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.
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, 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.
Steering, Jul 27, 2022
while driving about 50 mph, I suddenly lost steering and many alarm lights came on. the car was very difficult to steer and I had a difficult time to return home
Service brakes, Jul 27, 2022
while driving at about 50 miles per hour the emergency brake alarms along with several other alarms on dash came on. This happened one time before and car was service and a part replaced to correct the problem. This is less than 1000 miles before this incident.
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.
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Jul 12, 2022
With in a month of purchasing and many times after the dealership supposedly did a update to the shift shaft but always returned I turn car off have to wait and it goes away now it is staying more than usual and appearing more also with in a month my air bags had faulty wiring Thomson dodge only fixed one under driver seat bc their dx only showed one default a month after that the passengers air bag wiring went bad they refused to fix it so with in first year my passenger air bag needs to be repaired I am driving w two faulty car issues that I practically bought this is dangerous after review many complaints from other same make and model jeep owners shift shaft message and air bag message to replace
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.
Electrical system, Jun 11, 2022
Floor shifter jumper wiring harness. Manufacturer Part Number: 68413957AA. This is a common issue with these vehicles. This happens out of nowhere and is not something that happens due to wear or old age. This should be a recall due to the safety of the driver.
Engine, Jun 10, 2022
The indicator came on stating the engine was running hot. Turns out there was a leak in the radiator. My car is less than 4 years old and just hit 60,000 miles. Is this the normal life for a radiator? I feel like it might be faulty and should have lasted longer than 3.5 years.
Electrical system, Air bags, Jun 2, 2022
Service Air Bag Light came on three different times when turning left. The third time it came on the vehicle died in the middle of an intersection and dashboard lights lit up. Took vehicle to Dealer, they said there were codes and a star case S1808000180, they tore apart center console. Did not find a problem, they test drove car and said no more codes. I picked up vehicle and after driving approx. 30 miles home, service air bag light came on again while stopped at light and car died. Car was towed to second dealer, codes popped up U0103, U11DE, U0002, U1465, C10CD. Dealer did not know how to fix. Called Jeep customer cares. Car has been out of service since May 13, 2022. Going to a third dealer on June 9, 2022.
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.
Electrical system, May 13, 2022
Gear Shifter says servicer gear shift and does not recognize the car is in park.
Suspension, May 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel would violently shake and vibrate while depressing the brake pedal. The contact indicated that the check engine warning light was illuminated when the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the passenger’s side and driver side front wheel ball joints were damaged. The passenger’s side ball joint was more severely damaged. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer who confirmed the diagnoses. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
Engine, Apr 25, 2022
Engine shuts of while driving
Engine, Apr 18, 2022
When the car detects low oil it shuts off. The engine sputters and the car will shut off- even when driving- causing a safety issue. There is NO LOW OIL indicator light. I had pulled from my street into a busy highway and the engine sputtered and turned itself off. I could not restart it. Happened today and also happened in December 2021.
Other or unspecified, Apr 18, 2022
Shifter, bezel, and harness I have been discussing with several people that this is an issue in a lot of jeeps currently and my car is only 4 years old. This $1400 fix is crazy.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 16, 2022
Vehicle has stalled on multiple occasions. Safety hazards include stalling in middle of intersection and being stranded. Call out for service at this time, therefore problem has not been reproduced or confirmed. Not inspected yet. No police involvement. No warning light-including battery or engine light- upon initial start of vehicle. Battery and engine warning lights visible at time of stall. Battery was turning over but engine not engaging, however, able to restart vehicle after multiple attempts. No jump start required. Warning light disappeared after restart of vehicle and only reappeared upon subsequent stalls. No apparent issues- other than stalling- while vehicle is driven. Problem has been very inconsistent.
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.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 27, 2022
While driving, vehicle shuts off without warning, this has happened 3 times even though the car was supposedly repaired with a new battery and a new alternator.
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
Electrical system, Feb 14, 2022
Service shifter message comes on while reversing the car and all the lights on shifter come on and car suddenly stops.
Engine, Feb 4, 2022, fire
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, she started to smell a burning odor. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact's father inspected the vehicle and noticed that the oil level was low; he also noticed that there was an oil leak but could not determine the location of the oil. The local dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V670000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.