2020 Jeep Cherokee: Reliability Data

315
Total Complaints
18,750mi
Median Mileage
Power Train
Top Issue
11
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

2,550 25th Percentile
18,750 Median Mileage
50,375 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train
118
Engine
33
Unknown Or Other
29
Electrical System
29
Service Brakes
20
Steering
14
Fuel/Propulsion System
9
Vehicle Speed Control
8
Air Bags
6
Suspension
6

Severity Assessment

11
Crashes
6
Fires
9
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES FOR A MILE OR TWO UNTIL I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. ONCE I PULLED OVER AND COMPLETELY STOPPED THE RPMS WENT OVER 7000. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT..."
"I TOOK MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES FOR A MILE OR TWO UNTIL I COULD SAFELY PULL OVER. ONCE I PULLED OVER AND COMPLETELY STOPPED THE RPMS WENT OVER 7000. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT..."
"DRIVING MY VEHICLE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A THROTTLE ISSUE MESSAGE FLASHED, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A DRASTIC LOSS OF POWER CAUSING AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION FOR MYSELF AND OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH ONLY 8 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, CURR..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 118 complaints
25th: 20,448 mi Median: 50,000 mi 75th: 65,000 mi
Engine 33 complaints
25th: 1,211 mi Median: 8,000 mi 75th: 24,375 mi
Unknown Or Other 29 complaints
25th: 1,685 mi Median: 2,200 mi 75th: 3,074 mi
Electrical System 29 complaints
25th: 1,931 mi Median: 3,300 mi 75th: 9,850 mi
Service Brakes 20 complaints
25th: 2,325 mi Median: 5,650 mi 75th: 10,775 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 32 WI: 21 IL: 20 MA: 19 OH: 18 NJ: 17 PA: 15 TX: 15 MI: 14 FL: 14

Who Files Complaints?

0.6%
Original Owners
99.4%
Second+ Owners

Jeep Cherokee — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
199036818
199129714
199217521
199357160
199461868
1995732110
199658472
199749660
199855342
199951649
200050632
200132933
2014393297
2015262980
2016201352
2017188641
201896418
2019227165
202117316
2022602

Active Recalls (2)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Camera
Campaign 20V191000 | 10/09/2020
The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer ser
Rack
Campaign 19V637000 | 29/08/2019
A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
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's number for this recall is V99.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
  • Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
  • Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
  • Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
  • Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28