2021 Jeep Cherokee transmission and drivetrain problems
97 of the 166 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Cherokee name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 28 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls. 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 transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 97 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2025: 31 · 2026: 44
Half of the 17 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 38,000 and 84,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
166 complaints in all about the 2021 Jeep Cherokee, 44 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 “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Jeep Cherokee transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
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 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.
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.
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.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecalls filed under this heading
- 26V290000 HighMay 7, 2026 · 61,711 vehicles
- Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.
- 21V310000 HighMay 4, 2021 · 18,800 vehicles
- Chrysler (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.
28 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 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
P0513 P02EE P02EF P02F0 U0418 P0740 P0934 P2097
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Jeep Cherokee names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 97 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (58% of everything owners filed about it), and 28 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls 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 transmission and drivetrain on the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 26V290000, 21V310000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2021 Jeep Cherokee?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 62,000 miles; half of them between 38,000 and 84,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.