2021 Jeep Cherokee Engine Problems
8 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (8)
Your 2021 Jeep Cherokee experienced an engine fire while driving on the interstate. You may have noticed a sweet or alcohol smell before the problem occurred, followed by a popping sound from the ignition area and the engine stalling. When you opened the hood, you saw smoke and flames; the vehicle became fully engulfed and was a total loss. The fire department determined the cause was a cable or hose installation failure that created an electrical fire. The fix would require a complete engine bay inspection, replacement of damaged cables and hoses, and electrical system repair or replacement.
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UNKNOWN purchased a used 2021 Jeep on July 3, 2025 received the CARFAX showing it passed all tests however, after I drove off the lot the engine sounded funny, took it back on July 10, they send the car to a Jeep dealer who stated it needed a new engine I also stated the AC smells funny, which they never addressed I finally got my jeep back end of Septemeber with new engine never heard a word from the Dealer even after 2 attempts to speak with them to get a full refund
July 3 purchased used Jeep 2021 18,500 miles from a Lincoln Dealer July 5-7 notified dealer something wrong with engine July 10 drop off at Lincoln dealer was told Jeep would be taken to there Jeep Dealer in Titusville for service July 16 we find out Jeep has been delivered, July 21 was told the Jeep needs new engine, ordered was placed, as of today Aug 26 no ETA I filed a case with Jeep Care, they state no ETA maybe October. No warnings when I did the test drive, within an hour of driving and got home engine made terrible sounds etc reported it right away
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and making a turn on the same day, the failure recurred, nearly causing the contact to crash into a vehicle and to be rear-ended by another vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had recurred on another occasion. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Jeep stuttered and jerked on the freeway and then dropped out of gear. I managed to get to the shoulder but the engine would just rev and not go fwd while in drive or manual mode. I could not engage the parking break and when in park, the jeep would still roll forward. I turned the jeep off and on several times but it would not engage in forward gear, but the rpms would go up. I could put the jeep in reverse but no forward gear would engage
automatic stop start that activates when you are at a stop light either gives you and error that it won't work about 1/3 of my driving trips. on 2 occasions it has totally shut off the vehicle leading to all sorts of dash error lights coming on, and requiring the vehicle to be put in park to restart the engine. dealer service says faulty hood open sensor.
The first time it happened was 9/23/2022. I was accelerating away from a traffic light, going to make a left turn, and warning lights came on and the car didn't want to go. The orange check engine light was on, there was a red symbol of a throttle venture and several other orange lights and the car was in limp mode. I restarted the car and the red venture light was out and only the check engine light was on and the car was out of limp mode. A week later 9/30/2022, the same thing happened. I was making a left turn at a light and the lights came on and it went into limp mode. I restarted the car and it was out of limp mode. Just up the street I was making a left turn across traffic and as I went the car again went into limp mode with the red and orange lights on. This time it left me in the middle of a 3 lane road trying to get across. I was almost T-Boned. I took the car to the dealer and they were unable to duplicate the problem. They had the car for a week., 20/5 - 10/12/2022. Then today, 10/18/2022, the same thing happened. The red venture light came on, the orange check engine light came on and some other warning lights came on. One was the traction control light in orange. I was making a left turn out of a shopping center at a light and as I started to go I almost stopped when the car went into limp mode. I tried restarting 3 times and the lights stayed on. I drove it to the Jeep dealer and had them read codes before it was shut off. This could be very dangerous if it happens as someone is trying to cross traffic or on the highway.
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 mph, the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was plastic left from the manufacturing process inside the engine. The mechanic flushed the engine however, the failure recurred with the check engine and battery warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, Stevens Point Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (5441 US-10, Stevens Point, WI 54482) however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. There was no fault code retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer for a second diagnostic test at the request of the contact. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 836.