2020 Jeep Cherokee problems & reliability
273 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (9 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles were involved in 63 fatal crashes with 32 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 152 | 56% |
| Engine | 37 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 34 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 33 | 12% |
| Service Brakes | 22 | 8% |
| Steering | 21 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 3% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 3% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 46,900 miles (middle 50% between 8,000 and 68,000 miles), based on 73 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH, the steering wheel suddenly turned to the right and the vehicle became difficult to steer. There was an abnormal roaring sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact waited until the vehicle decelerated before…”
Power Train · filed Aug 3, 2026
“The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failed on my 2020 Jeep Cherokee. Started hearing grinding and roaring noises coming from the front wheels and was having trouble stopping. There is a recall already going for the same make and model but for other specific vin numbers, mine not included. The problem was inspected and…”
Power Train · filed Jul 31, 2026
“error : service 4wd , I have had it to 2 mechanic shops and said ptu is causing error, parts r not available. there are recalls for this problem, but I put in my vin in and it says no recalls. please seen nhtsa recall no 26v290 or manufacturer number 40d”
Power Train · filed Jul 30, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
388 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The 10 most recent:
Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
S2208000045 REV.D · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 26, 2026
Door Latch, Handle And Ajar Additional Service Information.
S2523000003 REV.A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 22, 2026
Rear Taillamp Condensation Clearing Procedure On occasion, vehicle exterior taillamp assemblies get fogged with a light layer of condensation on the SYMPTOM: inside of the lenses Fig. 1. This may be reported after the…
08-075-26 REV. A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 15, 2026
Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates Customers must experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination and the vehicle must SYMPTOM: exhibit/set one or more of the following Diagnostic Trouble Codes…
18-044-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2026
Backup Camera Poor Image Quality Inspection
S2208000045 REV.C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2026
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 REV.J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 2026
Rear Taillamp Condensation Clearing Procedure On occasion, vehicle exterior taillamp assemblies get fogged with a light layer of condensation on the SYMPTOM: inside of the lenses Fig. 1. This may be reported after the…
08-075-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2026
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS Related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 REV.I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 14, 2026
Power transfer unit - none
109872 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2026
Power transfer unit - none
109871 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 3, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Jeep Cherokee has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Jeep Cherokee?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 46,900 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.