Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2018 Jeep Cherokee — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2021 to Dec 2025
The most reported issue is power train problems (187 complaints). 11 complaints involved crashes. 5 involved fires.
Open Safety Recalls (7)
NHTSA Campaign: 18V282000
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 18V494000
Component: POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 18V332000
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 17V543000
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
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."
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 18V524000
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 17V670000
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
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.
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.
NHTSA Campaign: 25V011000
Component: POWER TRAIN
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.
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.
Owner-Reported Issues (20 of 659)
Power Train →12 issues
The 4x4 system, bad PTU actuator. Power loss can cause an accident at any given moment putting Not just you but other drivers at risk. I took it too dealership today bad PTU actuator.
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After your Cherokee was repaired under a recall, the vehicle jerked while driving and then lost power completely. When you restarted it, only reverse gear worked—all other gears failed. The dealer confirmed the problem was related to the recall repair, but the vehicle wasn't fixed. The issue may involve replacing or reprogramming the transmission control module or related transmission components.
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (POWER TRAIN). While driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal.
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the engine seized.
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The PTU (Power Transfer Unit) failed on my 2018 Jeep Cherokee causing AWD system malfunction. The dealership diagnosed the failure and advised repair. However, the replacement part is on national backorder with no estimated delivery date, and I was told it may take several months.
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- The PTU has been making a grinding noise, and the car feels different to drive. - Other issues with a different model of this PTU involve the car rolling out of park or losing driving power while in motion. I do not believe this is an isolated issue with my vehicle, due to looked at forums and communities online with people having the same issue as me.
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted into neutral(N) unintendedly.
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that the 4WD feature was inoperable. The contact stated that the PTU splines were worn, preventing the engagement of the 4WD feature, and potentially preventing the vehicle from remaining unmovable while shifted to park(P).
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while driving over bumps on the roadway, the transmission shifted out of gear.
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In Jan 2025 I received a recall notice regarding the PTU unit. The notice indicated that I could esperience loss of power and the inability to use park. However, when speaking to Mopar abot it they say it is safe to drive!!!
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Service 4WD indicator showing PTU issue. My vehicle is not included in the recall, but this issue seems to be the same one noted.
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Electrical System,visibility/wiper →1 issue
Your rear defroster or its electrical wiring shorted out and caught fire while your Cherokee was parked and turned off, causing the rear glass to shatter. This happened with no warning signs beforehand, and the fire posed a serious safety risk to you, bystanders, and nearby property. The repair will likely involve replacing the rear defroster element, wiring harness, and rear glass.
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Air Bags →1 issue
Your 2018 Jeep Cherokee was hit head-on by another vehicle at an intersection, but your airbags failed to deploy even though the other vehicle's airbags worked. Although no one was injured in this case, the lack of airbag deployment during an actual collision is a serious safety concern. Your vehicle should be inspected by a Jeep dealer to diagnose why the airbag system didn't activate and to ensure it functions properly in future impacts.
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Steering,power Train,fuel/propulsion System →1 issue
Your Jeep pulls sharply to the left and right while driving, making it difficult to keep on the road. The engine hesitates when accelerating from a stop, forcing you to wait for extra clearance before entering traffic. Your fuel economy has also become very poor—the tank drops from full to below 50% in just three days of normal commuting. These issues occur every day and have nearly caused several accidents, but your dealership hasn't been able to identify the problem after multiple visits.
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Power Train,engine →1 issue
The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) and transfer case have failed. The vehicle was initially suspected to have a wheel bearing issue due to a howling noise during the test drive. However, after purchase, the noise worsened significantly.
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Power Train,vehicle Speed Control →1 issue
Hi I bought a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk 2018 at GM Motors (Old Bridge), I have on open recall and I take it to the dealer, Jeep Dodge Chrysler located at Bloomfiel, I talked to Tony the supervisor and they refused to fix it,this incident happened last July he told me come back in 6 months so in December when I get there he told me they have a lot of work call them in January, and when I call them last month they told me this recall have been released that was a lie, he told me any Jeep Dodge Chrysler have this part anywhere in the country, I said Oky I can try to get it I don’t have to pay for the installation he said no cause the part should from Chrysler, when I didn’t know yet if it was a recall whe I saw the light 4WD SVC coming up on my dash board he tried to charge me 1300$ for a recall they should repair for free
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Engine →1 issue
My 2018 Jeep Cherokee suffered a Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure in February 2025 while my family was on vacation. The vehicle was delivered to Walker Jeep in Alexandria, Louisiana and has remained there for approximately one year. I reside in Texas, approximately five hours away.
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Unknown Or Other →1 issue
Have 1 safety recall, have taken to jeep dealer and they have confirmed PTU not working light on dash is valid and 4x4 is not working, but they will not order new PTU. Jeep has not offered loaner vehicle or to buy back vehicle that is a lemon! It has been over a year since recall was issued without any results!
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Electrical System →1 issue
Service shifter message and all gear indicator lights on PRND. Seeing common problem and a Technical Bulletin on 2014-2018 Jeep Cherokees
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