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: other or unspecified
173 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Jul 13, 2024
I keep getting an warning that my shifter needs to serviced. After much research, I've discovered that this is a known and common problem with Jeep Cherokees. It should absolutely be a safety recall and fixed at no cost to the customers.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 10, 2024
The vehicle consume too much oil .it completely run out of oil after driving a 1000 mile only .the engine stop suddenly while driving which put my safety in danger .because it happened when the vehicle engine stop running in the highway in the middle of traffic. I call the manufacturer they said there is a recall (W20 )for this car regarding those issue . And they said once they update the car software those issues should be resolved. But afterwards the same issue still happenings. The car currently only has 32k miles .those problems started back on March 2024 when.the car has only 24k miles
Air bags, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, May 28, 2024
Jeep Cherokee 2018 limited AC turns off throughout the drive. It makes the SUV vibrate to the point I can’t see out the review mirror. Had AC serviced and checked. Issue persisted shortly after.
Other or unspecified, Apr 25, 2024
I went in to my dealership Nov. 24,2023 for a water leak to the driver side floor and to the back seat behind the driver side. It was starting to smell so I used some carpet cleaner to get rid of the smell. They replaced the panel cowl side trims on both sides of the windshield. I told them that only driver side floor and back seat behind the driver was wet. Never said that there was a water on the passenger side floor? Charged me $543.22. Had to go back a second time because it was still leaking on Dec. 20,2023. This time they put caulking to solve the problem at no charge. Now April 19,2024 I still noticed that it's leaking after I washed my vehicle. So now I have to go in a third time in less than 6 months. Never solved my water leak after paying them $543.22. I do believe that this water leak was happening possibly since day 1 having the vehicle. I bought weathertech floor mats once I purchased my vehicle. I had a liner on the floor and then the floor mat on top. So its like using 2 mats. Never thought to look underneath my mats for a water leak. I do not want this problem to persist and possibly have black mold in my vehicle. Already contacted Jeep customer service if they can help resolve this issue and If they can provide me with a rental car for my inconvenience. They did provide me a case number. Still waiting for their response. Please let me know if you need more information. Thank you.
Other or unspecified, Apr 4, 2024
Every now & then the menu will pop up & say service shifter & won't allow you to exit that notification & all the lights on the shifter turn red at the same time. The only way to reset it is to turn the jeep off & back on again. I've gone a couple months now without it happening but for awhile it was doing it almost every day. It doesn't seem to affect the driving at all though which is odd. However there has been a pretty consistent jerking when accelerating into higher gears. Not sure if it's related or not. My dealership said there was nothing wrong with my vehicle so i just keep dealing with it.
Other or unspecified, Mar 27, 2024
The car was showing a service 4wd alert which the dealer said the PTU needs to be replaced.
Other or unspecified, Jan 27, 2024
The PTU (Power Transfer Unit) is bad... I took it to the dealership prior to my extended warranty expired. The whole shifter would light up (D,N,R, L,2) it displayed service shifter but it was intermittent so when I would take it in to Chrystler, Jeep dealership the warning sign on the dash nor all the shifter lights wouldn't display. The car finally broke down along with the transmission. I was carless for 8 months. The PTU I purchased was refurbished and its bad. The same thing was displaying on the dash (Service Shifter) and all the lights on the shifter have turned on as well. Intermittent once again. I know there were recalls for this from 2014 to 2017. Mine is a 2018 and I think it's the same problem. I was on the road making a left infront of a semi when the PTU went out in June 2023. causing damage to the trasmission. It has been a nightmare!
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 6, 2023
I am getting random "service shifter" fault message displayed. No apparent fault or change when driving. Contacted Jeep dealership and am told this is very common issue with no long term fix. Fix the problem please.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 28, 2023
I believe the shifter bezel is faulty. When pulling out of my drive way backwards a service shifter light came on and caused me to get stuck sideways and having multiple cars nearly tbone be because the hazard lights wouldn’t turn on after. I can’t even drive because of this incident I don’t feel safe in this jeep!!! I called jeep in Elk Grove California and they never heard of it, however I’ve found over 500 issues on Reddit and other forum sites of people having the same issue but more at 16,000 miles! No because I don’t have the money to fix their faulty product. The light “service shifter” appeared right when I put it into drive then everything went to [XXX].
Other or unspecified, May 26, 2023
"Service Shifter" comes on, all lights next to shifter turn red. Have to turn vehicle completely off and on repeated number of times to correct.
Other or unspecified, Apr 25, 2023
The "service shifter" message came on while driving. This issue was repaired at the dealership before when I still had the warranty. They said it was faulty and repaired it. Now the light is on again when I have just 68000 miles. Sounds like it is faulty again. Should there be a recall?
Other or unspecified, Mar 12, 2023
While driving I receive warnings I need to service my shifter. Warning stays on instrument panel and disables all other settings and screen. Also all lights light up on shifter unable to see which gear the car is in.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 25, 2023
Since the car hit 20,000 miles, the "Service shifter" light will come on randomly. The dealership has had to "replace" the shifter components twice. And now it will come on when you put the car into reverse. This is a faulty part which needs to be replaced.
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2023
Service Shifter warning comes on intermittently. All lights on shifter column light up so thankfully I know where to put shifter based on habit. Was repaired less than a year ago, and repaired almost 2 years prior to that as well. Scheduled next week to get repaired again for a 3rd time in less than 4 years. This is all being done at the dealership/certified Mopar service. Whatever is being done isn't the correct fix or there is a flaw somewhere. This shouldn't keep happening.
Other or unspecified, Feb 8, 2023
Message displayed on dash "service shifter"
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.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 22, 2022
1) Engine turns off while driving the vehicle and the dash tells me to shift it into park. After the car is stopped and shifted into park it makes a starting noise as if you are trying to start the vehicle as if it is flooded, but it will eventually start after approximately 30 seconds. After approximately 30 seconds the vehicle starts sometimes without even pushing the start button. 2) The vehicle dies often when turning, driving over small amounts of snow, backing up, or exerting the engine at all. It usually does not shut off while driving straight down the road without exerting any energy unless there is snow causing the engine to exert any energy. This has caused safety risks to me and others in the following manner: a) It has caused me to stall while turning onto the highway from side streets which I have narrowly avoided being t-boned and side impacted. This can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic. b) It has caused my vehicle to stall while on the roadway when it exerts energy due to snow and causes me to spin the vehicle out of control in traffic which can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic. c) It has cause me to stall while backing out, or pulling out of parallel parking with traffic which can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 13, 2022
As I am driving the service shifter notification comes on and all my shifter lights come one and I can’t see the dash board. I have to pull over and turn the engine off to cut it back on. This is an ongoing issue Jeep says they didn’t find anything or I just need my oil changed.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 17, 2022
The whole car stopped while on the highway going 70 miles per hr and would not start back up. I had recently had an oil change days before incident. Had the car towed to dealership and was told I had little to no oil. I advised them I recently had an oil change days ago how is that possible at the dealership. I was told that maybe a cap or something wasn’t placed back properly and there was oil leakage. They assured my car was fixed but now it runs rough and I have anxiety that my car will just shut down with no warning and also the low oil light never came on the car just stopped
Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2022
"Service Shifter" came up once around 36k miles and went away after engine restart. Shifter turns completely red. "Service Shifter" has now come up every time I begin driving. Vehicle has around 42k miles now.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 15, 2022
All LEDs on shifter light up and and "Service Shifter" appears on dashboard screen. This happens every few hundred mile and could result on transmission locking out. Apparently this dangerous and is a very common problem that should be a factory recall.
Other or unspecified, Sep 12, 2022
Service shifter light had intermittently turned on/off since about 33,000 miles but after warranty expired. Mechanic shop says the issue is common with my car's make/model. If this is a common issue, a recall should be placed.
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.
Other or unspecified, Jul 28, 2022
I had stopped at a stop sign & as I proceeded to pull out, the jeep came to a complete stop without any power. After pushing the jeep out of the road after several attempts to restart were unsuccessful, jumper cables were used & were still unsuccessful. A new battery was installed but the jeep still would not start. It was towed to the local dealership for repair after a local repair shop was unable to successfully diagnosis the problem. It was determined there was a short in the power transfer unit that caused a short that would blow a fuse causing the engine to shut down. I was almost 7 hours from home & just moments from getting on the interstate to drive that 7 hours home. There was no warning that anything was wrong with the jeep as all recalls had been done and no maintenance was due at that time. Thankfully, instead of coming to a complete stop unexpectedly on the interstate at 75-80 mph, it was turning from a stop sign in the middle of a 5-lane road just after any morning rush. Thankfully I was not on the interstate with a semi-truck behind me or I would not be writing this today. This issue caused my husband to miss a couple of days of work, 2 unexpected days at a hotel, food, gas & the repair charge to the dealership.
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.