Diagsheet

2015 Jeep Cherokee · symptom sheet

"Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on

  • 138owner reports
  • 34,000median miles
  • 2involved a crash

Newest report May 15, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026

1574 of the 1,772 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 138 of those describe transmission warning light.

7 recalls on this systemcovering the 2015 model year
2 crashesin 138 reports
NHTSA investigations3 covering the 2015

Tick what matches of 138 reports

110
27
15
18
48

Transmission warning light on other Cherokee years

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.

What this problem usually is

This sheet is for a "Service Transmission" message, a transmission fault warning or a wrench light. Owners say it often shows up with lost power, a stall or a car that won't accelerate, and sometimes clears on the next start.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission control module (11 reports), the transmission (7 reports) and the valve body or solenoid (6 reports).

Recalls and investigations

7 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2015 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

23V-338May 11, 2023
Electrical System:Wiring: Rear Compartment/Trunk

An electrical short in the power liftgate module may lead to a vehicle fire with the ignition on or off.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 23V-338

20V-343Jun 11, 2020
Power Train:Driveline:Differential Unit

Relative movement in the Power Transfer Unit (PTU) between the differential input splines and the transmission output shaft may cause some input spline teeth to wear off, which may eventually cause a loss of engagement between the…

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 20V-343

18V-332May 17, 2018
Electrical System:Wiring

These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 18V-332

16V-529Jul 12, 2016
Power Train:Automatic Transmission

The transmission sensor clusters may have insufficient crimps in the transmission wire harness, and as a result, the transmission may unexpectedly shift to neutral.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 16V-529

15V-826Dec 9, 2015
Electrical System:Wiring: Rear Compartment/Trunk

In the affected vehicles, water may leak into the Power Liftgate Control Module and result in a high resistance short circuit.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 15V-826

15V-676Oct 19, 2015
Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System

The affected vehicles may have a misrouted air conditioning suction/discharge hose.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 15V-676

15V-461Jul 23, 2015
Equipment:Electrical:Radio/Tape Deck/Cd Etc.

The affected vehicles are equipped with radios that have software vulnerabilities that can allow third-party access to certain networked vehicle control systems.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 15V-461

All 11 recalls on the 2015 Jeep Cherokee, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Cherokee

PE22-009opened Jul 22, 2022
Parking Brake · model years 2014 to 2016

Electronic parking brake water ingress. Closed oct 29, 2023.

RQ15-004opened Jul 24, 2015
Electrical · model years 2014 to 2015

Software security vulnerability. Closed jan 5, 2016, led to recall 15V-508.

PE15-003opened Jan 13, 2015
Engine · model years 2015

Engine compartment fire. Closed dec 9, 2015, led to recall 15V-676.

EA12-005opened Jun 12, 2012
Fuel system · model years 1993 to 2001

Crash related fuel tank fires. Closed nov 14, 2014, led to recall 13V-252.

DP02-005opened Apr 25, 2002
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1991 to 1995

Sudden acceleration. Closed sep 10, 2002.

DP97-003opened Jul 10, 1997
Fuel system · model years 1997

Faulty gas gauge indicators. Closed nov 13, 1997, led to recall 97V-194.

DP95-007opened Nov 17, 1995
Speed control · model years 1991 to 1995

Vehicle sudden acceleration. Closed dec 5, 1995.

EA93-025opened Oct 29, 1993
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1993

Driveshaft/univ.joint fail. Closed nov 25, 1994.

PE93-057opened Jun 14, 1993
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1989 to 1993

Driveshaft/univ.joint fail. Closed oct 29, 1993.

EA88-025opened Mar 10, 1988
Speed control · model years 1987

Stalling. Closed oct 3, 1989.

PE88-029opened Feb 23, 1988
Speed control · model years 1987 to 1988

Throttle control. Closed sep 19, 1988.

EA88-009opened Nov 16, 1987
Engine And Engine Cooling · model years 1980 to 1985

Engine compartment fires. Closed jan 9, 1990, led to recall 88V-132.

PE88-001opened Oct 23, 1987
Transmission and drivetrain · model years 1983 to 1988

Fires caused by cltch lk. Closed jan 28, 1988.

PE87-048opened Aug 19, 1987
Speed control · model years 1987

High speed stalling. Closed mar 10, 1988.

DP77-002opened Sep 1, 1976
Electrical · model years 1976

Electronic ignition failure and gas fume. Closed nov 3, 1976.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 13,600 and 65,000 miles, from the 114 reports that gave a mileage.

Complaints by the year NHTSA received them: 2015: 25, 2016: 21, 2017: 15, 2018: 13, 2019: 26, 2020: 16, 2021: 10, 2022: 1, 2023: 4, 2024: 3, 2025: 3, 2026: 125'1521'1615'1713'1826'1916'2010'211'224'233'243'251'26

What owners wrote

“Transmission has a delay when taking off from a stop (2-3 second delay while accelerating before it shifts), had a message saying service airbag, service transmission, service park break then all messages disappeared.”

Filed Feb 6, 2024

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 138 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works

Other problems on this car