4.7

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
22,836 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Jeep Cherokee drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Jeep Cherokee Owner Comments (Page 3 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #133

May 162022

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Shifter failure. All lights on shifter control panel lit (park, reverse, neutral, drive). Service Shifter message on dash cluster and message stating -??must be in park to shift gears-?? or similar. Shifter must be replaced.

- Newnan, GA, USA

problem #132

May 162022

Cherokee

  • miles
As I accelerate the vehicle shudders as if the engine is misfiring, even accelerating at low rpm-??s, the vehicle acts as if the trans is slipping or engine is misfiring causing the my Jeep to jerk or shudder. I also had the engine replaced in the past due to excessive oil consumption so I would assume there shouldn-??t be further issues. Not only does my Jeep not perform up to expectation, the service shifter light continues to come on and all lights on the shifter turn a solid red color. I have to turn the car off and back on for it to turn on. When taking it to the dealer, they continue to tell me that they cannot find the service shifter error when when hooking it up to the computer. The combination of issues reported with this vehicle type are only going to lead to a serious accident or death if they don-??t fix these issues.

- Oak Forest , IL, USA

problem #131

Jun 142022

Cherokee

  • miles
My steering system sensor light illuminated while driving and steering became tight when driving. I took it to a local Jeep dealer and it was determined that the electronic rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer said this is very unusual for my 2018 Jeep. My Jeep has less than 55K miles and is less than 5 years old. I am surprised it is not covered under the power train warranty. It is my understanding that 2019 and 2020 Jeep Cherokees have a recall for electronic rack failures in these models. If the 2018 electronic rack is the same in the 2018 then I believe my 2018 with less than 60k miles and less than 5 years old should be covered under a recall. Thank you.

- Beaufort, SC, USA

problem #130

Jul 062022

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2018 Jeep Cherokee Overland 4x4 ~ Service shifter warning light appears randomly while driving normally; has happened 2-3 times in one year of ownership. All lights for gears on shifter panel light up red simultaneously; all lights constant and service shifter message remains until vehicle is stopped and engine turned off. No lights, nor warning message displayed upon restart. Purchased vehicle at 42,675 miles and currently has 67k miles. FYI, vehicle is driven daily in city/metro area in Texas with extreme outdoor heat temps.

- Hutto, TX, USA

problem #129

May 122022

Cherokee

  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while parking her vehicle, the service shifter warning light illuminated. The contact stated that when the failure occurred, the vehicle would not operate as designed until the vehicle was restarted. The contact stated that the failure never occurred while the vehicle was in motion. The dealer was contacted and advised that they were unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 61,000.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

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problem #128

Apr 152022

Cherokee 4-cyl

  • 58,917 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Shifter" warning message was displayed. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to turn off the vehicle to reset the computer system; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,917.

- Decatur, AL, USA

problem #127

Mar 102022

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Rear differential and power transfer unit. Under warranty but part is not available for a min of 3 weeks backorder and was not offered a loaner or rental car. Was told no.loaners available and my car is ok to drive. I drive 300 miles commute 3 days a week on interstate. I think a rental car is covered under the powertrain warranty. I also read now where 2014 thru 2017 have been recalled for this same issues. I am concerned these failing parts could be a risk to my safety. Dealer told me it was safe to drive. However stated there are metal shavings and its binding up. I do not believe it is safe to drive.

- Lake Mary , FL, USA

problem #126

Feb 232022

Cherokee

  • miles
My car will randomly shut off going 60mph. I will start it back up and it will make a pop sounds and give a little gas to go and it acts like I I-??m giving it more gas than I am. I have almost been hit on freeways because of this. This is the 2nd time in 2 years. I took to a dealership and was told they had to rest my motor but gave me no paper work on that

- Baytown, TX, USA

problem #125

Nov 222021

Cherokee

  • miles
Car shuts down after seeing "service shifter"

- East Brunswick, NJ, USA

problem #124

Nov 242021

Cherokee

  • miles
Coming to a stop at a stop sign and the dash made a ding followed by the engine light coming on, the shifter went into park on its own, the display stated -??Shift to park and then select desired gear-??, lights flashed on the shifter console. Unable to drive I had to restart more than once. Car barely restarted before I was able to shift again and continue home.

- Tamarac, FL, USA

problem #123

Nov 222021

Cherokee

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The other day yet again, a -??service shifter-?? error showed up on my jeeps dashboard shortly after I started to the vehicle. The error showed on the dash and all of the lights on my shifter turned solid red. This is a big safety issue and seems as if there could be some electrical or power train components malfunctioning internally in my Jeep. After turning the car of and then on again, the error did not come back on. This happens repeatedly every few months or so and is very concerning. I took it to my hero dealer and they stated they could find any faulty codes when running diagnostics and they was nothing they can do. This issue needs to be addressed with Jeep and a recalled needs to be issued immediately before this leads to serious malfunctioning while operating.

- Oak Forest , IL, USA

problem #122

Sep 202021

Cherokee

  • miles
All of the lights came on on the shifter while driving and the dash warning stated there was a shifter problem. The check engine light was also illuminated. This issue put my child's safety at risk as she had to pull over on the side of the interstate not knowing if the car would continue to operate in drive. The car had previous problems that resulted in a sudden engine stall making her fear it was too risky to continue to drive. This problem is not rare, and Jeep should be required to fix it.

- Pearland, TX, USA

problem #121

Oct 142021

Cherokee

  • miles
Twice so far on this particular Jeep, all of the lights on the shifter light up and on the display above the steering wheel it displays the message -??Service Shifter-??. The issue will go away once the Jeep is shut off and turned back on. I have researched this online and a ton of people are having the same exact issue with low mileage. This needs resolved ASAP. I would hate to see what happens if we-??re driving or to get left stranded somewhere.

- Orwigsburg, PA, USA

problem #120

Sep 112021

Cherokee

  • miles
While driving, all lights on gear shifter all light up and message on screen will say shifter needs service. Stays on while driving. Typically occurs at night. When I start the vehicle the next morning the light isn-??t on.

- Ladson, SC, USA

problem #119

Sep 022021

Cherokee

  • miles
After backing out of a parking spot, I received a "service shifter" warning on my instrument panel and all the indicator lights on my shifter illuminated. After turning the car off and back on, the warning went away but reappeared mid-drive a day later. Concerned that my car may not be fully in gear, or that it might slip out of gear, I made an appointment with my dealership. After inspection, they confirmed that there was an intermittent short in the shifter and it would need to be replaced. Through my own independent research, I found countless reports of the same issue in this vehicle, which the dealership confirmed to me that it is a common problem they are aware of. If this is a common problem, and consumers are forced to spend thousands to repair the issue on relatively low mileage vehicles, it seems to me that a recall may be in order.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #118

Sep 152021

Cherokee

  • miles
I keep getting a service shifter warning.

- Pueblo, CO, USA

problem #117

Jun 012019

Cherokee

  • miles
Service shifter and all lights on gear shifter light

- Egg Harbor City , NJ, USA

problem #116

Aug 102021

Cherokee

  • miles
All lights on shifter console light up red and light which says "Service Shifter" shows up on dash. Reviews of this problem online is showing it to be a common problem.

- Rockford, IL, USA

problem #115

May 012021

Cherokee

  • miles
I was getting a service shifter light and called the dealer and the said it was a recall it needed a system reboot to bring it in. I did. But that did not fix the problem the light is still on and after doing research it really is the wiring for the shifter. Which can cause the vehicle to not signal what gear it is in. My car had failed to to indicate which gear it has been in multiply times.

- Clinton, TN, USA

problem #114

May 112021

Cherokee

  • 82,000 miles
Power transfer unit failed, 2014-2017 models the same as mine have been recalled for this very type of failure. My 2018 was build with exact same ptu assembly. I think mine should be covered under this recall was driving to store on hwy 26 8 miles West of swan valley Idaho, cruise control set at 65 mph, loud bang, lost all forward motion, coasted to side of road, put in park and vehicle rolled backwards into dirt on side of hwy, braked and set park brake, called tow truck and vehicle is at local Jeep dealership, could have killed me if conditions were different.

- Pinedale, WY, USA

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