Vehicles Affected: Approximately 67,200 model-year 2014-17 Jeep Cherokee SUVs equipped with a two-speed power transfer unit
The Problem: Relative movement in the PTU between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft may cause some input spline teeth to wear off, which may ultimately mean power can’t be transferred between the front wheels and the transmission. This could result in a loss of drive while the vehicle is in motion and a loss of the Park function while stationary, increasing the risk of a crash without prior warning as well as an unintended vehicle rollaway.
The Fix: Dealers will perform a software update by engaging rear-wheel drive and prevent rolling in Park by activating the electronic parking brake if a failed input spline occurs. The repairs will be done for free.
What Owners Should Do:Jeep parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will begin notifying owners July 31. Owners can call the automaker at 800-853-1403, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle-safety hotline at 888-327-4236 or visit its website to check their vehicle identification number and learn more.
Need to Find a Dealer for Service? Go to Cars.com Service & Repair to find your local dealer. To check for other recalls, and to schedule a free recall repair at your local dealership, click here: Jeep Cherokee
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Patrick Masterson
Patrick Masterson is Chief Copy Editor at Cars.com. He joined the automotive industry in 2016 as a lifelong car enthusiast and has achieved the rare feat of applying his journalism and media arts degrees as a writer, fact-checker, proofreader and editor his entire professional career. He lives by an in-house version of the AP stylebook and knows where semicolons can go.