2018 JEEP CHEROKEE Steering Problems

28 complaints about Steering

28
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Deaths

High Severity Issue

This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.

This Problem Across All Years

All Steering Complaints (28)

Sep 24, 2025

Regarding Recall Transport Canada Recall 2025-012, also known as Safety Recall 01C and NHTSA ID Number: 25V011000 My Jeep has the service 4WD message displayed on the dash along with the noise/vibration/grinding as described in the same recall for other Jeeps for my model year. I'm not sure if this recall needs to be expanded but I'm curious to know what the process looks like as my problem is identical to the other Jeeps effected by this recall but my Jeep isn't listed.

Apr 11, 2024

I keep getting a “service shifter” message and all gears light up red. This has now happened about 15 times. I asked a dealership about it, but they said they would have to correct all of the wiring. I saw that many other jeep cherokee owners also experience this same issue and it does not go away.

Feb 22, 2024

At exactly 37000 miles my service “shifter light” comes on every 4-5 days. I’ve noticed in the warmer months it comes on more frequently. During the cold winter it came on twice. It’s becoming warmer again and it’s popping up often. My husband has a 2017 jeep Cherokee with the same exact issue. Our dealership gave us no answer to this problem. Not sure why, i just hope this doesn’t cause a major issue or hopefully a recall soon to fix this!

Sep 11, 2023

Turn into our street, windshield whippers came on. Fuse blown, take out still stay on. Kept changing them, Fuse kept blowning. Replace mod with turn single, wheel part. Pic sent. Worked two weeks, did it again. Now they are saying it's the radio is pulling to much, relay needs to be replace the radio. Which mileage, radio, back up camera, whatever else is connected together causing the problem. This safety problem because back up could hit someone or something, whippers just coming on scared, hurting window, windshield whippers it self if dry out. This should be recall and concern. I don't understand why this not. Jow it's taken so long figure out problems at car place. They took the suv apart still cant figure problem out. Thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Apr 17, 2023 Crash

This vehicle is designed to be a flat tow vehicle for a class a motorhome. No one made me aware of the death wobble and this caused an accident which could have been deadly. We did 13,000 dollars in damages to my motorhome and jeep. After hours of research i found this to be a common problem from Jeep. i contacted the local jeep service department and they were not aware of this. Come to find out there is a jeep part to correct the problem, at a cost of $286.39 and a labor charge of $460.00 to install. If jeep is aware of this problem, why are they not advising the public to not flat tow this jeep until the necessary parts are installed. There is nothing in the manuals regarding this problem!

Dec 22, 2022

1) Engine turns off while driving the vehicle and the dash tells me to shift it into park. After the car is stopped and shifted into park it makes a starting noise as if you are trying to start the vehicle as if it is flooded, but it will eventually start after approximately 30 seconds. After approximately 30 seconds the vehicle starts sometimes without even pushing the start button. 2) The vehicle dies often when turning, driving over small amounts of snow, backing up, or exerting the engine at all. It usually does not shut off while driving straight down the road without exerting any energy unless there is snow causing the engine to exert any energy. This has caused safety risks to me and others in the following manner: a) It has caused me to stall while turning onto the highway from side streets which I have narrowly avoided being t-boned and side impacted. This can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic. b) It has caused my vehicle to stall while on the roadway when it exerts energy due to snow and causes me to spin the vehicle out of control in traffic which can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic. c) It has cause me to stall while backing out, or pulling out of parallel parking with traffic which can cause injury or death to myself, my passengers, pedestrians, and traffic.

Jul 27, 2022

while driving about 50 mph, I suddenly lost steering and many alarm lights came on. the car was very difficult to steer and I had a difficult time to return home

Dec 6, 2021

Car shuts down after seeing "service shifter"

Nov 26, 2021

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.

Jul 29, 2021

Made a right turn onto a street and heard a single ding(the same ding it makes if seatbelt is off) then the car turned off, the red battery light briefly came on and then turned off. I rolled out of traffics way onto the shoulder and placed my car in park and tried to restart it. Car would not restart initially. After 3 tries the vehicle restarted and I was able to make it back onto the road. - the engine shut off and the power steering went out. these are available for inspection upon request. -The vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic so not only my safety but the safety of other drivers was at risk as my vehicle was turning a corner and not able to accelerate as other drivers came up behind me causing them to swerve. -the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center however my wife and I have experience the same issue at two different times. -The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership where the vehicle was purchased brand new and they were not able to provide an answer to the problem. -There were no warning lamps or other symptoms prior to the failure.

Mar 19, 2021

ON MARCH 14TH WHILE SLOWING AND TURNING RIGHT ON A STATE MAINTAINED COUNTRY ROAD, THE VEHICLE ENGINE STALLED AND POWER STEERING WAS OUT WITH THE BATTERY LIGHT ON.. VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS AFTER PUTTING IT BACK INTO PARK. ON MARCH 16TH WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE VEHICLE STALLED AT A STOP LIGHT IN THE SAME MANNER DESCRIBED ABOVE ON US HWY 421. IT TOOK 4 ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT RECREATE THE STALL AND WILL BE SENDING US ON OUR WAY WITH THIS VEHICLE UNREPAIRED. MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH. THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION AND WILL POSSIBLE CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH TO THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS.

Mileage: 41,000

Feb 24, 2021

WHILE DRIVING ABS, CHECK ENGINE, PARKING BRAKE LIGHT UP. BRAKES START TO SHAKE LIKE IF A TIRE IS SLIPPING BUT ITS NOT. STEERING WHEEL GETS STIFF. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD, ALL SYMPTOMS GO AWAY IF THE CAR IS WARM SOMETIMES. ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT WHEN IT WILL START DOING ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS AT ONCE. WE HAVE NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE UP TO HIGH SPEEDS UNTIL WE TAKE IT TO GET CHECKED OUT BY THE DEALER.

Mileage: 32,491

Dec 31, 2020

PURCHASED MY 2018 CHEROKEE IN FEB 2018 AND IN OCTOBER 2019 HAD VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL. DEALER SAID I HAD 4 WARPPED ROTORS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. IT SEEMED ODD AT ONLY 18 MONTHS OF NORMAL DRIVING, MOSTLY HIGHWAY.

Mileage: 25,976

Nov 20, 2020

THE CAR RANDOMLY SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS AT A LIGHT. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED. THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS. IT WAS IN MOTION ONCE AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP. BUT IT WAS A VERY SLOW MOTION. SECOND TIME I WAS TAKING OFF FROM A STOP

Sep 14, 2020

ALL LIGHTS ON SHIFTER COME ON RANDOMLY WHEN TURNING ON VEHICLE. YOU CAN'T PUT IN DRIVE WHILE LIGHTS ARE ON. YOU HAVE TO TURN CAR ON MULTIPLE TIMES OR UNTIL LIGHTS GO OFF. ON DASH BOARD IT READS SERVICE GEAR SHIFT LIGHTS

Mileage: 36,000

Jun 19, 2020

MY CAR LOST ALL POWER WHILE IN MOTION IN THE MIDDLE OF A CITY STREET INTERSECTION WITH A SHIFTER ERROR CODE. WOULD NOW ACCELERATE, AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. TURNED OFF AND BACK ON AND DID IT INSTANTLY AGAIN. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT NEEDED AN OIL CHANGE. I JUST PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 2 MONTHS AGO. *TR

Mileage: 19,300

May 28, 2020

BOUGHT MY VEHICLE 12/21/2017. HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS EVER SINCE. TOOK MY CAR TO [XXX] IN AUSTIN WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED SEVERAL DIFFERENT TIMES. I WAS ALWAYS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. IN NOVEMBER 2019 MY CAR BROKE DOWN AND I PAID TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN SA SINCE THAT IS WHERE I WAS RELOCATED TO FOR WORK. BLAMED IT ON MY OIL WHICH I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY MY VEHICLE IT WAS EVEN LOW. ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN ACTING RIGHT SINCE. 5/21/2020 I WENT ON A TRIP BUT ONLY MADE IT TO WACO. VEHICLE SHUT OFF GOING 70 MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND I ALMOST GOT HIT BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT VEHICLES BECAUSE OF IT. 5/26/2020 DEALERSHIP CALLED ME TO LET ME KNOW I WAS GETTING A NEW ENGINE SINCE MINE WAS COMPROMISED BY THE OIL IT WAS CONSUMING. NOW I AM BEING TOLD THAT I HAVE TO DRIVE IT AND TEST IT BEFORE THEY WILL REPLACE IT. HAVE DONE AN INTENSIVE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH AND THIS IS A HUGE LIABILITY TO PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER FOR A TEST THEY NEED FOR THE COMPANY. CALLED THE LOCATION I PURCHASED IT AT AND SURPRISE THEY WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF IT. NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT AND THEY HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO MAKE IT RIGHT.*DT*JB INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

Mileage: 56,000

Feb 15, 2020

DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A MAIN STREET AT ABOUT 45 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT TURNING RIGHT. AFTER SHIFTING BACK TO PARK AND STRUGGLE TO TURN OVER AND RESTART, ABLE TO GET BACK HOME WITH SAME PROBLEM OCCURRING 2 MORE TIMES. REPLICATED THE ISSUE AGAIN PARKED AT THE HOUSE WITH A VERY HARD STRUGGLE TO START. STEERING AND ENGINE POWER COMPLETELY GONE.

Mileage: 14,250

Jan 3, 2020

RACK AND PINION COMPLETELY BROKE WITH ONLY 37,000 MILES

Dec 27, 2019 Crash

I HAVE A 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE WITH UNDER 30,000 MILES ON IT. MY CAR'S STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE TAKING A RIGHT TURN. MY BRAKES AND STEERING WERE LOCKED, CAUSING ME TO DRIFT UP ON TO A CURB AND HIT A SIGN. NO WARNING OR INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON IN THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I AM LEASING THE CAR FROM. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS COMMON WITH JEEPS, THAT THE CAR WILL BURN THROUGH OIL VERY QUICKLY, THAT NO LOW OIL INDICATOR LIGHT WILL COME ON, AND THAT THE ENGINE WILL SHUT DOWN AS A 'SAFETY FEATURE.' I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING I CAN DO TO PROTECT MYSELF BEYOND GETTING OIL CHANGES EVERY 3K MILES AND THAT IT 'SHOULD' BE FINE. AGAIN, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING THAT THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN OR THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE PRIOR TO IT TURNING OFF WHILE IN MOTION. THE CAR SHUTTING OFF WHILE IN MOTION WAS REFERRED TO AS A SAFETY FEATURE BY THE DEALERSHIP WHO WOULD ONLY OFFER ME AN OIL CHANGE AS A FIX.

Mileage: 24,528

Oct 20, 2019

WE PURCHASED A USED 2018 JEEP CHEROKEE LATITUDE (LESS THAN 13,000 MILES) FROM A DEALERSHIP IN COLORADO SPRINGS ON 10/17. ON THE WAY HOME, ABOUT 100 MILES, THE STOP /START WARNING LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT WENT ON ABOUT 8 MILES FROM HOME GOING APPROX. 50 MPH. WE DECIDED TO GET IT HOME. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVEWAY, WE PLACED THE CAR IN REVERSE AND NOTICED THAT POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. WE TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND AT RESTART, THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE RESET. WE NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY AND THEY RECOMMENDED CHANGING OUT BATTERY. WE DROVE ABOUT 15 MILES TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE AND BOUGHT THE BEST BATTERY THEY HAD FOR THAT VEHICLE. WE DID NOT USE THE JEEP FOR THE NEXT DAY (FRIDAY). SATURDAY 10/19 WE DROVE IT DOWN TO DENVER (ABOUT 60 MILES) WITH NO PROBLEM. ON THE WAY HOME, AGAIN THE STOP /START WARNING LIGHT AND BATTERY LIGHT WENT ON GOING APPROX. 60 MPH. WE DROVE TO A PARKING LOT AND MADE A TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT. AT THAT POINT POWER STEERING WAS OPERABLE. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND THEN IN REVERSE AND THEN NOTICED NO POWER STEERING, I PLACED THE CAR IN DRIVE AND AGAIN NO POWER STEERING. WE STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE RESET. ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WARMER AND REAR DEFROST HAD BOTH BEEN SWITCHED ON AUTOMATICALLY.

Mileage: 12,200

Jul 9, 2019 Crash

I WAS COMPLETING A TURN WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND SHUT COMPLETELY OFF CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A CURB. VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE I WAS ADVISED THIS HAPPENED DUE TO A SAFETY FEATURE OF MY CAR . WHEN THE CAR IS LOW ON OIL WHEN YOU TURN IT THROWS OFF THE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR SO THE ENGINE DOESN'T BLOW UP . MY LAST OIL CHANGE WAS IN FEB MY CAR IS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL AND NO CHECK OIL LIGHT APPEARED .

Mileage: 22,000

Jul 8, 2019

MY VEHICLE WS IN MOTION WHEN THE BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED ON BRIEFLY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS MY VEHICLE LOST POWER COMPLETELY. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER, BRAKE OR ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I USED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE.*BF CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY HAVING THE ENGINE REPLACED BUT IT HAD AROUND 28,000 MILES ON IT. THE BATTERY LIGHT BRIEFLY BLINKED ON BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE LAST OIL CHANGE WAS ON MAY 26,2019. VIN IS INVALID.*JB

Mileage: 28,000

Feb 6, 2019

FRONT END WOBBLE WHEN ACCELERATING FROM LOW SPEEDS.

Mileage: 300

Oct 28, 2018

WHILE IN MOTION WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION JERKED TWICE AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL, STAYED THAT WAY AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK. I HIT MY BRAKES BECAUSE WE WAS LOSING SPEED AND WHEN STOPPED I TRIED TO PUT IN PARK BUT IT SOUNDED AS IF GEARS WAS GRI. DING I HAD TO SHUT OFF THE JEEP TO MAKE IT STOP REVVING. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 4 LANE AND COULD ONLY SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND ROW BACKWARDS INTO THE MEDIAN. I WAS UNABLE TO PUT BACK IN DRIVE WITH PUT GEARS GRINDING. I HAD BEEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MINS AT A SPEED OF 60-70 WHEN THIS HAPPENED. NO WARNING LIGHTS AND NOTHING ON THE DASH AT TIME OF ISSUE.

Mileage: 17,838

Oct 22, 2018

AFTER STARTING THE CAR AND LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY FOR THE LAST 2DAYS, I GET ABOUT 1/2 MILE DOWN THE ROAD AND AN INDICATOR COMES ON TELLING ME THAT SHIFTING WHILE DRIVING CAN'T BE DONE. THE CAR SHUTS COMPLETELY DOWN AND I HAVE TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP TO TURN THE KEY OFF. THE STEERINGWHEEL LOCKS UP MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD. WHEN I TRY TO RESTART, IT ACTS LIKE STARTER IS FIGHTING TO TURN ON. I HAVE TO GIVE IT FUEL TO GET IT TO START. THEN I DON'T HAVE PROBLEMS THE REST OF THE DAY

Mileage: 28,075

Oct 16, 2018

WHILE DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS THERE IS A VIBRATION BETWEEN 60 AND 80 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES REPLACED, RIMS REPLACED AND NO CHANGE IN VIBRATION. IT HAS STARTED SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE WITH 7 MILES ON THE ODOMETER TILL TODAY WITH 9000 MILES ON IT. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE LINE OF CHEROKEES AND IS JUST "ROAD VIBRATION" BUT TALKING WITH OTHER OWNERS THIS IS NOT THE CASE AND THEY DO NOT EXPERIENCE THE SAME THING. IT DOES TEND TO FADE AWAY DURING LONG LEFT TURNS ON THE FREEWAY BUT APPEARS AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE STRAIGHTENS. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS HAS RESULTED IN NO HEADWAY AS THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NORMAL.

Mileage: 85

Sep 26, 2018

MONDAY‎, ‎AUGUST‎ ‎13‎, ‎2018 THE JEEP CHEROKEE WAS IN FOR ITS FIRST OIL CHANGE. MINUTES AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE OIL CHANGE AND DRIVING OFF THE DEALER LOT AT 10:07 AM RECEIVED THE CHARGING/BATTERY INDICATOR ALONG WITH THE AUTO START/STOP ERROR INDICATOR. SECONDS LATER WHEN TRYING TO TURN THE JEEP BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EMIT A BUNCH OF SMOKE. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE SERVICE CENTER AT THE DEALER, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT A FAULTY O-RING ON THE OIL FILTER CAUSED THE LOSS OF 2 QUARTS OF OIL. SMOLICH MOTORS SERVICE CENTER FAILED TO NOTE THE AUTO START STOP ERROR AND NO ERROR WAS PRESENT AFTER THE LOSS OF OIL WAS REPLENISHED AND WE RECEIVED THE VEHICLE BACK DESPITE BEING SHOWN THE PICTURE OF THE ERROR. THEY DID NOTE THE O-RING FAILURE AND THE LOSS OF 2 QUARTS OF OIL ON THE SERVICE ORDER RECEIPT. THURSDAY‎, ‎SEPTEMBER‎ ‎6‎, ‎2018 9:28 AM WHILE TURNING FROM BADGER ST ON TO THE BEND PARKWAY THE CHARGING/BATTERY LIGHT APPEARED WITH THE MESSAGE TO SERVICE THROTTLE CONTROL AND AGAIN EXPERIENCED DIFFICULT STEERING WHILE NARROWLY AVOIDING A COLLISION WITH A SEMI TRUCK.

Mileage: 6,912