NHTSA has received 324 owner complaints about the 2020 Jeep Cherokee, or 47.7 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 1.18, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #62 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Jeep models its rate is 28% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 21% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-10-31 and 2026-10-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 16 days.
324Complaints
47.7Complaints per year on the road
1.18Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
4.9%Share involving a crash or fire
141Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 213.1 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 29.9 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 34 complaints, 40% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Transmission / powertrain (54.0% of complaints), followed by Engine (15.1%) and Electrical (6.5%). Transmission / powertrain complaints are 4.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 16 reports (4.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 9 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 65 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (60% of incidents). In the last 12 months 141 new complaints were filed, versus 82 in the 12 months before — up 72%.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.18
vs. other Jeep models0.72
vs. other 2020 models1.27
vs. other Compact SUVs0.79
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (34)0.6
On September 27, 2026 I drove the vehicle 2020 Jeep Cherokee 10 miles to church at 9:30 AM park the car when I came out of church at 10:30 AM. The car was totally burnt to the ground and the fire department was there and police and put it out.
Unspecified or other · 2026-10-05 · ODI 11769145 · Fire
I was involved in a head-on accident with another car. The airbags did not deploy in my 2020 Jeep Cherokee. This resulted didn’t some injuries to me in a driver of the other car.
SERVICE AWD light came on, took to a mechanic and he stated the PTU failed causing the AWD to be shut off. He said this is a known issue and gave me the FCA's number 40D for this issue.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-10-12 · ODI 11770548
While driving, emergency parking brake engaged. Required vehicle to be driven on and parked on road shoulder. Grinding sound was coming from engaged parking brake. Vehicle was towed to nearest dealership.
Brakes · 2026-10-12 · ODI 11770673
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal humming sound that grew louder at 30 MPH. The message "Service AWD" was displayed, and there was an abnormal odor coming from the vehicle.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770107
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
Risk: A failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Drivetrain Control Drivetrain Control Module, PTU, and Electronic Park Brake software, and replace the PTU, as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters explaining the safety risk were mailed June 25, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy becomes available. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 40D. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 14, 2026.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 20V191000 · 2020-09-10 · Over-the-air fix
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Risk: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK Campaign 19V637000 · 2019-08-29
Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.
Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.
