Is the Jeep Cherokee more reliable than the Volvo XC60?

No, the XC60 holds a slight edge. It has fewer recalls, 42 against 105 across eight model years, and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Cherokee does cost less per year and visits the shop less often, so the difference is small.

Which has more recalls, the Cherokee or the XC60?

The Cherokee has more. Federal recall records show 105 recalls across its eight model years, compared with 42 for the XC60. Whichever you buy, check the VIN for open recalls before you sign, and confirm the work was done.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Cherokee or the XC60?

The Cherokee is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data shows $520 a year for the Cherokee and $746 for the XC60, a gap of roughly $1,130 over five years. The Cherokee is also less likely to need an unscheduled shop visit.

What is the most common XC60 problem?

Electrical trouble leads the complaints. The most serious pattern is water from the sunroof and roof drains collecting under the carpet and reaching electronics under the front passenger seat. Owners also report the center screen and driver display going black while driving.

Are Cherokee transmission problems serious?

They can be. Owners report harsh shifts, slipping, and the car dropping into neutral while moving, and several needed a full transmission replacement. Many power train reports in the data describe a Grand Cherokee, so test drive any Cherokee closely.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60: Reliability Compared

Jeep Cherokee

Good

More Reliable

Volvo XC60

Good

The Volvo XC60 edges out the Jeep Cherokee on reliability. It has far fewer recalls and a lower chance of a major repair. The Cherokee is cheaper to run each year, so the gap is slight. Here is what breaks on each and which years to pick.

How Do the Jeep Cherokee and Volvo XC60 Generations Compare?

Second-generation design covers the XC60 years a shopper is likely to see, starting with the 2018 US model year. Facelifts arrived for 2021 and 2025. That splits the used market into early cars from 2018 to 2020, the 2021 to 2024 cars with the first facelift, and the newest 2025 and later cars. The strongest years, 2025 and 2021, both fall on facelift years. The weakest, 2022 and 2019, sit on either side of that. Newer cars have had less time to collect complaints, so a clean record on a 2025 or 2026 does not yet prove much.

Verdict

The Volvo XC60 is more reliable than the Jeep Cherokee, scoring 74/100 vs 70/100.

A slight edge goes to the Volvo XC60. Federal recall records show 42 recalls across eight model years, against 105 for the Cherokee, and an XC60 repair is less likely to be major, at 7% versus 12%. The Cherokee answers with lower yearly repair cost and fewer shop visits. Its huge complaint count carries little weight on its own, because it has no sales data behind it and includes reports about the Grand Cherokee. The gap is real but small.

Key Differences

1Jeep Cherokee costs $226 less per year to repair
2Volvo XC60 has 63 fewer total recalls
3Volvo XC60 has 5% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

2Jeep Cherokee

—

3Volvo XC60

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60: Which Is More Reliable?

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Jeep Cherokee	Volvo XC60
Reliability Score	70/100	74/100
Years Tracked	8	8
Total Recalls	105	42
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	4984	242
Annual Repair Cost	$520/yr	$746/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.5/yr
Major Repair Risk	12%	7%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	2	5

What Are the Common Problems With the Jeep Cherokee and Volvo XC60?

Crash-linked filings separate the two. Every major Cherokee problem area has them, with steering highest. Owners describe power steering cutting out, transmissions slipping or dropping into neutral, cars shutting off at lights, an electronic parking brake engaging at 55 and 70 mph, and engine compartment fires. XC60 complaints center on sunroof drain leaks that soak electronics under the front passenger seat, screens going black while driving, and fast brake and rotor wear. Its crash-linked filings are few: five in electrical, one each in brakes and steering. Tires and wipers have none.

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60 common problem areas comparison
Component	Jeep Cherokee	Volvo XC60
POWER TRAIN	1330	4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1161	81
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	618	23
ENGINE	415	2
STEERING	370	14
SERVICE BRAKES	252	19
AIR BAGS	107	—
SUSPENSION	101	2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	85	2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	49	—
SEATS	22	—
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	18	4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	16	—
SEAT BELTS	11	2
BACK OVER PREVENTION	3	9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	11	—
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—	9
TIRES	—	9
LANE DEPARTURE	3	5
STRUCTURE	—	8
WHEELS	—	2

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Jeep Cherokee or Volvo XC60?

Lower running costs favor the Cherokee. Independent repair-cost data puts it at $520 a year, against $746 for the XC60. Over five years that is about $1,130 in the Cherokee's favor. The Cherokee also makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.2 a year versus 0.5. The trade-off is severity: 12% of Cherokee repairs are major, compared with 7% for the XC60.

How Does Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60 Reliability Compare by Year?

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Jeep Cherokee	Volvo XC60	Edge
2026	76/1002R / 1C	74/1003R / 4C	Jeep Cherokee
2025	75/1003R / 64C	76/1004R / 22C	Volvo XC60
2023	66/10022R / 396C	74/1005R / 40C	Volvo XC60
2021	67/10018R / 554C	75/1005R / 31C	Volvo XC60
2020	76/1005R / 436C	75/1006R / 17C	Jeep Cherokee
2019	67/10017R / 1833C	72/1008R / 33C	Volvo XC60
2018	68/10018R / 1468C	74/1005R / 35C	Volvo XC60

Best years to cross-shop: The 2020 Jeep Cherokee scored 76/100 and the 2021 Volvo XC60 scored 75/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Jeep Cherokee vs the Volvo XC60?

Pick the Cherokee if you want the lower yearly repair bill and fewer trips to the shop, and you can accept a higher chance that a repair is major. Target 2020, one of its strongest years. Avoid 2023 and 2024. Recall counts are high, so confirm any car has had its recall work done, and test the steering and transmission carefully on a drive. Pick the XC60 if you want fewer recalls and a lower chance of a big repair, and you can live with a higher yearly cost. Target 2021, a strong year and a facelift year. The 2025 model also ranks well, but it has had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof. Avoid 2022 and 2019. Before buying, look for water stains under the carpet and check that the sunroof drains are clear. Test the front wipers and the brake pedal feel.

Jeep Cherokee vs Volvo XC60: Common Questions

Is the Jeep Cherokee more reliable than the Volvo XC60?: No, the XC60 holds a slight edge. It has fewer recalls, 42 against 105 across eight model years, and a lower chance that a repair is major. The Cherokee does cost less per year and visits the shop less often, so the difference is small.
Which has more recalls, the Cherokee or the XC60?: The Cherokee has more. Federal recall records show 105 recalls across its eight model years, compared with 42 for the XC60. Whichever you buy, check the VIN for open recalls before you sign, and confirm the work was done.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Cherokee or the XC60?: The Cherokee is cheaper. Independent repair-cost data shows $520 a year for the Cherokee and $746 for the XC60, a gap of roughly $1,130 over five years. The Cherokee is also less likely to need an unscheduled shop visit.
What is the most common XC60 problem?: Electrical trouble leads the complaints. The most serious pattern is water from the sunroof and roof drains collecting under the carpet and reaching electronics under the front passenger seat. Owners also report the center screen and driver display going black while driving.
Are Cherokee transmission problems serious?: They can be. Owners report harsh shifts, slipping, and the car dropping into neutral while moving, and several needed a full transmission replacement. Many power train reports in the data describe a Grand Cherokee, so test drive any Cherokee closely.

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How we score the Jeep Cherokee and Volvo XC60

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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