The bottom line: When a 2014 to 2017 Cherokee loses drive or shows Service 4WD, the failed part may be the 4×4’s power transfer unit (PTU), not the nine-speed transmission. FCA replaces many PTUs free, so have a Jeep dealer check the VIN before you pay.
If the nine-speed drops into neutral, a free recall may fix it on a 2014 or 2015. Otherwise you pay, and a dealer replacement costs about what a 2014 or 2015 Latitude sells for privately, so at that price, selling it broken leaves more.
At the $4,000 to $5,000 owners report being quoted or paying, fixing leaves more if you’ll keep the car or sell it yourself, and more still on a 2016 or 2017, which sells for more running than a 2014.
Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, the figure any repair has to beat.
What would buyers pay for your Cherokee with a bad transmission?Fill in one form, answering whether your Cherokee still drives, and weigh real offers against a transmission or PTU quote.
Key Takeaways
- About one power train complaint in five that 2014 to 2017 Cherokee owners filed with NHTSA names the 4WD system or the PTU, and for the 2016 alone over a third do.
- Owners told NHTSA of paying, or being quoted, about $2,200 to $4,600 for a PTU that FCA didn’t cover, most often $3,000 to $4,000.
- The nine-speed’s own extended warranty covered only the 2014 and 2015, and has run out on both.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
Compare Instant Offers
Is It the Transmission or the Power Transfer Unit?
Every 2014 to 2017 Cherokee has a nine-speed automatic, whatever its engine, EPA listings show. A 4×4 also has a power transfer unit, a small gearbox bolted to the transmission that holds the front differential and sends power back to the rear axle.
Jeep sold three versions of the 4×4 system, its launch release says:
- Active Drive I, a single-speed PTU, on the Sport, Latitude and Limited
- Active Drive II, a two-speed PTU with a low range, on the same three trims
- Active Drive Lock, standard on the Trailhawk, which adds a locking rear differential to Active Drive II
A front-wheel-drive Cherokee has no PTU, so for it the fault is in the transmission, and the nine-speed’s recalls are the part to read.
When a two-speed PTU fails inside, FCA’s recall filing says, the transmission is cut off from the front wheels, which drive the car most of the time. It can lose drive while moving and roll while in Park, which is easy to take for a dead transmission.
The 2014 drew the most of the 3,755 power train complaints that owners of these four model years have sent NHTSA. By our count, these are the problems they describe most often.
| What owners described | Share of complaints |
|---|---|
| Jerks, lurches or slams into gear | 20% |
| Names the 4WD system or the PTU | 19% |
| Stalled | 10% |
| Won’t shift or stuck in a gear | 10% |
| Dropped into neutral | 8% |
| Hesitates or delays | 8% |
| Lost drive while moving | 8% |
Rough shifts, hesitation and stalling point to the nine-speed or its software. On a 4×4, a Service 4WD message, grinding or a bang from underneath, or drive that cuts out suddenly points to the PTU.
The share naming the PTU grows with the model year: about one complaint in eight for the 2014, and over a third for the 2016. Dropping into neutral can be either, and on a 2014 or 2015 a transmission recall may cover it.
If a shop has said “transmission” but the dash shows Service 4WD, see a Jeep dealer before you pay anyone, because only a dealer can replace the PTU under FCA’s coverage. If the car has lost drive, have it towed there, and set the parking brake whenever it’s parked.
Go in this order:
- Have a Jeep dealer run your VIN for open recalls and the PTU warranty extension. That costs nothing.
- Ask for the fault codes in writing, and which part they point to.
- If nothing is covered, pay for a diagnosis. Kelley Blue Book puts it at $240 to $345 at a dealer and $189 to $246 at an independent shop, across Philadelphia, Nashville and Phoenix.
- If you’ll sell whatever it turns out to be, skip the diagnosis, because instant-offer buyers price a car that won’t drive from your description.
Which Cherokees Get a Free PTU?
FCA has issued four fixes for the two-speed PTU, and which reaches your car depends on when it was built and which 4×4 system it has. The label in the driver’s door frame gives the build month, and a Jeep dealer can read both from the VIN.
| Your Cherokee | What FCA issued | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Built April 14, 2014 to October 10, 2016, with a two-speed PTU | Warranty extension XJ1 | A failed PTU replaced free for 15 years from the first sale, at any mileage |
| Some 2014 to 2017 cars from that build window, and more 2016 and 2017 ones, by the PTU fitted | Recalls 20V-343 and 23V-302 | Software that keeps the car moving on its rear wheels, and holds it with the parking brake, if the PTU fails |
| A 2017 built from October 10, 2016, with a two-speed PTU | Recall 25V-011 | Software that watches the PTU for wear, and a new PTU free if it has failed, with no time or mileage limit |
| Built before April 14, 2014, or with a single-speed PTU | Nothing | A PTU repair is yours to pay for |
The extension, FCA bulletin 21-014-23, names only Active Drive II, sales code DK4, and two fault codes, P1720-00 and P215C-00, so it doesn’t name the Trailhawk’s Active Drive Lock. The recalls go by the PTU itself, so a Trailhawk can still be in one: have the dealer check its VIN.
Owners have told NHTSA of dealers turning claims down when the scan showed a different code, or none, and of PTUs on back order for months. Keep the codes in writing, and call FCA on 1-877-426-5337 if a dealer refuses.
If you already paid for this repair, FCA’s letter to owners says you may be paid back. Claims go through fcarecallreimbursement.com, with the receipt.
What Did FCA Do About the Nine-Speed Itself?
Most of what FCA did for the transmission reached only the 2014 and 2015. Two free recalls fix one that drops into neutral on its own:
- 16V-529, for 2014 and 2015 models: new control module software and, where needed, a new wiring harness for the transmission’s sensors
- 19V-447, for 2014 models with the 3.2-liter V6: software for when a clutch inside the transmission sticks
A recall stays open until the work is done, so check your VIN on NHTSA’s recall lookup, especially on a car bought used. If the recall is done and the car still drops out of gear, the fault is no longer covered, and the repair is yours to pay for.
FCA bulletin 21-025-19 extended the transmission warranty on 2014 and 2015 Cherokees to 6 years from the first sale or 100,000 miles, and those 6 years have passed. The bulletin doesn’t reach the 2016 or 2017.
That coverage came with a class settlement, Granillo v. FCA, which also paid up to $2,000 to some owners. It stopped taking claims in 2019.
FCA also released software updates for rough shifting, such as its bulletin 21-001-16 for 2016s built early in the model year. A bulletin isn’t a recall, so once the warranty has run out a dealer can charge for it.
What Does a Cherokee Transmission or PTU Cost?
These are Kelley Blue Book’s dealer estimates for replacing the transmission in a 2014, parts and labor included, in three cities.
| City | Dealer estimate | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia, PA 19103 | $7,368 to $7,856 | $1,461 to $1,583 |
| Nashville, TN 37203 | $7,193 to $7,731 | $1,432 to $1,552 |
| Phoenix, AZ 85004 | $7,442 to $7,935 | $1,476 to $1,600 |
The new transmission is most of that bill, $5,761 to $6,335 of it, while the three cities differ by about $250. So a cheaper unit, used or rebuilt, saves far more than a cheaper city would.
Kelley Blue Book gives no independent-shop figure for the job. Owners who reported a transmission repair to NHTSA name quotes and bills of $4,000 to $5,000, and one dealer quote of $8,085 that added a new cooler and lines.
Few of those reports say whether the money bought a new, rebuilt or used unit, so ask what any quote includes.
On CarComplaints, the typical $3,500 that owners of a 2014 paid when the transmission died covers every fix in the 50 reports: 25 owners had a new transmission, 3 a new valve body, and 22 weren’t sure what was done. So it isn’t the price of a transmission alone.
Some failures need less than a new transmission. Owners told NHTSA of paying $1,169 for a valve body, the part that routes fluid to the clutches, and $968 to $1,200 for a transmission control module.
A PTU that FCA didn’t cover cost owners about $2,200 to $4,600. One itemized 2016 bill came to $3,214.50: $2,148.50 for the part, $902 to fit it and $164 for the diagnosis.
The price where you live. Kelley Blue Book prices the transmission for your ZIP code on its page for each year: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Independent shops can price lower, Kelley Blue Book notes, partly because they can fit aftermarket parts, so ask a transmission shop for a quote as well. If you buy a used or rebuilt unit yourself, ask first whether the shop will fit it, because some won’t. Owners’ complaints to NHTSA give too few used or rebuilt prices to quote, so get a fitted price before you decide.
What Would Each Repair Leave You on a 2014 Cherokee?
In good condition, a 2014 Latitude sells privately for $7,325 and trades in for $3,175, by Kelley Blue Book’s figures at typical mileage. A Sport is worth $5,600 privately and a Trailhawk $9,150.
| Route, 2014 Latitude | What it costs you | After a $7,325 sale |
|---|---|---|
| PTU replaced under FCA’s extension or recall | Nothing | $7,325, its full value |
| Control module or valve body, at owners’ bills | $968 to $1,200 | $6,125 to $6,357 left |
| PTU you pay for, at owners’ bills | $2,200 to $4,600 | $2,725 to $5,125 left |
| Transmission, at owners’ bills | $4,000 to $5,000 | $2,325 to $3,325 left |
| Dealer replaces the transmission | $7,193 to $7,935 | Between $132 left and $610 short |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer |
Only the dealer’s transmission uses up the whole value. Every other route leaves a 2014 Latitude at least $2,325 after a private sale, more than any instant-offer buyer offered for two of the three running Cherokees we quoted.
That assumes a buyer pays full value for a 2014 with a replaced transmission. A Sport, worth $5,600, has $1,725 less to spare on every repair row.
Weigh Your Own Quote
The example is a 2014 Latitude: a transmission at the middle of the bills owners reported, its private-sale value, and the best offer for a running 2014, cut by what our offer data takes off a car that starts but can’t be driven. Put in your own figures.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
A 2015 Latitude, at $7,250 privately, sits with the 2014: a dealer transmission costs about what it sells for. The 2016 and 2017 lean further toward fixing, being worth more running: a Latitude brings $7,900 as a 2016 and $9,450 as a 2017, and a 2016 Limited $9,250.
At the $4,000 to $5,000 owners reported, a 2016 Latitude keeps $2,900 to $3,900 after a private sale, and a 2017 Latitude $4,450 to $5,450. If a 2017 costs what a 2014 does at a dealer, it still keeps about $1,500 to $2,250.
Those values are for typical mileage, so price your own car. Kelley Blue Book values each year by trim and mileage: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Who Should Sell It as It Is?
Selling broken is usually the better call when:
- Your quote comes close to what the car sells for privately, as a dealer transmission does on a 2014 or 2015
- You’d sell to an instant buyer rather than privately, so a fixed car would fetch far less than its private-sale value
- The car has other faults, high mileage or a branded title that would hold its value down once fixed
In any of those cases, collect offers before you pay a shop.
What Do Running Cherokees Draw From Instant Buyers?
Each of these Cherokees drove when its owner asked for offers through My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form. Together they show what instant-offer buyers pay for one that works.
| Running Cherokee | Miles | Condition | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 270,000 | Drives, clean title | $876 | $538 |
| 2016 Jeep Cherokee | 135,000 | Drives, warning light on | $1,385 | $1,309 |
| 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude | 85,000 | Drives, rebuilt title | $2,505 | $2,165 |
No buyer offered more than $2,505 for any of them, and each had something that pulls an offer down: 270,000 miles on the 2014, a warning light on the 2016, a rebuilt title on the 2017.
Buyers offer less again for a Cherokee that won’t drive. Across cars of every make and age in our offer data, buyers offer 29% less for one that starts but can’t be driven than for a comparable car that drives, and 46% less for one that doesn’t start.
So a repair that gets the car driving adds real value. Sold to an instant buyer afterward, though, a high-mileage Cherokee may not get back what the repair cost.
How Should You Sell a Cherokee That Won’t Drive?
You don’t need a repair or a diagnosis to get offers. The instant-offer buyers we quoted take cars that don’t drive, and they price the fault from your answers.
The form asks whether the car drives. Answer for what it does on the day you ask:
- If it still drives, even with Service 4WD or Service Transmission showing, or the odd drop out of gear, answer that it drives, and say a warning light is on
- If it starts but won’t move, answer that it starts but doesn’t drive
- If it won’t start, answer that it doesn’t start
A buyer who arrives to find the car worse than described can lower the offer on the spot.
If you sell privately, say in the listing what failed. The buyer takes on the repair, so price it well below what a working one of your year sells for.
Have the title, in your name, out before pickup day: the instant-offer buyers we quoted hand over payment when they take the car. Your state decides whether the plates come off before it goes.
Price your Cherokee before you pay for a transmission. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool puts one form in front of several buyers, and you decide whether any offer beats your repair quote.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
EPA fueleconomy.gov: Jeep Cherokee transmissions by year
A nine-speed automatic on every 2014 to 2017 Cherokee version: front-wheel drive, 4WD and Trailhawk, 2.4-liter and 3.2-liter. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Jeep: All-new 2014 Jeep Cherokee launch release
Active Drive I (single PTU) and Active Drive II (two-speed PTU with low range) on the Sport, Latitude and Limited; Active Drive Lock standard on the Trailhawk; the nine-speed standard on every model. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints, 2014 to 2017 Jeep Cherokee
The 3,755 complaints filed under power train for the four model years, read from NHTSA's complaints API; the problems they describe, counted by us, and the repair bills owners reported. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 20V-343: power transfer unit, 2014 to 2017 Cherokee (FCA W47)
Part 573 report: two-speed PTUs built April 14, 2014 to October 10, 2016 can lose engagement between transmission and differential, causing loss of drive and of Park; the remedy is software. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 23V-302: power transfer unit, 2016 and 2017 Cherokee (FCA 45A)
An expansion of 20V-343; dealers update the software free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 25V-011: power transfer unit, 2017 to 2019 Cherokee (FCA 01C)
Part 573 report as amended: two-speed PTUs built October 10, 2016 to February 20, 2019; new software monitors PTU wear, a failed PTU is replaced, and a warranty extension with unlimited years and mileage. Accessed October 13, 2026.
FCA TSB 21-014-23: Power Transfer Unit Broken Input Spline, XJ1 Warranty Extension
2014 to 2017 Cherokee built April 14, 2014 to October 10, 2016 with Active Drive II (DK4); codes P1720-00 and P215C-00; PTU replaced, 15 years from in-service date, unlimited miles. Accessed October 13, 2026.
FCA warranty bulletin: owner letter for the PTU warranty extension
The 15-year, unlimited-mile extension for select 2014 to 2017 Cherokees; the symptoms; reimbursement for repairs already paid. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 16V-529: nine-speed transmission sensor harness (FCA S55)
2014 and 2015 Cherokee: insufficient crimps can make the transmission shift to neutral; control modules reprogrammed and the harness replaced if needed, free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 19V-447: transmission software, 2014 Cherokee 3.2L (FCA V69)
If a clutch sticks, the software may shift to neutral; dealers update it free. Accessed October 13, 2026.
FCA service bulletin 21-025-19: Nine-Speed Automatic Transmission (X80 Warranty Extension)
2014 and 2015 Cherokee with the 948TE: transmission replacement covered to 6 years from in-service date or 100,000 miles. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Top Class Actions: Fiat Chrysler transmission defect class action settlement
Granillo v. FCA US LLC, No. 3:16-cv-00153 (D.N.J.): 2014 and 2015 Cherokee among the class vehicles; extended warranty to 6 years or 100,000 miles; up to $2,000 cash or a $4,000 voucher for three or more complaints; claims due May 15, 2019; closed. Accessed October 13, 2026.
FCA service bulletin 21-001-16 Rev. B: Transmission Diagnostic and Shift Enhancements
2016 Cherokee built on or before February 29, 2016 with the nine-speed: control module reprogrammed for shift quality and code P061B. Accessed October 13, 2026.
CarComplaints: 2014 Jeep Cherokee transmission died
Typical repair cost $3,500 at an average 30,600 miles across 50 reports; fixes owners listed include a replaced transmission and a replaced valve body. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Jeep Cherokee transmission replacement
Dealer estimates for ZIP 19103, 37203 and 85004: $7,193 to $7,935, of which parts $5,761 to $6,335 and labor $1,432 to $1,600; no independent-shop figure. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 Jeep Cherokee diagnostics
For ZIP 19103, 37203 and 85004: dealer $240 to $345, independent $189 to $246. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2014 to 2017 Jeep Cherokee values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage; the 2015 to 2017 Latitude from their own year pages. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 19, 2026
Found this useful? Show Sell Car Advisor first when you search on Google.
Add us as a preferred source on Google