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KLUNK
KLUNK

2020 Jeep Cherokee

The Verdict

40 Proceed with Caution

The 2020 Jeep Cherokee has 333 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (183 complaints) and engine (55 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 40/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Jeep Cherokee, consider the 2023 model year which has 99% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2023 has 99% fewer complaints

View the 2023 Jeep Cherokee dashboard →

40

Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution

About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
2000594487241351167
2001509241103153110
20143631602406661214
201527082187389857
201625979171340561
201725943195273565
201812230114168254
201925470159489692
202054212055183
2021299153192
20226291124
202301002

By Category

Transmission
183
Engine
55
Body
54
Brakes
21
Electrical
20

By Severity

1
163
2
154
4
16

Worst Problems

Complaints

Transmission 2

My 2020 JeepCherokee has been disabled at Jeff Wyler Springfield Jeep since 10/13 after suffering a drivetrain failure on 10/11.My vehicle exhibited a severe mechanical grinding noise,locking front wheels,& a 'Service 4WD' warning light while driving, un-commanded engagement of snow mode,& of the e-brake upon parking. Upon inspection 10/14,the tech claimed no codes appeared but stated the transmission required replacement.I contacted my warranty company to start a claim. On 10/15,the advisor said I needed to authorize a transmission tear down per warranty company.I refused due to out-of-pocket financial liability for a blind diagnosis.On 10/16,I asked the advisor how they diagnosed it as transmission needing replaced,she text “I went out with the technician he pulled the fuse and the vehicle still would not drive, this message also popped up on the dash further confirming the technicians disgnostic on the transmission replacement recommendation”(attached a photo of the dash “service transmission).”3rd party inspector evaluated the Jeep intact on 10/20.The dealership provided inspector with transmission replacement estimate & Federal Safety Recall 40D info.The advisor stated the inspector didn’t inform her of findings or if codes appeared.On 10/21,the advisor stated the warranty company directed them to perform software update on the PTU.On 10/22,the advisor said the tech attempted to perform update but update was not available so the tech put a request in to Jeep.D/t the un-remedied status of Safety Recall 40D,advisor stated my warranty company has froze my claim,stating they are waiting for recall remedy to release before proceeding.The advisor stated my only resource for alternate mobility is through Jeep Corporate.Despite my vehicle being undrivable d/t a federal safety hazard,Jeep Corporate Management Case#98327109 has flatly refused to provide a direct-billed vehicle,leaving a consumer entirely stranded indefinitely due to delay in manufacture recall remedy.

4d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed with an audible alarm and an abnormal whirling sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and was diagnosed with PTU failure. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who confirmed the PTU failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 21,000.

5d ago
Transmission 2

2020 Jeep Cherokee Limited Service 4-wheel drive came on. Taken to dealer (Hillsborough Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram) 2000 NC-86, Hillsborough, NC 27278 who confirmed a PTU failure. Part is on backorder; no other dealerships have the part.

6d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the service 4WD warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed to be associated with an unrepaired recall. The contact was informed that parts were available only for vehicles with certified warranties and that parts were on backorder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

6d ago
Transmission 1

2 weeks ago my vehicle broke down while driving due to a failed PTU, I went to accelerate at a stop sign my vehicle moved about an inch and then my vehicle would not move any further my engine just revved, four-wheel drive warning lights came on and then my car kept putting itself in park mode. Both a professional transmission shop and dealership have both diagnosed it with the failed PTU which is under recalled through Chrysler for recall 40D, my vehicle has been sitting at a dealership for 2 weeks, it is completely undrivable and unsafe. Chrysler/stellantis has no fix or remedy for the recall, the dealership has not been any help and the customer service for the recall center has not been any help, the dealership just keeps telling me since there's no fix or remedy I have to pay out of pocket for the same defective part to be installed, they will not offer any kind of loner or rental... I just bought this vehicle back in December and I still owe over $16,000 on it and I'm still liable for making a payment. Today the dealership notified me that I need to make a decision if I'm going to pay out of pocket for the repair or else my vehicle cannot sit on there a lot... This is left me in a very difficult place with no real answers from Chrysler or the dealership, the dealership also tried lying to me to get more money out of me by telling me that my battery was completely shot, after going up there and dealing with a manager we learned that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the battery but yet they still tried charging me over $600 to fix it.

6d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted multiple times regarding the recall, and on each occasion, the contact was informed that parts were unavailable.

6d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon pulling into a parking space, the message "Service 4WD" was displayed prior to shifting into park(P). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a rear differential or PTU failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

6d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the service 4WD warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where diagnosis determined the transfer case had failed and required replacement. The contact associated the failure with an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by telephone and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

7d ago
Transmission 2

SVC 4x4 light came on and brought to Jeep dealer immediately and they immediately tell us ptu and rear differential near to be replaced. They said it brakes need to be replaced when we replaced them 2 months ago. There's a recall for our year jeep but it says we have no recalls at the moment.

11d ago
Brakes 2

While driving, emergency parking brake engaged. Required vehicle to be driven on and parked on road shoulder. Grinding sound was coming from engaged parking brake. Vehicle was towed to nearest dealership.

14d ago
Transmission 2

SERVICE AWD light came on, took to a mechanic and he stated the PTU failed causing the AWD to be shut off. He said this is a known issue and gave me the FCA's number 40D for this issue.

14d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal humming sound that grew louder at 30 MPH. The message "Service AWD" was displayed, and there was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle. The contact drove to the residence and turned off the vehicle. Upon restarting the vehicle the following day, there was no warning light illuminated. The failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the PTU was leaking oil, and the mechanic determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone, but no assistance was provided because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

17d ago
Transmission 1

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle lost motive power. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the repair. The contact was advised to continue driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 73,420.

17d ago
Transmission 1

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. The contact stated that there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle and the vehicle jerked forward. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. 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 contact was informed that the part was not available for the repair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train); however, parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed.

19d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and pulling out of the driveway, the contact became aware of fluid on the driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and there were metal shavings found in the PTU, and the mechanic determined that the PTU needed to be replaced. The mechanic contacted the dealer, and it was confirmed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed, but the recall remedy was unavailable. The contact was advised that the vehicle could be repaired at the owner's expense and reimbursement might be provided whenever parts became available. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

19d ago
Brakes 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to respond as needed. The contact avoided a crash with another vehicle by moving over to the side of the road, drove onto the grass, and navigated past a nearby pedestrian and a hill. The passenger’s side door was scratched, and the passenger’s side mirror was knocked off the vehicle. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the ABS sensor warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal had locked up and the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The failure mileage was 110,000.

19d ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several warning lights illuminated panel and the hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V290000 (Power Train). The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where a diagnostic test confirmed the failure of the PTU; however, the part to do the recall repair was on back order. The vehicle remained with the dealer for over a month until the contact received a call from the dealer that the vehicle was repaired. The contact was then informed that the part was not repaired under recall and was provided an estimate for the repair. The contact was informed that there might be a reimbursement once parts for the recall repair was available. The contact notified the manufacturer about various issues related to the recall and was provided three case numbers. The vehicle was repaired but remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was 82,296.

20d ago
Transmission 1

Took my vehicle in for service a second time for warning light about 4 wheel drive needing service. I was told ptu is bad and that it’s a jeep problem. Saw there was a recall 40 D My VIN isn’t showing under that recall.

20d ago
Engine 2

Like previous model years, the 2 L Turbo engine started buring excessive oil (more than 1 quart per 500 miles). Two mechanics have indicated that engine and turbocharger need to be replaced. Both said that this engine is same as previous model years for which recalls were initiated.

21d ago
Engine 2

ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, WHENEVER YOU ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP (LIKE A TRAFFIC LIGHT), THE VEHICLE WILL COAST INTO THE INTERSECTION, CAUSING A TRAFFIC HAZARD. IT HAS DONE THIS MULTIPLE TIMES. AT 60,300 MILES, DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT ENGINE WAS NOT COVERED. I PURCHASED A NEW ENGINE, WHICH NEVER FIXED THE PROBLEM. 5 DIFFERENT TIMES THEY RESET DASH BOARD, BUT THE IT CONT'D BEFORE I CAN GET HOME. DEALERSHIP GASLIGHTS WITH THEY COULD NOT GET PR0BLEM REPEATED. BUT AS SOON AS WARRANTY EXPIRE(EED), DEALERSHIP ADMIDES CAR NEEDS 2ND NEW ENGINE. $9K.

21d ago

333 total

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