Hey scotty. I have a 2019 jeep cherokee latitude 4cy. 30k miles. Automatic 8speed.

Was driving down the highway & heard a loud sound - honestly..it sounded like a mini explosion (lol crysler). Immediately after, the vehicle developed poor acceleration. Im able to get up to speed- just takes longer. It's not like the RPMs rev high but I'm not moving... the RPMs are at the appropriate level for the speed and gear ( maybe a slight lag but not much) it just takes longer to get there & shift. & when it shifts, it still feels smooth. The only time any shutter/stutter/slip occurs is when I'm on the highway/interstate & try to accelerate & ask the transmission to downshift. When it downshifts, it hesitates before slowly picking up speed & stays in limbo right as it reaches the appropriate RPMs & speed to shift into the next gear. If/when it shifts into 7 or 8, there is NO power/acceleration is at a crawl. The gas pedal feels stiffer as well. 

Whether relevant/ related.... chipmunks have been hunkering down under the beauty cover & roaming all over the engine. Theyve chewed up the foam of the cover & there are acorns & poop collecting around the injectors. Also the muffler seem closest to the tailpipe appears to have busted, as there is black residue build up on the seem & the tail pipe & water is dripping from the muffler &tailpipe. I can also smell a really sweet scent from inside the cabin while driving but it doesn't smell like coolant. It's a much more pleasant smell. However, I do occasionally get a faint whiff of antifreeze exiting the vehicle after turning it off. But as far as I can tell there is no leak. The coolant level is below the minimum line but I couldn't tell you if it's always been like that or not....It's my mother's vehicle & I drive it on occasion.lastly, when I turn the heat on while driving, i hear a whistling rotational sound & the airflow comes out in random spurts instead of a continuous flow. Still blows hard & temp is normal but there are random breaks in the flow.

I can't find any chewed up hoses/tubes/wires & dont see any that are lose or removed.

Can it be evap/air issues without visual signs of wear/damage? Or is it likely a fuel system issue or sensor issue?? I'm hoping that, because it shifts smoothly, it's not a transmission issue!

I would appreciate any help & thanks for your time!!