2017 Jeep Cherokee engine problems
264 of the 1,334 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 46 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database3 of the 264 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 31 · 2019: 75 · 2020: 50 · 2021: 25 · 2022: 15 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 14 · 2025: 22 · 2026: 9
Half of the 175 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 24,000 and 52,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,334 complaints in all about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee, 9 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Jeep Cherokee engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Per Jeep service the vehicle consumes oil. Without any warning light, it will just cutoff. Both times we experience the issue leaving a stop sign. Thankfully we were not in the middle of the intersection when it died. This is the second problem in less than a year of ownership.
Severe issues with Jeep unexpectedly shaking while idle, and worse during acceleration as if it is going to shut off at any time. Also issues with shifting. No engine lights or etc on...temp, battery, oil all in normal range. Currently unresolved. Purchased new, first owner
Takata recall; the car keep shutting off while driving every 2 or 3 miles , this happened 2 times on a highway and 2 times while turning, this is put my life and my family life at risk , as it is unsafe that the car stoped and shutoff in the middle of the roads , manufacture refused to admit the problem and they wanted to use US as a…
Vehicle started making noise 2 weeks after bought it! It makes a whiny grinding noise. I would back out and when I straighten wheel to go forward, there it is! At first, this only happened once or twice a day then it was doing it constantly. It even occasionally whines while driving down highway. My other issue is chirping in motor.
On four occasions the engine started racing while I was braking. On the most recent occasion, I was trying to stop the car for a woman in a crosswalk when the engine started racing even though I was braking. This lasted several seconds before returning to normal idling. I was in a mall parking lot
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications46 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- 03-002-26 Service bulletinJul 9, 2026
- Stop/Start Illuminated, 0x22 During Fork Wear Routine Technicians may experience the following: SYMPTOM: ● Negative response 0X22 after Recall 01C flash triggers one or more communication codes with controllers.
The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Jeep Cherokee names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee
Source: the same files- transmission and drivetrain problems 650 complaints
- electrical problems 342 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 264 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (20% of everything owners filed about it), and 46 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 40,000 miles; half of them between 24,000 and 52,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.