2018 Jeep Cherokee Complaints

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,STRUCTURE — Filed 06/25/2026

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.

WHEELS — Filed 06/23/2026

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 informed that the two fractured bolts were severely damaged and had been damaged for a while. The contact stated that the dealer had performed an alignment on the vehicle the day before the failure occurred. The contact stated that the dealer failed to inform the contact of the issue. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,790.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 05/03/2026

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 managed to replace the alternator. Although the contact managed to drive the vehicle once the alternator was replaced; the contact stated that the same warning lights including the 4WD warning message remained on the instrument panel. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000(Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be fully repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 04/29/2025

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 vehicle sounded like it was coming apart. The contact stated the vehicle was not able to engage its own brake. When the vehicle was towed, there was no evidence that the wheels were locked up. Shortly after that, the vehicle's PTU became fully inoperable, causing the vehicle to not be able to be placed in park or any other driver setting. The vehicle was towed to the dealer a second time. The tow company parked the vehicle at the dealer on a hill. With a failed transmission, this caused the vehicle's E-brake to disengage, causing it to roll off the hill and stopped rolling shortly after once on flat ground. The dealer declined to perform the recall repair and prompted the contact to fix the E-brake on her own, although the failure portrayed to the recall notice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 12/01/2025

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, all of the warning indicators on the instrument cluster panel illuminated. Additionally, the contact noted that the parking brake occasionally felt as though it had not engaged, and while driving, the parking brake would disengage on its own. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated during acceleration and failed to shift smoothly into the next gear. The contact referenced NHTSA ID Number: 25V011000 (Power Train) to be the cause of the issue however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 04/03/2026

PTU failed. Service 4 WD Light is on. Jeep has a recall but my VIN isn't included. It is going to cost over $3000 to get it fixed.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/03/2026

I am writing to escalate a safety and reimbursement concern regarding my 2018 Jeep Cherokee, VIN [Your VIN], which is subject to recall 01C / 25V‑011 (Power Transfer Unit Snap Ring Defect). Before the recall remedy was available, my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power, grinding, and jerking, which led to a full transmission replacement. I was stranded on the side of an interstate ramp as a result of this loss of drive power. The PTU was not replaced and remains original. I now intermittently receive a “4WD won’t work” alert 65-80% of vehicle starts. I attempted to schedule my vehicle for the recall repair and spoke in length with the Jeep dealership in [XXX] on 2/23/26. The dealership has informed me that PTU replacement parts are unavailable and could take months to arrive. If the dealership detects a concern during inspection, they will not allow me to keep the vehicle, yet they cannot provide a loaner. This leaves me without transportation for an indefinite period, despite the recall being an active safety concern. It is important to note that the PTU is directly connected to the transmission and transfers power to the rear wheels; a PTU failure can place stress on or impair the transmission, which can cause symptoms identical to sudden transmission failure. I request escalation to a senior case manager or Tier 2 Top Car Specialist, review of my prior repair for reimbursement, and documentation of the ongoing 4WD alerts to support safety and claim review. Attachments: repair receipt. Thank you for your time, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STEERING — Filed 04/01/2024

The steering rack failed about one week after I purchased the vehicle. The dealer replaced the steering rack once, but the same problem happened again about six months later. The vehicle has now been at the dealership for about one year waiting for another replacement steering rack. The dealer informed me the part is unavailable and must be specially manufactured. A loaner vehicle was provided while waiting. This repeated steering system failure is a serious safety concern.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 05/10/2026

while i was driving my vehicle put the parking brake on and then i was unable to get it deactivated at first, after a few seconds i got it and moved forward in traffic. after a few feet the vehicle put the parking brake on and i was unable to move once again. this was in the middle of traffic and i ended up blocking the single lane road. I called a family member who was near by and they came and some how got the parking brake off and drove me and the vehicle home. my safety and everyone one around safety was jeopardized because they had to go into oncoming traffics lane to pass me until i got moving. parking wouldn't engage when we got home and service parking brake light was on.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 03/05/2026

I am filing a safety complaint regarding Safety Recall 01C (NHTSA 25V-011) and the handling of my vehicle by both the dealership and Stellantis. My vehicle exhibited fault codes and conditions consistent with the defect described in Recall 01C, including: DTC C1477-4B (Transfer Case Clutch Over Temperature) DTC C1440-64 (Transfer Case Clutch Pressure Sensor) Documented drivetrain control module failure status (“TestFailed: True”) Excessive clutch temperature readings exceeding 400°F These are consistent with PTU-related failure conditions the recall is intended to detect and address. Despite this, the dealership concluded that the PTU was not the cause and instead replaced the rear differential. I repeatedly requested written documentation explaining how the PTU was ruled out and how the rear differential was determined to be the root cause. This was not clearly provided. Additionally, the recall remained marked as “incomplete” for over a month while the vehicle was in the dealership’s possession. Immediately after I escalated the issue to corporate, the recall was suddenly marked “complete,” without clear explanation or supporting documentation. I was also not clearly informed that the Drivetrain Control Module (DTCM) had been replaced. I do not know: When the DTCM was replaced relative to testing Whether recall testing was performed with a faulty DTCM Whether the new DTCM was properly updated under Recall 01C Whether testing was repeated after replacement If recall validation was performed using a faulty DTCM, this raises concerns that the PTU testing procedure may have been invalid. The vehicle remained at the dealership for nearly two months during this process. Throughout this time, I experienced significant difficulty obtaining clear answers, and my concerns were not fully addressed before the recall was marked complete. I am concerned that: The recall may have been improperly executed or validated