Verdict
2016 Jeep Cherokee: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2016 Jeep Cherokee — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
More reported complaints than most SUV.
Owners filed 1,398 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 96% of 2016 SUVs. Power Train leads the reports (43%). 9 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2016 SUVs, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
1,398
Reports to NHTSA, 2016
Safety recalls
9
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
23
EPA estimate
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
More complaints than 96% of 2016 SUVs
The bar is this car's percentile among 2016 SUVs by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
Power Train issues lead owner complaints (43% of 1,398 reports), followed by unknown or other (15%).
+ 16 more component categories with fewer reports.
Share of all 1,398 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11540385, ODI 11522713, ODI 11473637, ODI 11328102, ODI 11015653.
Recalls(9)
Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.
Electrical SystemNov 2023 · 23V338000Details +Close −
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a power liftgate. An electrical short in the power liftgate module may lead to a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will relocate the power liftgate module and add a water shield. In addition, dealers will inspect for corrosion and replace the module and electrical connectors, if necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 1, 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 49A. This recall supersedes recalls 15V-393 and 15V-826. Vehicles repaired under the prior recalls will still need to have the new remedy performed.
Power TrainNov 2020 · 20V343000Details +Close −
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, which may eventually cause a loss of engagement between the transmission and the differential inside the PTU. If this occurs, power cannot be transferred between the front wheels and the transmission which results in a loss of drive while the vehicle is in motion and a loss of the Park function while stationary.
Risk: A loss of drive can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. A loss of the Park function can cause unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update that will maintain vehicle propulsion by engaging rear wheel drive and prevent rolling in Park by activating the electronic parking brake if a failed input spline occurs. This recall began July 14, 2020. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is W47.
Power TrainNov 2016 · 16V284000Details +Close −
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 3, 2015, to March 22, 2016. The right halfshaft may have been incorrectly manufactured causing it to fracture without warning.
Risk: A fractured halfshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right halfshaft, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall number is S39.
Power TrainNov 2016 · 16V287000Details +Close −
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured September 30, 2015, to October 2, 2015. The left halfshaft may have been incorrectly manufactured causing it to fracture without warning.
Risk: A fractured halfshaft may disconnect from the drive axle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left halfshaft, free of charge. The recall began on June 30, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's recall number is S38.
SeatsOct 2016 · 16V590000Details +Close −
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured July 29, 2013, to February 5, 2016. The seat fasteners on the first or second row seats may not have been tightened to the proper torque specification.
Risk: Loose fasteners may allow the seats to move, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupants in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seats or seat sets, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during September 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall S63.
Electrical SystemSep 2015 · 15V826000Details +Close −
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Jeep Cherokee vehicles manufactured February 18, 2015, to September 10, 2015 and equipped with the power liftgate option. In the affected vehicles, water may leak into the Power Liftgate Control Module and result in a high resistance short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit in the module increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the module and connectors for corrosion, replacing the damaged components as necessary. The mastic shield will be removed and the module will be covered with a water shield. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is R67. This recall is superseded by NHTSA recall 23V-338.
Equipment · 17V824000Details +Close −
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling various Dodge, Chrysler, and RAM vehicles equipped with Kidde Plastic-Handle or Push Button 'Pindicator' Fire Extinguishers. A list of the affected trailer models is available at: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17V824-0103.pdf. These extinguishers may become clogged, preventing the extinguisher from discharging as expected or requiring excessive force to activate the extinguisher. Additionally, in certain models, the nozzle may detach from the valve assembly with enough force that it could cause injury and also render the product inoperable. For a full list of the affected fire extinguisher models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2017/RMISC-17E062-5427.pdf
Risk: If the fire extinguisher does not function properly, it can increase the risk of injury in the event of a fire.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners instructing them to contact Kidde for a replacement fire extinguisher, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403 or Kidde customer service service toll-free at 1-855-262-3540, or online at www.kidde.com and click on "Product Safety Recall" for more information. Chrysler's number for this recall is T82.
Electrical System · 18V332000Details +Close −
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 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Power Train · 23V302000Details +Close −
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.
Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: FCA US LLC will notify owners, and dealers will perform a software update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 11, 2023. Owners may contact FCA USA LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 45A. This recall expands previous recall number 20V-343.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
2 NHTSA investigations on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened investigation PE22-009 after having received 80 complaints on model years 2014-2020 Jeep Cherokees alleging the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) inadvertently activated while the vehicle was in motion.During this investigation, the subject vehicles were updated to include only Model Years (MY) 2014-2016, while MY 2017-2020 were considered peers.Based on related repair invoices, ODI believed the EPB module was damaged by water leaking into the vehicle. When the EPB inadvertently activates, it can cause a stalling condition bringing the vehicle to a stop. ODI was aware of recall 15V-393 that addresses water ingress affecting the power liftgate module on nearly the same population of vehicles subject of this investigation. The liftgate module can potentially catch fire as a result of the water damage. Both the liftgate and EPB modules are located in a similar area of the vehicle. On May 11, 2016, the manufacturer released a Technical Service Bulleting (ODI #10191415, FCA #08-060-16) that instructs dealers on replacing the EPB module and inspecting the electrical connector for corrosion if a customer describes having the EPB not releasing. This Preliminary Evaluation was opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. On September 8th, 2022, ODI sent an information request letter to Fiat Chrysler US LLC (FCA) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2014-2016 Jeep Cherokee and Peer 2017-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. FCA Provided its full response on October 27th, 2022 after ODI granted a one-week extension. ODI has reviewed the information FCA provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA’s Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on a review of all available information, ODI has identified evidence supporting a total of 1,655 subject vehicles that likely experienced a failure of the subject EPB. Within the subject vehicle complaints, ODI identified the 2014 Model Year (MY) Jeep Cherokee as having the highest rate of failure, while also being the oldest group of vehicles in this investigation. The 2014 Jeep Cherokees that likely experienced a failure of the subject EPB represent an incident rate of approximately 0.58%. The average Time In Service (TIS) at failure was 2.6 years and the oldest failure occurred at 8.5 years in service. The 2014 population of vehicles is at 9 years in service. All other MY Jeep Cherokee vehicles (both subject and peer) within this investigation had significantly lower failure rates than the 2014 MY Jeep Cherokee. ODI has reviewed all the information available at this time, and identified four allegations of a crash, three allegations of injuries, and one allegation of a fire.Two of the crash allegations alleged injuries, and the alleged injuries were minor severity.All of the alleged injuries appeared to be consistent with hard braking and did not need medical attention. There was no supporting information that demonstrated a fire had occurred on the vehicle. In its response to ODI, FCA provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles, stating that it does not believe the alleged defect poses an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. FCA states the majority of incidents involving the EPB inadvertently activating occurred while the vehicle was stationary and that a small number of incidents occurred while the vehicle was backing up or at low speeds. This is consistent with ODI’s observations. Based on the analysis conducted by ODI, this investigation will be closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Crash-test ratings
2016 Jeep Cherokee SUV 4WD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
2016 Jeep Cherokee SUV 2WD NHTSA source
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Fuel economy by trim
| Trim | Engine | Drivetrain | Transmission | City | Hwy | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 30 | 25 |
| Cherokee FWD | 2.4L 4-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 30 | 25 |
| Cherokee FWD | 3.2L 6-cyl | Front-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 29 | 24 |
| Cherokee 4WD Active Drive II | 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 27 | 23 |
| Cherokee 4WD | 3.2L 6-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 20 | 27 | 23 |
| Cherokee 4WD | 2.4L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 28 | 23 |
| Cherokee 4WD | 2.4L 4-cyl | All-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 21 | 28 | 23 |
| Cherokee Trailhawk 4WD | 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 19 | 26 | 22 |
| Cherokee Trailhawk 4WD | 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 19 | 25 | 22 |
| Cherokee 4WD Active Drive II | 3.2L 6-cyl | 4-Wheel Drive | Automatic 9-spd | 19 | 26 | 22 |
EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.
These are affiliate links. TireKick may earn a fee if you use one.
Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2016 Jeep Cherokee: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners filed 1,398 NHTSA complaints about the 2016 Jeep Cherokee — more complaints than 96% of comparable 2016 SUVs, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.
What are the most common problems on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
The most-reported problem areas are Power Train (43% of complaints) and unknown or other (15%).
How many recalls does the 2016 Jeep Cherokee have?
9 recalls have been issued that affect the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, covering components such as electrical system. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.
What gas mileage does the 2016 Jeep Cherokee get?
The EPA rates the 2016 Jeep Cherokee between 22 and 25 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.