Jeep Cherokee KL Trailhawk

Defective mechanical issues – Power Transfer Unit for the 4x4 system is known to fail since 2014 models. This item is also found on other Jeep models. When this part fails, the only replacement part available will be used on new vehicles and are not available to replace on vehicles already sold. This part has a nation wide shortage and not available. Why would anyone buy a… Read more

product, pay it off just to find yourself without a vehicle when something is defective and irreplaceable? Stay away from Jeeps!!!

Powertrain failure at 32000 km – Automatic transmission failed on a drive from Canberra to Walcha. Car had only 32000 km on the clock. Car had not been abused or made to do extreme things. No towing or rough off road. Took jeep a month to work out the problem (not hard to work out - all you had to do is attempt to drive it). Jeep eventually agreed to replace the transmission… Read more

and power train - but no parts available in Australia. Now waiting for parts to show up - will likely take months.

Long list of expensive issues never again – Bought the car new(2015 kl) and nothing but issues from the start, replaced everything underneath. Including rear diff,ptu, tailshaft twice, rear axle seals a couple of times. Well over $30000 in repairs, sold the vehicle at a massive loss to get it out of my life. Would never ever get a jeep again Show details

Jeep Customer Service – I've posted on this Cherokee Site twice before. I have previously owned a 2014 and 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk. I now own a second 2019 Trailhawk. Long story short my first 2019 Trailhawk whilst almost faultless was a hybrid. It left the manufacturing plant in the US with the wrong U-Connect info unit (minus GPS and some other bits). After 3 months… Read more

FCA admitted they couldn't fix the car to spec, there was also a wiring issue associated with the missing GPS. So after 3 months and 6,800km of ownership of my 2019 Cherokee Jeep replaced my car for nil outlay on my part, took my car back and gave me a further 12 months rego as at 24/06/2019 on a brand new 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk. Yep pretty happy with the outcome! For all you doubters Jeep has great product and it would seem they now back their product with great after sales service. If you go off road the 2019 Cherokee has no peer in it's class

I Try to be supportive of Jeep But their Customer service is ridiculous – Had a 2014 Cherokee Trailhawk that was the best and most reliable car I ever had until it suffered a PCU failure in the 4WD differential assembly at 85,000km and 4 years (out of warranty)! Worked out a deal with Jeep and the dealer to buy a 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk (Five year warranty) with appropriate discounts and trade in allowances. It was a… Read more

good deal and my Firecracker Red Trailhawk was delivered in Early April 2019. Absolutely great car and the paintwork and fit and finish is definitely superior to the 2014 model. Only issue was that the u-connect system was missing the sat-nav. Whatever the fix is and you would think it's a simple fix, Jeep Australia seem unable to communicate with myself or the dealer on what the fix is. Like, it's unbelievable, Jeep has such a great product a great dealer network (excellent) but the Staff at Jeep Australia seem to be unable to communicate with their valued customers on solution based outcomes. It's unbelievable. I have been waiting over 3 weeks now for an outcome, with no communication. It's a minor issue but jeeze I paid for Sat-Nav. I don't have it. Jeep Australia you ruin the whole Customer Experience. with abysmal communication. Further to the above, Jeep Aust, after 4 weeks agreed that the u-connect system needs to be replaced. A new U-Connect system has been ordered from the US, but as at today, closing in on 3 Months of ownership I still don't have a U-Connect System with Sat Nav. I will say for anyone with a 2014 - 18 Cherokee Trailhawk, upgrade to the 2019 model, it's much improved and fantastic off road.

Excellent – My Trailhawk has now done 85,000 km and have owned since new, purchased May 2015. Other than a blown Headlight and a faulty sensor that caused the engine warning light to come on (both fixed for free under warranty), my jeep has been absolutely trouble free (Battery replaced at around 60,000km) The off road ability is amazing. I recently went off… Read more

road on a very steep rocky mountain trail with a Land cruiser and D Max. The other 2 vehicles thought I was crazy. Trailhawk kept up no problem. Rear diff lock on and in Rock mode. No other medium SUV in Australia is as good in off road abilities On road it's as comfortable as any mainstream SUV. Love my Jeep and will probably upgrade to another Trailhawk. Can I also add that in my experience the 9 speed auto is just quirky but not bad, it's just a bit different and you adapt your driving style accordingly, I've had no problem with mine. The power of the 3.2 V6 is good, fuel economy average and on road handling is very good considering the off road abilities. I've just had the car serviced at Southport Jeep and the advice from their Service Team on pickup was, whatever you are doing keep doing it as the car is faultless. An update, In Mid Feb the 4WD warning light came on (yellow) and advised I had a problem with the 4WD system. After this light went out but I found that I couldn't put car in 4WD Low. Long story short, the dealer advised the PTU Assembly has suffered an internal failure. Cost to replace $3,995.00. Vehicle has done 85,500km and is 3 years 9 months since first regn. Lets see what Jeep do on this?

Jeep - Don't hold you back – Finally my dream comes true "I BOUGHT A JEEP" after had couple of SUV test drive me and wife finally decide we need a JEEP, we really enjoy this amazing machine, i strongly recommend who ever need to SUV with aggressive look. drive really smooth and we really like space and interior they have.  Show details

Lots of problems – Quality is very bad - my car is now on it's 3rd transmission, the air conditioner is unreliable and doesn't blow the temperature it's set to and the USB ports don't function sometimes. The interior is well laid out and the steering controls good. Note that you can only control the heated seats from the console.  Show details

THIS IS A GREAT VEHICLE – I was amazed at the comfort of this vehicle on long trips; it was like sitting in a lounge chair as you travelled the open road. It was everything I was looking for in a vehicle including comfort,economy & safety as you travel the roads. I would recommend this vehicle to my friends for all its features & pricing in comparison to other similar vehicles.  Show details

Best vehicle ever!! – Have had the 'TH' nearly 2 years. Have had zero problems. Every manufacture produces some lemons, & they are mostly the stories that you hear about. So i am giving credit where credit is due. Superb on road. Superb off road. I am a member of a 'Jeep' club, & i was the first person in the club to have a 'TH'. There was a lot of scepticism from the… Read more

other members on how this vehicle would perform 'off the black stuff'. But that is quickly changing to respect for the car. There are 4 levels of 'tracks' that the club covers, (easy, medium, medium+, & hard). The 'TH' can handle everything except the 'hard', & that is because it cannot be 'lifted', so doesn't have enough 'flex' to go 'rock climbing'. But if your aim is to explore 'off road', this is the ultimate way to do it. The only suggestion i would make, is to change the tyres, to a larger profile/aggressive tread pattern, (i run 'Kanati Trailhog A/T' which are awesome). But this car doesn't just perform well 'off road', it is also brilliant on the bitumen. The 200kw motor, with the 'ZF' 'box, are a wonderful combination. The thing drives like a 'hot hatch', (if you want it to). There is no 'body roll', & because it is running on a '65 or 70' profile, it doesn't have the 'harsh' ride you get when running on '18 or over'. In fact, this is the most comfortable car i have ever driven. It also has a 'full size' spare, which is rare these days. Inside, the car is also brilliant. The seats are extremely comfortable, front and back, & it can carry 5 people no problem. The versatility of the folding seats is very well thought out as well. They are extremely easy to lay flat/lift up, with even the front passenger seat folding flat if required. The only downside, is that the boot area is relatively small if all 5 seats are in use. Not a problem for a couple, but if you are a family with children, you will probably need a trailer or roof rack when holidaying. I would recommend getting the 'electronics' pack if possible. The 'blind spot monitor' is extremely useful, as is the 'cross traffic alert', especially when reversing out of car parks. The 'reversing camera' is also the best i have ever seen. The inbuilt 'satnav' is also brilliant (95% of the time), as is the 'blue tooth' phone connection, with voice activated dialling. There is also 'dual zone' climate control which works very well, (there are a/c vents to the back seats which is quite rare). If you like music, the 'sound system' is truly awesome, with 9 speakers & a 'sub'. And the 'iPod/smart phone, can be connected to a 'usb port' inside the storage bin between the front seats, so it is out of sight with no wires everywhere. It can then be controlled from the large flat screen up front. I also have the sun roof, which i have had no problems with. Economy is about 11l/100km which i am happy with. So to sum up, i give this car 10/10. It is a truly magnificent piece of mechanical design & engineering, & i will never own anything else from now on. One piece of advice i would give, is not to do with the car, but where you buy it from. As mentioned before, every manufacturer produces some vehicles that have problems. This would still be a small number of the overall amount of cars sold, but would be extremely upsetting if you were unlucky enough to end up with one of these vehicles. So if this happens, it all comes down to the dealer you purchased from, & how they deal with your particular issue. Do a heap of research into all the surrounding dealers, in respect to reading customer reviews of said dealerships, & how they have been treated by them, (good or bad). I did this when i purchased my car, & i learnt that the 'after market' service, can vary dramatically from one dealer to another. Remember, don't just buy from a dealer based on how close it is to where you live.

Avoid Jeep, Fiat Chrysler Australia and Essendon Dealership – Purchased a Jeep Trailhawk 12 months ago. Has been back 6 times for 16 different issues and has been off the road for 6 weeks total. No reply to complaint letters after selling us a lemon The dealership Essendon Jeep used every sales scam to maximize their profits, sold us a rubbish car and now refuse to acknowledge major issues as this… Read more

would make them liable.

Low or no power while driving. Extremely dangerous and unexpected from a 3.6 litre v6 engine. Having no power through an intersection while a truck is heading towards you is not a good experience.

Violent vehicle shudder due to gear change. Starting to cause extreme frustration and physical back pain.

Wheel spin and loss of control due to gear change. Sliding through roundabouts is not expected in a 4 wheel drive car.

Car accelerates during breaking. Feels like it changes gear or goes into neutral and loses engine breaking completely. Very unsettling when trying to slow down or stop.

Fuel consumption increase of approximately 25% due to Jeep recommended transmission programming.

Transmission reprogramming has put the car into permanent sports mode. Driving dynamics are very different now and not enjoyable at all and feels unsafe and unpredictable.

The entire steering rack had to be replaced. Off the road for over three weeks.

Unable to turn off the engine as the vehicle would not go into park. Was stuck in the car for over an hour waiting for assistance to arrive. Car was towed away.

Transmission has been reset 3 times into a learning mode. This takes 5,000km to relearn itself.

Loud cabin noise cause by metallic rattle from the rear seat.

Headlights auto adjust too low.

Navigation system constantly beeping, had to disable ALL alerts including red-light and speed cameras .

Rear cargo blind faulty. Constant squeaking when installed. Very noticeable. This now lives on the garage floor.

Squeak coming from the wheels while driving. Very noticeable.

Interior trim faulty in two places. Service center at Essendon ordered a part but never got back to us. Had to take the car to another service center.

Exterior door seals faulty.

Sunroof seals faulty. Service center at Essendon told us this was normal on all sunroofs yet another service center picked up the issue immediately.

Water dripping onto hot engine parts and evaporating. Can be heard when you stop the car to get out or even at lights while the car is still running.

This car has never been off-road. This car can't be trusted on a road. Would you trust it on a steep rocky hill??

This car meets all criteria for a refund as set out by the ACCC. It is not fit for the advertised purpose. It is not fit for the purpose stated during purchase. It does not match the advertised or dealership description. It is unsafe and dangerous. It doesn't match the demonstration model. It has numerous major and minor faults. The dealership refuse to respond.

Looks great, feels great, shame it's always under repair – One of the first Trailhawks off the boat in 2014 I loved the car for comfort and driving, just some little Transmission glitches at the start. It took 17 months and 3-4 re-flashes to get the transmission to kick down at the right point. In the meantime I've had bluetooth issues, oil leak on the left rear axle, broken oil pressure switch,… Read more

intermittent sensor failures (intermittent), Tailgate lift failure (intermittent), broken cargo blind stopper (design flaw), Flat tyre pressure warnings on cold days. I wouldn't risk buying another Jeep but series 2 will probably be better.

Fuel usage is about 12/100 mixed urban on petrol.

Don’t do it to yourself – I’ve never encountered a business that could give less of a crap about their customers than FCA Australia and their dealerships. At first I loved my Cherokee. I’ve now had it for 4.5 years. It’s been faulty for at least 3.5 of those years. All along the way, I’ve had to battle incompetence, disinterest, obstruction and lies. Despite FCA’s claims… Read more

to be addressing their reputation, I’ve experienced no improvement. I’m exhausted by it and I just want out of the vehicle.

It was an expensive mistake that I regret and I urge you, do not buy a Jeep. This lot do not deserve anyone’s money.

Where have you been all my life – I've clocked 700k's the first week of my 2015 Cherokee Trail Hawk. This is the best car I have ever driven in my life, It has everything- and more thatnI need and will go places your typical SUV wouldn't consider attempting. Sure, we have a getting to know each other period going on, but that just makes this car more interesting. Would I get… Read more ·  1

another? Put it this way- I pulled up next to a new Sports Range Rover and asked myself what car I'd prefer. The Rangey of course, so I could sell it, get me a new Jeep and put the change in the bank.

A comfortable urban ride that does what I want off road – Vehicle in question is a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 2014. This is the off-road version of the Cherokee range with a high/low range auto gearbox and modified front and rear body panel to improve approach / departure angles. This review is really initial impressions. I've had it for approx 6 weeks and it has a little under 3k on the clock. Comfort… Read more

and Urban driving.

Very Good, 8-9 out of 10. Easy to drive and good noise levels cruising around town. Reasonable visibility, the vehicle is a mid range size wise and doesn't have the high driving position of a full size off road 4wd but certainly a higher driving position than a standard sedan. The auto gearbox seemed a bit twitchy (surging kick-down) initially but with a bit more familiarity in the car my driving style has altered to suit. (I came out of a Captiva Diesel which has diesel lag measured in days so that may have contributed to the feel of the new car, I was used to having to plant my foot and wait for something to happen). The petrol 3.2 is very responsive and has plenty of pick-up when you give it a boot-full of throttle. Economy is reasonable so far, started around the 12s - 13s but as things bedded down and I got used to it I now look to get around the mid to high 10s in urban driving which isn't bad for a 3.2 litre. I haven't used the 'Sport' gearbox setting much, haven't really found the normal 'auto' setting lacking in any performance area, but then I have a lot of grey hair and being first away from the lights isn't an attraction for me any-more.

Off road

This vehicle is to get the spouse and I back into a bit of off-roading, we are not going to be crossing the Simpson any time soon but want a capability to be confident we could venture past the bitumen. First trial was a day trip through the Brindabella Ranges to the top of Mount Coree and then a trip down Gentle Annies Trail. Established trails for the most part but a bit rough in patches and certainly the Coree summit road and Annies are not tracks for normal vehicles. The vehicle handle everything without a problem. Tried the auto hill descent system on Annies for a while, seemed a bit of overkill and handling the descent in low range with manual gear selection was ample. The hill descent would come into its own on extreme drives maybe, I am unlikely to be doing those. All in all initial impressions are this car will easily handle the off road we will be asking of it. It certainly gives the impression it could go a bit further than I am prepared to go. :)

Features:

This vehicle has a lot, let me repeat, A LOT, of electronics. We got the electronics convenience package (I think that is the term) that included a raft of features I've never seem in a car before and to be honest they have taken a little bit of getting used to. Having the car nudge the steering wheel back to centre lane is disconcerting to say the least when it first happens. Like all things it just has an adjustment period for the driver. If you REALLY don't like the features most of them can be turned off but some of them are actually reasonable safety additions.

Reliability

It hasn't dropped an engine on the roadway yet. But early days, cant really make a substantive assessment but there have been no build quality control problems at this time (touch wood). As with most new vehicles these days there is a 3 year roadside assist so if it does break, they will have to sort it out.

Overall

So far so good, pleased with the driving experience, no major negatives found. I might update this in 18 months or so when I have 30 - 40 k on the clock.