Hands On Steering Wheel Message In EVIC
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2018 Jeep Cherokee steering problems
severe Owners of the 2018 Jeep Cherokee have filed 30 NHTSA complaints about the steering, typically surfacing around 25,976 miles at roughly $700 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See steering across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
30
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$700
| Model year | steering complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Cherokee | 118 |
| 2015 Cherokee | 59 |
| 2016 Cherokee | 53 |
| 2017 Cherokee | 45 |
| 2018 Cherokee (this page) | 30 |
| 2019 Cherokee | 120 |
| 2020 Cherokee | 21 |
| 2021 Cherokee | 3 |
| 2022 Cherokee | 3 |
3crashes
When does it fail?
Of the 30 steering complaints filed for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 30 steering complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA steering complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 5 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering steering on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Multiple 2018 Cherokee owners report sudden engine stalls while driving—during turns, acceleration, or highway merging—without warning. The stall cuts power to steering, making the wheel lock up and the vehicle impossible to control. A battery or charging light flickers on before or during the stall. Restart takes anywhere from two tries to repeated attempts with extended cranking. Owners have narrowly avoided T-bone collisions and rear-end hits because they lose control in traffic.
Several dealerships have told owners the stall is a "safety feature" triggered by low oil—the engine shuts down to prevent damage. The problem: the vehicle consumes oil rapidly and does not illuminate a low-oil warning light, leaving drivers unaware until the engine dies. One dealership recommended 3,000-mile oil changes; another blamed the owner for not catching depletion. No recall exists for the missing warning.
A second cluster of complaints involves the shifter: the console lights all turn red, the dash reads "Service Shifter," and the vehicle cannot shift into Drive. Restarting multiple times eventually clears the lights. This occurs 15+ times in some vehicles, more often in warm weather.
Owners also report steering vibration at highway speeds (60–80 mph) from new delivery, warped brake rotors at 18 months, poor fuel economy, and unintended activation of seat warmers and defrost during electrical events. Dealerships either deny the issues as normal or cannot diagnose them.
Same Jeep Cherokee steering reports on nearby years: 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2019 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Engine stall with battery/charging light and loss of power steering
Engine cuts out without warning while driving—often during turns, acceleration, or in snow—accompanied by battery/charging warning lights. Power steering fails simultaneously. Vehicle requires restart (sometimes multiple attempts) to resume operation. Owners report this as a critical safety issue during highway merging, turning, and normal city driving.
When: Occurs during turns, acceleration, snow conditions, or highway driving; timing unpredictable
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stalls mid-drive; Battery/charging light illuminates; Power steering goes out; Difficult or impossible steering when stalled; Vehicle requires restart after stalling
Codes mentioned: Battery light, Charging system indicator, Service throttle control message
Repairs/costs cited: One dealership blamed low oil and lack of low-oil warning; another attributed stall to 'safety feature' when oil is low. No consistent repair provided in narratives. Oil change recommended every 3,000 miles by one dealership.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealerships unable to reproduce issue in most cases; some claim stalling is a safety feature to prevent engine damage when oil is low. No recalls or TSBs mentioned for this failure mode.
Shifter fault with all warning lights and inability to shift
Shifter console lights all illuminate red, display shows 'Service Shifter' or 'Service Gear Shift Lights' message, and vehicle cannot be shifted into Drive. Requires multiple restarts before lights clear and vehicle is drivable. Occurs randomly, sometimes upon startup, sometimes while driving.
When: Occurs 15+ times in some cases; random onset; more frequent in warmer months
Symptoms owners cite: All shifter lights illuminate red; Service Shifter or Service Gear Shift warning on dash; Unable to shift into Drive while lights are on; Vehicle must be restarted multiple times; Warning chime sounds
Codes mentioned: Service Shifter, Service Gear Shift, Shift to park and then select desired gear message
Repairs/costs cited: One dealership stated wiring correction required but no follow-up provided. No parts or cost information given in narratives.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recalls or TSBs mentioned. Dealerships unable to resolve or unwilling to diagnose root cause.
Steering vibration at highway speeds (60–80 mph)
Persistent vibration felt in steering wheel or vehicle when driving between 60 and 80 mph. Vibration is present from vehicle delivery (7 miles on odometer) and continues. Fades briefly during sharp left turns but returns when vehicle straightens. Not resolved by tire or rim replacement. Dealership claims vibration is normal 'road vibration' but other Cherokee owners do not report same issue.
When: Present from delivery onward; continuous between 60–80 mph highway speeds; unpredictable frequency
Symptoms owners cite: Vibration in steering wheel at highway speeds; Vibration fades during left turns; Vibration returns when steering straightens
Repairs/costs cited: Tires and rims replaced without resolution.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership claims vibration is normal for the line; no recall or TSB mentioned.
Death wobble during towing
Severe vibration and handling instability occurs when vehicle is flat-towed behind a motorhome. Owner was not warned of this known condition. Jeep has a part available (cost ~$286) and labor (~$460) to correct, but condition is not disclosed in manuals or by sales staff. Owner's motorhome and vehicle sustained $13,000 in damage.
When: Occurs during flat towing
Symptoms owners cite: Severe vibration and 'death wobble' while being towed; Loss of vehicle control while towing
Repairs/costs cited: Correction part available: cost approximately $286 parts + $460 labor.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No warning provided in manual or by dealership staff. Part available for repair but condition not disclosed at purchase.
Hard start/cranking and starting delays
Vehicle requires extended cranking or multiple start attempts to turn over, sometimes with a 'flooded' cranking sound. Vehicle may start on its own after 30 seconds without the start button pressed. Occurs after stall events or sporadically during cold starts.
When: After stall events; during cold starts; ~30 seconds to restart after stall
Symptoms owners cite: Hard or struggling crank when restarting; Multiple restart attempts required; Extended delay (30 seconds) before engine turns over; Vehicle starts without pressing start button; Flooded-engine cranking sound
Repairs/costs cited: No repair information provided in narratives.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One dealership blamed low oil; no other manufacturer response recorded.
Automatic activation of seat warmers and defrost
Seat warmer and rear defrost activate automatically without user input. Occurs during low-voltage electrical events (battery/charging warning lights active).
When: During battery/charging warning light events
Symptoms owners cite: Seat warmers activate unintentionally; Rear defrost activates unintentionally
Codes mentioned: Battery light, Charging system indicator
Transmission jerking, gear grinding, and loss of acceleration
While cruising, transmission jerks twice and engine revs as if in Neutral while still in Drive. Accelerator appears stuck or unresponsive. Attempting to shift to Park produces grinding noise. Vehicle must be shut off to stop engine revving. No warning lights precede event.
When: After ~40 minutes of highway cruise control at 60–70 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission jerks twice; Engine revs high as if in Neutral; Loss of acceleration while in Drive; Grinding noise when shifting; Unable to shift into Park without grinding
Repairs/costs cited: No repair information provided.
Loss of power brakes and steering during motion
While driving at normal speeds, vehicle loses all power (electrical shutdown or loss of alternator output). Brakes and power steering become inoperative. Vehicle comes to complete loss of control. Requires emergency brake to stop. Battery light may briefly illuminate before shutdown.
When: While driving; unpredictable onset
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of electrical power or alternator output; Power steering inoperable; Brakes locked or inoperable; Unable to steer or brake; Vehicle completely shuts down
Codes mentioned: Battery light (brief flash before shutdown)
Repairs/costs cited: Engine replacement performed in one case (at ~28,000 miles) due to oil consumption.
Oil consumption without low-oil warning light
Engine consumes oil rapidly—sometimes completely emptying tank between oil changes—but no low-oil warning light illuminates to alert driver. When oil level becomes critically low, engine stalls as a 'safety feature' to prevent damage. Owners unaware of consumption rate until stall occurs.
When: Continuous; stall occurs when oil fully depleted
Symptoms owners cite: Rapid oil consumption; No low-oil warning light; Engine stall when oil depleted; No warning before stall occurs
Repairs/costs cited: One dealership recommended 3,000-mile oil change intervals; another blamed driver for not catching low oil. Engine replacement performed in one case.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership acknowledged oil consumption is known but framed stall-on-low-oil as intentional safety feature. No recall or TSB issued for missing warning light.
Multiple electrical faults and intermittent warning lights
Various warning lights illuminate sporadically: ABS light, Check Engine, parking brake, shifter lights, and battery/charging indicators. Brakes shake or vibration occurs when lights are on. Steering becomes stiff. Transmission shifts hard. Symptoms correlate with cold starts and warm-up; improve after engine warms but occur unpredictably.
When: Primarily at cold start; unpredictable frequency; some improvement as engine warms
Symptoms owners cite: ABS light; Check Engine light; Parking brake light; Shifter lights illuminate all red; Battery/charging light; Brake shuddering; Stiff steering; Hard transmission shifts
Codes mentioned: ABS, Check Engine, Battery/charging, Shifter warnings
Electrical fuse/relay faults in windshield wiper and accessory circuits
Windshield wipers activate automatically without user input. Fuses blow repeatedly in the wiper circuit. Replacement of wiper module and then turn signal/wheel part provided temporary relief (2 weeks). Problem recurred. Dealership suspects radio or relay pulling excessive current and affecting multiple circuits (radio, backup camera, other accessories). Root cause and full system diagnosis remain unclear after extensive dealer disassembly.
When: Recurring; first observed then again 2 weeks after repair
Symptoms owners cite: Windshield wipers activate on their own; Fuses blow repeatedly; Seat warmers and other accessories activate unintentionally
Repairs/costs cited: Wiper module replaced; turn signal/wheel part replaced; suspected relay or radio issue identified but not resolved.
Warped rotors at low mileage
Vehicle develops warped brake rotors requiring replacement at only 18 months and normal highway driving. Dealership replaced rotors at owner expense; no warranty coverage or recall issued.
When: 18 months into ownership; under 20,000 miles typical highway driving
Symptoms owners cite: Vibration in steering wheel; Warped brake rotors confirmed by dealership
Repairs/costs cited: Rotors replaced at owner expense.
Steering veer (pull or drift) with poor acceleration and poor fuel economy
Vehicle veers sharply left and right while driving, requiring constant correction. No takeoff power when pulling into traffic—requires excessive clearance before vehicle accelerates. Fuel economy extremely poor: full tank depletes below 50% in 3 days of only 14 miles of driving (7 miles each way, 5 days per week). Multiple dealership visits have found no root cause; issue not resolved.
When: Continuous; daily occurrence
Symptoms owners cite: Sharp veering left and right; Poor acceleration on takeoff; Extreme fuel consumption; Requires excessive clearance before pulling into traffic
Repairs/costs cited: No repair provided; dealership unable to diagnose.
Synthesized from 30 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
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.
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…
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…
Had steering trouble with your 2018 Jeep Cherokee?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2018 Jeep Cherokee?
It's a meaningful issue. 30 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $700.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Across the 14 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most steering failures cluster between 17,838 and 32,491 miles, with the median around 25,976. A quarter of owners report trouble before 17,838; a quarter make it past 32,491. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Jeep/Cherokee.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.