5 Things I Hate & Love About My 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 

i just bought the 2019 jeep cherokee trailhawk, had it for about 3 weeks now, only thing i dislike is the small gas tank, other then that love it, would recommend 100%

Just bought a 2018 Trailhawk, white, and every option available. Love it, now if only I could pry it away from my wife. Great vid man, subbed.

You just helped me diagnose my oil cooler leak in 5 min on a 2014 TH with 115k on it. Before that it was the Service 4wd issue as you had. I check back to keep up to date, I think anyone with a TH should. He knows what he’s saying guys thanks so much for your vids

I love this car. The interior is clean and it feels comfortable even the exterior sleek looking.

You nailed pretty much every thing I have to say about my 2015 TH. Thanks for the vid.

As far as the headlight bulbs go, you should look into LEDs for that setup

Just bought an '18 Cherokee Trailhawk. I would say your likes and dislikes are right on, and I also like the styling of the '18 over the '19.

The transmission shift being weird isn't a software problem, and updating that just kinda masks the perceived problem. "Normal" automatics only use clutch disks and bands to hold the gears giving you that "rubber band" shift feel as it releases one clutch pack and applies the other at the same time. But the 9 speed made by Friedrichshafen transmissions has 2 gear ranges that aren't connected with clutch packs but rather dog-teeth. This means that for those shifts, the internals need to stop completely to lock together before it can transfer torque. This is why the 9-speed has that strange shift feel. The benefit of this is it can handle more power and wont slip, but because people dont know about this, they assume it is a fault. People dislike what they dont understand. Same reason why CVT transmission cars cut the injectors briefly to simulate a "gear shift". Enough people complained about it, the engineers decided to program a fake shift rather than explain to everyone that there are no gears TO shift. I realize someone in the comments already mentioned the transmission issue, but I wanted to expand on that a bit.

I own a 2015 cherokee limited. I love it. At 120000 miles nothing has gone wrong with it. "Knock on plastic" I average 28 to 30 mpg out of my V6. It will shock you if you floor it ! My only complaint is the piss poor quality of the AC/Heater system. I have to run it up 10 degrees to get it to respond to putting out cold air. Sometimes it seems to just be in La La Land in regards to the thermostat . For the price I paid for it this should not be a problem. Ac systems have been around for a long time now. I suspect they were trying to up grade it. It would have been far better to not fix something that wasn't broken in the first place. Still can't believe the gas per mile and was wondering about your 18/19 mpg.

Love the color of your Trailhawk. I have a '14 in Anvil, and once Jeep finally admitted the fault with the transmission and replaced it, I've been loving it. It's got 87K on the clock now and still drives great. I am dealing with a leaky panoramic glass roof at the moment, but I'm hoping to get that sorted next week. It's a shame that they went and ruined the styling of the most recent generation. I much prefer the styling of my '14 compared to the '19. All they did was take the unique aspects of the styling out and made it boring and not quite as rugged looking as the earlier model years.

I have a 2019 Cherokee Trail Hawk since new. Purchased specifically for 4 wheel down towing behind my RV, with full automatic transmission, and off-road capability. Nothing else like it on the market. I mostly agree with your love/hate lists.

Great video . I finally got mine last july a 22 white trailhawk and absolutely love it .

I bought a 2017 in May and really agree with your list. Will look up the auto on/off upgrade. On the "rugged looks" category, But since I bought the Trailhawk primarily to be flat towed behind my motorhome, my top need was having a transfer case with neutral. I love the recovery hooks, but the tow brackets necessitated their removal. However I kept this appointment by cutting the hooks off their original mounts and welding them to a second pair of town bracket adapters so it keeps the look. Also structurally sound so they could still be used if ever needed.

We just picked up a new 2023 Cherokee Trailhawk with the works yesterday. We traded in our 2023 Cherokee Grand Cherokee L Limited, after owning it for only 6 months. The new Uconnect5 in it was a big disappointment--all would be advised to stay clear of it. It is so great to have a Cherokee Trailhawk again with the old trusty and reliable Uconnect4!

Have a 2016 TH loaded. Love this vehicle. I even tow two Trail model sxs's on 18' aluminum trailer. I live in weather country sw Colorado mountains. 48000 flawless miles. (love sport mode in heavy traffic)

So, next snow cross event. Sport mode, and *hold* traction control off for 5 seconds until "ESC Full Off" displays. Kiss that FWD bias goodbye. I spin all 4 wheels like a mad man in that mode, albeit in more snow than at the even you were at.

There is a small connector at the negative battery terminal with two tiny wires. Don't even consider disconnecting that one! That would disable the auto Start-Stop system! Also gives a warning on the dash that the auto Start-Stop is not available.

I wasn't a fan of the Cherokee when it came out till I saw the Trailhawk and the Altitude trim package and fell in love with it. Definitely the best looking SUV out there. Amazing how black is the new chrome. My lease will be up soon on my Renegade (love the head room) and I plan on leasing a Trailhawk, either Billet Silver,Hydro Blue, or Red. I wish Jeep would get away from the black interiors! To damn hard to keep them clean.

I just bought a 2016 Cherokee Sport with the 3.2L V6...its preowned and I can get over 210 miles on a half tank of gas...quite impressive for me.

I have a 2015 latitude with a 3.2 and get 30 mi. to a gal. In the city i get 24 to 25. Bought this in 1/23 and i love this car.

So!?! No oil burning issues? No stalling issues? People seem to hate the 2.4ltr. but the 3.2ltr. V6 is great. Yes? or No? Your help please.

I have a 2016 Limited, i love it i run in snow mode when on road in winter condition with no trouble i do run a real snow tire in the winter, the only thing i have is my stop start has stopped working, it has just under 100,000km, with no other trouble, looking at a new one maybe trail edition time

I'm liking the idea of one of these. I've always wanted a wrangler, but with no rear airbags for kids or the lack of a need to do crazy trails, this makes more sense. Snow is my number one obstacle. Love that it has more ground clearance than other CUVs, v6, and that its 4x4 system is better. For 41k? That's pretty nice.

I've had a 2018 Trailhawk for 3 years. Love it and I've also heard complaints about the start/stop system. After awhile I don't even notice it but my girlfriend does. Hates it.

I'm getting 32.5 mpg on interstates and 27.5 city/hwy combined with a 2019 Cherokee Latitude with 3.2 V6. So the range is over 400 miles. It is 2wd. I usually leave the 'start/stop' system on since it does improve mpg. If I'm in backed up traffic it is simple to turn the system off as the video showed - so I did learn to like this system. The styling is great and having the V6 does make for quick ramping on interstates. I love my Jeep.

That remote start is awesome. Thanks so much for that one!

The pathetic headlights were fixed pretty well in '19. My gas door froze shut all the time in the winter, also fixed in '19. Overall I've been very happy with the three I've owned (14, 15, 19).

My only regret on my '17. Only one. Didn't get the panoramic sunroof. Other than that, she has impressed the hell out of me on the trails. She rides good as a daily driver, in warm weather i get around 23mpg, in cold that drops to about 20mpg. I added some Rock rails that also act as step bar. I'll keep everything else stock for now until the stock tires wear out, then it'll be lift, bigger tires and a winch bumper, maybe a roof rack.

I love my ‘18 Cherokee Latitude Plus. I’m still kicking myself for not getting a TH, but she drives like a beast, on and off road. I’ve already put 82K miles on her. 😍

I love that auto parking brake feature. Especially for those careless valet parkers that don’t use the parking brake and make me cringe when the vehicle rolls on the parking pawl.

Ok, so after owning one for 2 years....Overall excellent car! I've been hesitant to buy a Jeep product for over 20 years but did so couple years ago with a good deal on a Trailhawk. The negatives are low (distance) range due to small gas tank requiring frequent stops at gas stations.This gives a false impression that the car is hard on gas. The small gas tank is unfortunate but it was necessitated due to Trailhawk having an off road package that includes rear slide shield, angle/approach, mounted under the car that aids in off road situations. If you do go off road in this car it will feel like you are still on the paved road-because the off road suspension is just that great. Very comfortable leather seats good for tall or big people and comfortable rear seats as well. The info system is simple and superb, Lots of electronics like lane change,blind spot, navigation and adopt cruise on top trims, really a lot packed in a small suv. Super bright headlights that turn, heated steering wheel , heated seats , remote start, panoramic sunroof is now common, good tow capability and a great sounding V-6 and an AWD- that has every selection available from rock to snow etc.. Some may think this car is slow but it is not. However, this car is heavy at some 4500 pounds and the turning radius is rather long. Another negative that bothers me is cylinder activation but it does have an off/on switch so you can deactivate it, however, you have to do that every time you get in the car and start the engine. This car is a better choice than the Forester or an Outback. The off road capability is far better than the Outback regardless what some youtubers claim that Outback can do off road. Secondly the V-6 is so much better than the Subaru's 4 banger ( I used to own 3 Subarus from Legacy to Forester to Outback) If you just want the driving experience than the Tralhawk is better than the Outback, but the Outback will have a better resale value. Finally this design has been around for almost 10 years but it has been continuously updated. The trend is to dislike Jeep products but I'm glad I got one because it is a great car every day to drive.

The rear view camera is blurry when it rains. The transmission is slow to engage between switching from D to R and vice versa. uconnect Infotainment does not have Android Auto or Apple CarPlay I've had nothing but problems with my 2016 model. It's the Limited 3.2 l : Transmission failed at 12K and again at 21K miles. Shifter went bad shortly after that, and now the differential is bad . My previous car was a 2004 Toyota RAV4 and never had any mechanical problems.

I just bought a 2019 Compass Trailhawk last week. And I do have to agree the start/stop is one feature I don’t like. It seems this will cause premature wear and tear on the starter. So I don’t know which will cost more in the long run: fuel or new starter.

I own the 2015 Cherokee limited 6 cylinder 4x4. I agree the transmission is not smooth and the auto stop/start is a burden but overall the Jeep is awesome. would recommend the Cherokee!

I love my 14 Cherokee Trailhawk. I think it is a Love or Hate body style, I think it looks great and I still get compliments on it in 23 and the Green color! I know, I know it's a Dart body... so what ! It moves very well with the V6, does great off-road at the beach and doesn't ride like a Tank for a daily driver.

Hola. Te comento que no puedo actualizar en México el GPS de mi Jeep Cherokee límited 2015. Puedes compartirme el software para actualizarla? Saludos desde Querétaro,Mexico

As another KL 15 owner I can say you are spot on with this review! My main complaint is the headlights, other than that love this thing! Oh and the full time 4 wheel drive under 40 degrees is killing me! Why?

Great video. Thanks we have a 2017 with LE plus option and love it. The trans software updates eliminated any jerky shifts ours is smooth. Great in bad weather and off road. Very comfortable on long drives. Only downside is fuel economy and smaller tank.

AAnd I just bought this vehicle YESTERDAY with 158K on the clock. Am I looking forward to many more pleasant miles ??

I see they did address some of your "dislikes" with the 2019. The lights are supposed to be a big improvement. They are still "improving" the 9 speed and it apparently gets incrementally better every year. We have the 2019 elite. I personally liked the slit lights on the earlier ones, but the 2019 look is still nice and the headlights are wonderful. I personally like the behind on the 2019 better than the earlier ones. There for a couple of years everyone was putting those big ole "butts" on their vehicles and I didn't like it on any of them. The Cherokee was actually more subdued than most of the others. It think it has more to do with license plate placement in terms of a "look."

Thanks bud! I think I’m going to to buy one soon.

You can disconnect the start stop with the safety switch under the hood. Just unplug it

Check out GTR lighting. Bulbs 3 times brighter than stock.

Fantastic information and very informative thanks a million

My 2015 Cherokee Latitude transmission totally failed (seized) within the 1st month of buying it off the showroom floor. Warranty replacement and yes, it has to this day (Nov 2021) the 1st, 2nd, 3rd shifting issue. But damn I still love this Cherokee.

My 18 Cherokee Overland gets 24 25 mpg combined and mid 30s highway. Love the ride and the 6 cyl. and all the tech. I coast to red lights and use adaptive cruise control, but on occasion when I need to hit it it performs well and I love the better gas mileage than my 90 Grand Wagoneer and many past Wranglers. My wife's 2012 Liberty Jet Limited gets about 18 19 mpg ave just like your Trailhawk. 🇺🇸💪

The headlight beam pattern looks fine. Probably just a weak bulb(for ex. H11 are meant to be used for fogs, less light output by design). Going with a blue tint bulb will not help. If you want bright get LED or HID aftermarket.

I'm looking at a used 2015 Trailhawk that I would really love to trade my 2010 Compass Linited in for. I like the fact it rides higher which would he great for our Canadian winters, I love the more aggressive profile look, all for roughly the same size cabin but it feels more comfortable compared to my Compass making it slightly more practical for me. I sat in a 2018 which still has the same feel but I have 1 beef; no space to mount my dashcam. I have mine mounted directly behind my rear view mirror so it's very discrete, I think the 2015 Cherokee Trailhawk has that open space. But the 2018, and I'm finding all the new J/D/C cars, have this casing mount behind the mirror.

I just saw a 2015-2019 is it wroth buying one would anything go wrong since it’s a used car

I have 12/2016 JEEP Cherokee KL Limited 2.2l TurboDiesel 200hp/147kW and 6-6.5l / 100km (39-36MPG)

Great video and awesome review of dislikes and likes. I couldn't more agree with you on this analysis. As a fellow 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk owner, I have to say that I, overall, love the vehicle. I feel FCA knows what it has with the Jeep brand and, with the money and support it has poured into the brand, it has shamed DaimlerChrysler -- and Chrysler before it -- to now produce a very high-quality product.

Im not sure id agree with the "firm ride". Have you tested other vehicles in this category or other? I have tested many recently ,and the Trailhawk rides very well even compared to say a Lexus RX350. Having stiff suspension would not make sense since its for off roading.

I have a 2017 Cherokee High Altitude and I love it ! If it givez me the same kind of service my 2000 Jeep Sport with 202000 miles gave me I’ll be extremely happy !

I have a 21015 Grand Cherokee the HUGE problem I have with the car is the right side mirror is dangerous it totally blocks off the view of traffic coming from the right side, due to no space between the windshield cowl and the wide mirror My car has chrome around the outside of the mirror, giving the illusion there is no traffic behind the mirror So, when you look for traffic while at a stop ie: traffic light or stop sign it appears that there is no traffic coming from the right, Almost had 3 accidents,

I have a 2015 Cherokee with 44000 miles on it and the transmission is a nightmare. At 40 mph the transmission will make a loud bang that will make the vehicle shutter. The first time it happened I pulled over because I thought I hit something. Other times when you try to accelerate there is a substantial delay before the transmission will engage. It has been in and out of the dealership and all they do is reset the transmission. There was big lawsuit on the transmission and the Cherokee year in and year out has some of the lowest reliability ratings. My jeep is less than 5 years old and is worth less than 50% of what I paid for it. Do your research before you buy a Cherokee. You will be surprised what you learn.

I dont understand the 18 mpg, I have 2018 Cherokee Latitude v6 and get 30-32 mpg highway. But I am nervous about the auto transmission that people complain about and then I cant find no straight answer on when to have the fluid changed, at 45k now seem so it should be changed. So far the one thing I hate is the lack of car manual help that the Cherokee comes with, particularly on the no info part on resetting the Oil Reset Change to 100%, I had to look up a youtube video to find out that is done....

I got a 2017 TH i really love it comfortable an amazing off road an fun freeway cruzer

I’m glad you brought up the fuel economy issue. This had me concerned because I noticed my fuel gauge moved quite quickly. I was comparing this to my 2012 Grand Cherokee. But that Jeep had a 30 gallon tank. Noticeably it seemed to get great milage for the weight.

Maybe they're 2015 problems. I have a 2017 and I love it. The only complaint I agree with is the FWD bias. I live in a place that has snow from October to April or later and I find I need to spend too much time in "snow" mode. That absolutely kills the fuel mileage. While I personally like the ESS, I can understand how having to shut it off every time can be a pain if you don't like it. This is kind of a BS gripe but I find the high setting on the seat is too high (I almost expect to smell bacon after about five minutes) and the low setting is too low. A medium setting would be nice.

I like Jeeps, mostly the new JL Wrangler. Agree with your list.

Thanks for the great video I am planning to get the 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk and I will definitely do the same mods as yours, 1.5 - 2 inch lift, spacers and a drop in filter

Thinking about getting a Trailhawk for a daily. How is the reliability of these? Any of you guys experience any issues?

I have a 2019 Jeep Cherokee Latitude 2.4 4 cyl and I absolutely hate it. I used to have a 2015 Jeep Cherokee Latitude V6 that I liked much better should've bought it instead of trading it in. The battery on both vehicles went just after the 36,000 mile warranty which is real convenient. The battery was $200 because you need the AGM battery to make the start/stop system work properly. My 2019 2.4 burn through oil at a furious pace. It uses 0W-20 and this a common problem with the 2.4. I have to add about 2-3 qts every 5000 miles, never makes it to the next oil change the oil pressure gets too low and stalls. I have to constantly monitor it. The check engine light is on all the time because there is evap leak somewhere that they can't diagnose. Most people would say tighten your gas cap, well the 2019's don't have a gas cap. I lease this car and will probably get stuck buying it because I'm going to go over my mileage and don't want to pay the fees. So I'm stuck with this lemon. Buyer beware.

Ditto on the OEM headlights. There should have been a class action suit filed. They are dangerous. Even with the best replacements available, they are still not as good as those on the later models. Cannot lift the rear wiper all the way up like on the earlier JK models. There are more places on this Jeep for crap to get in than you can get out. I cannot imagine taking this vehicle off road and ever expecting to get it clean. I don't take mine off road, but the area below the wipers trap leave and pine needles that are difficult to remove. My 2001 Jeep Cherokee was seamless. Also, mud flaps. WTF? I know you don't want them on when off roading, but having them on around town saves the rocker panels from getting beat up. Sunroof tubes fill with dirt over time. Water then leaks into the back of the car under the spare tire. Other than that, I love Jeep. Really! BTW, I installed caliper covers. They look awesome and keep the wheels cleaner.

Ah man, you got heated seats? I didn't get heated seats! And yeah the interior is amazing!!!! You can really see that! Hahahahaha

If you get LED bulbs you gotta get the box that's gonna convert the lights into some white sexy and did you try premium gas and see how far you'll go

I just missed out on looking/ buying a used one in this color. And I like that you put wheel spacers on it. I'll be doing the same if I get one. I currently have a 2015 renegade limited but need to move up to a Cherokee so I can eventually/ maybe tow a small camper.

I love the acceleration in sport mode but hate the governor limiting my top speed somewhere around 192 kmh (119 mph) I believe (It's been a while since I pushed it). If I recall correctly, I was only in 7th or 8th gear at the time pulling relatively low revs. I don't know if I've ever got the car into 9th gear and certainly nowhere near the red line around 7500 rpm. Switching into manual shift is helpful but unfortunately doesn't respond quickly to gear changes especially down shifts without a few accelerator pedal tricks. And as far as up shifts go, it's pretty hard to get the transmission to move up a gear as the computer continues to determine the most efficient gear for the speed you're doing. Another pet peeve is the right side columns - front windshield and between front and rear doors - which have a nasty ability to block sight of vehicles approaching from the side. You definitely don't want to pull out into an intersection without double checking to make absolutely sure the road is clear. When I first bought my 2015 Cherokee Nighthawk, I was concerned at how light weight it was compared to previous vehicles I've owned like my '99 Pathfinder and my '78 Land Rover (with a Range Rover v8 engine). The car just didn't instill great confidence that it could handle the icy winter roads of northern Canada. But my opinion has changed. A set of Michelin X-Ice winter tires and I have no worries about my jeep's road handling capabilities in all driving conditions. I must admit, my transmission is smooth and responsive...but maybe I just got lucky (touch wood). I certainly concur about the weak lighting. I've bumped mine up a bit with halogen driving lights and am about to mount some LEDs because above 58° north, so much of my winter driving is on pitch black roads and standard Jeep lighting just doesn't cut it. Not only are the lights dim but beause they're recessed, they quickly get coated with freezing dirty slush rendering them useless unless you enjoy driving by Braille (rumble strips on the highways are my only way of knowing when I'm drifting over the centre line or onto the shoulder as I can't see a thing.)

I cant wait to get one!

Just picked up a 2019 Limited and LOVE IT! Hands down, one of the most comfortable vehicles I've ever driven, and since I have to deal with Buffalo winters, I'm super glad to have a Jeep in the garage! ヅ

Yours looks cool Just bought a trailhawk Jeep 2019 Cherokee So far awesome

I couldn't understand the name of the permanent air filter system you installed. What is it, please? Thanks!

has 2014 - 2015 used cherokee transmission problems with 3.2 engine?

Great vid! 232 miles range is really quite low. Which engine would that be? Mine (2016 2.2 turbodiesel, assume only available here in europe? ) has, even driven fast, at least 400 miles.

What spacers and filter did you go with? Great video I have the 2018 trailhawk, it came with the nice HID light and crap halogen lights... love it, the off roading capabilities are great.

Subbed! I love mine and it's nice to see that most of us dislike the same things. I absolutely hate the dim lights, tho! :(

GOING FROM A '12 GRAND TO THIS MY TOP COMPLAINT IS THE SIZE OF THE GAS TANK! I GOT OER 400 MILES PER TANK ON MY GRAND :(

You can permanently turn off the start stop in the display

Jeeze something might be wrong with your jeep for that fuel economy. I have the 2014 Trailhawk with the v6 and I get 23-25 mpg consistently

Great, these look good. I'll check them out. Thanks for this.

Have a 15 TH and love it! My only complaint like you are the headlights!

Hi!! Have you ever changed the horn fuse or know is theres any? Can't find the fuse or relay. Thankyou

I don’t like that it had 5 recalls on since I bought it, it isn’t very roomy or comfortable to drive with, and the manual shifting mode seems completely useless to me. Also I think the gas mileage could be better. Next time I will look at buying a Suburu instead.

I had a 2015 Jeep Cherokee and loved it. I have a Grand Cherokee now which I love even more but I miss the fuel use of the Cherokee, And to think I wanted an SRT which just drinks fuel. I still want an SRT thou........

The 2019 Cherokee will be on my shopping list when the lease on my Subaru is up next year. Another Subaru will also be on the list. I have the feeling it will be a close decision.

Hi! Great video, planing to buy a 2015 cherokee trailhawk but heard things about transmision failing, have you ever had any issues? Overall thank you.

My #1 complaint is that long front overhang.

Have a fully loaded 2016 TH. Mine has had a ton of issues, however it is a beast off road. What are the benefits of the spacers?

Oof. How are you managing such awful fuel economy? I have the same vehicle, trim, and engine and I average about 22 or 23 mpg year-round in hilly Colorado. Getting ~320 miles per tank. Also, I don't understand all the hate for the stop/start. I love it and find it very easy to manage in the rare instances when I don't want it shutting off.

I’ve done a mod on the head lights if anyone is interested. Leds in factory sockets and 6 1 “ round 18 watt leds behind the grill out of site. 👍👍

Quick Question on the Auto Park Brake, mine works for the Park position, but not for Drive, in Drive I need to manually put off the Park Brake.

Great video. I have the limited, I took out and dislike that the gears dont slow you down on hills and you have to use brake... which can be a bad thing. I tried the manual shift to lower gear... did not slow it at all. Something I am missing? Thanks.

I have 2015 Cherokee and I love it also

Did they improve the pathetic headlights on the '19? On my 15 the stock headlights are very dim to the point of being almost useless on wet roads at night. I see you added a light bar. How about to the sides? Other than the lights I love mine.

I traded my challenger R/T for this 2015 trailhawk.I wish I never purchased it.The trans shifts roughly. Took it to the dealer 4 times but to no avail.Bought a F-Pace👍

At the end you mentioned the wheel spacers, what kind did you use and was it for looks or handling or clearance?

Dude you got an issue with your rig I have owned a 2014 Latitude 6cycl and averaged 27MPG and now I have a 2017 TrailHawk and get 24MPG. So you 18.9MPG , clean your airfilter?

Two things. 1. What's the point of those spacers? 2. You have a Pittsburgh accent?

mostly love our 14 trailhawk,unfortunately it sees alot of mud/uneven terrain. just hoping suspension holds up. have you had any issues?

Thank you car guy I am going to pick up my 2015 TH today it has 71000 miles on it the seller says they never had any issues with the transmission. Do you think I will have issues down the road?