Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2017 Jeep Cherokee: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 1,323 safety complaints about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

1,323
Complaints
6
Recalls
1
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 24 crashes, 6 fires, 27 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 640 of 1,323 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 111 of the 1,323 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 1 NHTSA defect investigation is associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 1,323 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
640
Electrical
341
Other / unspecified
340
Engine & cooling
261
Brakes & stability
102
Speed control
60
Steering
45
Airbags & restraints
28

"An authorized dealership performed the federal safety (Safety Recall 01C) software update on my 2017 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. Two days and 160 miles later, the vehicle suffered a dangerous highway loss of propulsion. This software update failed to protect the physical drivetrain components from catastrophic failure."

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11749112

"PER DIAGNOSTICS, PTU HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. I was driving on the highway and the car started to shake and make a loud, grinding noise and seemed to be stuck in gear. When I stopped it wouldn't go into park or go into drive."

Owner complaint filed April 2026 · Power Train,Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11731764

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2017 Jeep Cherokee over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2017 Jeep Cherokee
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
2
32
90
284
311
123
75
95
84
170
57
1617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026).

How the 2017 compares with other model years

Across the Jeep Cherokee model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (2,636); the 2017 ranks 5 of 5.

Total complaints by model year — Jeep Cherokee
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
2,636
1,776
1,398
2017
1,323
1,583
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 6 recalls

6 recalls apply to some or all 2017 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Nov 201616V-799
Air Bags:Knee Bolster

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.

Aug 201717V-543
Equipment:Other:Labels

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 installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles…

May 201818V-332
Electrical System:Wiring

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, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler…

Jun 202020V-343
Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

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 cause some input spline teeth to wear off, …

Apr 202323V-302
Power Train:Automatic Transmission

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.

Apr 202525V-011
Power Train

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.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2017 Jeep Cherokee have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,323 complaints about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2017 Jeep Cherokee have?

The 2017 Jeep Cherokee has 6 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2017 Jeep Cherokee safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2017 Jeep Cherokee an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.