What's Wrong with the 5th Generation (2014–2021) Cherokee?

Cherokee owners have made 1,721 complaints about the 2014–2021 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 16th out of 18 Jeep generations in overall reliability, with real transmission and engine concerns.

Compare With Other Cherokee Generations

Common 2014-2021 Jeep Cherokee Problems

Some of the worst issues 5th generation Cherokee owners have to deal with.

  1. 2.4L Tigershark Oil Consumption

    A serious defect in the 2.4L Tigershark engine causes an excessive amount of oil to be burned during normal operation. Owners must constantly top off the oil and have consumption tests run at the dealership, or risk the engine seizing up an…

    Continue reading article "2.4L Tigershark Oil Consumption" Tigershark engine

  2. 2.4L Tigershark Emissions

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) could be preparing for a major recall after discovering excessive emissions coming out vehicles with the 2.4L Tigershark engine. In a recent regulatory filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, …

    Continue reading article "2.4L Tigershark Emissions" White smoke coming out of a tailpipe

  3. uConnect Hacks

    Automakers have been swapping out mechanical parts for electronic control units, setting up in-car wifi networks, and connecting infotainment systems to cloud-based services. So it was only a matter of time before these technologies got hac…

    Continue reading article "uConnect Hacks" Infotainment screen with uConnect loaded

  4. AHR Deploys

    The active head restraints in some Jeep vehicles are handing out free concussions. A mechanical breakdown inside the restraint means they could deploy randomly at any time.

    Continue reading article "AHR Deploys" A Jeep head restraint

  6. Death Wobble

    The death wobble is a creative term coined by Jeep owners that describes a situation when the front axle begins violently oscillating, causing the car to shake (or wobble) in a manner which makes the vehicle hard to control.

    Continue reading article "Death Wobble" A red Wrangler climbing over rocks

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

5th Generation (2014–2021) Cherokee Key Numbers

  1. 8 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 1,721 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 16th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 18 eligible generations.

Recent 5th Generation (2014–2021) Cherokee News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  2. Fiat-Chrysler has been accused of calling the 2.4L Tigershark engine's agressive oil consumption "normal" in order to avoid having to recall millions of vehicles.

    A new lawsuit says a defect in that engine's piston rings allows oil to enter the combustion chamber. That leads to roughly a quart of oil burning off every 1,000 miles. If an owner follows the recommended 4,000 mile oil change interval, it puts them at extreme risk of permanently damaging the engine.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says a Piston Ring Defect Burns Through Oil in the Tigershark Engine"

  5. A lawsuit concerning hacking vulnerabilities in Fiat-Chrysler’s (FCA) Uconnect system is headed to trial this October.

    The lawsuit was filed after researchers showed how a Jeep could be controlled remotely through the infotainment system. FCA has called the case meritless and tried to get it dismissed. When that didn’t work they turned to the U.S. Supreme Court. To FCA’s surprise, the court refused to even hear the appeal.

    It’s almost as if FCA thought the were in control of the situation and then suddenly they weren’t 🤔

    keep reading article "Uconnect Hacking Vulnerability Trial Date Set"

  7. There’s a settlement on the horizon for 9-speed transmission problems, it just needs the judge’s final thumbs up.

    The Fiat Chrysler (FCA US) 9-speed transmission class-action includes all consumers who purchased or leased a new 2014-2015 Jeep Cherokee, 2015 Jeep Renegade, 2015 Chrysler 200 or 2015 ProMaster City. In addition, the consumer must still own the vehicle and it must have been purchased or leased in the U.S.

    Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) agreed to the settlement before the case went to trial, and generally it’s good news. There are a lot of complicated eligibility requirements, however, and David Wood has the full run-down on CarComplaints.com.

    keep reading article "9-Speed Transmission Settlement Just Needs the Judge’s Approval"

  8. 2016 Cherokee owners are tired of their junk 9-speed transmissions shifting hard, losing power, and making sudden unexpected movements.

    Accelerating through the first 3-gears is a particular adventure. Getting to 40mph can feel like you’re playing an overly aggressive game of red-light-green-light with a toddler.…

    keep reading article "Class-Action Lawsuit Wants Fiat-Chrysler to Take Responsibility for the Cherokee’s 9-Speed Transmission"

  9. ZF North America is recalling over 500,000 of its 9-speed transmissions (number 9HP48 or 948TE) because they can suddenly slip into neutral.

    The problem is caused by a terminal crimping issue with 26-way connectors on the sensor cluster harness assemblies.  The company says the star-shaped connector was not properly crimped and the problem wasn't caught at the factory because of a manual setting used for measurements.…

    keep reading article "Defective ZF Transmission Sensors Recalled in 505,000 Vehicles"

  10. A transmission defect known to cause a sudden loss of propulsion is being recalled in over 400,000 Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) vehicles.

    [FCA] was examining warranty data and opened an investigation that determined an insufficient crimp in a wire harness could cause a fault code in the solenoid. If that occurs, the vehicle will stop moving, something Chrysler says can temporally be fixed by stopping the vehicle and re-starting the engine.…

    keep reading article "FCA Blames Wiring Harness Problem on ZF Transmission’s Sudden Loss of Propulsion"

  11. A new lawsuit says the Cherokee’s 9-speed transmission is so riddled with problems that even Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) doesn’t know how to fix them.

    The lawsuit alleges Fiat Chrysler delayed the launch of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee to keep working on the new transmissions, then quickly had to issue two technical service bulletins to dealers.…

    keep reading article "2014 Cherokee Owners Say Their 9-Speed Transmission is a Cursed Bucket of Bolts"

What Cherokee Owners Say About This Generation

Hard, Strange Shifts and Sudden Shutdowns with the ZF 9-Speed Transmission

Cherokee 9 gear transmission shift rough in low gears. Lunging, hesitations, and spinning wheels from stop. Had software update for free at local dealership. This reduced the severity of issue but no way corrects it.

2014 Cherokee Owner in CA

Oil Consumption Defect Causes the 2.4L Tigershark Engine to Stall

Had problem with engine stall while braking and cornering. Checked oil levels and was over a quart low. Checked oil again just over a week later and was down another quart. Took it to the dealership and had them check oil consumption. I was told that a quart of oil every 850 miles is ok for this model. This is stupid, why would I ever do an oil change, by the time I get to 3000 miles I have pretty much replaced the oil.

2015 Cherokee Owner in MO

Oil Consumption Defect Causes the 2.4L Tigershark Engine to Stall

My wife's Cherokee has been for some time shutting down on her unexpectedly without any check engine lights or any warnings. At our dealer they informed her that the oil level was very low, close to 2 quarts of oil in the engine when it is supposed to maintain [closer to] 6 quarts. The part that they couldn't answer was why was the vehicle not alerting us of low oil levels.

2015 Cherokee Owner in IL