Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates This bulletin involves reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with thelatest available software. The customer may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find one or more ofthe following Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs): U1504 - Implausible Message Data Length Received From Steering Angle Sensor. P1185 - General Pressure Sensor Correlation. U1424-00 - Implausible Engine Torque Signal Received. P0101 - Mass Air Flow Sensor "A" Circuit Performance. P0128 - Thermostat Rationality. P0300 - Multiple Cylinder Misfire. P0301 - Cylinder 1 Misfire. P0302 - Cylinder 2 Misfire. P03
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2017 Jeep Cherokee steering problems
moderate Owners of the 2017 Jeep Cherokee have filed 45 NHTSA complaints about the steering, typically surfacing around 44,804 miles at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
45
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Cherokee | 118 |
| 2015 Cherokee | 59 |
| 2016 Cherokee | 53 |
| 2017 Cherokee (this page) | 45 |
| 2018 Cherokee | 30 |
| 2019 Cherokee | 120 |
| 2020 Cherokee | 21 |
| 2021 Cherokee | 3 |
1crash
1injury
What stands out
Owners have filed 45 steering 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.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Flash: Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Updates This bulletin involves reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with the latest available software. Customers may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination. Upon further investigation the technician may find that one of the following DTCs have been set:P1D83 - Implausible Engine Oil Temperature Signal Received. P0556 - Brake Booster Pressure Sensor Circuit Performance. U0428 - Implausible Data Received From Steering Angle Sensor Module. U1504 - Implausible Message Data Length Received From Steering Angle Sensor. C0501 - Left Front Wheel Speed Sensor Range/Performance. C0507 - Right Front Wheel Speed Sensor Range/Perform
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Hands On Steering Wheel Message In EVIC
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Flash: Diagnostic and System Improvements This bulletin involves reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with thelatest available software. The customer may experience a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illumination or notice the engine being too quick to shut down when coming to astop in Electric Stop Start (ESS) mode. Upon further investigation the technician may find the following DTCs set in the PCM memory:P0556 - Brake Booster Pressure Sensor Circuit Performance. U0428 - Implausible Data Received From Steering Angle Sensor Module. U1504 - Implausible Message Data Length Received From Steering Angle Sensor. C0501 - Left Front Wheel Speed Sensor Range/Performance. C0507 - Right
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2017 Jeep Cherokee has serious problems that go beyond inconvenience—they endanger driver safety. The most severe failure is sudden engine shutdown while driving: the vehicle loses power steering, power brakes, and transmission engagement all at once, often in traffic with no warning light beforehand. Owners report this happening at 15 to 70 mph, sometimes multiple times in a short period. After waiting 4 to 10 minutes, the engine reluctantly restarts.
Equally alarming is the "Service Shifter" warning, where all gear lights turn red and the transmission locks up or shifts from Drive to Park by itself while moving—one owner's tires locked and the vehicle slid off the road. This message appears randomly and recurs even after parts replacement.
Owners who flat-tow the vehicle behind RVs experience violent front-end wobbling (the so-called death wobble) on rough pavement; Jeep's recommended Mopar wiring kit didn't fix it for everyone. The vehicle also consumes oil excessively without alerting owners until it's critically low, triggering the shutdown sequence.
Finally, the 2017 Cherokee shows a pattern of electrical failures tied to the shifter harness, ECU, and PTU (power transfer unit) that dealers struggle to diagnose and repair properly.
Same Jeep Cherokee steering reports on nearby years: 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2018 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Sudden stalling with loss of power steering and brakes
Engine shuts off without warning while driving, disabling power steering, power brakes, and transmission engagement. Vehicle displays 'Shift to Park or Neutral' or 'Service Transmission' messages. Owners report losing complete vehicle control, sometimes in heavy traffic or highway conditions. Vehicle restarts after several minutes of waiting.
When: While driving at various speeds (15 mph to 70 mph), often triggered by road bumps, grade changes, or specific driving maneuvers. First occurrence as early as 1,700 miles; recurring events reported from under 30k miles up to 127k miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine cuts off while driving; Loss of power steering control; Loss of power brakes; Transmission will not engage; Dashboard displays 'Shift to Park/Neutral' or 'Service Transmission Restart' messages; Battery and oil warning lights illuminate; Vehicle requires 4-10+ minutes before restarting; Difficulty turning engine over on restart
Codes mentioned: Service Shifter message, Service Transmission message, Battery warning light, Oil warning light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have attributed issues to low oil levels (excessive oil consumption), faulty piston rings, ECU jumper harness defects, and shifter vessel failures. Some owners report dealerships found no issues; others cite battery replacement and shifter/harness replacement without resolving the root cause.
Service Shifter warning with random gear light illumination
Dashboard displays 'Service Shifter' warning and all shift gear indicator lights turn red. Occurs randomly while driving, parked, or attempting to shift. Can prevent transmission from engaging or cause vehicle to shift unexpectedly from Drive to Park while in motion, locking up tires and steering wheel.
When: Random occurrences, sometimes clustered (4 times in 3 days, multiple times within 2-week periods). Triggered by various conditions including starting vehicle, normal driving, or no clear trigger. Frequency increases over time in some cases.
Symptoms owners cite: Service Shifter message displayed in red; All PRND (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive) lights illuminate red; Unable to shift gears or delayed transmission engagement (up to 20 minutes); Vehicle may shift from Drive to Park unexpectedly while moving; Tires lock up; Steering wheel locks up; Vehicle may accelerate by itself; Screen locked to Service Shifter display
Codes mentioned: Service Shifter message, PRND lights illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Repairs documented include shifter bezel replacement, wire harness replacement, and ECU jumper harness repair. Shifters have been replaced multiple times (twice in warranty and out-of-pocket on same vehicles). Some repairs unsuccessful—issue recurs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall ID 299936 (NHTSA Campaign #18V332000, Electrical System Wiring, issued June 4, 2018). Dealers cite warranty denial or lack of recall coverage in some cases.
Death Wobble during towing
When vehicle is flat-towed behind an RV, front wheels buck violently side-to-side, causing entire motorhome to vibrate uncontrollably. Occurs on rough pavement or grade changes. Vehicle behaves normally when driven alone. Mopar steering harness kit installed by Jeep as a fix has not fully resolved the issue for some owners.
When: During flat towing at speeds from 15 mph to 50 mph, typically triggered by road surface changes, bumps, or grade changes. One incident occurred within 15 minutes of starting travel; another within first 30 minutes of towing.
Symptoms owners cite: Front end wobbles excessively; Wheels buck left and right; Entire motorhome vibrates violently; Wobble stops only when vehicle slows to near stop or is disconnected from motorhome
Repairs/costs cited: Mopar steering harness kit/wiring kit installed at dealer per owner manual reference. Subsequent battery replacement attempted by dealer as fix, but wobble recurred.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Jeep acknowledges issue in owner's manual with reference to Mopar Wiring Kit installation. No formal recall found in narratives; described as unadknowledged by Jeep in one narrative.
Irregular tire wear due to alignment or steering defect
All four tires show irregular wear on the inside edges only, occurring within first 7,000 miles of ownership. Dealer attributes wear to alignment or steering defect present from manufacture. Warranty claim denied based on first tire rotation being late (1,292 miles past 6,000-mile interval).
When: Discovered at 7,292 miles during first tire rotation; vehicle had under 1 year of ownership.
Symptoms owners cite: All four tires with irregular inside edge wear; Wear present on both front and rear tires; No prior steering shake or pull reported by owner
Repairs/costs cited: Tires not repaired under warranty. Owner states alignment defect may be root cause, covered only until 12,000 miles under warranty.
Steering wheel lockup or excessive firmness
Steering wheel becomes extremely difficult to turn or locks completely, often coinciding with vehicle stalling or shifting errors. Occurs during normal driving or when attempting turns after vehicle has shut down.
When: Variable: during stalling events, after striking a curb, or on demand (sometimes cannot be replicated by mechanics).
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes very firm or hard to turn; Steering wheel locks completely; Coincides with Service Shifter warning or vehicle stalling; Power steering assist off system message displayed
Codes mentioned: Power steering assist off message
Repairs/costs cited: Shifter replacement mentioned by manufacturer as needed in at least one case; other repairs unspecified. Failure often cannot be replicated by mechanics.
Excessive oil consumption and low oil shutdown
Vehicle consumes oil rapidly without warning indicator lights until extreme shortage occurs. When oil drops critically low, vehicle shuts down suddenly as a protective measure, disabling steering and brakes. Oil can barely register on dipstick or smell burnt; no oil warning light appears until shutdown occurs.
When: Reported from around 30,000 miles onward; one instance at 4,100 miles after last oil change. Occurs during normal driving without advance warning.
Symptoms owners cite: Excessive oil consumption between changes; No oil warning light display until critical low; Sudden engine shutdown while driving; Loss of power steering and brakes; Oil level barely registers on dipstick; Burnt oil smell detected
Codes mentioned: Oil warning light (appears only after shutdown), Service Transmission/Shift messages
Repairs/costs cited: One dealer attributed shutdown to low oil levels and piston ring failure. No systematic repairs documented; issue attributed to a safety shutdown feature rather than component failure.
PTU (Power Transfer Unit) and rear axle malfunction
PTU malfunctions causing transmission slip, jerk, or uncontrolled movement. Rear axle leakage reported in at least one case. One narrative mentions front axle came out of PTU, described as unsafe. Dealership transmission replacement recommended in one case; private mechanics could not diagnose root cause.
When: Variable; one narrative mentions all-wheel drive warning light came on/off over ~1 year period before resolving.
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission slip or jerking; Uncontrolled vehicle movement while driving; Service all-wheel drive light on/off; Rear axle leakage; Front axle separated from PTU
Codes mentioned: Service all-wheel drive light
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership recommended full transmission replacement in one case. Parts ordering delays noted (800 people searching for same part nationally). Dealers verbally stated PTU was OK in one instance without documentation. Private mechanics unable to isolate issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Safety bulletin from Stellantis exists for PTU but some model subsections not covered despite known problems and safety concerns.
Unintended acceleration and brake/steering unresponsiveness
Vehicle accelerates on its own or vehicle revs up when cruise control is cancelled or brake is pressed. In one severe case, sudden acceleration at 40 mph caused loss of steering control and crash into ditch with no airbag deployment.
When: Reported during normal highway driving or when operating cruise control. One crash occurred at very low mileage (1,700 miles).
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle accelerates without driver input; Engine revs up when canceling cruise control; Revs increase when pressing brake pedal; Loss of steering control; Loss of braking capability
Repairs/costs cited: One crash resulted in vehicle destruction; cause not determined and manufacturer not notified. No repairs documented.
Ignition key stuck and brake pedal failure
Key will not come out of ignition after parking vehicle. Brake pedal becomes unresponsive when attempted after parking. Issues recur multiple times despite repeated dealer visits.
When: Occurs when parking vehicle, on flat lots and driveways. Happened three times in one owner's experience.
Symptoms owners cite: Ignition key will not release from ignition; Brake pedal unresponsive after parking
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to find any problem despite three service visits for same recurring issue.
Transmission engagement failure with electrical symptoms
Transmission will not engage into desired gear despite shifter input. Shifter lights flash or illuminate but vehicle remains stuck. Often accompanied by electrical system symptoms (battery light, low power) and messages to shift gears while already in motion.
When: Can occur while driving or at startup. One instance took 20 minutes for transmission to engage.
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission will not engage into selected gear; Shifter lights flash or turn red; Cannot shift out of Park; Vehicle stuck in one gear; Message displays 'Can't shift gears while in motion' when stationary
Codes mentioned: Service Shifter message
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership suspected voltage error; cleaned battery terminals without success. No root cause identified in some cases.
Dashboard and radio malfunction
Radio and Bluetooth systems malfunction independently, changing stations, volume, and AM/FM bands randomly. Uconnect system fails to register or display vehicle issues.
When: Recurring and unpredictable; frequency may coincide with steering/shifting electrical issues.
Symptoms owners cite: Radio changes stations by itself; Volume changes randomly; Switches between AM and FM without input; Bluetooth/Uconnect fails to connect or register problems; Dashboard screen locked to Service Shifter display
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented; issues noted as secondary to primary steering/transmission complaints.
Synthesized from 45 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had steering trouble with your 2017 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 steering problem on the 2017 Jeep Cherokee?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 45 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 24 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 23,000 and 64,000 miles, with the median around 44,804. A quarter of owners report trouble before 23,000; a quarter make it past 64,000. 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 $700 for steering 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 steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering 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/2017/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.