Stellantis recalls 61,000 Jeep Cherokees

Stellantis, through its U.S. unit FCA US, is recalling 61,711 Jeep Cherokee SUVs because a power transfer unit can fail and cause either a sudden loss of drive power or a vehicle to roll while in PARK, according to a safety recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on May 7. The recall covers certain 2019 through 2023 model-year Cherokees built from December 12, 2018, through February 24, 2023. NHTSA said the defect raises the risk of a crash or injury, and Stellantis said a remedy is still being developed. ### Which Jeep Cherokee models are included? The recall covers 61,711 U.S. vehicles, identified in the filing as certain 2019-2023 Jeep Cherokee SUVs. FCA US said the suspect vehicles were built during a production window that began on December 12, 2018, and ended on February 24, 2023. Vehicles outside that group either do not have the affected power transfer unit, use a different design, or were built outside the suspect period, the filing said. (static.nhtsa.gov) The component at issue is a two-speed power transfer unit, or PTU. FCA US identified the supplier as Dauch Corporation of Detroit in the recall report. ### What exactly can go wrong on the road or in a driveway? NHTSA's filing says an internally failed PTU can cause an "unexpected and unrecoverable" loss of motive power at any speed or allow the vehicle to roll in PARK. (static.nhtsa.gov) The agency said a loss of motive power can lead to a crash without prior warning, while a vehicle that rolls in PARK can injure people outside the vehicle as well as cause a crash. FCA US said drivers may notice warning signs before a failure, including a "Service 4WD" message, noise, vibration or a change in drive quality. The filing did not say every failure would be preceded by those symptoms. ### How many incidents has Stellantis linked to the defect? Stellantis said in the recall notice that it is aware of 387 warranty claims that may be related to the condition. (static.nhtsa.gov) The company also said it had identified 16 service records and five field reports that could be tied to the issue. One crash and one injury may be linked to the defect, according to the recall notice summarized in multiple reports based on the NHTSA filing. Stellantis did not describe the circumstances of the crash in the public recall summary available through search results. (autoevolution.com) ### Why does this recall mention older Cherokee investigations? NHTSA records show FCA US has been dealing with PTU-related Cherokee recalls for several years. The May 2026 filing says the chronology includes a June 4, 2020 recall covering certain 2014-2017 Cherokee vehicles and an April 20, 2023 recall covering additional 2016-2017 vehicles. (autoevolution.com) The same chronology says NHTSA sent FCA US a pre-investigation request on April 23, 2024 regarding loss-of-motive-power issues and the scope of earlier Cherokee PTU recalls. FCA US responded on May 24, 2024, according to the filing. ### What should owners do now, and when will they hear from Jeep? NHTSA says owners can use its recall lookup tool to check whether a specific vehicle is included by entering the VIN. (static.nhtsa.gov) FCA US has not yet listed a final repair in the recall report, saying the remedy remains under development. Owner notification letters are expected to begin mailing by June 25, according to reports citing the recall notice. (static.nhtsa.gov) Once FCA US finalizes the repair, the company is expected to send additional notice to affected owners so they can bring vehicles to dealers for free service. (newsnationnow.com) (nhtsa.gov)