2021 Jeep Cherokee Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Power transfer unit or 4WD failureCriticalNearly half of complaints45,000–74,000 mi~$2,500 repair46%

   Owners most often describe a Service 4WD light or message, a 4WD system unavailable message, jerking and no traction, and some report a complete loss of power while driving, including on busy highways and in snow. Reports with mileage put it at a typical 62,000 miles, with half falling between about 45,000 and 74,000 miles. Recall 26V290000 says the PTU may fail and is mentioned in many of these complaints.

   What owners describe

   • Service 4WD light or message25%
   • 4WD system unavailable message8%
   • Jerking or no traction7%
   • Sudden loss of power7%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: ptu replaced (4 reports). Recall 26V290000.

   Repair worked in 50% of complaints that describe one (complaints lean toward repairs that failed)

   Mileage

   62,000 mi

   Middle half 45,000–74,000 mi · 25 reports

   Repair cost

   $2,500

   Middle half $2,027–$3,700 · 11 owner amounts

   How common

   46%

   76 of 166 complaints

   By engine

   • 3.2L V693%
   • 2.4L 4-cyl7%
2. 2.Stalling or shutting off while drivingCriticalAbout 1 in 10 complaints2,700–73,000 mi10%

   Owners describe the vehicle stalling at red lights and intersections, shutting down while driving, or losing power without warning, in some cases at 55 to 60 mph. Some also report the dash and radio screens going blank or the vehicle not restarting. This model year has no recall for stalling itself, though a few owners mention recall 26V290000.

   What owners describe

   • Engine shuts down while driving35%
   • Stalls at a red light18%
   • Won't restart afterward18%
   • Blank screens or sudden jolt18%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: battery replaced (2 reports).

   Mileage

   49,000 mi

   Middle half 2,700–73,000 mi · 9 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   10%

   17 of 166 complaints

   By engine

   • 3.2L V667%
   • 2.4L 4-cyl33%

A Service 4WD light or message, jerking, or a loss of drive power are signs to act on, not to ignore. Several owners describe the vehicle losing power while driving on a highway, so get it checked promptly and avoid high-speed roads until it is. Confirm with a Jeep dealer that recall 26V290000 and the transmission oil cooler hose recall, 21V310000, were done on your vehicle.

49 problems found in all 166 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 5 about recall paperwork or parts delays, 2 describing no vehicle defect. Typical miles, repair cost and fix rate show only when enough owners report them.

• Complaints. NHTSA's owner complaint file, counted as unique complaint numbers for make JEEP, model CHEROKEE, model year 2021. Data through Oct 4, 2026.
• Verdict. Judged from this model year's own complaints, not against other models, using shares rather than counts. Serious known problems: one serious problem (transmission, engine or stalling, steering, brakes, airbags, fire, fuel leaks) is in a quarter or more of complaints; or a smaller but clear cluster comes with an unusual share of crash, fire, injury or loss-of-power reports or early failures; or an urgent recall or NHTSA investigation matches a top complaint. Some known problems: one of those signals on its own. No pattern of serious problems: none of them; this doesn't mean the vehicle is trouble-free. Too few complaints to judge: under 50 complaints. Why this verdict: 53% of complaints (88) describe transmission problems (power transfer unit (PTU) or 4WD failure, the transmission dropping into neutral, delayed engagement pulling away).
• No grade or class ranking. Raw complaint counts favor models that sell fewer cars, so we don't score or rank this vehicle against other models until we can adjust for sales.
• Trouble spots and history. Complaints grouped by the part owners chose when filing. The history grid counts complaints filed in each model year's first 3 years so older and newer years compare fairly; years with fewer than 3 complete years are marked too new.
• Named problems. Every one of the 166 complaints was researched and classified by its problems, severity, symptoms, repairs and any cost the owner mentions; the counts, costs and fix rates on this page are tallies of those classifications. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, checked against the original text. Engines are decoded from partial VINs with NHTSA's vPIC service.
• Repair costs and fix rates. Shown only when at least 10 owners report a repair cost, or at least 10 complaints describe whether a repair worked.
• Not adjusted for sales. Not affiliated with NHTSA. Page updated Nov 5, 2026.