2018 Jeep Wrangler transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the instrument panel was inoperative, except for the RPM gauge and speedometer. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and then stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was unable to be shifted into any gear and became inoperative. The San Antonio Police Department was contacted to assist with moving the vehicle out of traffic so the vehicle could be towed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument cluster had short-circuited and caused the powertrain to become unable to shift into any gear. The mechanic determined that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11758227 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving 20 miles away after an hour, the vehicle lost power steering and power braking functionality, and the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to a lower gear. The vehicle was turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,300.

NHTSA complaint #11745854 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle failed to accelerate. The electronic parking brake, check engine, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact shifted to park (P) and then drive (D) and was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant had leaked into the computer and damaged the battery pack control module. The mechanic related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: Y40 (Control Module Software Updates); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was then towed to an unknown dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA complaint #11743143 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I had the clutch plate recall done on my 2018 jeep wrangler unlimited 3.6 in January 2024. The first 8 months my dash lite up warning me my clutch is overheating and to reduce clutch use. This happens every time im on traffic or reversing around obstacles going up hill. The dash also lite up saying clutch performance is limited reduce clutch use. This is still happening after the recall was completed and its May 2026 currently trying to get it fixed. I have pictures of the dash lighting up with 3 different warning about the clutch plate

NHTSA complaint #11740630 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving my engine light comes on and I lose power like it won’t take gear I can switch to manual and it’s fine engine light pulls a code for oil pressure sensor but I’ve done paid for that to be fixed and it still doing the same as above but the engine light will go off after cutting the jeep off and stays off for a few days then out of nowhere while driving it comes back on and the process starts all over

NHTSA complaint #11738240 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

One day out of the blue, my Jeep Wrangler received a "Service Shifter" error code. The error code threw about 40 other codes at the same time. Loss of power steering, loss of abs, engine kept revving on its own, windshield wipers turned on. While in park it felt as if it was trying to shift itself into other gears. Loss of steering while driving as well as the engine revving up and down while on the interstate. Every warning light came on and stayed on. I can let it sit for awhile and it'll drive fine for a little while until it does it all again and again. I have not taken it to a dealership yet due to all the threads on being charged $2000 and it not get fixed.

NHTSA complaint #11735563 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle is a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with a 3.6L engine and approximately 124,000 miles. The engine has experienced a failure involving multiple components, including suspected head gasket failure, significant oil loss with no visible external leak, low oil pressure, and engine knocking. Diagnostic trouble codes P0365 and P06DD were present, indicating camshaft position sensor issues and oil pressure control failure. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This condition creates a safety risk due to the potential for sudden engine failure and loss of power while driving, which could occur without warning and increase the risk of an accident. The problem has been confirmed by an independent repair facility, which identified low oil levels, coolant loss, and symptoms consistent with internal engine damage. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. Prior to the failure, warning signs included a low oil pressure condition and engine performance changes. These symptoms developed rapidly over a short period of time. The vehicle is currently not safe to operate due to the risk of further engine damage or sudden failure.

NHTSA complaint #11727924 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle equipped with a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine developed loud ticking noises, engine misfires, and loss of power while driving. The vehicle hesitated during acceleration and could not reliably maintain speed, creating a safety risk in traffic. An authorized dealership pulled diagnostic trouble codes, acknowledged the abnormal ticking, and advised the failure was likely related to the camshaft, lifters, and rocker arms. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic for further inspection. The independent mechanic confirmed failure of the valve train and camshaft components, requiring replacement of the passenger side intake camshaft (Bank 2), cam phaser, phaser bolt, and all lifters and rocker arms. Photos of the failed components are available. The defect was confirmed by both a dealership and an independent repair facility. Issue presents risk of sudden loss of power while the vehicle is in motion.

NHTSA complaint #11714299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Problem Description (very important): My 2018 Jeep Wrangler experiences a severe and violent front-end shaking commonly referred to as “death wobble.” This occurs while driving at highway speeds and makes the vehicle difficult to control until I slow down significantly. The shaking feels dangerous and unpredictable and creates a serious safety risk. I transport my children in this vehicle, and this issue is frightening and unsafe for passengers and other drivers. My dealership states there is no recall, but I am aware of widespread consumer complaints, documented defects, and lawsuits involving death wobble in Jeep Wranglers, including the 2018 model year. I believe this is a known steering/suspension defect and not normal wear and tear. I am reporting this for safety reasons.

NHTSA complaint #11707581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited has experienced repeated no-start failures and electrical/CAN-bus communication issues. The vehicle has intermittently failed to start and ultimately became completely inoperable. Due to the electrical failure, the vehicle was towed to an authorized Jeep dealership on June 8, 2025. Despite remaining in the dealership’s possession for several months, no diagnostic testing or repairs have been completed. The electrical failure prevents safe and reliable operation of the vehicle and poses a risk of being stranded without warning. As of December 2025, the vehicle remains inoperable and unrepaired.

NHTSA complaint #11707274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I took my JEEP to the dealer because it was making a rubbing sound. They told me the rear end and differential where out and needed replaced. Originally the parts were on a 45 day backorder. 3 months later the parts on still on back order. I notified Jeep customer service, my case manager said the parts may be available Dec. 19th. There is a high demand for these parts and that there are not enough available.

NHTSA complaint #11701788 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler JK. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift out of first gear and failed to exceed 8 MPH. The RPM was elevated almost to the red line. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times, and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact later purchased a portable diagnostic tester. The contact retrieved DTC: U414 (Transmission Control Module Failure). The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA complaint #11690500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL Sport is experiencing multiple premature engine failures that present a serious safety risk: •Vehicle overheats while driving. •Recurrent misfire on Cylinder #5 (DTC P0305). •White exhaust smoke with a sweet coolant smell on cold start. •Coolant loss despite recent refill. •Oil contamination with metallic particles found during inspection. •Valvetrain noise from the right bank, suspected intake camshaft wear. These conditions create a risk of engine seizure or sudden stalling while driving, which could cause a crash. Manufacturer awareness: Jeep/Mopar has issued bulletins acknowledging these exact problems, including: •TSB MC-11018482-0001 (May 2025): Intake camshaft/rocker wear causing misfires (P0301–P0306). •Customer Satisfaction Notification ZD8 (2023): Coolant inlet tube fastener issue causing coolant leaks and overheating. My vehicle’s symptoms directly align with these known manufacturer issues. Despite this, Jeep/Mopar has denied goodwill repair coverage. Safety Concern: This defect is not just a performance issue — it creates a high probability of sudden engine stall or seizure, endangering me, my passengers, and other drivers. I am requesting NHTSA investigate premature engine failures on the Jeep Wrangler JL (3.6L Pentastar) and require Jeep/Mopar (Stellantis) to address this safety hazard.

NHTSA complaint #11688993 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The panel display is short circuiting. It flickers on and off then goes black. Abs modular was malfunctioning, had to be place and damage the Axel Locker system- jeep wouldn't come out of park.

NHTSA complaint #11687290 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle loses power steering while driving and is near impossible to steer when this happens. If in a curve i'm afraid the vehicle will not respond in time and leave the roadway or cross into oncoming traffic.

NHTSA complaint #11664004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

First it was my clutch blowing up including the transmission from underneath me while I drove down a hwy. Then it was a month later before I got it back. (I'm single, and it's my only vehicle). Once I got my jeep back the start/stop button stopped working. I had to lock/unlock with the key fob for it to start. Even with both fobs in the jeep. Now every code, 101 to be exact) is being thrown out of nowhere. Every light goes off, the wipers start going off, the sway bar and traction control disconnects while I'm driving along with the steering wheel locking up while I'm driving down the hwy. The brakes are pulling very badky to the left and /or right. The entire thing is absolutely a death trap. I can't believe this was passed by someone who has the customers best interest for safety. I'd like to know if any of this is recalled because it's been every jeep from 2018-2021 that have this issues. Also 5th gear now vibrats pretty bad.

NHTSA complaint #11662024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving the transmission and clutch system blew up. And I mean that in the literale sense. Sparks and a big flash. Unfortunately, I was an hour away from where I live. This caused me to have to find a way home and find a tow company that would be able to pick up my jeep on the side of the highway, tow it an hour to me. I couldn't afford that, so it was taken to the Chrysler dealership there and it was there for a month before they could work on it due to the parts having to be ordered and shipped in. Once the entire clutch system and transmission fully replaced I have to find a way to go back and pick it up. It was after hours when I finally got to it. That's when the mechanic that worked on it researched and found the recall for the transmission and clutch system because they would blow up. Just as mine did. But the next set of problems started as soon as I picked my jeep up. Pulls to the right when braking, push start won't start saying the fobs are not detected while I'm holding them in my hands. All lights on cluster go off randomly, the steering wheel locks up while I'm driving causing more danger. The traction control, sway bar will go off and on as well as the push start will not turn off. I did manage to take a short clip of this happening while I'm driving.

NHTSA complaint #11647632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA complaint #11646317 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle will intermittently struggle to engage in 1st gear, the brake pedal gets hard, the auto stop start light will display on the dash and the esc light will display on the dash. Each issue may occur separately, not at all or they will all occur within 5 mins of driving the vehicle. I have been at a traffic light where the vehicle would not immediately engage in 1st gear and the vehicle behind me came within a few inches of rear ending my vehicle when I did not begin moving with the flow of traffic. I also have a similar experience with the auto stop start system failing while at a traffic light which caused the vehicle to stall in the intersection and I could not restart the vehicle without completely power cycling the ignition two times. The problems have been reproduced on multiple occasions throughout the past month. The vehicle has not been inspected by a 3rd party and the warning lights and alert messages that appeared for auto stop start system/ esc system did not appear until the problem occurred.

NHTSA complaint #11645806 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after retrieving the vehicle, the vehicle intermittently failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed back to the local dealer and the contact was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA complaint #11632079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Rear axle and differential began to make a whirring noise indicating bad bearings. After taking it to a shop who replaced the axle shaft, the noise continued. They noticed excessive wear in the differential components and said that it requires a rebuild. Another shop looked at it and agreed on the excessive wear, advising that the vehicle is undriveable until it can be repaired. The second shop has said this is becoming a common failure on this line of Jeep Wranglers and it ends up requiring a full replacement of the entire axle housing and assembly. The vehicle is undriveable because if the rear axle fails it would no longer be able to move. As it has not been repaired as of the date of this report, the components are available for inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11631632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving over a significantly bumpy road surface and exceeding 50 MPH, the vehicle experienced the death wobble. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle and the steering wheel shuddered violently. The contact released the accelerator pedal and the vehicle responded as needed at slow speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering dampener had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the steering dampener several times under warranty; however, the failure progressively worsened and occurred while driving over minor bumps. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Northland Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram (14100 Eight Mile W, Oak Park, MI 48237); where it was diagnosed that the traction bar needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11621056 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

After starting the Jeep Wrangler it will not shift into drive and it says shifter needs service, then ABS needs service start stop needs service, it keeps flashing these warnings. It can sit for a hour or day then becomes driveable, took to local mechanic he says it's a Jeep dealer problem (had several people with this problem) they did repairs, but call them and they say never heard of this problem. It's a 2018 Jeep Wrangler.

NHTSA complaint #11613200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that immediately after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) the "Service Transmission" and "Clutch Overheating" warning lights intermittently illuminated while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who performed additional services on the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had not occurred prior to the recall repair. The failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA complaint #11611758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure with the transmission while attempting to shift into reverse(R). The contact state that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic test was undetermined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA complaint #11594140 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service transmission warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was unable to exceed 45 MPH. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V116000 (Power Train) was performed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined because the dealer could not retrieve a DTC code. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and several cases were opened. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

NHTSA complaint #11589322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

VIN [XXX] Hi everyone, I’m new to the group and hoping for some guidance and support. I tried to message Jeep Cares but the message button does not appear on their profile name. I bought my 2018 Jeep wrangler JKU Rubicon December 2021 with 29k miles on it and by May 2022 my clutch blew out with only 32k miles on it! They said it was the worst they’ve seen (doubt it) and would not cover it. In fact, they wanted $4k to replace it with a mopar one. I told them where to go and bought a centerforce dual friction and had it installed at a local shop for $3,700. I chose centerforce to avoid having issues again with the mopar one. Everything was fine till the rear main seal went out and had to be replaced under warranty. When I got it back there was a ticking noise at the top of the clutch pedal and they didn’t even put the heat shield back in so the cab was hot as hell. I ended up paying a local shop to put the heat shield back in since the dealer said they were behind and would take months. Now here I am a year later. The dealer just installed a new engine under warranty after only 47k miles on the original. They just called to tell me the work is done but btw…the clutch is blown. I told them there’s no way in hell that’s possible since I just put on in on May 2022. I reminded them I reported the noise back when I got it back from the rear main seal being done. I was then told she was going to “talk to her manager “. The next call was to tell me “sorry, we can’t do anything and it’s dangerous to drive it the way it is. I had no other choice but to authorize another clutch. I can’t afford to spend another $3,700. I’ve driven a clutch since I was 12 on my grandpas farm. This is absurd. Every vehicle I’ve had has been clutch and never had a problem till I bought this one. Where do I start? Not only should they put a new one in now but they should also reimburse me for the last one! Why is this happening and how do I prevent it again? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

NHTSA complaint #11588090 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Car shuts off while driving

NHTSA complaint #11577933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA complaint #11578003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.