Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (seat frames, recliners, heated seats and seat tracks).
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).
I was driving to work with the heated seat on. I began to feel my lower back getting extremely hot. I leaned forward and when I did I could smell something burning and my back began to burn. I quickly pulled over and jumped out of the car as quickly as possibly to see that my seat had physical flame coming from it. I contacted Jeep about the situation and was ultimately told it was somehow not a manufacturing issue. In addition to the seat fire my touch screen has completely delaminated and sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Making it a safety hazard with the back up camera only showing when screen is operational. The screen also does things on its own. Changing radio stations, blasting radio volume, turning on/off. This is extremely distracting while driving.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while sitting at a stoplight, there was a loud pop on the interior of the vehicle. After a visual inspection, the contact became aware that the front passenger's side seat active head restraint had deployed unintendedly. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the active head restraint. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while seated in the driver's seat with the engine off, the driver's seat headrest deployed without warning. The contact was struck in the head by the headrest but was not injured. The contact called the dealer and was given an appointment for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH and turning into a parking lot, the front driver's side head rest deployed without impact. The contact was struck on the back of the head but reported no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Component Failure: The control screen is going through a process of delamination. It creates "ghost touches" and behaves erratically. Safety at Risk: In one instance the backup camera came on and stayed on randomly, while I was driving forward. Another time it activated the phone and began calling down the contact list. It called, then hung up. Dialed the next person and hung up. And continued through the contact list. People began "returning my call" and it got worse. I was driving on the interstate during heavy traffic and couldn't just pull over anywhere. It was distracting, alarming, and unnerving. It also randomly turns the radio on. It will randomly change heat/ac turning it on/off. Turns the heated/cooled seats on/off. All of the controls in that panel are subject to these ghost touches. It's distracting when driving but also could be dangerous. …
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a serious safety defect regarding the Active Head Restraint (AHR) system in my vehicle. On 11/28/25 the headrest deployed spontaneously while I was operating the vehicle. Incident Details: No Collision: There was no impact, collision, or sudden braking event that would trigger a safety deployment. Safety Risk: The forceful deployment occurred without warning, striking me in the back of the head. System Failure: The internal plastic bracket responsible for holding the spring-loaded mechanism failed-a documented issue in many similar Stellantis vehicles. I contacted a certified Jeep dealership and Stellantis customer service regarding this failure. …
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. …
2018 Grand Cherokee....As you are aware of this already, the radio screen started delaminating and now the crystals are leaking out of he bottom of the screen. This in turn causes all the systems to go off and on at random, that can be controlled by the screen. All safety functions are now disabled due to this problem. Several attempts were made to contact the dealership and jeep customer care, only to be told that here is nothing they can do and to buy a new one. They also said there was no guarantee that the new radio wouldn't do the same thing. This is a top of the line high altitude grand cherokee that now doesn't have any of the safety features and comforts that i paid top dollar for. Jeep should honor their quality control issues but have been blowing everyone off. I have been on many forums and they are having the same issue. …
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Radio screen delamination, causing heating/defrost/seats/clock reset/radio channels cycling quickly, lack of navigation on screen. Very distracting when traveling/trying to reach the hospitals. At first it was very distracting while traveling, and didn't allow me to use any features/controls, and could've easily took my eyes off the road and have an accident. I can't use the radio when I need to, for certain situations, not just entertainment but location as I travel with work at times, and my wife and I both frequent hospitals with my heart issues and her lower GI issues. It just started appearing late in July 2023 and you can see something under the radio screen as if its a sticker/protective cover on the radio and it looks like its separating from the inside. …
There is an ongoing malfunction with the infotainment screen. While driving, it causes the heated seats to turn on, the heat to turn on and increase to hot, the radio to change stations randomly every 3-5 seconds, the placing of phone calls people randomly & repeatedly, the navigation to repeatedly leave the map so that it doesn't work, and the backup camera to come on and stay on while driving forward. All these things are extremely distracting while driving causing it to be very dangerous, especially on the highway or when many other cars are present. The problem has been reproduced at the dealer. They tried to update the software for the infotainment system, but this did not fix the problem. Also, the screen is delaminating which could be a part of the problem. The problem has not been confirmed by police, insurance reps, or manufacturer. …
NHTSA investigations
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early…
Seat complaints in other Grand Cherokee years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat problems on the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the seats of the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 5% of the model year's 855 complaints. The component named most often is front assembly › head restraint (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee seat problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seats 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 seat problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to seats 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.