NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Jeep Compass. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
While driving at any time, the speedometer will instantly drop and the car feels like it's about to shut itself off. After a diagnostic with a mechanic, they stated this was the crankshaft issue; similar to a recall for other 2016 jeep compass. My vin is not currently associated with this recall notice, however based on these safety defects, it seems it should be considered under the recall
The crankshaft sensor has failed.
The engine failed while driving on the expressway putting us in a dangerous spot on the outer lane. It was towed to Etscorn’s in Louisville, KY and we were told despite everything looking ok on the outside, there was an internal engine failure of some kind and it would cost $900 to take it apart just to find out. I don’t have that kind of money.
The Airbag light keeps coming on. And I regularly diagnose and service my car by the Jeep dealership and the diagnostic scan shows that everything is good with the car, still the airbag light keeps coming up on the dashboard. This is highly concerning and I'm afraid that it might blow up anytime while in driving. The car also has some transmission issue that is not showing up on the diagnostic scan report. But because of this issue I can't and haven't been driving on the highway for 1 year now. Because everything when I drove the highway, after 20 min of driving the car suddenly slows down and does not move forward even though I press the gas pedal. And this happens while I was driving on the highway, in the middle of the highway. It is very dangerous. I think there is a factory fault with this car. And I'd like to get help with this. Thanks.
Electrical components failed car shut down while driving and put me and my daughters at risk I had to have a part with the lightning bolt that come on the dash replaced but that's all the inspection there was no warning only flashing engine light and it shut down it first happened June 2025 and has happened 3 times since. Also the cruise control when set will accelerate on its own and I have to hit the button multiple times and the brake to get it to stop and shut off.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The contact waited for several minutes to let the engine cool down and the vehicle eventually returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 137,757.
My vehicle is experiencing the same symptoms as Recall 16V907 (S89). Crankshaft shift sensor but the vin was not bringing up the recall.
The vehicle is having issues with power loss while driving and issues with starting at times of cold weather where it cranks very hard for extended periods of time without being able to fully start. I took the vehicle to a local shop to be looked at. They did a diagnostic and physical inspection and identified the issues as a catalytic converter and senor issue. When they looked up the vehicle vin number is showed two NHTSA recall Bulletins: 16V907000 and Emissions recall u67. Jeep when I called them to figure out how to address them said that there are no recalls on this vehicle. They wont fix anything. WHY are there recalls on the vehicle listed and they are saying there are "none that need fixed". Did jeep lie when I had it in their shop before and say they fixed them and they were not?
I’m having problems with my Catalytic converter
Head rest on passenger side popped out while driving and hit me, the passenger, in the head. I found that this particular model did have a recall a few years back as said below, however, our car was not recalled, why not? We went to the dealership to get this repaired and was told there was a warranty but because this head seat was no longer made they couldn't replace it. What can we do to get this repaired, shouldn't Jeep be responsible and should have notified us of a recall? The Jeep Compass front passenger headrest recall involves issues with the active head restraint (AHR) that may deploy unexpectedly, posing a safety risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received nearly 500 complaints regarding headrest failures, with at least 71 involving injury. 1 The recall affects certain 2022 Jeep Compass vehicles due to improper welding of the head restraints, which violates safety standards. 1 Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service for more information and to check if their vehicle is affected. 1 If your vehicle is affected, dealers will replace the front seat head restraints free of charge. 1 For further details, you can refer to the official recall notice or contact your local Jeep dealership.
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 16V907000 Report Date: DEC 15, 2016 Vehicles Affected: 42231 Consequence: If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash. What You Should Do: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft or camshaft sensor, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S89. Summary: Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall. I own a 2016 Jeep Compass that is having this exact issue but my VIN is not included in the recall so I had to pay for the repair out of pocket.
I have had problems with Jeep suddenly losing all power while driving with NO WARNING! Everytime ive had it checked they could not find anything wrong with it. Just recently it happened again and since then when I drive it doesn't seem to want to accelerate. There are no noises,instrument lights on any codes showing up. I had to wait a month for my appointment at the dealership and then another month for them to even tell me what was wrong. They said i need a new transmission which is ridiculous since my car only has 89,956 miles and a majority of those miles are from military moves. The only thing they did was run a diagnostic test (nothing showed up) and said they had 2 people test drive it ( but my mileage was the same going in and going out) They told me it would cost 7500 before taxes for the transmission. They could not give me a clear answer when I asked what exactly is wrong with the transmission. I was told that its something internal but they couldn't tell me exactly the problem because that would require them to take it apart. I asked if I should get a transmission flush to make sure it wasn't that since I just learned that cvt should be flushed earlier than usual and he told me probably not. I decide to take my car home and will never use them again. I went two months without a car and was unable to work because they did not offer me any time of vehicle while I had to wait. Im concerned because Mopar discontinued the transaxle package with torque converter, part number 68000676AH that is for my vehicle because it is known to be defective. I bought this car brand new and thought it was clear of any defects or safety issues. A new transmission for a car that is less than 10 years old is ridiculous and seems like a lemon. Since Jeep knows this Jatco transmission is defective and also discontinued it with a different part then why arent they offering a goodwill repair or at least a warranty adjustment. I will now have to quit my job or buy a new car.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had progressively worsened. Most recently, the vehicle stalled while driving at an undisclosed speed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electronic throttle control Vehicle light came on my 2016 jeep compass dash as I was on vacation vehicle would not accelerate and turned off causing us to almost wreck and having to leave it on the side of the road and call a Uber and get a tow. There is many reports of this issue it needs to be a recall.
I recently got the catalytic converter and 02 sensor swapped which removed the check engine light. My vehicle was running perfect. The I drive it today. Made a right turn, next thing you know the vehicle starts shaking and such and won’t go over 20 mph. I take it to the mechanic. They’re telling me the reader isn’t picking up the problem. Invalid data. I looked online and multiple people are having the same problem. My thing is I was overcharged charged 25,000 for this vehicle from Sam at jeep, Chrysler, dodge on route 300 Newburgh New York 2 years ago.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle repeatedly jolted and jerked, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the crankshaft sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ22002 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Car starts fine. After the car gets up to operating team the car will just stop running, very dangerous in traffic as it cannot be sterred or hardly stopped. The lightning bolt symbol appears on dash then car just dies. I replaced 2 camshaft position sensors and 1 connector. Car was fine for 2 weeks then started acting even crazier. I scan obd2 but get no codes.
My jeep compass falls under the problems of the S89 recall but my local dealer is stating my vin doesn’t meet the recall. 1 it’s a safety issue 2 I will be going down the road and the engine completely shuts off and I have to coast to the side of the road turn the ignition off. And start it back sometimes I have to wait a few minutes before it’ll start back
The problem happened twice, this month: First incident, waiting at a red light, light turned green, I took foot off of the break and car turned off. Placed hazards on, put car into park and turned car off and then started back up. Reserving out driveway, went to shift from R to D and my car turned off. I placed the gear shift back into park and turned the car back on. There was no warning lights or lamps when this happened. I called the dealership where I purchased the car to confirm if there were any recalls. They asked for my Vin # and stated there was no recall for this type of problem. I found online that other 2016 Jeep compass owners, did have the same issues occur and it was a crankshaft recall. Due to my manufacture date of 10-15, this was not considered a recall problem.
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. While the contact’s daughter was driving at various speeds, the RPM started fluctuating, the vehicle stalled, and lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact's daughter was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65 MPH at night, the failure recurred. The vehicle was restarted after 15 minutes, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Seat belt will randomly disengage and not remain clicked into the lock on the both front seats but is more common with the drivers side. Will need to click it in and out of the lock until it finally re-engages the lock.
My car cuts off while driving, I took it to the dealership December 5th, 2024 and they said there’s a recall for the catalytic converter which makes my engine stall! In November 2024 while I was driving, it cut off while I was turning and traffic was heading my way! My wheel started to locked so I had to pressed on my brakes to control the wheel. I made an appointment to the dealership where I financed the car, but they told me they don’t have the part because it is back ordered, but by law since my car is a safety hazard for me and others. I should’ve received a loaner or a new car!
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall. There’s a recall on my car and the dealership won’t fix it
While stopping for red lights, stop signs, or traffic congestion the gas pedal lost power. I would have to turn the key off and back on again to regain acceleration.
Car stalls while driving. Sometimes car will not start. Car cranks but doesn’t start. Check engine light and sometimes the traction control light goes on. This seems similar to what is the safety recall S89 but our car was manufactured in September 2015. Root cause seems to be in the relay box with the automatic shutdown being corroded and subsequent issues with the crank shaft position sensor based on codes thrown.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 8-10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the steering wheel seized, nearly causing a crash. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact turned on the hazard lights and drove 20 MPH to the nearest dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the crankshaft sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While driving uphill, the vehicle was chugging. The vehicle was difficult to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who test-drove the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: P0420 was due to the catalyst system. The contact was also made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the two other local dealers, Pueblo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram (2147 US-50, Pueblo, CO 81008) and Perkins Motors (1205 Motor City Dr. 1225, 1231 Motor City Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80905); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 151,000.
I bought this car year and half ago and I been doing a lot of repairs in it and now the engine light came on and stated the bank 1 and bank 2 sensor camshaft and engine is stalling and car is jerking very dangerous I did allighment new control arms engine mounts I repaired a lot I put new tires I can’t drive it on the high way it starts to jerk left and right and steering is very hard to control seats are horribale and so are the seatbelts.
Vehicle displayed an air bag light for the passenger seat. I disconnected the battery let it sit for an hour. Then I cycled the key to run and back to off. I checked the seat connectors and detached and reattached the connectors. Then reinitializes the battery. I got in the vehicle turned the key on and cleared the codes with a obd2 tool. When the airbag module cleared the side curtain and front airbags deployed with the vehicle not running.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure reoccurred, after which the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical and motive power, causing the vehicle to shut off. The contact was able to pull over on the shoulder of the roadway and restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone where it was ODB scanned and determined that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
I went to adjust the headrest, The headrest popped and hit me in the head. There was some plastic pieces that came out when the headrest popped, it stayed connected. but headrest stayed (open) for the lack of a better term. about 2 to 2.5 inches. makes driving of the car really uncomfortable. had to strap the headrest back to the hard plastic, so that I don't have the headrest pushing my head forward. and I don't have to drive with my back away the back rest of the seat. This happened before I started driving.
I bought my 2016 Jeep Compass Latitude in September of 2021 with a warranty which because of some rotor and other issues they gave me a loaner vehicle while they did the repairs for a week or so. It didn't give me too many problems for a while but then in these last two years or so then a lot has been breaking on it or acting up & I only got a little over 86k miles on it, but any warranties are expired at 80K. I've replaced the battery, the rear hub/bearings 2x, all of the rotors & brakes 2x now, I go through engine oil even though I do regular oil changes on it, and most recently it was doing a "death wobble" that was so unsafe I was afraid to drive it myself let alone have my son with me in case it did it & it was very unpredictable when it would happen too, generally over 45 mph and after I had been driving for over 15 minutes would be the most likely time for it, unfortunately not always though & the 1st mechanic I took it too couldn't even get it to do it. The 2nd mechanic suggested changing the driver brake line to the caliper to see if that helped since I'd just replaced that brake caliper but that the majority of my front end suspension, hub/bearing & axle, spring coils, etc. would all need replaced because of how worn out they was already looking too (it was exactly 86003 miles when I went to the 2nd mechanic) and if it was still doing it after that then he would figure it out, thankfully replacing the brake line seems to have stopped the "death wobble" problem for now. I'm not sure this is even a valid complaint, if not then I apologize but I've never seen so many parts, issues at once, esp. with that mileage. The unpredictable "death wobble" is definitely a safety concern at least & incase others have all these costly problems at once too. I just got my jeep paid off & have to have cervical & lumbar surgeries asap so I will just have to fix it asap. Originally, via Mopar site, I was here trying to find my jeep's specific specs/build sheet for those parts.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Crankshaft position sensor was replaced twice in 2022 and once in 2023. It now needs replaced again
CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WERE FAULTY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO STALL . THIS CREATED A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND IN TRAFFIC.
UNKNOWN
I have a major ground issue, where I lose power and it makes my headlights, cab lights, and my cluster to constantly flicker. There was no warnings or anything, and has been confirmed by a professional auto care center. Another issue is the engine cooling and there is no leaks I have also had it looked over by the same professional auto care center, I also had to replace the throttle body 4 times in less than 6 months. Losing power to the vehicle is definitely a danger to others and myself and my children. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request as long as it doesn't interfere with my work schedule. Also I have had to change the ignition coils 4 times in less than 6 months also completed by the auto care center. Everything listed has been ongoing since I bought the car in 2019.
On Sunday, 4/14 as I was driving, my Jeep suddenly lost power and stalled. I was able to get to a median. I waited a few minutes, started the vehicle and was able to reach my destination. The next day I was driving on the highway at approximately 65mph when the engine shut off again. Fortunately there was not a lot of traffic and I was able to coast to the berm of the road. The check engine light came on. Family members came to help. We started it a few times and tried to drive but would only get a mile or two and the same thing would happen. I had to have it towed to a repair shop near my house. The mechanic drove it the next day to see if it would act the same way. He also lost power and it stalled again. He told me that the code that came up was a crankshaft sensor failure. He replaced the part the next day.
Airbag light came on for about four days I called dealership but then went off for a week, so appointment was canceled. After that airbag light came on again scheduled another appointment by time I reached dealership light was back off. After diagnostic was performed results came back Airbag Module Internal Failure needed to be replaced and reprogram
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. The driver waited for several minutes before attempting to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Midas, where it was diagnosed with a CAM shaft sensor failure. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. Approximately one year later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to Midas. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor connector, CAM shaft sensor, crank shaft, and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor was the only part available. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor connector, crank shaft, and the wiring harness were not available and were on back order. The CAM shaft sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
We were driving down the road and the car started violently shaking, the check engine light went on and the car wouldn't move. The car needed to be pushed to the gas station and we almost got hit with my son in his car seat. I do believe this is a safety concern that needs to be looked into for a possible recall. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt.
In the summer of 2020, my front passenger headrest spontaneously popped while I was loading my child into the back of my car. The noise was scary and the popping could've easily hurt someone if there had been anyone sitting in the front seat. I contacted my local Jeep dealer quickly who informed me that there was a recall and that I could get a replacement. The replacement took well over a year to come in and wasn't replaced until October 2023. This entire time, the passenger headrest was popped out making it uncomfortable to sit and also decreasing the safety for that passenger. Now, just two months after it was finally replaced, the front passenger headrest popped AGAIN while my husband was driving and I was sitting there. Again, it was a very loud, scary noise and the jolt was both painful and shocking. This is extremely dangerous and I'm very disappointed that it happened again after taking a very long time to be fixed. I would like to know my options moving forward.
My passenger side headrest imploded on my 2016 Jeep Compass without an accident or collision. Dealership is only replacing the passenger side headrest; told me that they weren't doing the other side because it hasn't deployed yet.
Engine cuts out while driving. Had to pull over to the side and reset by instructions from Google. Took the car to a local garage and he said it was a computer issue. This part was replaced 3-4 years ago and is failing again. A red symbol like a lightning bolt and the check engine light was on.
I’ve had plans with my Transmission. This is its third time. First two times were under 30,000 miles and still under warranty. And were replaced by the dealer . Using my warranty. There was also a motor fire. Brakes and rotors all the way around mind you all under 30,000. Transmission was put in. I am now at 101,500. And transmissions going out so it’s been parked. Sitting in my garage. The warning lamps come on, which is a parentheses with a lightning bolt in the middle(️) Last time I did the repairs through Ramona Tires and I paid for out-of-pocket using my credit This time I was told a new transmission for the car is $7000 which I don’t have
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked significantly and hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while pulling to the pump at a gas station, the vehicle shut off inadvertently. The contact stated that the failure recurred while attempting to drive from a complete stop, and while pulling into a parking spot. The contact stated that the vehicle would mostly shut off while driving at slow speeds. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the solenoids circuit connector was replaced. However, the contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft sensor had failed, and the dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The vehicle stalls while driving. Completely shuts down and locks up the steering wheel and causes dangerous circumstances. Also, turns off at times while stopped. Can happen at all speeds.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose a failure but advised the contact that a replacement battery was required. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who then diagnosed a failure with the crank shaft sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026