While driving this vehicle under normal conditions, the engine developed abnormal ticking/knocking noises, loss of power, and misfire symptoms that progressively worsened. The vehicle was frequently used to transport children. Due to the nature of the failure and unpredictability of progression, continued operation posed a serious safety risk. An authorized dealer later confirmed that the engine suffered a catastrophic internal valvetrain failure involving collapsed lifters/rocker arms and severely damaged camshafts. The dealer technician explicitly stated this failure mode is “typical” for this engine design and documented progressive internal damage affecting both cylinder banks, not an isolated component. This failure mode is not sudden; it develops gradually over tens of thousands of miles and can lead to sudden engine power loss, stalling, or seizure without warning. A loss of propulsion at highway speed, during lane changes, intersections, or while transporting children creates a clear risk of crash, injury, or worse. There was no evidence of driver abuse, lack of maintenance, lubrication failure, or misuse. The dealer confirmed oil condition and service history were appropriate. The defect appears to be internal, latent, and manufacturing-related, consistent with numerous consumer complaints, technical service bulletins, and ongoing litigation involving this engine family. Had the vehicle continued to be driven, the failure could have escalated to: •Sudden loss of engine power at speed •Inability to accelerate to avoid hazards •Engine seizure causing loss of steering assist •Increased crash risk with child passengers onboard The vehicle was removed from service due to safety concerns. This defect is repeatable, predictable, and well-documented, yet not subject to recall at this time. I am reporting this to support investigation into a systemic engine defect that presents a serious safety risk to drivers and passengers.
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee transmission complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 75, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I Purchased my my vehicle from a dealer approximately two and a half months ago. While driving the transmission of the vehicle gave out. The car rpm shot up to seven thousand and only goes 30 mph. My safety was in jeopardy because the vehicle lowed down rapidly and I had to maneuver to the side of the road in order not to be struck from the rear. I had taken it to get inspected by AAMCO and was informed that the transmission failed.
I own a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. On December 5, 2025, the vehicle received a transmission fluid exchange service at a Jeep dealership. Prior to this service, the transmission operated normally with no hesitation, harsh shifts, or warning lights. Within a few days after the service, I began noticing delayed engagement and hesitation during shifts. On December 14, 2025, while driving at highway speed, the transmission suddenly shifted harshly with a rapid increase in engine RPM followed by a hard engagement. Later the same day, when stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle hesitated to move forward, revved abnormally, then engaged abruptly. A check engine light illuminated at that time. The vehicle behavior was unpredictable and created a safety concern while driving in traffic, particularly during acceleration from a stop and at highway speeds. The vehicle was driven directly to the servicing dealership and is currently available for inspection. The issue began only after the transmission service was performed. The transmission had no prior symptoms before the service. Warning indicators: Check engine light illuminated on December 14, 2025 after the transmission exhibited harsh shifting and hesitation. Inspection status: The vehicle is currently at the dealership that performed the transmission service for diagnosis.
My brake light light up, check engine light comes on and my Stability Control system does not work. My car won't electric start as the check engine light is illuminated. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they could not help me as there is no fix in place.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact was able to move the gear shifter without first depressing the brake pedal. In addition, the "Service 4WD" and "Service ABS" messages were displayed on the instrument panel while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. While with the independent mechanic, the vehicle failed to move while shifted in reverse(R). The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and the drivetrain control module, and the transmission control module were replaced. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V838000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 88,312.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V838000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact called a second dealer, Benson Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram [XXX] ); who also confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving 2018 jeep grand cherokee the transmission will shift its self into neutral and say select desired gear. Then it will shut it self down in the middle of the road.
I was driving my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 on the highway at approximately 65-70 MPH, when suddenly the car started sputtering and my check engine light came on and started blinking. The car was essentially not drivable, so I pulled over at a gas station and had the car towed. This is dangerous as I was going uphill, and could have caused an accident, or worse. I did not have a check engine light prior to this! The next day the car was inspected and diagnosed by independent service center, who said there was a cylinder 4 engine misfire, so they replaced the spark plugs and the coils. Car was fixed, or so I thought, fast forward a couple months later while driving to work, same issue (misfires and sputtering) occurs again and coolant now runs low even though there are no visible signs of coolant leakage. I spoke to the independent service center and they mentioned there might be an issue with the engine such as a head gasket or fuel system. I got the Jeep towed to get checked, it was confirmed that it was an engine issue, especially the head gasket, camshaft, pistons, and lifters, and that I was going to need a new engine and it would cost between $8500 - 13000. My Jeep has approximately 83K miles. The issues I describe here with this engine are all similar to those that have been reported.
I just bought this vehicle in February. Since then, about 4 times while driving when i came to a stop the car will not accelerate and the screen tells me to put car in “P” then shift into gear. One time I had to restart the car to put into gear. Then the car drives again.
POWER TRANSFER UNIT While driving it seems to go out of gear and revs up. Have to shift out of present drive to netural and back to drive. Happens off and on. Done it on interstate would not go with giving gas until shifted to netural and back to drive. Almost got rear ended There is a recall for same problem but mine is not on recall list. WHY THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING. Also there was a recall on my type of vehicle but not mine for Suppension block which I had to just have done a week ago that cost me $4000.00 at John Hinderer Chrysler Dodge at 1290 Hebron Rd Heath Ohio 43055. Ph 740‑522‑1106 which can give the repair list. Why again was mine not on the list. This should have been covered.
I'm writing to report a critical safety concern regarding the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee's water pump design. As an owner, I've experienced persistent coolant leaks, which I've found is a widespread issue affecting many others. This problem stems from a fundamental design flaw in the water pump, not typical wear and tear. The issue centers on a small "freeze plug" that leaks when the engine reaches operating temperature. This plug serves no apparent purpose and causes premature failures and coolant leaks across numerous vehicles. Key points: The leak occurs consistently when the engine is hot, indicating a design-related problem. This issue potentially leads to engine overheating and severe damage. It affects many vehicles, particularly those with the 3.6L V6 engine. Extensive research on online forums confirms this is a common problem. A YouTube video [XXX] ) provides insight into the issue. The creator states: "Upon digging into this a bit deeper, I don't believe it's the 'weep hole'. It's actually like a small 'freeze plug' that leaks on these pumps. If you look through the pulley at the opposite side of the aluminum freeze plug that leaks, you will see the weep hole. This 'freeze plug' that leaks serves no purpose as far as I see it. It's just like they slapped this plug in the front of the pump… and it leaks when it gets hot." Given this evidence of a design flaw and its widespread impact, I urge the federal safety agency to: Investigate the water pump design of the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee and similar models. Assess the safety implications, including the risk of engine overheating and potential vehicle failures. Consider whether a recall or other corrective action is necessary. The fact that this is a design issue rather than wear-and-tear underscores its urgency. All vehicles with this water pump design are potentially at risk, regardless of mileage or maintenance history. Thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while coming to a stop, the vehicle lost motive power with the “Shift to Park” message displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the PCM software had failed and needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Jeep uses a transmission manufactured by ZF. Jeep claims the transmission is "filled for life" and does not require any maintenance, and never requires the oil to be changed. ZF recommends the oil be changed every 50-75,000 miles. Many other car manufacturers that utilize ZF transmissions recommend that same interval. In fact, if you push Jeep to change your transmission oil, they suggest it will void your warranty. Preventative maintenance in the form of a transmission fluid change is necessary for the health and longevity of the vehicle. Jeep is negligent in this matter. When your transmission fails, you are thrust into "limp" mode, capping your speed at 15-20 mph. This occurred to me on the highway. I narrowly avoided being rear ended in traffic traveling 65+ mph. My car has been babied, all factory recommended services have been done in a timely manner, I was not having any issues with the car at the time, and there were no symptoms, warning lights, etc at the time.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering while idling. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart the following day. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Several messages indicating the air bag, the Engine Stop/Start system, the FWD system failures, and other unknown failures were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving on another occasion. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the PCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for diagnostic testing. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V524000 (Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while attempting to park and exit the vehicle through the front driver’s side door, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated in reverse. As a result of the failure, the driver's side door struck her arm and leg causing injuries. The contact stated that the vehicle drove off a cliff, and one of the tires experienced a blowout and the bumper became loose. The air bags had not deployed. Medical attention was not sought. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 36,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving 5-10 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact was able to drive the vehicle on the shoulder of the highway. The contact cycled the gear selector and the transmission engaged as needed. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact stated while driving on a busy highway, the engine seized. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 96,010.
Multiple leaks found under the car and was brought in for emergency repair. One leak was the driveshaft, one was engine coolant and the other was the front steering column.
Variable valve lift solenoid failing
This vehicle will not move (intermitant problem) at times when the vehicle is placed in drive or reverse. The gear shift console and dash will flash and the vehicle is rendred useless. I have to turn off and restart the vehicle to resolve the problem. Temporary fix. It keeps happening. This vehicle has been in the shop 3 times (dealing with this issue for over a year). Noone knows what the problem is. No codes are thrown. Jeep has been contacted. Several forums I have looked at online state this problem with no resolution. The problem is someone is going to be killed or seriously injured. When it leaves me stranded in an intersection, which it did, I have a major problem. A resolution has to be found. Its not allowing me to upload video. I do have video of this happening which has been shown to the dealership and the adjuster of my extended warrenty company.
When I turn the vehicle on 'start' and change the gear from P to D in order to start driving, I get a warning sign that says "Shift to P then Desired Gear". I have to follow the sign direction several times back and forth and also turning the engine off and starting on again until it engage to gear followed with a big transmission bump. i just made an appointment at a dealership for an inspection. Others Jeep Grand Cherokee have indicate the same situation....
Starting around February 23 after about 10 minutes into driving. The hot temperature lamp would show up . I pull over an it was always empty of coolant I had done that few times within one week. I also didn’t use air conditioning for a few weeks left . An it was ok for few weeks. Then I noticed smoke coming out back pipes . Send to first reipair shop. They found Coolant in a combustion chamber They told me I should send to Jeep shop .
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with 55,575 miles was parked in a parking garage all day in Brooklyn NY and when the vehicle was move to the front of the garage by parking attendants the engine started smoking and caught fire. There were no leaks, dashboard symbols or open recalls to cause the fire; additionally the car was linked to a iPhone App CarRx that can scan for any issue and no issue noted. This engine fire not only put all of the other vehicles in the park garage at risk of catching fire but the parking garage sits under a luxury apartment building putting the working and residents at risk. Additionally I commute between Brooklyn and NJ 3x a week and cant imagine what would have happened if I was driving the vehicle over the Brooklyn Bridge, on the Brooklyn Queens Express or in the Holland Tunnel during high commuter rush hour traffic. Car was checked out by a Jeep Dealership who confirm fire was not caused by any leaks or electrical issue but did mentioned it seems to have started around the engine air cleaner. The current status of the issue has been an open investigation with Jeep Corporate for going on the 3rd week with no communication or updates on status. The entire issue and fire from pulling into the garage to the when the car was moved to it smoking and catching fire is all documented on security video.
The contact’s wife owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that the ABS, brake lights, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear tires locked up inadvertently, without the brake pedal being depressed. The contact stated that there was a pulsation coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact believed that the failure was associated with an unknown recall. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ABS control module and the hydraulic control module (HCU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while starting the vehicle the PCM warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18V332000 (Electrical System, Vehicle Speed Control) and that the contact had to pay out of pocket for all future repairs. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced at the dealer per the recall but is experiencing issues. A warning light keeps appearing even after the vehicle's powertrain control module was reprogrammed.
The contact's wife owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would surge forward. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while reversing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the transmission; however, the parts to repair the vehicle were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The vehicle stalled while driving on a busy road. It sounded like it couldn’t shift gears. It also accelerated once I tried to move it to a safer location on the side of the road. It was very scary not knowing if I could get out of the stalling situation in the middle of traffic. The unexpected acceleration upon trying to park it safely was also terrifying.
Transmission failed while driving. Had someone been behind me they would have hit me. It was towed to a dealer and through the extended warranty it was deemed a faulty transmission. There was no indication of an issue until it happened. Once the transmission failed the check engine light came on.
The contact's mother-in-law owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated abnormally. While stationary, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer five times to be diagnosed however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and was scheduled to be diagnosed again. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
On our way to the grocery store, I turned onto the highway and began accelerating. Suddenly the engine shuts off and random messages pop up on the display. The "D" on the shift indicator was blinking telling me to put the vehicle into park to restart. Steering and braking were impaired as i tried to get the vehicle to the emergency lane. Numerous vehicles at highway speeds had to make rapid maneuvers to avoid hitting us. After coming to a stop and putting the vehicle in park, I restarted the vehicle. The engine light was now on and there were numerous messages coming up on the display. There were also random electrical occurrences as well, rear wiper running with switch in off position. This was a very dangerous situation. Had the individual behind us not had room to maneuver into the adjacent lane he would have impacted us for sure. This seems to be a known issue that needs to be addressed. As this incident just happened i have not a chance to contact a dealer yet. There was no warning prior to the incident. We have had no issues with this vehicle to this point save one, and I do not know if they are related or not. But randomly for a few months prior to this incident, the vehicles radio/control console would freeze up becoming totally unresponsive. It will eventually reboot itself and begin working again. Sometimes after one restart and other times it takes several restarts after varying lengths of time being frozen. The frequency of these occurrences seem to be increasing also. If this was just your radio controls it would be annoying enough, this is your control center for everything. Have not addressed this with the dealer yet as well. I will be contacting my nearest dealership this week.
Just purchased 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee from bulk dealer. The engine consistently stalls while in drive (at red lights, stop signs, intersections) causing safety issues and near MVAs. During stall, the AC continues to blow but air is not cold. The VIN# shows no unrepaired recalls, but the vehicle is behaving exactly as described in recall U87. It still has some time on warranty but I'm not sure how to proceed here. This is certainly unsafe.
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