2021 Jeep Cherokee problems & reliability
162 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 25, 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 components.
6 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Jeep Cherokee vehicles were involved in 23 fatal crashes with 11 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 → | 93 | 57% |
| Engine → | 26 | 16% |
| Unknown / Other | 23 | 14% |
| Electrical System → | 22 | 14% |
| Service Brakes → | 13 | 8% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 10 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 3% |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% |
| Steering | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 23 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 31 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 49,000 miles (middle 50% between 22,682 and 78,500 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While I was driving, I suddenly heard an extremely loud popping/banging noise that sounded like a gunshot. Immediately afterward, I discovered that the moonroof glass had shattered. Nothing fell onto or struck the vehicle, and nothing from inside the vehicle hit the glass. There were no warning lights, messages, or…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Sep 17, 2026
“While on a XXX road trip through [XXX] with my son, my Jeep was initially operating normally. We were leaving a hiking site when the Jeep gears would not engage. Soon the engine roared and popped into gear however it would not go over 30 mph and the engine went from idling to roaring with rpms going up to 8,000. We…”
Power Train · filed Sep 16, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The "4WD" warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was started but failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was able to shift into reverse and was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed. The…”
Power Train · filed Sep 16, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
256 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 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
If replacing $8474412A$ with $8474413A$ version, verify vehicle is proxied and configured properly. The 4412 part does not have RSD (SXM) capability. The 4413 part has RSD (SXM) capability and will not have an antenna…
9100778 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 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
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 2021 Jeep Cherokee has 4 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 2021 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 49,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.