2018 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2018 Jeep Cherokee
Two compact SUVs, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2018 Chevrolet
Equinox
4/10
Fine as a $12k grocery-getter if you budget for a brake vacuum pump and skip the 1.5T entirely.
VS
2018 Jeep
Cherokee
4/10
Great ride and off-road chops on Trailhawk trims, undone by a 9-speed transmission and PTU/driveline that fail with alarming regularity.
Dead heat: both score 4/10. The tiebreaker is which specific car you find.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Chevrolet Equinox |
Jeep Cherokee |
| Known failure points | 6 | 6 |
| NHTSA complaints | 397 | 681 |
| Safety recalls | 5 | 7 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 42 | 38 |
| Cheap to own | 45 | 35 |
| Fun factor | 30 | 58 |
| Holds value | 38 | 40 |
| Enthusiast cred | 10 | 32 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2018 Chevrolet Equinox
9-speed automatic hard shifts, hesitation, and TCM (transmission control module) failures tied to a software/hardware recall
$0–$2,50040k–90k mi
2018 Jeep Cherokee
Power Transfer Unit (PTU) failure on AWD models — howling noise progressing to total driveline failure, sometimes taking the transmission with it
$1,800–$6,00040k–90k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
A 2018 Equinox Premier with the 2.0T engine, FWD (to avoid the extra AWD driveline complexity), and full documentation of ALL five recalls completed — this combo minimizes the two biggest headaches (1.5T oil burn and AWD driveshaft failure).
✅ 2018 Jeep Cherokee
2018 Cherokee Trailhawk with the 3.2L Pentastar V6, confirmed completion of ALL recalls (especially the PTU and oil pump campaigns), and dealer service records showing a TCM software update.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.