Likes
- In all-wheel-drive form, offers genuine off-roading ability
- Funky styling and that rugged Jeep image
- Clever and efficient practicality
- Low pricing on the used market compared to much of the competition
This is the 5th generation KL Cherokee landed here in Australia back in 2014 and production finished at the Illinois plant during 2023.
Engine wise, most Cherokees on the market will feature a 3.2-litre petrol 6-cylinder powering all four wheels, however there are a range of front-wheel drive 2.4-litre petrol 4-cylinders available while an all-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo diesel made an appearance in 2014 although it was discontinued a year later.
Regardless of the engine fitted, all Cherokees are mated to a 9-speed automatic.
Depending on the model year, there is a choice of no less than nine variants to select from, offering everything from the bare basics in the front-wheel drive Sport through to all of the bells and whistles in the S-Limited and if heading into the wilderness is your cup of tea, check out the off-roading focussed Trailhawk.
Even though the Cherokee is predominantly front-wheel drive until clever computers detect that the front wheels have lost traction, depending on the trim spec, it will feature either Jeep’s Active Drive I or 2 system, Active Drive 1 features a single speed power transfer unit, Active Drive 2 features, you guessed it, two speeds, plus a lock mode.
However, the Trailhawk features a locking rear diff, or as Jeep calls it ‘Active Drive Lock’ as well as a host of other off-road specific features.
Also and unlike the vast majority of SUV’s in this size category, all all-wheel drive Cherokee’s feature systems including Jeep’s ‘Selec-Terrain’ traction control system, which won’t just dominate shopping centre car parks and the kids school run, they allow the Cherokee to genuinely explore the wilderness.
Plus, the Cherokee received a mid cycle update in 2018, featuring the expected visual updates, newer tech, more features, mechanical improvements and in some markets, a 4-cylinder turbo petrol engine became an option, however, Australia missed out on that power plant.
Then in 2022 the Cherokee was revised again, with the changes centring mainly around tech and feature updates with a few minor aesthetic enhancements.
Exterior:
There are reports of sunroofs rattling, this was included in a Jeep service bulletin so make sure it has been seen to.
There are many of complaints regarding the headlights being too dim especially on early models.
There are reports that anything that has electricity running to it can play up. Door lock actuators, power windows, the lights, however we wouldn’t regard these as common problems but there are complaints out there.
Interior:
The most common complaints surround the U-Connect infotainment systems playing up, either freezing briefly, or restarting by itself randomly. Some of these issues have been solved with the software updates that Jeep has provided, other haven’t.
The rear seats are known to get a bit rattly, this was also mentioned in a Jeep service bulletin.
A “service parking brake” warning is also a commonly seen fault and the problem is, apparently you need to replace the wiring harness to the E-brake module to resolve this issue.
Mechanically:
At best the Cherokee really only achieves an average reliability rating. This isn’t because they are all averagely reliable, it’s more because the really good ones that suffer no problems are often dragged down by the really bad ones that have all of the problems. Hence the Cherokee’s common love or hate reputation.
The 2.0 Diesel EBT Multijet (2014-15) in a host of Alfas, Fiats as well as other Jeeps and it can suffer from all the usual EGR, DPF, Injector and turbo problems that all modern diesels are guilty of.
Unlike the petrol engines, the diesels have a timing belt which is due every 100,000km. It is critical this timing belt change is done as we have encountered many circumstances where a missed timing belt change has resulted in catastrophic engine failure.
The 2.4-litre ED6 Multiair 4-cylinder by Fiat can suffer from extreme oil consumption that has commonly led to many of these engine’s demise. It is critical to make sure you change the oil on time and check it every few thousand kilometres.
Also, although they feature a timing chain and not a belt, they occasionally have timing chain issues.
The ever popular 3.2 EHB petrol V6, like the 4-cylinder, can suffer from oil leaks, this time from cooler and filter housing. Repairing this is a big job that involves removal of the manifold and a host of other components.
These engines can also suffer from rocker arm failure which will result in a large and unfortunate repair bill.
The ZF 9-speed automatic transmission offers overall ok reliability however the early models were plagued with operational issues mostly related to software more than mechanical failures.
They can suffer from vibrations from driveshafts and early models have been
Exterior:
There are reports of sunroofs rattling, this was included in a Jeep service bulletin so make sure it has been seen to.
There are many of complaints regarding the headlights being too dim especially on early models.
There are reports that anything that has electricity running to it can play up. Door lock actuators, power windows, the lights, however we wouldn’t regard these as common problems but there are complaints out there.
Interior:
The most common complaints surround the U-Connect infotainment systems playing up, either freezing briefly, or restarting by itself randomly. Some of these issues have been solved with the software updates that Jeep has provided, other haven’t.
The rear seats are known to get a bit rattly, this was also mentioned in a Jeep service bulletin.
A “service parking brake” warning is also a commonly seen fault and the problem is, apparently you need to replace the wiring harness to the E-brake module to resolve this issue.
Mechanically:
At best the Cherokee really only achieves an average reliability rating. This isn’t because they are all averagely reliable, it’s more because the really good ones that suffer no problems are often dragged down by the really bad ones that have all of the problems. Hence the Cherokee’s common love or hate reputation.
The 2.0 Diesel EBT Multijet (2014-15) in a host of Alfas, Fiats as well as other Jeeps and it can suffer from all the usual EGR, DPF, Injector and turbo problems that all modern diesels are guilty of.
Unlike the petrol engines, the diesels have a timing belt which is due every 100,000km. It is critical this timing belt change is done as we have encountered many circumstances where a missed timing belt change has resulted in catastrophic engine failure.
The 2.4-litre ED6 Multiair 4-cylinder by Fiat can suffer from extreme oil consumption that has commonly led to many of these engine’s demise. It is critical to make sure you change the oil on time and check it every few thousand kilometres.
Also, although they feature a timing chain and not a belt, they occasionally have timing chain issues.
The ever popular 3.2 EHB petrol V6, like the 4-cylinder, can suffer from oil leaks, this time from cooler and filter housing. Repairing this is a big job that involves removal of the manifold and a host of other components.
These engines can also suffer from rocker arm failure which will result in a large and unfortunate repair bill.
The ZF 9-speed automatic transmission offers overall ok reliability however the early models were plagued with operational issues mostly related to software more than mechanical failures.
They can suffer from vibrations from driveshafts and early models have been guilty of transmission shifting issues and software gremlins.
The PTU (transfer case) is a weak point in the driveline with plenty of mechanical failures and most of them happening off-road when its doing exactly what it was apparently designed to do. Although, operator technique is also a factor here.
It’s important to be aware that the Cherokee has received a far higher than average number of recalls however, manufacturers recalls aren’t necessarily a bad thing.
It’s the manufacturer looking out for you, it potentially improves your car and, in some cases, reduces the number of law suits against manufacturers. So… win – win right?
Recalls:
Exterior:
There are reports of sunroofs rattling, this was included in a Jeep service bulletin so make sure it has been seen to.
There are many of complaints regarding the headlights being too dim especially on early models.
There are reports that anything that has electricity running to it can play up. Door lock actuators, power windows, the lights, however we wouldn’t regard these as common problems but there are complaints out there.
Interior:
The most common complaints surround the U-Connect infotainment systems playing up, either freezing briefly, or restarting by itself randomly. Some of these issues have been solved with the software updates that Jeep has provided, other haven’t.
The rear seats are known to get a bit rattly, this was also mentioned in a Jeep service bulletin.
A “service parking brake” warning is also a commonly seen fault and the problem is, apparently you need to replace the wiring harness to the E-brake module to resolve this issue.
Mechanically:
At best the Cherokee really only achieves an average reliability rating. This isn’t because they are all averagely reliable, it’s more because the really good ones that suffer no problems are often dragged down by the really bad ones that have all of the problems. Hence the Cherokee’s common love or hate reputation.
The 2.0 Diesel EBT Multijet (2014-15) in a host of Alfas, Fiats as well as other Jeeps and it can suffer from all the usual EGR, DPF, Injector and turbo problems that all modern diesels are guilty of.
Unlike the petrol engines, the diesels have a timing belt which is due every 100,000km. It is critical this timing belt change is done as we have encountered many circumstances where a missed timing belt change has resulted in catastrophic engine failure.
The 2.4-litre ED6 Multiair 4-cylinder by Fiat can suffer from extreme oil consumption that has commonly led to many of these engine’s demise. It is critical to make sure you change the oil on time and check it every few thousand kilometres.
Also, although they feature a timing chain and not a belt, they occasionally have timing chain issues.
The ever popular 3.2 EHB petrol V6, like the 4-cylinder, can suffer from oil leaks, this time from cooler and filter housing. Repairing this is a big job that involves removal of the manifold and a host of other components.
These engines can also suffer from rocker arm failure which will result in a large and unfortunate repair bill.
The ZF 9-speed automatic transmission offers overall ok reliability however the early models were plagued with operational issues mostly related to software more than mechanical failures.
They can suffer from vibrations from driveshafts and early models have been guilty of transmission shifting issues and software gremlins.
The PTU (transfer case) is a weak point in the driveline with plenty of mechanical failures and most of them happening off-road when its doing exactly what it was apparently designed to do. Although, operator technique is also a factor here.
It’s important to be aware that the Cherokee has received a far higher than average number of recalls however, manufacturers recalls aren’t necessarily a bad thing.
It’s the manufacturer looking out for you, it potentially improves your car and, in some cases, reduces the number of law suits against manufacturers. So… win – win right?
Recalls:
So should you buy one? For the majority, absolutely not, you shouldn’t buy a Cherokee, but for a select few, yes, you should.
The Cherokee is simply the most capable SUV of this size category, especially in Trailhawk spec, and if you genuinely require more than impressive off-roading chops while retaining all of the features, tech, safety, practicality and comfortable accommodation of a medium sized SUV for the day to day duties, and you’re happy to sign up to the positives and the unfortunately copious amounts of negatives that inhabit the ‘Jeeposhere’, yes buy one.
However, even then, you must check and double check that any Cherokee you’re looking at ticks every service, maintenance and recall box, and have it thoroughly inspected for a pre-purchase inspection.
But, and be honest with yourself here, are you really ever going to go properly off-roading? If you answer no, in that case, no, do not buy one of these.
We understand the appeal, the Cherokee looks great, it does all the SUV stuff you need it to, on the used market they seem like great value and Jeep has that whole cool rugged image thing going on, but the long long list of common faults and associated costs to repair these issues is for us, far too risky.
Plus there are loads of other SUVs that do the normal SUV thing just as well as the Cherokee, that have a far better reputation for reliability and if you buy an all-wheel drive variant,
So should you buy one? For the majority, absolutely not, you shouldn’t buy a Cherokee, but for a select few, yes, you should.
The Cherokee is simply the most capable SUV of this size category, especially in Trailhawk spec, and if you genuinely require more than impressive off-roading chops while retaining all of the features, tech, safety, practicality and comfortable accommodation of a medium sized SUV for the day to day duties, and you’re happy to sign up to the positives and the unfortunately copious amounts of negatives that inhabit the ‘Jeeposhere’, yes buy one.
However, even then, you must check and double check that any Cherokee you’re looking at ticks every service, maintenance and recall box, and have it thoroughly inspected for a pre-purchase inspection.
But, and be honest with yourself here, are you really ever going to go properly off-roading? If you answer no, in that case, no, do not buy one of these.
We understand the appeal, the Cherokee looks great, it does all the SUV stuff you need it to, on the used market they seem like great value and Jeep has that whole cool rugged image thing going on, but the long long list of common faults and associated costs to repair these issues is for us, far too risky.
Plus there are loads of other SUVs that do the normal SUV thing just as well as the Cherokee, that have a far better reputation for reliability and if you buy an all-wheel drive variant, will handle some light off-roading easily.
We’re talking about the Toyota RAV4, the Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V, none of which will touch a Cherokee for serious off-roading but for the vast majority of adventuring most SUV owners will ever attempt, the all-wheel drive variants of these options will do just fine, and they’re better than a Cherokee in almost every other way, sorry.
So should you buy one? For the majority, absolutely not, you shouldn’t buy a Cherokee, but for a select few, yes, you should.
The Cherokee is simply the most capable SUV of this size category, especially in Trailhawk spec, and if you genuinely require more than impressive off-roading chops while retaining all of the features, tech, safety, practicality and comfortable accommodation of a medium sized SUV for the day to day duties, and you’re happy to sign up to the positives and the unfortunately copious amounts of negatives that inhabit the ‘Jeeposhere’, yes buy one.
However, even then, you must check and double check that any Cherokee you’re looking at ticks every service, maintenance and recall box, and have it thoroughly inspected for a pre-purchase inspection.
But, and be honest with yourself here, are you really ever going to go properly off-roading? If you answer no, in that case, no, do not buy one of these.
We understand the appeal, the Cherokee looks great, it does all the SUV stuff you need it to, on the used market they seem like great value and Jeep has that whole cool rugged image thing going on, but the long long list of common faults and associated costs to repair these issues is for us, far too risky.
Plus there are loads of other SUVs that do the normal SUV thing just as well as the Cherokee, that have a far better reputation for reliability and if you buy an all-wheel drive variant, will handle some light off-roading easily.
We’re talking about the Toyota RAV4, the Mazda CX-5 and the Honda CR-V, none of which will touch a Cherokee for serious off-roading but for the vast majority of adventuring most SUV owners will ever attempt, the all-wheel drive variants of these options will do just fine, and they’re better than a Cherokee in almost every other way, sorry.
Body Styles
5-door wagon
Engines
2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Power
130kW – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
200kW – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
125kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Torque
229Nm – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
316Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
350Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
315Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
Transmissions
9-speed Sports Automatic
Fuel Consumption
5.8 – 10.2L / 100km
Length
4623 – 4651mm (5-door wagon)
Width
1859 – 1904mm (5-door wagon)
Height
1631 – 1724mm (5-door wagon)
Wheelbase
2699 – 2720mm (5-door wagon)
Kerb Weight
1834kg (5 door Wagon)
Towing
450kg (unbraked), 1800kg (braked) (Sport)
450kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
450kg (unbraked), 2393kg (braked) (Limited)
750kg (unbraked), 2000kg (braked) (Sport)
750kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
750kg (unbraked), 1500kg (braked) (Sport)
ANCAP Ratings
5 stars (Tested 2016)
Body Styles
5-door wagon
Engines
2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Power
130kW – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
200kW – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
125kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Torque
229Nm – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
316Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
350Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
315Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
Transmissions
9-speed Sports Automatic
Fuel Consumption
5.8 – 10.2L / 100km
Length
4623 – 4651mm (5-door wagon)
Width
1859 – 1904mm (5-door wagon)
Height
1631 – 1724mm (5-door wagon)
Wheelbase
2699 – 2720mm (5-door wagon)
Kerb Weight
1834kg (5 door Wagon)
Towing
450kg (unbraked), 1800kg (braked) (Sport)
450kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
450kg (unbraked), 2393kg (braked) (Limited)
750kg (unbraked), 2000kg (braked) (Sport)
750kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
750kg (unbraked), 1500kg (braked) (Sport)
ANCAP Ratings
5 stars (Tested 2016)
Body Styles
5-door wagon
Engines
2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Power
130kW – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
200kW – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
125kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
Torque
229Nm – 2.4 litre 4-cylinder engine (Sport)
316Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
350Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine (Limited)
315Nm – 3.2 litre 6-cylinder engine (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
Transmissions
9-speed Sports Automatic
Fuel Consumption
5.8 – 10.2L / 100km
Length
4623 – 4651mm (5-door wagon)
Width
1859 – 1904mm (5-door wagon)
Height
1631 – 1724mm (5-door wagon)
Wheelbase
2699 – 2720mm (5-door wagon)
Kerb Weight
1834kg (5 door Wagon)
Towing
450kg (unbraked), 1800kg (braked) (Sport)
450kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Blackhawk, 75th Anniversary)
450kg (unbraked), 2393kg (braked) (Limited)
750kg (unbraked), 2000kg (braked) (Sport)
750kg (unbraked), 2200kg (braked) (Longitude, Limited, Trailhawk, Night Eagle, S-Limited, 80th Anniversary)
750kg (unbraked), 1500kg (braked) (Sport)
ANCAP Ratings
5 stars (Tested 2016)
Warranty
3 years / 100,000 km (2014 Sport, 2014 Longitude, 2014 Limited, 2014 Trailhawk, 2014 Blackhawk, 2014 75th Anniversary)
5 years / 100,000 km (2014 Sport, 2014 Longitude, 2014 Limited, 2014 Trailhawk, 2014 Night Eagle, 2014 S-Limited, 2014 80th Anniversary)
Service Intervals
12,000 km / 6 months (2014 Sport, 2014 Longitude, 2014 Limited, 2014 Trailhawk, 2014 Blackhawk, 2014 75th Anniversary)
10,000 km / 6 months (2014 Limited)
12,000 km / 12 months (2014 Sport, 2014 Longitude, 2014 Limited, 2014 Trailhawk, 2014 Night Eagle, 2014 S-Limited, 2014 80th Anniversary)
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Please note that pricing information is subject to fluctuations in the automotive market.
Information correct as of May 5, 2023.
The advice provided on this website is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
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