Vehicle engages emergency break and service transmission while in motion'reducing the speed to 0. It forces a restart and once the restart is done vehicle will make abrupt sounds while shifting gears. Steering will become stiff and vehicle will do this on regular street road or highway making it dangerous. Once vehicle is restarted a few times sensors clear out. It's become unsafe to drive.
2016 Jeep Cherokee engine problems
moderate 137 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100 · see engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
137
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
1crash
1fire
When does it fail?
Of the 137 engine complaints filed for the 2016 Jeep Cherokee, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 137 engine complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 8 model years of Jeep Cherokee in our records for engine problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
This is in regards to my 2016 Jeep cherokee latitude. In the last 4 days my car how just completely shut off 3 times on 12/23/18, 12/26/18 and 12/27/18, while I was driving, probably would have been 4 times but I didn't drive on christmas day. The first 2 times it happened I was leaving my work parking lot driving no more than 10-15 MPH. Today 12/27 my car shut off while I was stopped at a stop…
Had engine trouble with your 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2016 Jeep Cherokee?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 137 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 101 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 28,000 and 58,215 miles, with the median around 41,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 28,000; a quarter make it past 58,215. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/Jeep/Cherokee.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.