2018 Jeep Cherokee
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 686 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 12 Cherokee model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 11 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 7 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Power trainApr 29, 2025
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The power transfer unit (PTU) may become damaged and disengage the transmission and differential, resulting in a loss of drive power and/or loss of park function.
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. A loss of park function can cause an unintended vehicle rollaway, which can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will update the drivetrain control module and PTU software and replace the PTU, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning February 19, 2026. Owners may contact FCA customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA's number for this recall is 01C.
Campaign 25V011000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiring, front underhoodAug 9, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Campaign 18V524000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftJul 26, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee all-wheel-drive vehicles. The bearing cage for the right front halfshaft assembly may not have been properly heat treated, possibly resulting in the bearing cage breaking and a potential halfshaft assembly failure.
If the halfshaft bearing cage breaks, the halfshaft may not be able to transmit engine power, causing a loss of drive or it can allow the vehicle to move while in the "Park" position. Either condition may increase the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front right halfshaft assemblies, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U78.
Campaign 18V494000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, wiringMay 17, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Dodge Journey, Charger and Durango, RAM 2500, 3500, 3500 Cab Chassis (more than 10,000lb), 4500 Cab Chassis and 5500 Cab Chassis, Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300, 2014-2019 RAM 1500, 2015-2018 Dodge Challenger, 2015-2017 Chrysler 200, 2016-2018 RAM 3500 Cab Chassis (less than 10,000 lb), 2017-2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Jeep Wrangler vehicles. These vehicles are being recalled to address a defect that could prevent the cruise control system from disengaging. If, when using cruise control, there is a short circuit within the vehicle's wiring, the driver may not be able to shut off the cruise control either by depressing the brake pedal or manually turning the system off once it has been engaged, resulting in either the vehicle maintaining its current speed or possibly accelerating.
If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the software, and perform a software flash on the engine or powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began June 4, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Note: Owners are advised to stop using cruise control until the software update has been performed. In the event that cruise control cannot be disengaged while driving, owners should firmly and steadily apply the brakes and shift the transmission to neutral, placing the vehicle in park once it has stopped.
Campaign 18V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMay 1, 2018
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine. These vehicles may have been manufactured with a fuel tube that may leak fuel into the engine compartment.
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tube, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U39.
Campaign 18V282000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineOct 24, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.
Campaign 17V670000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 31, 2017
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The tire and rim size information required to be on the Certification label was omitted during manufacturing, which may result in an incorrect tire and rim combination being installed on the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The missing tire and rim designation information may lead to an incorrect combination being installed on the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners and will provide a corrected certification label, free of charge. The recall began October 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T53.
Campaign 17V543000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
190 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 15, 2019
WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN I95 - THE GEARSHIFT FROZE UP AND THE ENTIRE GEARSHAFT TURNED RED. I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN / COME TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF AN EXIT ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF TWO TIMES ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS - ONCE THREE MONTHS AFTER THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THEY FIXED THE ISSUE.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 16, 2019
VEHICLE WILL STALL DEALERSHIP CLAIMS BATTERY IS NOT CHARGING COMPUTER CHECK SHOWS MULTIPLE LOW VOLTAGE CODES
Electrical system, Feb 6, 2019
RADIO CUTS IN AND OUT SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT THE CAR. DEALERS SAY THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.
Electrical system, Jan 15, 2019
ALL SERVICE LIGHTS ARE FLASHING WHEN CAR IS STARTED.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 10, 2018
THE CAR HAS START UP PROBLEMS, THE CAR STALL AND JERKS WHEN BREAKING. THE BATTERY ON CHARGES TO 45% ( THIS IS A NEW CAR). THE ENGINE WAS SMOKING PURFUSLY LIKA AN 1980S CAR. ALL LIGHT FLICKER IN THE CAR AMD NOW THE CAR IS UNDRIVABME WITH NO HELP FROM DEALSHIP OR FINANCE. ITS LIKE I'M ON ME OWN STUCK WITH A LEMON.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 5, 2018
FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS SINCE LABOR DAY OF 2018, MY 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE LATITUDE HAS NOT STARTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. EVENTUALLY IT DOES START BUT IT WILL ALWAYS SAY, "CANNOT READ KEY FOB". I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT IT'S WORSE WHEN I USE THE REMOTE START TO WARM IT UP. WHAT'S REALLY WEIRD IS THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT WHEN I GET OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND GO TO THE BACK HATCH AND USE THE REMOTE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS, IT STARTS AFTER THAT. GO FIGURE. JUST THIS WEEK, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULDN'T SHUT TWICE WITHIN THREE DAYS. THE LATCH WAS STUCK. EVENTUALLY, AFTER TRYING JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I COULD THINK OF LIKE TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF AND LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOORS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, I TRIED USING THE REMOTE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THE DOORS, AND THEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR SHUT PROPERLY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SUCH A NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE BRAND NEW IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR WITH LESS THAN 14, 000 MILES ON IT WOULD HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP IS PICKING IT UP AGAIN TOMORROW FOR THE THIRD TIME TO ATTEMPT TO FIX IT. LAST CHANCE. IF NOT FIXED THIS TIME, I WILL BE GETTING LEGAL REPRESENTATION. NOT SURE IF THESE ARE SAFETY ISSUES BUT I KNOW THAT DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH THE DOOR NOT CLOSED PROPERLY COULD BE A HAZARD. I AM JUST WONDERING IF SOMETHING ELSE MIGHT GO WRONG WITH IT NEXT. I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS VEHICLE TO SAY THE LEAST!
Electrical system, Service brakes, Oct 27, 2018
1.)THE DOOR KNOB/HANDLE IS BURNING HOT THAT YOU COULD HARDLY HANDLE IT OR GRAB IT. 2.) WHEN TURNING, THERE IS A SQUIZZING SOUND AT THE REAR WHEELS AND COULD HARDLY PULL FORWARD, SOMETHING LIKE HOLDING BACK. 3.) WHILE IN TOTAL STOP, ENGINE ON, THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND WHEN STEPPING ON BRAKE AND IT CAN ALSO FEEL THE CLICKING SOUND WHEN PLACING YOUR HAND AT THE SHIFT LEVER. WHAT IF MAKING A TURN, THEN IT WONT MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY RAOD? WHAT IF, WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE DRIVER SIDE BURNS,DRIVER CANNOT GET OUT.
Steering, Electrical system, Oct 22, 2018
AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY FOR THE LAST 2DAYS, I GET ABOUT 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND AN INDICATOR COMES ON TELLING ME THAT SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING CAN'T BE DONE. THE CAR SHUTS COMPLETELY DOWN AND I HAVE TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO TURN THE KEY OFF. THE STEERINGWHEEL LOCKS UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. WHEN I TRY TO RESTART, IT ACTS LIKE STARTER IS FIGHTING TO TURN ON. I HAVE TO GIVE IT FUEL TO GET IT TO START. THEN I DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS THE REST OF THE DAY
Steering, Electrical system, Sep 26, 2018
MONDAY‎, ‎AUGUST‎ ‎13‎, ‎2018 THE JEEP CHEROKEE WAS IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE. MINUTES AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE OIL CHANGE AND DRIVING OFF THE DEALER LOT AT 10:07 AM RECEIVED THE CHARGING/BATTERY INDICATOR ALONG WITH THE AUTO START/STOP ERROR INDICATOR. SECONDS LATER WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE JEEP BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT A BUNCH OF SMOKE. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEALER, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT A FAULTY O-RING ON THE OIL FILTER CAUSED THE LOSS OF 2 QUARTS OF OIL. SMOLICH MOTORS SERVICE CENTER FAILED TO NOTE THE AUTO START STOP ERROR AND NO ERROR WAS PRESENT AFTER THE LOSS OF OIL WAS REPLENISHED AND WE RECEIVED THE VEHICLE BACK DESPITE BEING SHOWN THE PICTURE OF THE ERROR. THEY DID NOTE THE O-RING FAILURE AND THE LOSS OF 2 QUARTS OF OIL ON THE SERVICE ORDER RECEIPT. THURSDAY‎, ‎SEPTEMBER‎ ‎6‎, ‎2018 9:28 AM WHILE TURNING FROM BADGER ST ON TO THE BEND PARKWAY THE CHARGING/BATTERY LIGHT APPEARED WITH THE MESSAGE TO SERVICE THROTTLE CONTROL AND AGAIN EXPERIENCED DIFFICULT STEERING WHILE NARROWLY AVOIDING A COLLISION WITH A SEMI TRUCK.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 15, 2018
WHILE DRIVING CAR COMPLETELY LOSES ALL POWER. BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. CANNOT BE STEERED OR MOVED. TURNING ONTO A STREET AT LOW SPEED IN A VERY BUSY INTERSECTION WITH STREETCAR TRACKS. CAR COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND BECAME INOPERABLE. VEHICLE STUCK IN TRAFFIC WITH STREETCAR AND TRUCKS ALMOST HITTING IT FROM BEHIND. COULD NOT BE PUSHED. *DT UPDATED 10/18/18*JB
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 12, 2018
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SERVICE SHIFTER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PARKING SYMBOL ON THE GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM AND ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM ILLUMINATED. COURTESY CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM FIAT (607 ENTERPRISE PARKWAY, BREAUX BRIDGE, LOUISIANA 70517, (337) 240-9947) DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE MALFUNCTIONED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 22, 2018
WHILE TURNING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN MOTION , THE VEHICLE STOPPED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE VEHICLES WHERE COMING AT HIGH SPEEDS NEARLY CAUSING FATAL ACCIDENTS! WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT AS I WAS PROCEEDING THROUGH THE LIGHT THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE REAR ENDED. *TT *TR
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jun 15, 2018
CRUISE CONTROL KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF. 2.4ML ENGINE STALLS A LOT HARD TO STOP CAR WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AND IT'S GOES IN AND OUT ON ITS OWN
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 23, 2018
I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE NEW ON MARCH 30. ON SUNDAY, APRIL 1 THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY WENT INTO PARK ASSIST MODE WITHOUT THE BUTTON BEING PUSHED. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT BACK TO DRIVE. WE HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE TO GET THE CAR TO GO IN DRIVE AGAIN. LUCKILY WE WERE IN AN OUTSIDE LANE AND COULD PULL OVER TO THE EDGE OF THE HIGHWAY. IT IS SCARY TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD WE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE. *TT *TR
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Feb 14, 2018
GOING 65 IN THE HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE LANE, THE PARK ASSIST SUDDENLY KICKED IN WITHOUT WARNING AND SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. AFTER DRIFTING TO THE SHOULDER, THE CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO DRIVE AGAIN. THE CAR IS LESS THAN A MONTH OLD.