Jeep’s Cherokee SUV has brought Americans cargo space, capability, and performance for decades. The Cherokee is a fan favorite as one of Jeep’s flagship vehicles. But the 2019 Jeep Cherokee problems seem to be rubbing owners in all the wrong ways. Though most things should be getting better with time, owners of the 2019 Cherokee may beg to differ.

Is the 2019 Jeep Cherokee reliable?

The 2019 Jeep Cherokee has some great features but also some problems that make it less reliable than the average SUV. According to Car Complaints, the 2019 Jeep Cherokee may have been updated, but its fresh appearance and updates were not enough to turn things around for the Jeep SUV just yet.

Applauding its new engine for being more fuel-efficient, experts still faulted it for its hesitating nature. Between the loud engine and an automatic transmission that isn’t very smooth or responsive, the 2019 Jeep Cherokee pales compared to the rivals in its segment.

Most experts only give the 2019 Cherokee average scores, thus ranking it toward the bottom of all compact SUVs. But it’s not just the experts finding problems with the 2019 Jeep Cherokee.

What are some common Jeep Cherokee problems?

There are 72 owner-reported complaints about the 2019 Jeep Cherokee. Though other model years receive more complaints than 2019, the number of reported issues is unimpressive given the new status of the model year. And of those 72 total complaints, it’s easy to see that some areas are causing SUV owners more problems than others.

There are significantly more owner-reported complaints in the “engine problems” category than any other, with 33 total. Almost all of those 33 engine complaints surround the engine shutting down or stalling while driving. Many owners report the engine shuts down while driving. Occurring at a low average mileage of around 6,000 miles, this is the model year’s worst-rated problem.

But the Jeep’s engine and transmission seem tied to the same issues. With more than 188 complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the engine complaints could be related to the increasingly defective nine-speed transmission. This engine suffers from hard shifts, lurching problems, and even a wiring harness defect.

Nearly 15 of the 2019 Cherokee owners have reported problems with the transmission, while almost 10 more complain that their electrical system is also affected by failure or shortcomings. While issues with the engine and transmission seem to be a trend for 2019 Cherokee owners, do all years perform as poorly? 

Do all Jeep Cherokees have the same problems?

Though the newer 2019 Jeep Cherokee has quite a few complaints, problems with the Cherokee don’t stop there. Some model years are proving to be worse than others. And it seems the 2019 model year isn’t the first to have engine and transmission problems. The 2014 and 2015 year models currently have 659 and 643 owner-reported complaints, an astoundingly-high amount. 

It’s easy to see a trend between the Cherokee’s transmission and engine performance. More than 400 owners of the 2014 Cherokee complained of transmission issues, from improper shifting to complete failure.

More than 80 owners complain of engine issues, sharing the same “stalling” problems as 2019 model year owners. Nearly the same number of owners also share these problems with the 2015 Jeep. 

Though older model Cherokees don’t seem to share the same owner complaints as these newer models, the transmission and engine appear to be the common thread of all the SUV’s problems. Transmission problems are the worst-rated problem category for the Jeep Cherokee across all model years. As if transmission issues aren’t bad enough on their own, they also create problems with the engine.