Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Driveshaft, axle or transfer case problems
Most reported: 2019 Jeep Cherokee with 112 reports. Across the 125 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 2,017.
- 2,017owner reports
- 125model years affected
- 55,000median miles
- 36involved a crash
- 19involved a fire
Drivetrain reports describe the parts between the transmission and the wheels. Owners hear a clunk or bang from underneath, feel a vibration that rises and falls with speed, find fluid leaking under the differential, or get a 4WD or AWD warning. Some say it only happens turning or at low speed. A smaller group describes a driveshaft or axle that let go.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of drivetrain problems reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12019 Jeep Cherokeerecall1127% of its complaints67k mi
- 29211% of its complaints7k mi
- 32021 Ford F-1501 crash1 firerecall858% of its complaints55k mi
- 42014 Cadillac CTS1 crashrecall6648% of its complaints70k mi
- 52014 Jeep Cherokee2 crashes1 firerecall562% of its complaints79k mi
- 62020 Ford Explorer2 crashesrecall524% of its complaints64k mi
- 72021 Ford F-150 Hybrid1 crash1 firerecall5019% of its complaints18k mi
- 82022 Ford F-150recall498% of its complaints34k mi
- 92016 Jeep Cherokee1 crashrecall483% of its complaints65k mi
- 102022 Acura MDX1 crash4228% of its complaints80k mi
- 112016 Toyota Tacomarecall3711% of its complaints15k mi
- 122021 Ford Bronco Sportrecall355% of its complaints44k mi
- 132015 Ford Transit1 crashrecall3418% of its complaints98k mi
- 142016 Ford Transit3 crashes1 firerecall3321% of its complaints105k mi
- 152022 Ford F-150 Hybridrecall3316% of its complaints35k mi
- 162023 Ford F-150recall328% of its complaints36k mi
- 172015 Jeep Cherokeerecall312% of its complaints65k mi
- 182021 Ford Explorer1 crashrecall317% of its complaints77k mi
- 192017 Jeep Cherokeerecall292% of its complaints81k mi
- 202014 Jeep Grand Cherokee3 crashesrecall261% of its complaints73k mi
- 212018 Ford F-1501 crash1 firerecall261% of its complaints56k mi
- 22266% of its complaints40k mi
- 232016 Ford F-150recall221% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 242018 Jeep Cherokee1 crashrecall223% of its complaints60k mi
- 252021 Jeep Gladiatorrecall228% of its complaintsfew mileages
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe drivetrain problems. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12014 Cadillac CTS1 crashrecall6648% of its complaints70k mi
- 22022 Acura MDX1 crash4228% of its complaints80k mi
- 32016 Ford Transit3 crashes1 firerecall3321% of its complaints105k mi
- 42021 Ford F-150 Hybrid1 crash1 firerecall5019% of its complaints18k mi
- 52015 Ford Transit1 crashrecall3418% of its complaints98k mi
- 62022 Ford F-150 Hybridrecall3316% of its complaints35k mi
- 72016 Toyota Tacomarecall3711% of its complaints15k mi
- 89211% of its complaints7k mi
- 92021 Ford F-1501 crash1 firerecall858% of its complaints55k mi
- 102022 Ford F-150recall498% of its complaints34k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Ford F-150290
- Ram 150098
When it happens
1,014 of the 2,017 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 25,000 and 81,421 miles; the median is 55,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of drivetrain problems, grouped by the model year of the car. 36 involved a crash and 19 a fire. 22 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 2,017 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
What is usually involved
The Car Care Council describes how power gets to the wheels: universal joints and constant velocity (CV) joints connect to the driveshaft and carry the transmission's output to the rear axle on rear-wheel-drive cars and the front axle on front-wheel-drive cars, and those joints let the shafts work at an angle. The parts owners name in these reports are the driveshaft, the differential, the transfer case, CV joints and axles, and U-joints.
What a shop checks first
Ask the shop to put the vehicle on a lift and check each joint for play, look for leaks at the differential and transfer case, and check the fluid level and condition in each. For a 4WD or AWD warning, ask for the stored codes to be read before any parts are ordered.
When to stop driving
A driveshaft or axle that separates at speed can leave you with no drive at all. If a clunk turns into a banging, a vibration grows quickly, or you see something hanging under the vehicle, stop and have it towed. With a 4WD or AWD warning on, don't count on the system in snow or on loose gravel until it has been checked.
What to tell the mechanic
Say at what speed the vibration starts and whether it changes on and off the gas. Describe any clunk: shifting into gear, pulling away, or turning. Mention towing, lift kits, bigger tires or off-road use, and say whether the 4WD system was engaged when it happened.
Recalls, bulletins and warranty
Driveshaft and axle defects do get recalled, so check your VIN at NHTSA's recall page. Recall repairs are free. Your warranty booklet lists which driveline parts the factory warranty covers and for how many months or miles, whichever comes first. Manufacturer bulletins on known driveline noises and leaks are filed with NHTSA and show up when you search your year, make and model.
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.