loose.
Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will tighten the mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began April 11, 2019. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The instrument cluster may fail resulting in a lack of activation of warning chimes, messages, and gauges.
Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the instrument cluster, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer…
Chrysler(FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. Improper transmission calibration may result in a stall.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will re-flash the transmission controller with a new calibration, free of charge. The recall began November 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form,…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica non-hybrid vehicles. A component in the transmission may not have been welded properly, possibly causing the transmission to not transmit engine power to the…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at…
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines. The engines in these vehicles may be missing valve stem keepers, which can allow the valve to drop into the engine cylinder causing engine damage. These…
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair or replace the affected engine components, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began August 9, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler…
Technical service bulletins
407 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2019 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 2019 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 2019 Jeep Cherokee drew 2,415 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 62/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2019 Jeep Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Jeep Cherokee are transmission & drivetrain (780 complaints), engine (465), and electrical (356).
At what mileage do 2019 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Jeep Cherokee problems around 22,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 5,000 and 52,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?
11 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 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.