CSR

Jeep · NHTSA safety record

2018 Jeep Cherokee

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

681

Complaints

11

Crashes

5

Fires

7

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have filed 681 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2017 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 290 of them (43%). The typical failure was reported at 33,050 miles, the median across the 359 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 7 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Recalls (7)

POWER TRAIN

25V011000 · April 29, 2025

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · up to 63,130 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

18V524000 · August 9, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 12,779 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT

18V494000 · July 26, 2018

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 702 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

18V332000 · May 17, 2018

The defect
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.
The 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.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 4,815,661 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

18V282000 · May 1, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of the ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 48,990 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

17V670000 · October 24, 2017

The defect
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.
The risk
If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 357 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

17V543000 · August 31, 2017

The defect
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 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.
The remedy
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.

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) · up to 22,242 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

EA21002

Still open engineering analysis · opened September 17, 2021

the air bags

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 substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 681.

POWER TRAIN 290 43%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 190 28%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 172 25%
ENGINE 155 23%
SERVICE BRAKES 34 5%
STEERING 30 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 26 4%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 20 3%
AIR BAGS 16 2%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 15 2%
SUSPENSION 8 1%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 1%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 144.

2017 2020 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

5 injured · crash · towed · 20,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, IT WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES. THE CONTACT, WHO WAS SEATED IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SEAT, SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AFTER HIS HEAD STRUCK THE SIDE WINDOW. THE WINDOW BROKE AND INFLICTED A CUT ON THE CONTACT'S NECK. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED A LEG FRACTURE. THE OTHER TWO PASSENGERS WERE TRAUMATIZED. THE DRIVER AND THE REST OF THE PASSENGERS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM VIA AN AMBULANCE FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CRASH, THE FUEL TANK

NHTSA complaint 11230393, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I struck the back of a semi truck on the freeway at an estimated 35-40 miles per hour. I did not apply my brakes. Extensive damage to the entire front of my vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11554464. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash · 8,000 miles

I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND STOPPED THE CAR TO BRING IN THE RECYCLING BIN. I SHIFTED INTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS PARK, RELEASED THE BREAK, AND EXITED THE CAR. AFTER I HAD EXITED, THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARD THE OPEN GARAGE. I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP BACK INTO THE CAR IN ORDER TO STOP IT AND SUSTAINED A SERIOUS HAND INJURY AS THE JEEP'S DOOR SLAMMED INTO THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE AND CLOSED BACK UPON ME. SIMILAR RUNAWAY CAR EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED TO ME IN THIS CAR (WITH LESS DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES) TWICE PRIOR, BUT NEVER IN 25 YEARS BEFORE I PURCHASED THIS 2018 GRAND CHEROKEE. SOME 2018 JEEPS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR FAULTY PARK LOCK RODS, SO MY CONCERN IS THAT THE EVENTS I

NHTSA complaint 11172805, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 16,000 miles

A FEW MINUTES AFTER PARKING MY CAR, NEIGHBORS REPORTED AN "EXPLOSION" AND LOOKED OUTSIDE TO SEE THE FRONT OF THE CAR ENGULFED IN FLAMES *BF UPDATED 11/26/18*JB

NHTSA complaint 11120518. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The exact component causing the problem is UNKNOWN. While driving, a “Service Shifter” warning appeared on the dashboard and all of the gear indicator lights illuminated at the same time. After I turned the vehicle off and restarted it, the warning disappeared. On a separate occasion, a “4WD Service Unavailable” message appeared along with the SVC 4WD warning light. That warning also later disappeared. I am concerned about my safety because these warnings involve the vehicle’s shifter and four-wheel-drive system, and I do not know whether either system could malfunction while I am driving. The vehicle has not been inspected or diagnosed by a Jeep dealer or

NHTSA complaint 11756845, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

117,270 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel, and the transmission was shifting very roughly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the battery was replaced several times out of pocket; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 117,270.

NHTSA complaint 11752716. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

towed · 102,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 25–30 MPH on the highway, the brakes locked up, and the vehicle failed to move. The "Service Brakes" message illuminated on the instrument panel after the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V523000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electronic brake module had failed due to water intrusion and corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA complaint 11749251. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS

143,790 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear end of the vehicle was shaking abnormally, and the rear end of the vehicle was uncontrollable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with two fractured bolts on the rear passenger’s side wheel. The contact was informed that the two bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where it was confirmed that the two bolts were fractured on the rear passenger's side wheel. The contact was informed that the two bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was

NHTSA complaint 11746163, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 118,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle shut off as several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The contact made multiple attempts to restart the vehicle but to no avail. The police arrived at the scene and helped to place the vehicle into neutral(N) and moved the vehicle off to the side of the road. Due to the failure, the vehicle was initially towed to the contact's home and was then towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with a failed alternator and PTU(Power Transfer Unit). The vehicle was towed back to the contact's home due to the cost of the repair. The contact called an independent mechanic who

NHTSA complaint 11740839, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

towed · 110,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train), and the part was listed as available at the time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed to have the PTU/full transmission failure as listed in the recall notice; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the dealer not being able to remedy the part. The part was ordered. The contact stated while driving the vehicle at an undisclosed speed on the highway, she attempted to accelerate but no power was given. She pulled off to the side, and authorities were called for traffic control. The vehicle was unable to move. When engaging into drive, the

NHTSA complaint 11740894, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Jeep Cherokee

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 48 3
2021 152 4
2020 279 3
2019 1,612 11
2017 1,327 6
2016 1,403 9
2015 1,781 11
2014 2,639 13

Other 2018 Jeep models

Every Jeep on this site — 104 vehicles, 303 recall campaigns and 7 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst