2021 Jeep Cherokee Reliability Report

Fire is the most serious theme. Four complaints describe vehicles burning. Several caught fire minutes after a remote start in a garage, and others burned while parked and off. In reports of house fires, investigators traced the fire to the battery compartment. Other reports describe air conditioning that blows only hot air after a compressor or evaporator failure, and sunroof or rear glass shattering at highway speed. Owners also report peeling dash covers, blank multimedia and backup camera screens, engine mount noise and hard starts.

Many of these filings come from owners waiting months for parts to finish a lighting recall repair. Others describe high beams that will not turn on while the headlight switch is set to Auto, and some owners say this continues after dealer work. Low beams and taillights stop working. Headlights blink and then quit, and both lamps can fail at once with no dash warning. One of the 33 complaints describes a fire that started after a deer strike broke a headlamp.

Stalling without warning is the most common report. Cars shut off at speeds from 5 to 65 mph, often with no warning light, and usually restart after a short wait. Software updates have not always stopped it. Other patterns include oil cooler failures that leak oil or mix oil and coolant, and misfires with a flashing check engine light. Owners also report low oil between changes, failed engine mounts with long parts backorders, and failed fuel and water pumps. One complaint describes a fire on the interstate, and one reports an injury.

The car brakes hard on its own with nothing ahead, at speeds from a crawl up to 55 mph. Seat belts have thrown occupants hard, and 3 of 25 complaints report injuries. The reverse automatic braking also slams on with nothing behind the car. The electric parking brake engages while driving or towing, and in one case it set the rear tires on fire. Other reports describe a brake pedal that drops to the floor, a failed ABS control unit, and rear rotors that warp, pit or rust out early.

Front suspension parts break or come loose, including control arms, sway bar links, knuckles and axles. When they fail, a wheel can tilt inward or come off. Three of 22 complaints involve crashes, usually after a sudden pull into a curb. These failures appear between about 19,000 and 35,000 miles. Many other filings come from owners waiting for suspension recall parts that dealers can't get. Air suspension faults, such as ride height warnings and a failed compressor, lead to large repair bills. Rear squeaks and front-end clunks over bumps often go undiagnosed.

Airbags fail to deploy in frontal crashes, including head-on hits into trees, poles and other cars at 30 to 65 mph. Fourteen of the 16 complaints involve crashes and 13 report injuries. The injuries include concussions, a fractured sternum and chest bruising from hitting the steering wheel. Several drivers say the other car's airbags deployed and theirs did not. One driver says the driver-side airbags stayed off while the others deployed. A separate complaint says the dash covering over the airbag came unglued.

Cruise control keeps speeding up after the set (+) button is released. In one report it went past 100 mph before the driver braked or canceled it. Other complaints describe sudden acceleration that the brakes could not stop, a stuck throttle, and cruise control speeding up when the brake was pressed. Three of 9 complaints involve crashes, with cars leaving the road or jumping a curb. The other reports describe harsh, delayed shifting and the engine cutting out after a stop/start restart.