MODELYEARINDEX

Which Jeep Cherokee years to avoid

Across 8 scored model years, the 2014, 2015 and 2019 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Jeep Cherokee Full report
F
Grade 2014–2021
2014 vs model median 1.8×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 806
Engine 268
Electrical 177
Avoid

2014 · 2015

Best

2020 · 2021

What the record shows

Written from this model’s own complaint and recall history.

The 2014 Cherokee’s complaint record is unusually lopsided. Drivetrain reports outnumber every other category by roughly three to one — a concentration you do not normally see, and one that points at a single component rather than a generally troubled car.

2014 was the launch year for the ZF nine-speed automatic in the Cherokee, the first mass-market application of that gearbox. Owners describe harsh or delayed shifts, hunting between ratios, and warning lights at low mileage; the median odometer reading at complaint is around 20,000 miles. Chrysler released a succession of transmission control software updates through 2014 and 2015, and the filing rate falls with each subsequent model year.

2015 remains flagged but at a materially lower rate, and by 2020 and 2021 the Cherokee records its best years in this dataset. If you are looking at an early car, the transmission is the system to focus on — specifically whether the software updates were applied, which a dealer can confirm from the VIN.

Reviewed Claude, 10 August 2026, against the model's own record and NHTSA campaign filings

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2014
1.80× 2,002 F
2015
1.36× 1,504 D
2016
0.98× 1,038 C
2017
1.02× 1,188 C
2018
0.58× 622 C
2019
1.37× 1,232 D
2020
0.13× 144 A
2021
0.15× 133 A
2022 P
0.07× 72 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2014 F 2,002 reports · median 20,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 806

    2014 jeep cherokee. Consumer writes in regards to transmission problems. Very shortly after the vehicle was purchased, the consumer noticed spots on the driveway, which then progressed into a horrible whining and… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 268

    A jeep authorized dealership changed the engine oil and oil filter for my vehicle. About 15 minutes after I took my vehicle from the dealership, the incident happened on a highway. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 177

    When turning on the car the windshield wipers turned. The wipers were not in the on position. The indicator lights were not working and the high beams could not be turned on. This persisted for over 2 hours. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

47 crash · 19 fire · 38 injuries

2015 D 1,504 reports · median 13,618 mi

  1. Drivetrain 627

    I AM filing this complaint about my 2015 cherokee latitude because the vehicle was repeatedly shifting itself out of drive into neutral while the SUV was in motion. I had the vehicle for 12 days before this happened. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 211

    After using the automatic remote starter I get in the vehicle and put the key in the ignition and turn it to the "on" setting. I then drive the vehicle. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 137

    I recently leased a new 2015 jeep cherokee with safety package and fcw system. When I took vehicle home I realized that the forward collision warning system was not engaging ie: no audible and no visual alerts so I took… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

57 crash · 33 fire · 39 injuries

The best year for the Cherokee

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2020 is the best-scoring Cherokee model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.4 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2020 0.13× 144 A
2021 0.15× 133 A
2018 0.58× 622 C

Recalls

39 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
18V332000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2014–2018 4,815,661
15V461000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. 2014, 2015 1,416,903
16V529000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2014, 2015 329,540
20V191000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2020 319,610
15V041000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW 2014, 2015 230,290
15V509000 VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER 2014 158,684
18V523000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER 2019 154,335
23V338000 Park it ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING: REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK 2014–2016 132,099
15V393000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE 2014, 2015 99,399
18V739000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2019 86,053
19V447000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2014 81,615
15V676000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM 2015 75,592

+ 27 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2014 were reported at a median of 20,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Jeep Cherokee years should you avoid?
2014, 2015, 2019 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Jeep Cherokee model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Jeep Cherokee?
2020 is the best-scoring Jeep Cherokee model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 89.4 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Jeep Cherokee have?
39 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Jeep Cherokee model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2014 Cherokee
Complaints in window
2,002
Severity-weighted
2,986
Model median (weighted)
1,663
vs model median
1.80×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
15
Open investigations
1
Score 36.8 F