Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2018 Jeep Renegade has 443 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The engine draws the most, with 190 complaints. Combined fuel economy is 24 to 26 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $12,990 to $15,480 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall. There are 2 recall campaigns that may apply, covering the fuel system and electrical system.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
24–26 mpgcombined; city 21–24, highway 29–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990–$15,480U.S. average; Ohio $11,610–$14,580 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2018 Renegade. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 443 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Renegade. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
190
3
2
1
Electrical system
131
1
5
2
Unknown or other
95
2
1
1
Fuel/propulsion system
90
0
1
0
Power train
58
0
0
0
Service brakes
17
3
2
0
Vehicle speed control
16
0
0
0
Steering
11
1
0
0
Visibility/wiper
11
0
0
0
Air bags
9
9
1
9
Exterior lighting
9
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
9
0
0
0
16 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)
8
1
0
0
Structure
6
3
0
4
Back over prevention
5
0
0
0
Seat belts
5
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
4
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
4
1
0
1
Seats
4
0
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Renegade over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Jeep Renegade 4X2 flex fuel/E85 vehicles equipped with a 2.4L engine. In certain operating conditions such as high power demand in conjunction with high altitude and/or high ambient temperatures, a manufacturing error in the fuel pump assembly may result in a loss of fuel pressure.
Risk: A loss of fuel pressure can cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began April 26, 2019. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is UB2.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 268 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Renegade, the latest on Mar 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (103), equipment (95), engine and engine cooling (30), power train (28), structure (26).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2018 Renegade.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Renegade Front-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
24 / 31 / 26
Renegade All-Wheel Drive
1.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Manual 6-spd
Premium Gasoline
24 / 31 / 26
Renegade Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 9-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
22 / 30 / 25
Renegade Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 9-spd
Regular Gasoline
22 / 30 / 25
Renegade All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 9-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 29 / 24
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data