Troubleshooting 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Automatically Braking When Backing Up with Trailer

Updated 02/20/2018 | Published 02/18/2018

Question:

I have a new grand Cherokee 2018 limited and tried backing up today with a trailer and the grand Cherokee kept applying and auto brake as I was trying to back up. no brakes on trailer. What do I need to do?

asked by: Troy

Expert Reply:

It sounds like the trailer might be triggering the automatic braking feature on your 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The vehicles brakes are automatically applied and released when going in reverse and the sensors detect a possible collision with an obstacle, and the sensors are mistaking the trailer for a potential obstacle.

I took a look at the online owner's manual for your vehicle and it looks like you can override the automatic braking function by pressing the gas pedal, turning the ParkSense off via the ParkSense switch, or changing the gear while the automatic brakes are being applied. The feature itself can also be disabled from the Customer-Programmable Features section of the vehicle's Uconnect System.

I recommend taking a look at your copy of the owner's manual for detailed steps on how to do this.

expert reply by: Chris R