2018 Jeep Cherokee Reliability Report

Heavy oil consumption with no low-oil warning is the dominant problem. The engine stalls in traffic or at speed and may take minutes to restart. Owners describe adding a quart every 750 to 800 miles, finding an empty dipstick between changes, and dealers shortening the oil change interval to monitor it. One engine was damaged by oil loss at about 37,700 miles. Separate reports describe stalling right after refueling with a throttle warning, a radiator leak near 60,000 miles, and an engine bay fire on a car with about 300 miles.

The electronic parking brake can lock on and refuse to release, leaving the car undrivable and needing a flatbed tow. A "Service Parking Brake" message usually comes with it. One owner was told the electronic brake control module needed replacing at about 8,000 miles. Other owners report ABS, traction, and parking brake warnings lighting up together at highway speed, and rear calipers sticking and wearing out pads and rotors within 50,000 miles. Most of the crash reports, with pedals sinking to the floor or wheels locking, involve the Grand Cherokee.

Engine shutdowns in the middle of a turn can leave the steering and brakes heavy or locked. Dealers tied several of these stalls, at under 30,000 miles, to low oil with no warning light, and some ended in curb strikes. Power steering also cuts out after a battery light flickers. One rack and pinion broke at 37,000 miles, and another owner waited on back-ordered rack parts. Owners who flat tow behind a motorhome report a violent side-to-side wobble at low speed after turns. Persistent highway vibration and warped rotors also appear.

Serious crashes with no deployment make up nearly the whole category, which carries the highest share of injury reports. Owners describe frontal hits into trees, poles, trucks, and overpasses, plus side and rear impacts, with nothing going off and the vehicle often totaled. Several owners also say the seatbelt did not lock. Many of these filings involve the Grand Cherokee, and one describes a headrest deploying on its own at startup.

The active head restraint fires forward with a loud pop and no collision, striking the occupant in the back of the head. This happens while driving or sitting at a light. An internal plastic clip breaks, and the headrest stays pushed forward and cannot be reset. Owners report neck strain and near misses from the shock. Nearly every filing in this category describes the Grand Cherokee, with failures reported around 50,000 and 70,000 miles.

The engine shuts down while driving and shows "Apply brake and put in park or neutral", sometimes over and over on the same trip and sometimes on the highway. In some reports a Service Shifter warning comes first. Owners also describe hesitation from a stop followed by a sudden lurch, and cruise control downshifting and speeding up on downhill grades. The crash and injury reports, where the vehicle surges from park or a stop despite braking, mostly involve the Grand Cherokee.

Most of these filings come from Grand Cherokee owners who could not get a recall repair because dealers did not have parts. Some were told to expect months of waiting. Actual failures are few. For this model, owners describe a burning smell traced to a failed oil filter housing cooler, and a stall at a red light that required a restart. Grand Cherokee reports between 82,000 and 109,000 miles mention water pump leaks, an EGR valve, and metal shavings in the engine.