2021 Jeep Cherokee Transmission Problems

Your 2021 Jeep Cherokee's 9-speed automatic transmission failed at 75,000 miles, causing the engine light to come on while driving. When you stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle rolled backward and had little power when accelerating, creating a collision risk. The dealership confirmed the transmission needs to be completely replaced, and Jeep declined to provide any warranty assistance even though you were just outside the coverage period.

While driving on the interstate at 70 mph, your engine revved but the car wouldn't accelerate when you tried to pass another vehicle. You coasted safely to an exit and had the vehicle towed to a dealership, where they discovered a catastrophic failure of the Power Transfer Unit (PTU). The replacement PTU they ordered was also found to be defective. The fix will require replacing the PTU with a functioning unit.

Your 2021 Jeep Cherokee was sold with a known transmission safety recall that was never properly fixed — the dealership only inspected it instead of repairing it. Within a month of purchase, your check engine light started turning on and off, and a diagnostic test revealed a hydraulic pressure sensor problem (Code P0934) that affects how your transmission shifts gears. This creates an unsafe condition where your transmission could fail while you're driving. The dealership and warranty company have refused to repair the vehicle or provide a loaner, even after being notified that you use it as a disabled driver with a child in the car.

While driving 50 MPH on the highway, your 4WD system stopped working and a "Service 4WD" warning appeared on the dashboard. The dealer found that the 4WD actuator failed and the transmission needs to be replaced. The repair hasn't been completed because the replacement transmission isn't currently available.

Your check engine light came on with a message saying the vehicle cannot move, and your car stopped completely. The power transfer unit has failed, and replacements are currently on backorder due to high demand for this part.

Your Power Transfer Unit (PTU) may fail and lock up your transmission, which is a known issue that affected 2017-2019 models under recall. The same problem persists in later model years like yours but hasn't been recalled yet. This could leave you stranded or cause loss of power to the wheels. Fixing this typically requires replacing the PTU assembly.

Your Cherokee is hesitating when you accelerate and jerking harshly into first gear, along with unusual revving noises from the transmission. This issue started after a dealer software update and has gotten worse over the past few weeks. The transmission may need a software reprogram, fluid service, or internal inspection to diagnose the shifting and noise problem.

Your service 4WD light has been on for months due to a faulty power transfer case. The replacement part has been on backorder from Jeep for over 4 months, leaving your vehicle unable to be repaired. You haven't received any updates about when the part will become available. The repair will require replacing the power transfer case component.

Your 4-wheel drive light is on and the vehicle won't drive properly. Your dealer says the power transfer unit (PTU) has major problems and needs to be replaced, but they won't cover it under warranty. The repair costs about $4,000.

Your Power Transfer Unit (PTU) has failed. This component transfers power from your engine to both your front and rear wheels in your all-wheel-drive system. When it fails, you may experience loss of power delivery or difficulty getting the vehicle to move properly. Repair will likely require replacement of the PTU unit itself.

Your 4-wheel drive system displayed an error message while driving on the highway, then the message cleared. Later, your battery went dead unexpectedly, and when you tried to put the car in reverse, it wouldn't move. The dealership found that your Power Transfer Unit (PTU) — which transfers power to your four-wheel drive system — contained metal chunks and a sludgy buildup, indicating internal wear or failure. The fix will likely involve replacing or rebuilding the PTU and possibly the transmission fluid and filter.

Your four-wheel drive warning light is illuminated on the dashboard. The power transfer unit (PTU), which controls your 4WD system, may need to be replaced to resolve this issue.

Incident occur on 25 August, 2025: While driving I experienced a violent jerk and sudden loss of power. The vehicle continued to drive with attenuated power, jerking motion during gear shifts, and loud clucking sounds coming from powertrain. There were no injuries or accidents as result of malfunction. The vehicle was later taken to dealership for diagnosis. The dealership determined root cause as a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure. PTUs for this vehicle are on backorder or not available from manufacturer. This vehicle is 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 4x4 edition with a 3.2L V6 engine and automatic transmission.

On May 13th 2025 the 4WD service light came on. We took it to the Dodge Jeep Ram dealership that owns the used car dealership we bought it from. After the mechanic checked everything, they said it was drivable but they needed to order a car part (PTU). Once that car part arrived at the dealership they would have us bring the car back in and they would fix it. On July 8th of 2025, stil no news on when the part would be delivered to the dealership, the car started making weird noises and was not drivable on the road. AAA towed it back to the dealership where they confirmed the Power Transfer Unit stopped altogether (PTU). From there they said they will keep the car until the part comes in, the car part was estimated August 8th. It is now September 11th and they still have not received the part to fix the car. I have contacted Jeep Customer Service, a Law Firm, etc as there is no recall open on this vehicle and it seems to be an issue as our dealership said there were 10 other Jeeps waiting for this part.

The car is reporting service 4WD, they are saying the PTU is bad. Took it into the dealership today.

The service 4wd light is on. The dealership said it is a PTU problem. They want $2500 for a new PTU and of course add more money for labor. This seems to be a manufacturer problem not a car owner problem. It should be a recall item as it has been for 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokees. The dealer should fix this at no cost to the auto owners.

Our Jeep has had multiple accounts of shifting hard, hesitation while shifting, making a hard sound when putting in reverse and now it is having trouble starting up. When we charged the recently purchased (brand new) battery, the vehicle will start up but when placing in reverse it shifts so hard that it sounds like the bottom is dropping out. Now a lot of lights are shining on my panel; the check engine light, the forward collision light, the parking break light, the regular brake notification, the traction control light.....all shining up like Christmas lights. This is an ongoing issue and I feel a recall needs to be done. My car is over the warranty time frame and for a 2021 model that was purchased brand new I should NOT have to be replacing a transmission already and paying out of pocket expenses.

The power transfer unit failed and lost power lots of grinding noises and could even roll when in park. What worries me more as I read about this is how many seems to be failing

My vehicle was driving fine and I pulled up to a stop light. When I stepped on gas to drive after the light switched, the car would not move and made a loud noise. The brake automatically kicked in and car would not move. This could have been very dangerous as someone could have slammed into the back of my car which could have caused serious damage to me or my children. There was absolutely no warning of anything wrong with my car. I had to have my vehicle towed to a garage. The PTU in my jeep went with absolutely no warning. This part is on back order apparently because there are so many issues with this part on jeeps. Prior year jeeps have this item as a recall which leads me to believe that this is a Jeep problem that should have been fixed already. So now I am without my vehicle for a month.

When taking off out of my driveway the car hesitated to send power from the engine to the wheels resulting in a delayed start. Unknown which component caused the issue but based on my previous 2014 trailhawks PTU 2 x failure it appears to be the suspect. This placed my me and my family at a risk of a side collision as vehicles drive down our road at high speeds. If we cannot pull out in time, a collision is likely to occur causing serious injury or death. Vehicle I available for inspection upon request but has not been inspected by a dealer, independent shop, of police for this problem and there were no indicator lights that came on.

The PTU (power transfer unit) failed in the middle of the interstate which caused it to stall and not move.

PTU failure Service 4WD Light came on in April 2025 problem confirmed by independent service center has not been inspected by manufacture, police, insurance or others

Driving a 2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk on the interstate with cruise control engaged. All of a sudden the vehicle decelerates/downshifts and the display screen flashes "4WD System Unavailable Service Required" and "4WD Neutral Warning". Trying to cross traffic to get to the shoulder of road and almost hit due to deceleration. Press gas pedal and nothing. Traction control light flashes on. Coast cross traffic to shoulder side of the road. Shut off Jeep. Check for loss of fluids and/or parts. Check brakes. Nothing. No smoke. No burning smell. Turn vehicle on. Vehicle automatically engages parking brake. Shift off parking brake and shift vehicle into drive and it makes a grinding noise like its trying to shift into 4WD. Snow mode pops on as well as the FWD Collision light and traction control. Jeep ran just fine until this point and no prior incidents, no bad/hard shifting. NOTHING.

Upon exiting a major interstate highway, I slowed down and attempted to merge onto a divided highway. The vehicle (2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk) did not respond, as their was little or no power. Cars behind me, took actions to avoid me. After coasting to the shoulder of the divided highway, I placed the vehicle in park and then back into drive. I experienced a grinding, oscillating noise and a dashboard warning message stating to service 4WD system. I repeated this procedure and was able to advance the vehicle at a slow/steady pace to a local Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep dealership, not far from the malfunction. Dealership has confirmed a major PTU failure, one of the "worst" they have seen. I was also informed that the stated wait on replacement parts is 45 days.

Car completely died while operating. No Power. Dead in middle of the road. Unable to signal other cars. Jeep dealership ran code and replaced battery. Did not check PTU as requested. Car is now acting up similar to PTU issues. Exact same experiences as outlined in the recall for 2017 to 2020. 2021 should be included for this recall and reviewed or repaired as this is a known issue in jeep cheerokes. This is a serious issue due to the fact that they shut down immediately leaving you in the middle of the road with zero ability to notify anyone you are stopped. No warning signs were present.

PTU went out at 42,900 miles 2 weeks ago traveling on I81, was very foggy and all of a sudden my rpm went crazy and check engine and service 4 wd light came on pulled to side of highway and car was reving itself on and off and when shifting to drive or reverse car would not move and emergency brake was engaging on it’s own. Called Triple A and had to have towed on truck to dealer . Just bought vehicle 3 months prior . Dealer tested and told me PTU went out in vehicle not sure when part will be available could be months . We were sitting on berm of highway for an hour in foggy conditions and semi trucks flying by was very scary.

"Service 4wd" message came on after startup one day.

Failed rear driveline failed rear differential and failed DTCM. Jeep is still sluggish upon shifting to acceleration. Clunk from park to drive and cold start to warm up normal to drop to normal rpm then rev up to 2.0 while sitting still. I have suspicions that the PTU could be having issues after all the above was replaced

The 4WD light keeps coming on and going off. This issue is reported all over the internet with Jeeps. It started about 60,000 miles, which is also reported as a normal mileage of failure. When the 4WD light is on the vehicle loses stability control which could result in an accident in anything other than dry road conditions. Why is this issue not a recall? A lot of the complaints online seem to be a faulty sensor or the PTU. With as many complaints as there are online, this issue should be covered by the manufacturer.

I have had 2 incidents involving drivetrain failure which almost resulted in accidents. On 26 September 2024, I was in left lane passing other vehicles when suddenly my vehicle (2021 Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk) started jerking, felt and sounded like something exploded under vehicle. I was among a group of vehicles, including semi trucks with trailers, both behind me as well as along side me. Vehicle suddenly lost forward motion, engine rpm kept increasing and decreasing, vehicle would jerk like something in drivetrain was binding up but still did not have forward power and losing speed. Dash lights started coming on and going off, then check engine light remained on. while still in passing lane, I had no power to drive forward so I immediately signaled to attempt a safe maneuver in traffic to right edge of road as there was no space on left shoulder. Several vehicles had to swerve to avoid hitting us, a very frightening and unsafe experience. Once I was on side of road, vehicle would not move in any direction, transmission made like a grinding sound if put from drive to park. Vehicle was towed to Papik Motors for repair. Dealer determined shift actuator forks were worn and replaced shift actuator. there were no loaner or rental vehicles available from dealership, I had to rent a Uhaul to get us and camper home. Vehicle returned 4 Oct 2024. On 21 January 2025 while attempting to pass a vehicle on 2 lane highway, my transmission seemed to go into neutral as I was passing causing me to almost be hit by oncoming vehicle as I had lost forward motion. After stopping, vehicle seemed to operate fine but on way home, vehicle made loud noises, transmission was grinding and would not drive. I was able to drive in 4x4 low along edge of road to the dealership. they found metal in PTU case. estimated time for repair is May or later due to parts not available. I have loaner vehicle. Contacted Stellantis twice. Case manager has not called back. I do not and will not feel safe driving

Vehicle hesitates to go into gear and upon takeoff resulting in slamming into first gear. This causes significant stress on the transmission and PTU causing premature failure. Additionally, loss of power to the wheels upon take off could result in a vehicle collision when turning into on coming traffic.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 75 MPH on I-15 and accelerating, the transmission seized, and the vehicle skidded to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that the engine was running but the vehicle failed to move. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where codes were retrieved for the power transfer unit (PTU); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

PTU is going out causing jeep to not have 4wd. 74k miles. Causing the jeep to not be able to get traction on a busy highway causing a traffic jam in snow. Putting people’s safety at jeopardy.

The vehicle gave us a service 4wd warning on my wife's way home from work. The car had numerous issues driving it home. It wouldn't move in drive, until it was put in park and then back into drive and it would automatically engage the parking brake. Once she brought it home I went to check the vehicle. I got into the vehicle, put it into reverse and backed up the driveway. Once I stopped and placed the vehicle in drive it automatically engaged the parking brake. I put the vehicle in drive disengaged the brake pulled the car forward toward my house. I stopped the car placed it in park. The vehicle kept rolling about 2 ft. Into my garage door and then engaged the parking brake.. I don't know what is wrong, I have never seen a vehicle do this. I have checked and this is a common problem. I don't know why this isn't recalled. It is a dangerous vehicle like this.

PTU is going out causing jeep to not have 4wd. 67k miles. Causing the jeep to not be able to get traction on a busy highway causing a traffic jam in snow. Putting people’s safety at jeopardy.

Driving on the road when the power transfer unit failed. Car would was not in gear, was able to get to side of road but could have been very dangerous. Towed to dealer and was told that part is on back order and would be 1-2 months to get it and there are55 on back order. Factory has hold on them. This is warranty under the power train and should be in stock . This type of failure could cause a crash and possible death. Should be a rercall.

Powertrain unit failed at 74k mileage. This is a chronic issue with Jeep Cherokees and cost $3,400 to repair as warranty expired at 60k.

PTU failure or blockage. Only 30,000 miles. 3year factory warranty has passed by 2 months, part can be over 2,000$

The vehicle started jerking and then the front wheel drive would lose power. The 4WD light came on the dash. We took it in and were told there were pieces broken off inside the PTU and the PTU needed to be completely replaced. This happened 600 miles over the manufacture warranty would have replaced it.

1. Engine timing chain making rattling noise. Yes Automatic Emergency braking activates when there is no collision imminent. Yes 2. Faulty Timing chain can cause significant damage to engine while driving Faulty automatic braking system can cause accident if stopped abruptly in traffic. 3. Timing chain has been inquired by mechanic. Video of the noise. Needs to be confirmed by dealer for warranty 4. No 5. No warning

Engine oil color is made of plastic and can crack and can cause you to lose your engine to no oil pressure and coolant and can cause an accident if you do not know because it would lock up the engine

The rear differential PTU can cause the car to lose all control if it fails and this was a proven issue on previous Cherokee models and this model inherits the same issue

The vehicle ran hot, smelled of hot metal and fluids. When moving the transmission from Park to Drive nothing would happen, pressing the accelerator caused the engine to rev, then it would lurch into Drive. Same thing would happen going into reverse. Moving down the road there would be a clunking noise as you accelerated or slowed down. The car seemed like something was slowing it down , like dragging brakes. This was intermittent for some time and then got worse. The Jeep dealer replicated the problem, did the diagnostics and tried a software fix. Dealer concluded the transmission was so damaged it had to be replaced, which they did under warranty, at 36,000 miles. The transmission could have locked up or slipped into neutral while driving.

The service department where I bought the SUV said the power transfer unit was bad and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. So its been parked there in the back parking lot for three weeks. I had told them every time that I took it in for a oil change that there was a problem. They said it needed a software update, but it didn't help. Then after more than year and the forth time complaining about the noise and feel of the car, it's all of a sudden unsafe to drive and need to be parked until fixed.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at high speeds, the contact heard a popping sound coming from the hood. The contact stated that the engine revved, and the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. The contact pulled the vehicle off the roadway. The contact stated that the vehicle remained on and failed to shut off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the PTU failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the AWD warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the PTU failed again and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed again that the PTU failed and needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact was provided a case number and informed that the parts to do the repair was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Power Takeoff Unit Assembly failed at 61,000 miles. This unit has had three recalls and 5 parts revision that I can find but dealer refuses replacement under warranty due to warranty being 60,000 miles. This part clearly has defects ongoing since 2014 or before and yet FCA continues to produce them and fails to support them.

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 25 MPH, there was a clunking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was immediately driven to a nearby mechanic who diagnosed that the rear driveshaft had detached from the vehicle and was striking the ground. The rear driveshaft was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The local dealer had examined the vehicle and was unable to determine how the rear driveshaft had detached from the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 27,364.

PTU in 2021 Jeep Cherokee with 50k miles went out causing a loss in power to the wheels while crossing a highway. Dealership put a new PTU and drive shaft in but said it was defective but they could turn off the Jeeps ability to transfer power from front to back until they got a new part. This caused my safety features such as front collision to be turned off. I assume they pulled a fuse for the transfer between front and rear meaning the new PTU was more than just not communicating with the electronics like the dealership said but was an actual defective unit. The last time it went out it also tore up a drive shaft. The replacement unit in the Jeep has always had a grinding sound and began to have what felt like transmission slip. I also started losing power and when the engine is turned off sometimes it won’t start even though it has power in the battery and the start turns. It is broke down again and going into the shop because the Jeep is still having drive issues along with new electrical ones and I am in danger of it losing power or transmission when crossing a highway. The dealer did tell me that many of the new PTUs are defective. I am surprised a dealership when send a customer back out in a vehicle they knew wouldn’t be safe and had a failed part.

While at a complete stop vehicle’s rpms went up and launched forward on its own. It continued to do so several times despite pressing the break pedal fully. Vehicle did the same thing only a couple of weeks after being purchased but I was unsure if it had been the vehicle or I eased up on the break a little too much. This latest time however it did it so many times that I was able to record it and share it with my dealership.

2/14/23 Dash Flashes “Put Car in Park”; battery symbol illuminates, gear shift ‘D’ lit up. Coasted to the shoulder, put car in park, engine was not running. I hit the “Start” button. The engine starts up, I put it into Drive, and pull onto the road. This repeats 2 more times. 2/20/23 Car serviced at Chrysler dealership - Service report said Updated PCM 181906EL Module. ECU from old part number 68493558AD to current part number 68493558AG. 3/7/23 - Vehicle lost power. Coasted to nearest driveway to turn off the main road. No power steering, Car was successful moved out of traffic, put in park, and then the engine was restarted. 3/9/23Mileage in 22536; Replaced Module - Engine controller, crankshaft position sensor, wit all wheel drive, powertrain/engine control. 3/23/23 Vehicle returned mileage 22562. 4/4/23, Driving freeway, vehicle started decelerate on its own, maneuvered to the shoulder and put it into park. There were no lights or indicators on the dash to say there was a problem. Car did not stall. Returned to the roadway and maintained speed. Approx 22980 miles on the vehicle, cruise control was on 77. The vehicle started slowed to 68 mph, maneuvered to the shoulder; did not lose power; Put car in park. Traffic cleared to re-enter the roadway. Next 30 minutes, problem repeated. Did not have anyone behind me so I wanted to see at what point would I lose power, or warning lights come on. Cruise set at 77, the car reduced speed on its own to 64 mph. The car acted like it was changing gears a few times, lurching, then picked up speed to 80 mph, then slowed back to the setting of 77. This happened 3 more times. 4/6/23, 23381 miles on the vehicle, driving 45 mph, w/out cruise control. Vehicle began to decelerate, I tried to accelerate to keep up with traffic. The vehicle continued to decelerate down to 36 mph when it kicked back into gear and picked back up to 45 mph. 4/10/23 back to dealer @ 23,608

In May 2021 I leases a brand new car. In Jan 2021 I was driving my car and at a busy intersection, my car stalled. I just got a full tank of gas but the low fuel tank light came on. The car would not turn off, the clutch was stuck and I could not shift out of any gear. I brought my car in to the service center where I bought my car and let them know that I think electrical issues were causing problems with my fuel gauge and my clutch. They held on to my car from Jan 20-Mar 28th they could not say what electrical problems caused my car to stall or my fuel tank to register as low but they gave me a whole new transmission. At this time I had only about 2,700 miles on the car. Less than a month later I stalled again on a busy road but I was able to pull the car over and waited for a family member to arrive to help. After letting the car sit for a little I was able to start the car again however the low fuel light came back on and the engine light came on. Additionally this time I was not able to shut off the car, radio, blinkers did not work, as well as break lights did not work. I brought the car back in and expressed my concerns about the electrical problems causing saftey issues on April 20 2021. I drove to the dealership with my hazards in which it stalled 3 times on my way there. They had my car til April 26 and said a cluster of alerts came up and the reset them but they couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again. Only one day later I started my car to find the fuel tank alert on again and the car not being able to turn off and brake lights, signal lights were not working and the windshield wipers going crazy. I then called a tow truck to tow my car as it was unsafe to drive. Now my car has been in the shop since April 27 almost 50 days and counting and they still can't find what is causing the issues. They want to release my car again but cannot guarantee it will not happen again. I am terrified to drive the car as nothing was fixed and very unsafe.

The drivetrain failed while driving at 65 mph on a straight highway. Weather was sunny and warm at 11am. Suddenly there was no power going to the wheels. There were no vehicle warning lights or sounds. Stepping on the gas pedal resulted in a whinning noise. Because the engine was still running I had control over the steering and brakes. After stopping the vehicle on the shoulder of the road I put the vehicle in park. I then attempted to travel forward. Moving the shifter from park to drive the parking brake was automatically set on. I released the parking brake and applied slight pressure on the gas. There was a clicking noise and no attempt to move. I had the car towed to Tate Jeep of Frederick MD. I bought the car used from a Mazda dealership in Baltimore with 14,100 miles one month earlier.

While I was trying to get onto the interstate my vehicle would not accelerate. I tried to merge in with traffic but I was only going 35 and I almost hit someone. They stayed the same speed hoping I would speed up in front of them but I couldn’t. This put everyone around me at risk. I took my vh to the dealership. They called me today and told me they sold the rental I was in and that I needed to bring the car back. Also they ran some codes and my car is coming back fine. So they did not find a problem. I honestly feel they didn’t look they just wanted to sell the rental car. I’ve had no warning lamps at all come on but the transmission is slipping.

Vehicle stalled on the road while stopped in the center lane and trying to take left turn. It was completely dead, no warning indicators or signals. Both dash board and radio screens were blank. Key was locked, could not take it out. Everything came back to normal after about fifteen minutes and I was able to drive it home. Our safety was at risk since it happened in the middle of the road, except that it was stopped and waiting to turn. Contacted dealer for warranty service. No diagnostics done yet.

MY 2021 JEEP'S POWER TRAIN UNIT BROKE AND DAMAGED OTHER CONNECTING PARTS WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THIS OCCURRED WITH ONLY 5696 MILES DRIVEN ON THE VEHICLE.