Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, she rear-ended another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact hit her head and her left leg on the steering wheel. The other driver was treated at the scene for unknown injuries. The contact sought medical attention at the hospital; no injuries were treated. A police report was filed. The contact was instructed by the police officer that she was able to drive the vehicle home; however, several warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. As she attempted to resume normal driving, the vehicle downshifted upon the depression of the accelerator pedal; she then pulled over and had the vehicle towed to her home. …
Brakes failed when attempting to slow down, ABS kicked in on dry blacktop with no lights on dash before locking up and throwing the vehicle off of the road. Caused me to wreck into a tree head on at 50 mph. Seatbelt did not lock up and airbags did not deploy. Vehicle was totaled with heavy front end damage including a bent and snapped frame. Prior to incident had issues with low beam headlights not working/going out prematurely. Was told by Herrenstein Jeep in Chillicothe this was not an electrical issue. Low beam headlights failed again 2 weeks prior to incident.
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her daughter closed the driver's door and the passenger's side frontal air bag deployed inadvertently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the air bag needed to be replaced due to the rollover sensor being alerted. The contact stated that the vehicle was not in an accident. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
I was traveling south on Lee Jackson hwy in Staunton Va at about 40 to 45 mph and was t-boned on the right passenger side with the impact just in front of the passenger door and front quarter panel. The damage ended up being all the way to the right rear passenger door. None of the air bags or side curtain airbags deployed.
The active head restraint on my driver seat deployed and pushed my head forward suddenly. I could not push my head back into position. This happened while driving on the evening of May 3. I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I was not able to reset the head rest position. I took the vehicle to the dealership. They said that the whole headrest needed to be replaced. It could not be reset because the molded plastic piece was degraded. From a search online this appears to be common in the 2014-2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee with active head restraints. Even though this is a failure of the equipment, and other Jeep Grand Cherokees from 2014 -2018 received a 10-year extension on their head restraints, the dealership and Jeep Customer Care said that my vehicle is not covered. Nor will they let me buy a seat from them that does not use the active head restraint. …
While driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee, the front passenger headrest suddenly deployed forward with a loud popping/exploding sound. There was no collision, no impact, and no warning before it happened. Fortunately, no one was sitting in the passenger seat at the time. If a passenger had been seated there, the headrest could have struck them in the back of the head or neck and potentially caused serious injury. This appears to be a dangerous safety defect involving the Active Head Restraint system. Based on information I found from other Jeep Grand Cherokee owners reporting similar failures, the issue may involve a faulty plastic bracket or internal component in the Active Head Restraint that can fail under pressure and cause the headrest to deploy unexpectedly. Other owners have reported injuries such as head, neck, and concussion-type injuries from similar incidents. …
I own a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. The driver's-side Active Head Restraint (AHR) suddenly deployed/opened without the vehicle being involved in a collision or rear impact. The head restraint separated/opened with significant force and will not remain in its normal position. I am not aware of any warning lights, warning messages, or other symptoms before the head restraint deployed. This creates a serious safety concern because the Active Head Restraint is positioned directly behind the driver's head and neck. An unexpected deployment while the vehicle is occupied or being driven could cause injury to the driver's head or neck and could also startle or distract the driver. The vehicle has not been involved in an accident that would have caused the Active Head Restraint to deploy. The failed head restraint/component is available for inspection. …
On October 23, 2021 my daughter and I got into our vehicle a 2018 jeep grand cherokee and as I started the vehicle the passenger side headrest deployed unexpectedly striking my daughter in the back of the head causing severe pain which ultimately turn to a very bad headache , this is the second occurrence of this issue the first being back in mid 2020 on the drivers side headrest which I also sustained a very intense blow to the back unexpectedly. I also filed a report on that incident with the NHTSA. This is not acceptable and I am almost positive that their are many people out there that have experienced the same issue but have not reported it! Now being there is no recall of this issue its not right for me or anyone to have to pay out of pocket for a clearly defective issue! …
On May 24,2021 while in vehicle the headrest deployed for no reason at all striking me in the back of the head, had i been actively moving this i feel could have been dangerous. fortunately i was at a stop. I have since then contacted my local dealership and will be taking vehicle in for repair. My concern now is could this happen again? I had no clue this was affecting other vehicles as well until it happened to me, i went online to research headrest deployment and found this is a huge problem! I'm not comfortable with fact that when my wife is driving this vehicle that the possibility of headrest deployment exist!
My passenger headrest is coming apart spontaneously. It has an active airbag system. Apparently my vin is just outside a known recall range. I have called Jeep and the dealership, both stated i needed to report to NHTSA. The Jeep will be serviced tomorrow at the dealership for diagnosis and repairs.
NHTSA investigations
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
Airbag complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the air bags of the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3% of the model year's 855 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, though it has 10 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 88% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 10 crashes, 0 fires and 10 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.