2018 Honda CR-V 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 Honda
CR-V
6/10
Great space and efficiency for the money, but the 1.5T's oil-dilution/gasket saga means you need to buy carefully and service religiously.
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.
Milo scores the 2018 Honda CR-V higher — 6/10 against 4/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Honda CR-V |
Jeep Cherokee |
| Known failure points | 6 | 6 |
| NHTSA complaints | 2117 | 681 |
| Safety recalls | 5 | 7 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 62 | 38 |
| Cheap to own | 68 | 35 |
| Fun factor | 40 | 58 |
| Holds value | 72 | 40 |
| Enthusiast cred | 25 | 32 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2018 Honda CR-V
Head gasket failure from prolonged oil dilution — coolant/fuel mixing into cylinders, rough running, P0301-type misfires
$2,500–$6,00040k–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 Honda CR-V
2018 CR-V EX-L or Touring AWD, 2.4L LX if you want max reliability — but for the turbo, find one with full service records proving strict 5,000-mile synthetic oil changes and the oil-dilution TSB completed.
✅ 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.