2018 Jeep Cherokee Problems, Recalls & Reliability
992 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 24/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 40,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2018 sits among all Cherokee years
What owners report
“Driving on highway and the "service shifter" warning came up on the information screen and all the shifter indicator lights p r n d etc. Light up. Had to stop and restart the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
“Started car and put into drive. Started driving service shifter came up. All the lights in my shifter lit up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
“My gear shifter lights all light up and the display on my dash board said service shifter this happened while driving at 35 mph”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
“The engine burns through all of the oil in about 1500 miles of driving. Oil has to be filled in between oil changes or engine will stop with no warning or oil light... Engine stops while moving”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
“The right side emergency brake engauged on its own after stopping had to reset the emergency brake to move again”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Cherokee
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 501 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 33,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 20,000 and 48,172 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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.
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…
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.
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…
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…
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.…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
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,…
Technical service bulletins
211 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 Cherokee TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2018 Jeep Cherokee reliable?
The 2018 Jeep Cherokee drew 992 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 24/100, scored against the model's worst year (2014).
What are the most common 2018 Jeep Cherokee problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee are transmission & drivetrain (290 complaints), electrical (193), and other (188).
At what mileage do 2018 Jeep Cherokee problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Jeep Cherokee problems around 33,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 20,000 and 48,172 miles.
Does the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Jeep Cherokee. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.