KnownCarProblems2018 Jeep Cherokee Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 687 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, most often about the transmission (43% of complaints, typically around 40,500 miles). It is 6th of 14 Cherokee model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2018 Jeep Cherokee problems
Transmission
295 complaints · 43%Half of these problems showed up before 40,500 miles. Parts named most often: axle assembly.
After less than 1 year old getting a service shifter message on start up. It would go away when I turned engine off and on but note won't do away. Care less than a year old but just out of went due to milage.
Service shifter light comes on and p r n d all light up red. Was sent in less than a year ago. Dealer changed some type of wiring harness in the transmission. And flashed the transmission. Week later Jeep became very hesitant and started shifting really hard. Was sent back to dealer. It was then noted transmission…
Electrical
190 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 35,000 miles. Parts named most often: software, 12v/24v/48v battery, adas.
The service shifter light comes on all the time. It lights up all the lights on my shifter and freezes my dashboard screen to just show the message service shifter. It stays like this until I turn my vehicle off and then when I wait a bit and turn it on again it will be off but if I don't wait long enough it will…
Electrical warning system can not be remedied. Emergency brake system is malfunctioning and setting when car is in drive. Electrical system completely went dead on the freeway causing the car to stall, when car was restarted and nursed off of the freeway the electrical system completely went dead, the transmission…
Other or unspecified
174 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles.
Service shifter message coming up, all lights on shifter turning red and car not driving properly. Have to turn the car off and back on several times to make it go away.
Under 30,000 miles the vehicle would notify to "service shifter" but would still accelerate/break/stop. This has continued to occur several times after the initial time. The vehicle would have to be turned off and then started back up again in order to get rid of the code. Everytime this has occurred the vehicle has…
Engine
159 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 28,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
My vehicle ws in motion when the battery light flashed on briefly. Immediately after this my vehicle lost power completely. I was unable to steer, brake or accelerate. The vehicle completely shut off. I used my emergency brake to stop the vehicle. Consumer stated the vehicle is currently having the engine replaced but…
My vehicle was in motion. I was driving down the city street and suddenly a meaasge appeared on my screen 'service shifter' and the Jeep began to jerk. The lights on each gear turned red. When I got to a place to park. I cut the Jeep off and turned it back on. I then received a message when I put the Jeep in drive to…
Brakes
38 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 38,500 miles.
After getting my Jeep worked on at crown Jeep of chattanooga for my dash board saying 'shifter service' they replaced my shifter bezel claiming that was all that was wrong with it. This is after my Jeep three the ebrake in while going 65 down a highway. Tonight 9/28/2020 while backing out my driveway my Jeep threw the…
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…
Steering
30 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 23,500 miles.
I was completing a turn when the vehicle lost all power and shut completely off causing me to loose control of the vehicle and hit a curb. Vehicle was then towed to dealership where I was advised this happened due to a safety feature of my car . When the car is low on oil when you turn it throws off the oil pressure…
I have a 2018 Jeep Cherokee with under 30,000 miles on it. My car's stalled in the middle of an intersection while taking a right turn. My brakes and steering were locked, causing me to drift up on to a curb and hit a sign. No warning or indicator lights came on in the car prior to this. I had the car towed to the…
Fuel system
26 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 10,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that fuel leaked from the vehicle and a burning odor entered the cabin of the vehicle. In addition, the fuel gauge failed to display the correct fuel level. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign…
Unable to fill gas tank - nozzle keeps turning off and spitting gas out of spout. Tried slowing down flow but after tank is about 3/4 full it just keeps clicking and going off. This has happened at three different fuel stations over the last two weeks. My Jeep has about 15,000 miles on it and this has been the story…
Speed control
20 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 25,000 miles.
Service shifter light came on.. 2 days later car turned off while in driving saying change gear but I was currently in the correct gear . Very dangerous I was dropping my son off too school and car stoped in the middle of traffic
The light turned green at an intersection. The vehicle was in drive, I pressed the gas and the vehicle would not respond. When it did respond the vehicle jerked into gear and RPM's rose quickly.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Jeep Cherokee recalls
Transmission: power train
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Electrical: front underhood
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: axle shaft
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Electrical: software
Risk: If the vehicle maintains its speed or accelerates despite attempts to deactivate the cruise control, there would be an increased risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Fuel system: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Engine
Risk: If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Equipment: labels
Risk: The missing tire and rim designation information may lead to an incorrect combination being installed on the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Questions about the 2018 Jeep Cherokee
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Jeep Cherokee?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (295 complaints, typically around 40,500 miles); electrical (190 complaints, typically around 35,000 miles); other or unspecified (174 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 16, 2025 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Jeep Cherokee?
- It is 6th of 14 Cherokee model years by number of complaints, with 687 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.