CarTold

2017 vs. 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee: What Changed

The 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee has several substantial changes in the specifications and ratings we track compared with 2017.

EPA lists a 3.0-litre six-cylinder and a 6.2-litre eight-cylinder for 2018 that do not appear in the 2017 listing.

No 4-wheel drive variant is listed for 2018.

NHTSA's overall rating goes from 4 and 5 stars in 2017 to 4 stars in 2018.

NHTSA's frontal crash rating goes from 5 stars in 2017 to 4 stars in 2018.

Four campaigns cover both years. Two campaigns (engine and engine cooling and equipment) cover the 2017 and not the 2018, while seven campaigns (electrical system, equipment, fuel system and others) cover the 2018 and not the 2017.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2017

  • 16V686000 equipment
  • 17E061000 engine and engine cooling

Only the 2018

  • 18E097000 equipment
  • 18V048000 fuel system
  • 18V280000 power train
  • 18V524000 electrical system
  • 18V759000 equipment
  • 22V426000 service brakes
  • 24V838000 service brakes
A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2017 2018
Engines listed 3.6L V6, 5.7L V8, 6.4L V8 3.0L V6, 3.6L V6, 5.7L V8, 6.2L V8, 6.4L V8
Drive types Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive Rear-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline, Midgrade Gasoline, Premium Gasoline Regular Gasoline, Diesel, Midgrade Gasoline, Premium Gasoline
Combined MPG 15–21 13–25
Recall campaigns 6 11
Complaints on file 364 853
Investigations 3 3
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2017

Other 97 (27%)
Drivetrain 86 (24%)
Electrical 62 (17%)

2018

Electrical 311 (36%)
Other 259 (30%)
Engine 88 (10%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2017 Grand Cherokee full report 2018 Grand Cherokee full report Every Grand Cherokee year compared

Sources and methodology