Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2018 Jeep Cherokee: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 683 safety complaints about the 2018 Jeep Cherokee with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

683
Complaints
7
Recalls
1
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 11 crashes, 5 fires, 7 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 292 of 683 complaints, followed by Electrical.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 79 of the 683 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 1 NHTSA defect investigation is associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, power train / transmission issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 683 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
292
Electrical
190
Other / unspecified
174
Engine & cooling
159
Brakes & stability
52
Steering
30
Fuel & propulsion
26
Speed control
20

"The PTU has failed and caused damage to splines. This failure caused the engine light to come on intermittently and failure to shift. The problem has been confirmed by a dealership where the car is and has been sitting for repair for almost a year due to no repair parts available from Jeep."

Owner complaint filed April 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11730663

"The PTU went bad and had to have replaced. And after researching, see that it is a known issue and not sure why my VIN number isn't covered when I had the exact issue that is being recalled."

Owner complaint filed January 2026 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11714220

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2018 Jeep Cherokee
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
2
35
128
144
75
51
43
61
89
55
17181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2018 compares with other model years

Across the Jeep Cherokee model years we track, the 2014 has the most complaints on file (2,642); the 2018 ranks 6 of 6.

Total complaints by model year — Jeep Cherokee
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
2,642
1,785
1,406
1,332
2018
683
1,625
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 7 recalls

7 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Aug 201717V-543
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…

Oct 201717V-670
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.

May 201818V-282
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.

May 201818V-332
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…

Jul 201818V-494
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.

Aug 201818V-524
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 J…

Apr 202525V-011
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.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 683 complaints about the 2018 Jeep Cherokee with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have?

The 2018 Jeep Cherokee has 7 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2018 Jeep Cherokee safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2018 Jeep Cherokee an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.