error : service 4wd , I have had it to 2 mechanic shops and said ptu is causing error, parts r not available. there are recalls for this problem, but I put in my vin in and it says no recalls. please seen nhtsa recall no 26v290 or manufacturer number 40d
2020 Jeep Cherokee
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Cherokee years
Owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee are substantially higher than the model-year median of 113.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cherokee years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
87 reports with mileage · 207 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 169 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 34 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
169 reportsPtu failure. Open recall with no fix. Jeep fixed at dealer. Plenty of time has passed since recall was opened. The only fix is to replace the non serviceable ptu. Jeep needs to stop stalling and fix the problem. I want my money back
On July 21st while making a left turn the PTU of the Jeep failed. Vehicle was towed to a Dealership and is now waiting for repairs.
The PTU has failed and is causing power lose when driving.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at 65 MPH on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the P…
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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at 65 MPH on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The contact was informed that the PTU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); and declined to pay for the repair fee. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered partial assistance in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a re…
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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Service 4wd light came on and lost 4wd. Took to dealer I purchased from and was told I had a PTU failure. My extended warranty through ford would cover but jeep will not sell the parts. Apparently my jeep is not in the recall for the last 10 years of ptu failures. It failed by 50000 miles but a month after the manufacture date 5…
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Service 4wd light came on and lost 4wd. Took to dealer I purchased from and was told I had a PTU failure. My extended warranty through ford would cover but jeep will not sell the parts. Apparently my jeep is not in the recall for the last 10 years of ptu failures. It failed by 50000 miles but a month after the manufacture date 5 year mark
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechani…
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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with powertrain unit failure. The contact was informed that the powertrain unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,173.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was upshifting roughly while accelerating, causing the vehicle to jerk forward abruptly. The contact stated that while releasing the accelerator pedal, the transmission downshifted roughly. The contact stated th…
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The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was upshifting roughly while accelerating, causing the vehicle to jerk forward abruptly. The contact stated that while releasing the accelerator pedal, the transmission downshifted roughly. The contact stated that the Service 4WD message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a power transfer case failure. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.
I own a 2020 Jeep Cherokee with approximately 87,000 miles. Approximately one month ago, my "Service 4WD" light illuminated on the dashboard, and I heard a severe grinding noise coming from the drivetrain. A mechanic scanned the vehicle's computer and pulled active diagnostic fault code C14A7-97 (PTU Motor Component or System Op…
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I own a 2020 Jeep Cherokee with approximately 87,000 miles. Approximately one month ago, my "Service 4WD" light illuminated on the dashboard, and I heard a severe grinding noise coming from the drivetrain. A mechanic scanned the vehicle's computer and pulled active diagnostic fault code C14A7-97 (PTU Motor Component or System Operation Obstructed or Blocked). The mechanic cleared the code to test the system, but the C14A7-97 code immediately returned, proving a hard mechanical or electrical failure exists. This vehicle is experiencing the onset of a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure. The timing of this active malfunction perfectly coincides with the release of NHTSA Recall 26V290 (FCA Campaign 40D), which was issued just last month for 2020 Cherokees experiencing the identical PTU defect. However, my specific VIN is currently excluded from the recall list. According to the recall documentation, this component defect poses an immediate safety hazard, including a sudden loss of drive power while moving and a park roll-away risk. Because my vehicle has the exact same active fault code (C14A7-97) as the recalled vehicles, the manufacturer must expand this safety campaign to include my VIN before a full failure and a serious accident occurs.
Official recalls
326V290000 · Power Train
May 7, 2026
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Drivetrain Control Drivetrain Control Module, PTU, and Electronic Park Brake software, and replace the PTU, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed June 25, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy becomes available. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 40D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 14, 2026.
20V191000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Sep 10, 2020
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
19V637000 · Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft; Steering:rack And Pinion:rack
Aug 29, 2019
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Steering:rack And Pinion:rack
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.
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Steering:rack And Pinion:pinion Shaft
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.
Consequence: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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