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2013 Jeep Cherokee problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
229 of 804 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2013 Jeep Cherokee. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 69% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2013 Jeep Cherokee have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 229 of 804 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2012 scores 34% and the 2014 scores 73%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
229
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
804
this model year
Fires reported
27
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
10
23 crashes · 28 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM376 · 47%
SERVICE BRAKES152 · 19%
ENGINE106 · 13%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM105 · 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER58 · 7%
SEATS57 · 7%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2013 compares with other Jeep Cherokee years

Of the 13 Jeep Cherokee years with enough complaints to score, the 2013 is the best on engine and transmission share (30%). The worst is the 2022 (77%). By volume, the 2013 drew 804 complaints (229 drivetrain), against 1,644 for the 2012 and 2,647 for the 2014.

Jeep Cherokee years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2013 Jeep Cherokee said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN02/08/20161 INJURED
TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND KNOCKED MY WIFE DOWN. RAN OVER HER . BROKE ARM IN 2 PLACES. CUT GASH ON HEAD. CUT 8" GASH ON ARM. RAN OVER HER LEG. DIDN'T BREAK FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. TIRE BARELY MISSED HER HEAD. CAR THEN WENT THROUGH CHAIN LINK FENCE DAMAGING CAR $ 1600.00. HAPPENED JAN. 2015. WIFE STILL IN P…

One of 229 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2013 Jeep Cherokee engine recalls

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger17E061000 · Oct 2017

Accessible Technologies, Inc. (ATI) is recalling certain ProCharger Superchargers, model numbers AB037A-100, AB037A-100P, and A037A-100B, sold for installation on 2012-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 and SRT vehicles. The supercharger mounting bracket may contact and damage the ABS line, possibly resulting in a brake fluid leak.

Risk: A brake fluid leak may lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: ATI will notify owners and will replace the supercharger brackets, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2017. Owners may contact ATI customer service at 1-913-338-2886.

9 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system19V813000 · Nov 2019
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 3.6, 5.7, or 6.4 liter engine and previously recalled under NHTSA Recall 14V530 or…
service brakes17V572000 · Sep 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles had brake booster shields installed under a previous campaign to prevent…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator17V435000 · Jul 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, Dodge Durango, and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles. The affected vehicles have…
electrical system: wiring15V879000 · Dec 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured December 3, 2009, to September 1, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the…
electrical system15V115000 · Feb 2015
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured September 17, 2010, to August 19, 2013, and equipped with a 3.6, 5.7 or 6.4 liter engine, and…
electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator14V634000 · Oct 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Durango; and 2012-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured April 22, 2010,…
electrical system: wiring14V391000 · Jul 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured January 5, 2010, through December 11, 2013. In the affected…
service brakes14V154000 · Apr 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles manufactured from January 5, 2010, through September 8, 2013. The subject…
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip14V104000 · Mar 2014
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles manufactured October 11, 2011, through October 1, 2012. Under certain braking…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2013 Jeep Cherokee? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee

Does the 2013 Jeep Cherokee have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 229 of 804 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2013 Jeep Cherokee concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2013 Jeep Cherokee?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2013 Jeep Cherokee is electrical system: 376 of 804 complaints (47%) name it, followed by service brakes (152) and engine (106). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 30% of the relevant total.

Is the 2013 Jeep Cherokee reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 30% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 69% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 13 Jeep Cherokee years we score, it ranks best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2013 Jeep Cherokee involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 10 in total: 17E061000 (engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: turbo/supercharger). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Jeep Cherokee years are better?

The 2013 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Jeep Cherokee years we track (30%). The other years run higher. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/jeep-cherokee

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.