The 2021 Jeep Cherokee is sold in the U.S. as a gas large SUV with 9 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Cherokee FWD, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 176 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.
2021 Jeep Cherokee
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
Configuration
Powertrain
Drive
Engine / motor
City
Hwy
Comb
Annual fuel*
Cherokee FWD
Gas
FWD
2.0L 4-cyl turbo
23
31
26
$2,600
Cherokee FWD
Gas
FWD
2.4L 4-cyl
22
31
25
$2,700
Cherokee 4WD
Gas
AWD
2.0L 4-cyl turbo
21
29
24
$2,800
Cherokee 4WD
Gas
AWD
2.4L 4-cyl
21
29
24
$2,800
Cherokee 4WD Active Drive II
Gas
AWD
2.0L 4-cyl turbo
20
27
23
$2,900
Cherokee FWD
Gas
FWD
3.2L 6-cyl
20
29
23
$2,900
Cherokee 4WD
Gas
AWD
3.2L 6-cyl
19
27
22
$3,050
Cherokee 4WD Active Drive II
Gas
AWD
3.2L 6-cyl
18
26
21
$3,200
Cherokee Trailhawk 4WD
Gas
AWD
3.2L 6-cyl
18
24
21
$3,200
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43062, 43063, 43065, 43066, 43068, 43064, 43067, 43069, 43070.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates
Configuration
Smog rating
Emission standard
Where it can be sold new
SmartWay
Cherokee 4WD, Cherokee 4WD Active Drive II, Cherokee FWD, Cherokee Trailhawk 4WD
5 / 10
California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
—
Cherokee 4WD, Cherokee FWD
6 / 10
California LEV-III ULEV50 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 50
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
—
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
Source: NHTSA vPIC
Dimensions Exterior
Body style
Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Altitude, Latitude Lux, Latitude Plus, Latitude, Longitude, North, Limited). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.
Dimensions & weight
Source: Transport Canada
Length
181.5 in
Width (body, without mirrors)
73.2 in
Height
66.5 in
Wheelbase
106.3 in
Track, front
61.8 in
Track, rear
61.8 in
Curb weight
3,662–4,054 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear
57/43
Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 4 configurations: 4-door SUV 2WD V6, 4-door SUV 2WD i4, 4-door SUV 4WD V6, 4-door SUV 4WD i4. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.
The 2021 Jeep Cherokee is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high
Power Train
40D
61,711 vehicles
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.RiskA failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.FixDealers 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 search
ProblemChrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.An improperly secured connector for the right-side curtain air bag may prevent the air bag from deploying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 214, "Side Impact Protection" and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."RiskAn air bag that does not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.FixDealers will secure the connector, free of charge. All vehicles have been remedied. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 71B.
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.The transmission oil cooler hose may have been incorrectly cured, allowing transmission fluid to leak.RiskA transmission fluid leak increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers will inspect and replace the hose, free of charge. Owners notification letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y18.
ProblemChrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2021 Jeep Cherokee Latitude and Jeep Cherokee Limited vehicles.One or both of the front lower control arms may fracture while driving.RiskA front lower control arm fracture while driving may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash without prior warning.FixChrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front lower control arms and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2020. Owners may contact FCA US customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W81. Note: Owners are advised to not drive their vehicles until they have been inspected and repaired if needed.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Cherokee
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2021 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Jeep publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
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Parts & accessories for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
The emergency brake activated when I step on the gas at a light. It would disengage until I turned the car off and back on. It was raining during the time. When I called the dealership(Darcars dodge and Jeep, Temple Hills, Ms) they claimed they’d never heard of these incidents happening
Service BrakesOct 3, 2022NHTSA owner report · ODI 11487654
The vehicles automatic off switch does not turn back on when you release the break. It gives an error message saying the option is unavailable. I have to turn. The vehicle off and turn it back on. The vehicle has less than 37000 miles on it and was bought brand new
Electrical SystemAug 8, 2022NHTSA owner report · ODI 11478272
After approximately 30 minutes of operation, the vehicle begins to develop an intermittent steering play. The best way to describe it is like when a torque wrench reaches the torque setting and breaks. A slight steering correction suddenly breaks a small amount. It makes maintaining lane position much more difficult.
SteeringJul 27, 2022NHTSA owner report · ODI 11476110
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.
Power TrainApr 24, 2022NHTSA owner report · ODI 11461984
The contact rented a 2021 Jeep Cherokee Latitude. The contact stated while driving approximately 70mph when the contact lost control of the vehicle and experienced a head-on collision to the front end of the vehicle.
Air Bagsat 40,000 milesOct 29, 2021NHTSA owner report · ODI 11438645
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.
EngineOct 23, 2021NHTSA owner report · ODI 11437919
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Jeep itself: 27 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 33 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 22 per 100,000 built. Every Cherokee model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
When owners reported it
Reported at51k
miles, typically
Half the 34 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 27,000 and 88,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.
under 10k6
10k–20k2
20k–30k2
30k–40k1
40k–50k5
50k–60k1
60k–70k4
70k–80k2
80k–90k3
90k–100k2
100k–150k4
150k +2
Median mileage by component
Component
Reports
Median miles
Vs same age
Power Train
20
70,000
1.43×
Vs same age is this model year’s median for the system divided by the median of every 2021-model-year complaint about the same system, all makes: under 1× means owners of this car reported it at lower mileage. Which systems go early across the whole fleet: the component study.
Across 2018–2021 model years the Jeep Cherokee ranks 55 of 79 nameplates in the odometer-at-first-complaint study: owners reported problems at 1.46× the mileage of vehicles the same age (median 30,000 miles against a fleet 23,512).
Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP
Configuration
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
SUV 4WD
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
SUV FWD
★★★★☆
★★★★☆
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA256
Most recentmanufacturer date2026-06-26
Kindsas classified by NHTSA255 service bulletins, 1 other
Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Engine, Power Train, Structure.
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 lamps have been turned on and brought up to operating temperature, turned off and then rapidly cooled by cold water (such as rain, or the water from a vehicle wash). Lens fogging can
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 (DTCs): ● **P0111-00 - Intake Air Temperature Sensor 1 Circuit Range Performance Bank 1. (In Active or Stored status) ● P0071-00 - Ambient Air Temperature Sensor Performance. (In Acti
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 connected. If replacement radio does not function, verify RSD sales code is added to configurator.
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 Lamp On
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 lamps have been turned on and brought up to operating temperature, turned off and then rapidly cooled by cold water (such as rain, or the water from a vehicle wash). Lens fogging can
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.
Engine
2 bulletins
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMV
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Jeep Cherokee failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.9% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%).
New York inspections1.3%
failed emissions
6,679 initial inspections of 6,575 vehicles.
Measure
The 2021 Cherokee
Every 2021 vehicle
Behind it
Failed the emissions check
1.3%
1.9%
6,668
Failed the safety inspection
1.9%
1.5%
6,679
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit
0.16%
0.19%
6,679
Miles driven a year
9,935
10,343
odometer at inspection
Average odometer
52,510
54,681
odometer at inspection
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2021 vehicle” is every 2021 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 20V657000, covering Suspension. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
NHTSA gave the 2021 Jeep Cherokee 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it D (68/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
Across the 9 EPA-rated configurations of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, the best EPA combined figure is 26 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What are the dimensions of the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
Transport Canada measured it at 181.5 in long, 73.2 in wide (body, without mirrors), 66.5 in tall, on a 106.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,662–4,054 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.
What do owners complain about on the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners have filed 176 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, most often about power train, engine, unspecified. Of those, 10 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 8 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
The EPA smog rating for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee runs 5 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV50, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 50, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
The manufacturer has filed 256 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, most often covering electrical system, equipment, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-06-26. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2021 Jeep Cherokee do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2021 Jeep Cherokee failed the emissions check on 1.3% of first inspections — lower than the 1.9% for every 2021 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.9% (every 2021 vehicle: 1.5%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
Data
Held
Source
What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations
9 configurations
EPA certification records
Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates
9 configurations
EPA emission certificates
Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls
4
NHTSA recall campaigns
A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints
176
NHTSA complaint database
Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings
2 tested
NHTSA NCAP
Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins
256
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations
none
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports
none
NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01
No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
13 fields
NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns
What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions
7 fields
Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications
Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment
none
Manufacturer press kit
We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.