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2018 Jeep Cherokee · Water pump replacement
2018 Jeep Cherokee water pump replacement cost
A 2018 Jeep Cherokee water pump replacement typically costs $350 to $850 at an independent shop, parts and labor included across its engine options. The water pump itself runs $80 to $220, and the job takes 2 to 4 hours. Prices updated September 2026.
Estimated cost, selected engine
$350 to $750
Charlotte, NC area
Prices updated September 2026
Which engine? They price differently, so pick yours for a closer number.
Water pump (part)
$80 to $220
Labor (2 to 4 hours)
$240 to $560
Fluids + supplies
$30 to $70
2018 Jeep Cherokee water pump replacement: parts and labor
Labor runs $240 to $560 (the job takes 2 to 4 hours at typical independent-shop rates), and the water pump itself typically costs $80 to $220 for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, plus $30 to $70 in coolant (mopar oat) + shop supplies. Prices updated September 2026.
| Engine | Parts | Labor | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L I4 | $80 to $200 | $240 to $480 (2.0 to 3.0 hrs) | $350 to $750 |
| 3.2L V6 | $100 to $220 | $300 to $560 (2.5 to 3.5 hrs) | $430 to $850 |
Coverage note: None. The 2018 US Cherokee KL sold with exactly two engines, the 2.4L Tigershark I4 and the 3.2L Pentastar V6 (confirmed against the 2018 parts catalog); there was no hybrid, and the 2.0L turbo did not arrive until the 2019 refresh.
RepairPal shows $909 to $1,126 for this exact year and model with a parts allowance around $446, which is about triple the $149.55 Mopar street price of the 3.2 pump and more than double the discounted 2.4 pump. YourMechanic lists the 2018 3.2L job at $943.81 with a dealer range of $1,076 to $1,459. Those calculators price the pump near full OEM list with dealer style multipliers; an independent installing a Gates, GMB, or ACDelco pump lands the same job at $350 to $850 depending on engine.
Where these numbers come from
- Estimate ranges: a hand-verified research pass for this exact vehicle and repair, cross-referenced across 10 independent sources (parts retailers, labor guides, and published shop pricing), completed September 2026.
- Recall and complaint data: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) records for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee specifically, filtered to cooling system relevance and refreshed daily from the federal API.
- Local prices: real, accepted quotes from verified Fixxr marketplace jobs, published per metro once five verified jobs of this type have closed. Never estimates dressed up as transactions.
Not included in the estimate: Thermostat and thermostat housing, Serpentine belt and tensioner, Radiator hoses and clamps, Full cooling system flush (priced as drain and refill of what the job spills), Passenger side engine mount replacement if the isolator is found torn during the V6 job, Diagnostic or cooling system pressure test fee, Taxes, disposal, and shop fee percentages.
What actually goes wrong on this exact vehicle
Federal safety data for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee, filtered to the cooling system specifically.
1
cooling system recall
4
cooling system owner complaints
cooling system recall · NHTSA 17V670000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure. If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.
Real owner report, verbatim from NHTSA:
“The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Cherokee. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The “Check 4WD” warning light was illuminated, and the Auto START/STOP system failed to restart the vehicle. The contact would disengage the parking brake, place the vehicle in park, and restart the vehicle to continue driving. The failure was intermittent. The contact stated that water was leaking into the cabin from the sunroof, causing a shortage in the electrical system. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who had repaired the electrical system, including systems with the starter. The dealer confirmed that parts for the repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V011000 (Power Train) were unavailable. The contact was able to start the vehicle; however, the Auto START/STOP system needed to be disengaged to drive the vehicle. Additional repairs were made; however, the contact was unable to confirm what the additional repairs were. Some repairs were performed by another dealer, Jacksonville Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Arlington (9600 Atlantic Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32225). The contact stated that there was a rattling noise coming from the front end, and the vehicle would surge forward and take an extensive amount of time to come to a complete stop. The failures were intermittent. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who repaired the front suspension, ball joints, and steering knuckle on both sides of the vehicle. The mechanic advised the contact to return the vehicle if an oil leak occurred. The contact stated that approximately a month after the repairs were performed, there was liquid on the ground underneath where the engine compartment and the vehicle were taken to a certified mechanic, who had diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine filter housing and filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.”
Worth knowing: the radiator is one of the most common causes of overheating, alongside the thermostat, water pump, and hoses. Get the real source confirmed before you approve any repair, so you fix the part that actually failed.
Recall fixes are free at the dealer. Everything else deserves a fair price.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), recalls and complaints for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee. Refreshed periodically.
Not sure what’s wrong?
Overheating can be the radiator, thermostat, water pump, or a leak. Describe what your car is doing and our free diagnostic tool narrows it down before you spend a dollar.
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Get connected with a mechanicHow your cooling system works
The water pump is one piece of a loop. Here is how the parts work together, so you understand exactly what your car is doing and why.
Found a puddle? What the color tells you
Bright green
Classic coolant leak. Find the source before it overheats.
Orange / pink
What most modern vehicles use (OAT). Same urgency as green.
Rusty brown
Old, corroded coolant. Overdue for a flush.
Milky / oily
Coolant mixing with oil, like a coffee milkshake. Can mean a head gasket. Serious.
What a water pump replacement is like on the 2018 Jeep Cherokee
Both 2018 Cherokee engines sit transversely with the belt driven water pump facing the passenger side frame rail, but the 3.2L Pentastar has a KL only wrinkle: hardware in the pump area ties into the passenger side engine mount bracket, so the shop supports the engine from below, pulls the mount, removes the passenger wheel and liner, and fishes out the rail side bolts with flex head ratcheting wrenches. That is why this transverse 3.2 bills roughly double the 1.3 book hours quoted for the same family 3.6 Pentastar mounted longitudinally in a 2018 Grand Cherokee. Four wheel drive versus front drive does not change pump access on either engine, so the spread inside each row is shop rate ($120 to $160/hr independent in 2026) and rust, not drivetrain.
The 2.4L Tigershark MultiAir is the rare case where the four cylinder part outprices the V6 at the dealer: Mopar 5047389AB lists at $308 and sells for about $205 online, while the V6 pump (Mopar 68111624AE) lists at $221 and sells for $149.55. Aftermarket flips that math. RockAuto stocks GMB 1207180 and ACDelco Gold 252919 at $42.79, Gates 42177 at $49.79, and Aisin WPCH603V at $53.99 for the 2.4, so a $150 plus parts line on this engine means either genuine Mopar or the Gates 42177BH with the back housing included ($92.79), which is the smart buy if the original housing is corroded. Shop time on the 2.4 runs about 2.5 to 4 hours per published step by step guides for this exact body.
The 3.2L Pentastar was built for the KL Cherokee and nothing else, but its pump stayed cheap because the design tracks the high volume 3.6: Gates 44002 is $67.99 and GMB 1204530 is $82.99 on RockAuto, Melling MWP546 is $111.79, and walk in counter prices for this application run about $159 at AutoZone and O'Reilly and $199 at NAPA. There is no reason for an independent invoice to show a $400 plus pump on this engine.
Factory fill is the purple ten year Mopar OAT coolant (MS.90032 spec) and a pump swap on either engine dumps roughly 1.5 to 2 gallons, so proper OAT refill belongs in the consumables line; topping these systems with green or universal coolant risks gelling. Failure typically shows as a sweet smell and a drip trail from the pump weep hole running down the accessory drive side toward the frame rail, easy to mistake for a lower radiator hose leak on this tight bay. Since the belt is already off and, on the V6, the mount is already out, adding a thermostat and a serpentine belt costs almost nothing in extra labor, and the V6 job is also the moment to inspect the passenger mount isolator.
Estimate note: these are researched independent-shop ranges, not a guaranteed quote. The only exact number is one from a shop that has seen your car.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 2018 Jeep Cherokee water pump replacement cost?
A 2018 Jeep Cherokee water pump replacement typically runs $350 to $850 at an independent shop, parts and labor included. The water pump itself is $80 to $220, labor makes up most of the rest, and the job takes 2 to 4 hours.Why does the price change with the engine?
The 2018 Jeep Cherokee came with more than one engine, and they do not share the same part or the same access. A tighter engine bay or extra teardown adds labor hours, and the part price moves too. Sites that show one national number flatten that out. Pick your engine on the estimate above for a closer figure.Is it always the water pump when my Jeep overheats?
No. Overheating can also be a stuck thermostat, a clogged or leaking radiator, a failed cooling fan, or simply low coolant. What points specifically at the water pump is coolant dripping from the weep hole under the pump, a grinding or whining noise from the front of the engine, or wobble in the pump pulley. Because these causes look identical from the driver's seat, get a real diagnosis before approving the repair.Can I drive my Jeep with a bad water pump?
Only far enough to get it looked at. A failing pump stops circulating coolant, the engine overheats, and driving an overheating Jeep risks a warped cylinder head or a blown head gasket, a $3,000 to $8,000 repair on top of the pump. If the temperature gauge climbs or you see steam, pull over and let it cool. If it keeps overheating, tow it.Should the thermostat be replaced at the same time?
Usually yes, and most shops will suggest it. The cooling system is already drained and opened for the water pump, so the thermostat adds only a small part cost with little extra labor, and a stuck thermostat is one of the most common follow-on failures. Replacing both in one visit avoids paying the teardown labor twice.How long does a water pump last?
Most factory water pumps last roughly 100,000 to 150,000 miles. The usual failures are the shaft seal, which starts seeping coolant from the weep hole, and the bearing, which gets noisy before it lets go. Regular coolant changes protect the seal and are the cheapest way to extend pump life.Are there recalls on the 2018 Jeep Cherokee?
Yes, NHTSA lists 7 recalls for the 2018 Jeep Cherokee. Recall repairs are done free of charge at a franchised dealer for that brand, so it is worth checking your VIN before paying a shop for related work.
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