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2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee · Water pump replacement
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump replacement cost
A 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump replacement typically costs $380 to $845 at an independent shop, parts and labor included across its engine options. The water pump itself runs $120 to $270, and the job takes 2 to 4 hours. Prices updated September 2026.
Estimated cost, selected engine
$380 to $735
Charlotte, NC area
Prices updated September 2026
Which engine? They price differently, so pick yours for a closer number.
Water pump (part)
$120 to $270
Labor (2 to 4 hours)
$220 to $490
Coolant (OAT) + shop supplies
$40 to $85
2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump replacement: parts and labor
Labor runs $220 to $490 (the job takes 2 to 4 hours at typical independent-shop rates), and the water pump itself typically costs $120 to $270 for the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, plus $40 to $85 in coolant (oat) + shop supplies. Prices updated September 2026.
| Engine | Parts | Labor | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L V6 | $120 to $240 | $220 to $410 (1.5 to 2.5 hrs) | $380 to $735 |
| 5.7L V8 | $130 to $270 | $260 to $490 (2.0 to 3.0 hrs) | $430 to $845 |
Coverage note: Excluded: 6.4L HEMI (SRT) and 6.2L supercharged HEMI (Trackhawk), performance trims with higher labor rates and, on the Trackhawk, a unique pump plus supercharger intercooler circuit that distorts the range; also the 3.0L EcoDiesel V6, which returned only briefly for 2018 after the emissions settlement, has a very low take rate and a different parts and labor profile.
RepairPal pegs the 2018 Grand Cherokee at $824 to $944, but that estimate carries roughly $568 in parts, which is OEM list pricing territory; its labor line of $256 to $376 actually matches independent shop reality. YourMechanic shows Grand Cherokee water pump jobs starting around $312 and averaging $795 to $962 across years. A real dealer invoice on a 2018 3.6L came to $798.73. Choosing a genuine Mopar pump (68311108AE at about $150 to $209 for the V6, 68346915AA at about $237 to $355 for the 5.7) over quality aftermarket adds roughly $50 to $150 to the totals shown and pushes an independent quote toward the RepairPal band.
Where these numbers come from
- Estimate ranges: a hand-verified research pass for this exact vehicle and repair, cross-referenced across 12 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 Grand 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 replacement (commonly bundled, adds roughly $40 to $150 in parts), Serpentine belt and tensioner (belt comes off anyway; parts add $40 to $120), Full cooling system flush beyond the drain and refill included here, Radiator hoses, radiator, or fan clutch if inspection finds them failing, Diagnostic fee if the shop pressure tests to find the leak first, Sales tax and shop supply or disposal fees.
What actually goes wrong on this exact vehicle
Federal safety data for the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee, filtered to the cooling system specifically.
2
cooling system recalls
17
cooling system owner complaints
cooling system recall · NHTSA 23V411000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Ram 1500 and 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles equipped with 3.0L Diesel engines. The crankshaft position sensor tone wheel may delaminate, causing the engine to lose its ability to synchronize the fuel injector pulses and cam shaft timing, possibly resulting in an engine stall. An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software to maintain vehicle propulsion, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 3, 2023. Some owner notification letters were mailed October 31, 2023. The remaining owner notification letters will be mailed at a future date, anticipated July 2024. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA US, LLC's number for this recall is 66A. This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-475.
Real owner report, verbatim from NHTSA:
“The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased, there was an abnormally strong coolant odor coming from the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the coolant reservoir was recently refilled, and the odor might be due to an overflow. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that the water pump had been replaced approximately nine times under warranty due to the strong coolant odor and a water pump leak; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.”
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 Grand 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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Post your water pump replacement to the marketplace and get connected with local mechanics. Real repair offers for your Grand Cherokee, free, with no phone calls to make.
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 Grand Cherokee
On the 2018 WK2 Grand Cherokee both gas engines carry the water pump on the front of the block, driven by the serpentine belt, so there is no timing cover teardown like on many import V6s. The 3.6L Pentastar job is drain the system, pull the intake tube, release the belt, unbolt the pump; most techs bill under 2 hours. The 5.7L HEMI adds fan shroud clearance work, and the published book time on 2015 and newer 5.7 WK2s is about 2.5 hours, which includes transferring the coolant temperature sensor from the old pump to the new one. Older 2011 era 5.7s booked at 1.8 hours on ALLDATA, so the spread between 4x2 and 4x4 and shop condition lands inside the 2.0 to 3.0 hour range shown.
The 2016 to 2021 WK2 3.6L uses the updated Mopar pump, part number 68311108AA, since superseded to 68311108AE. It runs $147 to $156 at online Mopar dealers (MoparPartsGiant, Tasca) and about $209 over a dealership counter. Crown Automotive's version is $104.99 at Quadratec, RockAuto stocks the application from roughly $60 economy to $121 for genuine Mopar, and AutoZone and O'Reilly both sell lifetime warranty pumps for this engine around $159. A shop installing a quality aftermarket unit with normal markup lands in the $120 to $240 parts band shown.
For the 5.7L HEMI, the OEM pump is Mopar 68346915AA, $237.50 online against a $355 MSRP, which covers the VVT and MDS VCT 5.7s in this truck. The Gates equivalent (the 43557 family for 2012 to 2019 HEMI applications) lists at $164.51 MSRP, sells for about $99 to $152 depending on retailer, and eBay listings for the 2018 application run $74 to $184. That is why the V8 parts band only sits slightly above the V6 despite the much bigger OEM sticker.
Real quote check for this exact truck: a 2018 Grand Cherokee 3.6L owner on JeepForum was billed $798.73 at a dealer, broken out as $209.10 for the Mopar pump plus $575 labor and shop fees. RepairPal's 2018 Grand Cherokee estimate of $824 to $944 looks scarier than an independent quote because it prices parts at about $568 while showing only $256 to $376 of labor; swap that inflated parts line for a $130 Gates pump and you are back inside the ranges above. Pentastar pumps typically announce failure with coolant weeping from the weep hole onto the belt area, commonly in the 60,000 to 110,000 mile window.
One WK2 specific gotcha: this platform runs Mopar's purple 10 year OAT coolant (MS.90032 spec). Do not let a shop top it with green universal or orange Dexcool without a full exchange, and expect 2 to 3 gallons of 50/50 OAT in the consumables line. Thermostat and serpentine belt replacement are the standard while you are in there add ons; the belt has to come off anyway, so belt labor is nearly free but the parts are extra and are not in these totals.
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 Grand Cherokee water pump replacement cost?
A 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee water pump replacement typically runs $380 to $845 at an independent shop, parts and labor included. The water pump itself is $120 to $270, 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 Grand 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 Grand Cherokee?
Yes, NHTSA lists 11 recalls for the 2018 Jeep Grand 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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