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: power train
295 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 23, 2023
The service shifter light keeps coming on. Sometimes when stopped in traffic the vehicle’s transmission will shift from drive, to some unknown position, then the engine will stall out when attempting to go forward with traffic. The car will then not start and the shifter will not allow any gear shifting to be done. Can not be put into neutral in order to be push or easily towed. This has happened 4 time within the past 18 months. Each time the dealership acts surprised and responds that they have never heard of a service shifter issue before. They tried a software update, which didn’t help. They also stated that they could replace several parts that added up to over $2000. Stated it wasn’t their problem since it is out of warranty. Yes, it is available for inspection. Always being out in risk at busy intersections due to a potential of being hit in the rear end of the car because people expect your car to be moving. Have had several cars swerve at the last minute barely missing me. And having to exit the vehicle is even more dangerous. Yes, the dealer has seen the issue along with an independent repair shop. Service shifter message is on most of the time but no one really knows how to fix it.
Power train, Jan 30, 2023
4WD not working. A message started appearing in December 2022 that the 4WD was not available and to have it serviced. I was shocked because the vehicle is only 5 years old. The 4WD is very important because we live up a large hill. When it snows it is definitely a safety issue to be able to get up and down the hill as well as driving on snowy roads. Without it working it could cause an accident and we could be hurt. We took it to an automotive service center to have it diagnosed. They said the power transfer unit and actuator case assembly needed to be replaced. They also said the week before they checked this vehicle they had a 2016 and 2017 jeep Cherokee that had the same problem. Both of those vehicles had recalls to fix them. This jeep is a 2018 with 79,500 miles. It was purchased in 2017 so it had to be built in 2016 or 2017. The parts used to build this had to have been defective or something. This kind of thing should not happen so my vehicle should have a recall. It's not that old plus the 4WD isn't used except a few times in the winter. I sure wasn't expecting something like this to happen.It is very much needed in the winter to keep us safe going up and down the hill and driving in the snow. I was also told there is a national back order on parts to fix this. That doesn't help when it's winter time. I could get hurt sliding down the hill or trying to go up and slide backwards! I would like a response as soon as possible if this problem will be recalled so I can get on a list when the parts are available. I shouldn't have to pay for this problem.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 13, 2023
Was driving and "Service 4wd" came on, no change in the driving, then went off and comes back. Now I'm getting "Service shifter" no change in the driving but all the lights on the shifter (P, R, N, D, +/-) are all red and display won't move from Service shifter.
Power train, Dec 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the "Shift to Park(P) message displayed. The contact stated that after shifting into park(P) and turning off the vehicle, she had to press and hold the Push to Start button for 30-seconds for the vehicle to restart. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure recurred daily, and that the engine revved independently while starting the vehicle. The contact made the local dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was awaiting a diagnostic test and the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.
Power train, Nov 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds between 5-60 MPH, the message "Service Shifter" was displayed. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,645.
Power train, Nov 30, 2022
My car continues to flash service Shifter and won't accelerate when the gas pedal is pushed
Power train, Nov 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the message "Service Shifter" was displayed, and the service warning lights illuminated. During the failure, the gear shifter indicator became inoperable, and the driver was no longer able to determine what gear the transmission was in. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were both notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 58,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 21, 2022
Service shifter light randomly comes on; vehicle has stalled several times. Sometimes hesitates when pushing gas to accelerate.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Sep 9, 2022
SERVICE SHIFTER WARNING -takes up full screen on vehicle cannot see any other specs of the vehicle -safety, service shifter recalls in past day to not operate vehicle. This warning randomly comes on when no problem is present. -the problem has been recreated on multiple occasions for dealer, mechanics, and friends -has not been inspected. States not sure what causes this -no other warning lamps came on and none can come on since this takes up the entire screen and places the MPH in smaller lettering at the top
Power train, Other or unspecified, Aug 19, 2022
This vehicle had a recall for the shifter. It went in for the recall but not long after the shifter lights are back. Every time we drive the shifter lights come on. Went back and the dealer will not fix the problem.
Power train, Jul 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to coast to the side of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving to his destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated he had experienced the failure three times. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 26, 2022
Shifter failure. All lights on shifter control panel lit (park, reverse, neutral, drive). Service Shifter message on dash cluster and message stating “must be in park to shift gears” or similar. Shifter must be replaced.
Power train, Jul 15, 2022
As I accelerate the vehicle shudders as if the engine is misfiring, even accelerating at low rpm’s, the vehicle acts as if the trans is slipping or engine is misfiring causing the my Jeep to jerk or shudder. I also had the engine replaced in the past due to excessive oil consumption so I would assume there shouldn’t be further issues. Not only does my Jeep not perform up to expectation , the service shifter light continues to come on and all lights on the shifter turn a solid red color. I have to turn the car off and back on for it to turn on. When taking it to the dealer, they continue to tell me that they cannot find the service shifter error when when hooking it up to the computer. The combination of issues reported with this vehicle type are only going to lead to a serious accident or death if they don’t fix these issues.
Power train, Jul 14, 2022
My steering system sensor light illuminated while driving and steering became tight when driving. I took it to a local Jeep dealer and it was determined that the electronic rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer said this is very unusual for my 2018 Jeep. My Jeep has less than 55K miles and is less than 5 years old. I am surprised it is not covered under the power train warranty. It is my understanding that 2019 and 2020 Jeep Cherokees have a recall for electronic rack failures in these models. If the 2018 electronic rack is the same in the 2018 then I believe my 2018 with less than 60k miles and less than 5 years old should be covered under a recall. Thank you.
Power train, Jul 10, 2022
2018 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4x4 ~ Service shifter warning light appears randomly while driving normally; has happened 2-3 times in one year of ownership. All lights for gears on shifter panel light up red simultaneously; all lights constant and service shifter message remains until vehicle is stopped and engine turned off. No lights, nor warning message displayed upon restart. Purchased vehicle at 42,675 miles and currently has 67k miles. FYI, vehicle is driven daily in city/metro area in Texas with extreme outdoor heat temps.
Power train, May 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while parking her vehicle, the service shifter warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the vehicle would not operate as designed until the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure never occurred while the vehicle was in motion. The dealer was contacted and advised that they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 61,000.
Power train, Apr 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Shifter" warning message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to turn off the vehicle to reset the computer system; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,917.
Power train, Mar 11, 2022
Rear differential and power transfer unit. Under warranty but part is not available for a min of 3 weeks backorder and was not offered a loaner or rental car. Was told no.loaners available and my car is ok to drive. I drive 300 miles commute 3 days a week on interstate. I think a rental car is covered under the powertrain warranty. I also read now where 2014 thru 2017 have been recalled for this same issues. I am concerned these failing parts could be a risk to my safety. Dealer told me it was safe to drive. However stated there are metal shavings and its binding up. I do not believe it is safe to drive.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 23, 2022
My car will randomly shut off going 60mph. I will start it back up and it will make a pop sounds and give a little gas to go and it acts like I I’m giving it more gas than I am. I have almost been hit on freeways because of this. This is the 2nd time in 2 years. I took to a dealership and was told they had to rest my motor but gave me no paper work on that
Steering, Power train, Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
Car shuts down after seeing "service shifter"
Steering, Power train, Engine, Nov 26, 2021
Coming to a stop at a stop sign and the dash made a ding followed by the engine light coming on, the shifter went into park on its own, the display stated “Shift to park and then select desired gear”, lights flashed on the shifter console. Unable to drive I had to restart more than once. Car barely restarted before I was able to shift again and continue home.
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 25, 2021
The other day yet again, a “service shifter” error showed up on my jeeps dashboard shortly after I started to the vehicle. The error showed on the dash and all of the lights on my shifter turned solid red. This is a big safety issue and seems as if there could be some electrical or power train components malfunctioning internally in my Jeep. After turning the car of and then on again, the error did not come back on. This happens repeatedly every few months or so and is very concerning. I took it to my hero dealer and they stated they could find any faulty codes when running diagnostics and they was nothing they can do. This issue needs to be addressed with Jeep and a recalled needs to be issued immediately before this leads to serious malfunctioning while operating.
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 17, 2021
All of the lights came on on the shifter while driving and the dash warning stated there was a shifter problem. The check engine light was also illuminated. This issue put my child's safety at risk as she had to pull over on the side of the interstate not knowing if the car would continue to operate in drive. The car had previous problems that resulted in a sudden engine stall making her fear it was too risky to continue to drive. This problem is not rare, and Jeep should be required to fix it.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 15, 2021
Twice so far on this particular Jeep, all of the lights on the shifter light up and on the display above the steering wheel it displays the message “Service Shifter”. The issue will go away once the Jeep is shut off and turned back on. I have researched this online and a ton of people are having the same exact issue with low mileage. This needs resolved ASAP. I would hate to see what happens if we’re driving or to get left stranded somewhere.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Oct 12, 2021
While driving, all lights on gear shifter all light up and message on screen will say shifter needs service. Stays on while driving. Typically occurs at night. When I start the vehicle the next morning the light isn’t on.