Model Years

2020 Jeep Cherokee Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 303 owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee.

3Safety recalls
303Owner complaints
9Complaints citing a crash
6Complaints citing a fire

Opens NHTSA's lookup in a new tab; your VIN goes to NHTSA, not to us. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard, the door jamb and your registration. Safety recall repairs are free at Jeep dealers.

Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Recalled components: powertrain, backover prevention and rearview camera, and steering. Most-reported area: powertrain (174 complaints, 57%; median mileage when it happened: 63,000). Excludes the larger Grand Cherokee.

3 safety recalls for the 2020 Jeep Cherokee

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Powertrain

May 7, 2026

The power transfer unit (PTU) may fail.

Risk: A failed PTU may result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Dealers 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 searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 14, 2026.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.

NHTSA listing: CHEROKEE. Jeep campaign 40D.

Backover prevention and rearview camera

Sep 10, 2020

sensing system · camera

  • Fails federal standard 111 (rear visibility)
  • Fix: over-the-air update
  • NHTSA 20V-191
  • 319,610 vehicles

4" or 12" radio displays. A software error can cause the rearview camera image to remain displayed after the vehicle has been shifted out of reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."

Risk: The lingering rearview image can distract the driver, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Chrysler has notified owners, and dealers will update the radio display software, free of charge. Optionally, owners can choose to remotely update their software via an Over-The-Air (OTA) update available as of May 1, 2020. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W30-W37.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2020 Jeep Gladiator and Jeep Cherokee, 2019-2020 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Chrysler Pacifica, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Renegade and 2019 Dodge Challenger vehicles equipped with 8.

NHTSA listing: CHEROKEE. Jeep campaign W30-W37.

Steering

Aug 29, 2019

rack and pinion · rack

The steering rack gear may break, possibly causing a loss of steering control.

Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.

The fix and full notice

Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear, free of charge. The recall began October 24, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is V99.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.

NHTSA listing: CHEROKEE. Components: Steering: rack and pinion, pinion shaft; Steering: rack and pinion, rack. Jeep campaign V99.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What owners report

The areas named in the 303 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Cherokee. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Jeep Cherokee recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Cherokee drew the most (614) and the 2020 drew 50.

Owner complaints

2020: 303 complaints

Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Jeep Cherokee
Model yearComplaints
20161,406
20171,334
2018684
20191,641
2020303
2021162
202251
20233
20265

Safety recalls

2020: 3 recalls

Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Jeep Cherokee
Model yearRecalls
20169
20176
20187
201911
20203
20214
20223
20231
20264

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

Tested versionOverallFrontalSideRollover
Jeep Cherokee SUV 4WD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Jeep Cherokee SUV FWD
Rollover risk 17.4%

Questions

What are the most common 2020 Cherokee problems?

The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: powertrain (174), engine (43), electrical system (34). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.

Is the 2020 Jeep Cherokee safe?

In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Jeep Cherokee earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.

How do I check if my Cherokee has an open recall?

Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Jeep dealers.

Sources and method

  • NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
  • NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
  • NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
  • NHTSA model names covered: CHEROKEE.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.