2016 Jeep Cherokee — 2.4L

The 2016 Jeep Cherokee sits in the middle of the generation’s reliability arc, with 1,398 complaints and 9 recalls—a clear improvement over the 2014 launch year’s 2,636 complaints and 13 recalls, but still elevated compared to the 2018 model’s 679 complaints and 7 recalls. The overall trend shows a sharp peak in 2014, a gradual decline through 2018, then an unexpected spike in 2019 (1,588 complaints, 11 recalls), which suggests that the 2016 model year benefits from early production refinements but does not represent the generation’s lowest point. The 2016 model’s top complaint area is the powertrain (431 complaints), and it recorded 35 crash-related and 14 fire-related complaints, though the data does not specify root causes for these issues. Given that complaints and recalls are lower than the first two model years but still above the best years (2018, 2020), the 2016 Cherokee is a cautiously acceptable buy if you prioritize a lower-risk alternative to the 2014–2015 models, but you should still expect above-average powertrain concerns compared to later model years.