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
686 reports, newest first.
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, Vehicle speed control, Dec 20, 2022
I believe TSB 08-054-18 does not take seriously enough the danger of an automatic car shutting off mid drive. Only by luck did I avoid being hit on a small road. This has happened pretty much every year of owning the car but I thought it was a fuel/oil issue related to weather until the shifter messages popped up this year.
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.
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
Electrical system, Nov 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over and waited to restart the vehicle. Additionally, the vehicle made abnormal sounds while restarting. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. There were no error codes retrieved. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and alternator; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Engine, Nov 16, 2022
My Jeep has been randomly stalling while driving in the city. The check engine light came on. I had to tow my Jeep to the dealer. They said it was because of low oil. I just had an oil change 3 weeks ago. The oil life was at 100% when I got the oil changed. When the car started to stall, it said 50% oil life. The dealer found no oil leaks. I have read on here that this has happened to several consumers with the 2018 Jeep Cherokee. Further investigation is needed on this issue.
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.
Service brakes, Nov 4, 2022
The electronic parking brake module failed due to corrosion and moisture in the rear driver side inner wheel well where it is mounted causing my parking brake to become stuck thus making the car undriveable. I had to have the car towed to my nearest repair shop, where it sat for 4 weeks due to part back order from dealer. I have had the module replaced and the computer reprogrammed which worked temporarily until the parking brake was engaged again by driving with the door slightly open and the problem came back. It is currently parked in my own driveway unusable.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 2, 2022
My car keeps stopping in the middle of me driving. I've had the car about a year and a half. Today the electric throttle light is flashing and car did not want to go in the middle of a double intersection and highway. Yesterday it read oil pressure.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 20, 2022
Within the last 6 months this vehicle has left me stranded at least 5 times. The first time it overheated because the heating coil is so close to another line that is created a hole that caused the vehicle to overheat. The second time was an ignition coil. The third time was because it was time for an oil change which was not the case because it wasn't even time for an oil change. The other times were (battery) related but yet with the battery being replaced 200 bucks later I am left stranded on the road in the middle of traffic without any indication that it was going to cutoff. I fear taking it on the interstate. Within the last 24 hours I have been left stranded after having the dealership again yesterday tell me I need a new battery which I replaced but yet broke down again this morning. The vehicle will start but it seems like now 2-3 minutes it cuts off while driving and has to be jumped by another vehicle. This has to be an electrical problem...the lights don't dim; everything stays on for a bit once I take the keys out, but yet I am being told my VIN has no recalls. Once again there is no lights or anything that appear on the dash letting me know where is an issue.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 19, 2022
On several separate occasions my automatic parking brake engaged without me engaging it. It will engage and will not disengage unless car is restarted. On one occasion I was travelling approximately 20 mph when the brake engage and caused the car to stall. The most recent occasion I was unable to disengage the parking brake and had to have the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer believes the issue is related to the EPB Module in the rear left side of the vehicle. Water has been leaking into the trunk and corroded the module and connector. I believe this is related to NHTSA investigation number PE 22-009. A technical service bulletin was issued related to this issue and it appears to be a widespread issue with this make/model.
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
Service brakes, Oct 12, 2022
Brake module system in rear left panel got submerged in water and corroded. Ultimately, leaving us with a locked parking brake that we can't disengage.
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.
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.
Service brakes, Sep 20, 2022
While driving down a major highway with speed around 55mph on a busy Friday afternoon, my check engine light came on, which caused my abs light, my traction light, and also my parking brake light to come on. I took the vehicle to the dealer on the 12th, and was told my brakes were fine, I only have 25000 miles on the vehicle at this time. After doing a diagnostic test no code was shown for why the lights are on. I was told to bring the vehicle back so they can perform a full check, which will take perhaps overnight, which is more money for a rental car, because I live over an hour from them, plus a deductible on my warranty. I noticed on reviews for 2018 and 2019 jeep latitudes several owners were having the same problems and I am wondering why there is not a recall on it. Several owners stated their car stopped in traffic, but mine did not. Please let me know if any of my expense will be covered if there is a solution to this issue from other owners' complaints. The vehicle has not been repaired yet. Thank You
Parking brake, Sep 19, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped and idling, the parking brake erroneously activated and the vehicle had to be turned off and restarted to deactivate the parking braking. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions and no warning lights or messages were displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 39,000.
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, 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.
Engine, Aug 6, 2022
Service shifter light comes on and stuck in whatever gear due to all the lights light up and you don't know what gear it is in , TSB has been issued for jeep cherokee and dealership wants to charge diagnostic fee , this is a manufacturer defect and needs to be a recall !!! ASAP