2017 Jeep Cherokee Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee report two broad patterns: a repetitive "Service Shifter" warning with all gear indicators lighting up, and, on all-wheel-drive versions, failures of the power transfer unit (PTU) that can take away drive power. Oil consumption on the 2.4L engine and occasional stalling or loss of power round out the recurring themes. Many complaints were filed at moderate mileage, and several owners describe being unable to reproduce the message or fault at the dealer.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Service Shifter warning with all gear lights lit

   • 696 complaints (52%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 3.2 yrs old (486 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $625 (median of 26 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Driving or starting the vehicle, owners see a "Service Shifter" or "Service Shifter Soon" message and every position indicator on the shifter lights up at once. In many accounts the vehicle still drives, but cruise control, sport and snow modes become unavailable, and some describe hard shifting or refusal to give full power while the message is on. Shutting off and restarting usually clears it temporarily; owners report dealers either found nothing, could not duplicate it, or replaced the shifter bezel and wiring harness. Reported across a wide mileage range, often between roughly 20,000 and 65,000 miles, and often while driving rather than at startup.

   Recall 18V332000

   What to check: Ask whether the shifter bezel or wiring harness has been replaced and whether the message has appeared recently. Scan for stored transmission and body codes, and test drive enough to cycle through gears, if possible.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The lights on the gear shift all came on (p, r, n, d) and on my dashboard instrument panel it said service shifter . I shut the car down and restarted, which corrected the issue temporarily. However it has now happened 3 times in the last week. It happened twice when the vehicle was stationary and once when it was moving on a city street.”

   NHTSA complaint #11337639, filed 2020-07, 39,000 miles

   “My service shifter light comes on random at any time. Turn off my Jeep and restart it and it goes away. Now my push start button will turn on my dash but when I go to start the Jeep it will just click. Im beginning to wonder if its because of the shifter error. It has to be in park and if all the lights are on then maybe it will keep my Jeep from starting correctly.”

   NHTSA complaint #11376036, filed 2020-11, 68,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Stalling or loss of power while driving

   • 217 complaints (16%)
   • median 40,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (157 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2026

   Complaints describe the engine shutting off or motive power dropping out while driving, sometimes with the instrument cluster going dark and power steering assist lost for a few seconds. Messages such as "shift to park or neutral to start" appear in some accounts, and a few owners report the vehicle rolling backward. Dealers variously replaced computers, a transmission or an engine, and some could not determine a cause. Spread from roughly 40,000 to over 100,000 miles, and in some cases on 2017 vehicles with high mileage.

   What to check: Have a shop scan all modules for stored codes and ask about any past electrical or computer replacements, and note whether the vehicle has had stalling or no-start episodes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “So I got my car in april 7, 2020. My car has been in and out of the shop for the past couple months. To my engine stalling out to my car not. Shift that right way. A new transmission was put in january 2021. My electric stuff in the car goes in and out all the time. So it m mess up the computers this car has now had 4 new computers put in the car and I'm still having problems with it. And it does this anywhere on highway city street.”

   NHTSA complaint #11400360, filed 2021-03, 88,000 miles

   “I was pulling out into traffic and the car transmission just stopped going. It almost cost me my life. The check engine, service transmission,service parking brake, and the traction control system all lit up on the car. This is the 2nd time this happened. I took it to the dealer and was told that all Jeep cherokees manufactured in 2015, 2016 (may also include my 2017) have had this problem. It took them forever to figure it out. In the meantime, I'm incurring rental car fees and have zero idea of what it will cost to fix. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11317006, filed 2020-03, 83,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Power transfer unit (PTU) failure, loss of drive or Service

   • 286 complaints (21%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (149 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,563 (median of 20 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe a "Service 4WD" or "Service 4wd" message followed by loss of forward power, vibration and shaking, abnormal noises from underneath, or a gearbox that will not engage properly. Several complaints state the dealer diagnosed a failed or leaking PTU requiring replacement, with parts sometimes back-ordered. Some owners link the failure to the PTU recalls and report their VIN was, or was not, included. Usually reported well past 60,000 miles, with many accounts between roughly 80,000 and 125,000 miles.

   Recall 25V011000Recall 23V302000Recall 20V3430004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the PTU recalls and the associated warranty extension were performed, and have a shop check the PTU for leaks, noise or a stored fault before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle suddenly seized, causing the vehicle to spin off the road. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to Modern Day Automotive, where it was diagnosed with PTU failure. The mechanic replaced the part with a refurbished part; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11640635, filed 2025-02, 85,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the “Service 4WD” message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the failure was caused by a faulty Power Transfer Unit (PTU). The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V343000 (Power Train). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11471311, filed 2022-06, 96,252 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Engine oil consumption (2.4L)

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report needing to add oil between changes, in some cases about a quart per 1,000 miles, with the low oil pressure lamp coming on before the next scheduled change. Several describe being placed on an oil consumption monitoring program where the level was measured at set intervals, with one owner told the engine might be replaced if consumption continued. Transmission shudder, rough running and stalling are sometimes mentioned alongside. Reported from very low mileage, in some cases under 5,000 miles and continuing through the 20,000 to 50,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for low-oil history, and ask whether an oil consumption test was performed and whether any warranty extension for the engine applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I've needed to add a quart of oil every 1000 miles since the vehicle was new. I returned the car to the dealer at approximately 3200 miles and was put on an oil consumption monitoring program where I returned the car every 1000 miles for measuring the oil consumption. This was done every 1000 miles and the car now has 15,700 miles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11360435, filed 2020-09, 15,700 miles

   “This car burns oil at an extreme rate, I've had it checked out for consumption tests after every 1,000 miles- it is always low on oil. With no answers from Jeep who is performing these tasks. Currently the car has been since about 25,000 miles- (im sitting at 51,000 now) shaking between gears, the RPM gauge tac jumps around, the car seems to struggle running. Every time the car is taken in - I'm told the car is running correctly even with high oil consumption as well as issues with transmission and that this is jeeps standard. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11320614, filed 2020-04, 25,000 miles

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.