NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Jeep Compass. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated the message that "Engine Overheating" was displayed with an audible chime coming from the vehicle. The vehicle stalled and the contact pulled off the roadway. The contact stated that after several attempts the vehicle restarted with the same message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure was like two previous failures where the engine was replaced. The contact stated that the engine replacements were covered under Technical Service Bulletin Number: 09-003-23 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact informed the dealer about the TSB and was informed by the dealer responded that the engine could be replaced but the contact had to pay out-of-pocket. The manufacturer had been attempted to be contacted but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
major Electrical issues and car cutting off in traffic and every warning light Showing and will send show repair bill once it get it from Turnersville Newjersey Jeep Dealership. Today or Tomorrow.
Electrical
Headlights work intermittently. Driver side comes on but passenger side doesn’t or vise versa. Also sometimes neither come on. No warning messages or anything. Yes the jeep dealership saw the issue with the lights and so did an independent mechanic.
The Auto Start/Stop caused the starter to malfunction and burned out the battery and starter, causing the vehicle to stop in the middle of the highway and requiring it to be towed and now repaired. This has happened multiple times since we purchased the vehicle.
Car Dies looses power and stall and multiple lights on dashboard failure causing power failure while driving. Battery's were replaced twice and still problem and car Stuck at Jeep Dealer and Service manager Give me a bill $600 For Electric Diagnostic and $1000 plus taxes to repair.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that a month after the vehicle was purchased, the vehicle started to experience several failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the coolant temperature gauge rose, and the vehicle experienced reduced power or stalled. The check engine warning light and two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart at first attempt on some occasions. The contact stated that the failure had also occurred while at a complete stop at the stoplight. The contact stated that the failure nearly caused other vehicles to crash into the vehicle on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where coolant hoses and tubes were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
I was at a red light and when the light turned and I put on the gas my car stalled. I could not shut off the car, it has a push button engine. The motor was off but on the dashboard it said the car was on and all of the electrical systems were still running (heat, radio, lights, etc). When I pushed the engine button, the car would not turn off. The parking break turned on by itself. I could not push my car to the side of the road. I was in the middle of traffic. I had to call for the police and for a tow truck. We still could not get the car to turn off (the motor was not on but the car's electrical system was still on). We could not disengage the parking break. Finally the tow truck operator slammed the break pedal down and he was able to turn off the car. The car then started. We still towed it to the Jeep Dealership. The could not find anything wrong with the car. Approximately two weeks earlier, the same thing happened at a red light but at that time, after I waited for 10minutes I was able to get the car to turn off then on. My car has two new batteries (put in one year ago), new front breaks, new tires. The day this happened, I had actually just left Jeep from getting my oil changed. they said it was not related to that.
Car is equipped with a backup camera, but unfortunately, the infotainment screen is failing, and the rearview camera is distorted and unable to provide clear rear visibility. This is a common problem with these, and I suspect it is a failed cooling fan for the infotainment unit. It is only a matter of time that the screen will be a complete failure and hopefully not during a reversing evolution. My vehicle only has 60k miles. I have not taken it to the dealer because I do not have another vehicle to drive if this is in the shop for 2 weeks just to be inspected. Feel free to investigate my vehicle for this issue.
My 2018 Jeep Compass has an oil pump issue it seems. I read about previous scenarios and forums that had issues with this vehicle like mine. I would drive the vehicle and not within 5 minutes it will turn off half way down the road in the middle of an intersection that could have caused the lives of others and my child and myself. This vehicle is not safe at all! I have contacted and informed the dealership on multiple times about this issue.
My car is constantly burning about 4 quarts of oil in 2 months. It stalled on me 2 months ago, 2 months after an oil change because there was no oil in my car and I do not have a leak. it is a safety issue if my motor blows up or my car just stalls on me in the middle of the highway. I have had it inspected to see if there were any leaks. I only got a low oil pressure signal after I would make a turn.
I own a 2018 Jeep Compass. My car has been stalling and going dead when stopping at stop signs/lights, when slowing to turn, and when entering on-ramps to a highway. Other issues that have occurred simultaneously (but not necessarily all at once) include, start/stop not working, the parking brake engaging when stopping, sound system unavailable message (despite that the radio works properly) and the car does not restart immediately when hitting ignition. These issues have been ongoing for approximately one month. The problem initially started with the parking brake engaging when coming to a stop. In order to disengage the brake, the car had to be turned off and then back on again. Then the car started to stall when slowing and stopping. In the latest occurrence, my car stalled 3 separate times within a 10 mile drive. On the 3rd stall, we were turning left to enter the highway when the car stalled suddenly. The car behind us had to slam on their brakes and swerve to miss hitting us. We took our car to the dealership on December 17th. At that time they replaced the cars main battery, but audio system unavailable message remained on, to which the service advisor said we should probably replace the radio, despite that the radio is functioning properly. We took the car with us December 18th. In less than 48 hours the car was stalling at almost every stop again. We returned the car to our dealership on December 26th, where it remains as of January 1. The dealership said, via phone, they have been unable to pinpoint the problem, at this time. It is extremely dangerous for a car to stall when it should otherwise be in motion. This puts myself, my son, our passengers and those around us in danger. This is an issue that warrants immediate attention and we welcome an inspection if someone could just identify the problem and fix it before someone is hurt.
When driving home after work I came up to a red light and my car completely stalled. I had the start stop system turned off at the time. The car just stalled out and acted like the car needed to be started however when I attempted to restart the car it would not start. Although I was stopped when this happened I was in the middle of traffic and could not move my car to the side of the road since it stalled out with no warning. I had to be pushed to the side of the road. After several minutes (about 5) the car started again and I drove home. No check engine lights came on at the time however the next day the check engine light came on, I took it to have it checked out and was told they were "junk codes" and the check engine light went off later that same day.
Systematic electronic issues culminating in electronic failures while driving on highway including successive “shut-down” of electrical systems, all codes displayed including but not limited to the following: -Forward Collision -Services Transmission -Service Engine -Service Alternator -Service EMS System Disruption to electrical functions including loss of power steering, acceleration, and brake system “locking” up. Tow service and repairs, required.
I took my vehicle to a dealership for diagnostic and was told the lower control arm in front is making noise. They want over $700 for labor alone. I looked up the issue online and saw a recall but my vin isn't on the list so they won't fix it. Please add my vin because the issue is apparent
While driving with my wife and 3 kids the car automatically braked by itself. Lucky to be able to report this. The NTHSA doesn’t have any current recalls on my VIN. It should now this model vehicle could be causing future accidents or deaths. Hope this gets some attention asap.
The computer screen has failed (is still running but not visible), leaving no access to backup cameras, no access to steering wheel heater and seat heater causing over heating of the driver (the steering wheel gets too hot), draining the battery, and could cause potential wiring hazards. There are thousands of reports of Jeep radio screens not functioning properly and showing streaking, yet there have been no recalls.
Ok I purchased this vehicle on 09/24 three weeks later the coolant gage keep going up to high the car will starts slowing down & sometimes just stop while I’m driving ok this been going on since I got it & the same problem is still happening & it’s been a year & the jeep service seems not able to fix the problem and this is my 50th visit so can someone help me with this matter cause it’s dangerous to keep driving my car & not knowing when it going to cut off on me while driving I pray for help before this vehicle hurt me
My start-stop system engaged while I was in a turning lane at a traffic light and turned my engine off. When the light turned green, I lifted my foot off the brake and the vehicle attempted to restart but stalled. My emergency parking break engaged and multiple service lights appeared on my dash including: service transmission, service engine, service traction control, service emergency breaking system, service start-stop system. I tried to restart my vehicle using the push-start button but it would not start my engine. I turned on my hazards and sat there for a moment as other drivers were forced to go around me. Minutes later I turned the vehicle off and tried to restart it again and my engine started up this time. I started to drive but noticed the power behind the gas pedal was reduced, luckily I was only minutes from work. A few hours later when I started my vehicle, only the engine light and “service stop-start system” were on. 12 hours later, when I left work, only the “service stop-start system” was on.
My car randomly turns off and I’ve had it looked at and they can’t find a problem I’ll have it reset and it soon starts randomly turning off while I drive. New batteries checked alternator
The vehicle is a 2018 Jeep Compass Limited with the VIN [XXX] ####. I purchased it used on [XXX]. On [XXX], I noticed a problem with the headlights. They have been flickering between both headlights almost daily since then. On [XXX], both headlights were out, and I needed to drive at night. After about half a mile, the passenger headlight turned on, and after another half mile, the driver’s headlight came on. I’ve attached photos taken on October [XXX] and [XXX] to illustrate the issue. It’s a serious safety concern. This is just one of several dozen reports of the same problem. The manufacturer must be informed about this issue and initiate a recall once they have a solution to ensure that the headlights remain on when they’re supposed to. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving the emergency brake self engages causing the Jeep to come to a sudden stop.
When driving a warning sign came on saying stop safely your vehicle will shut off soon. When driving another time the vehicle shut off completely while driving and then came back on.
Unknown but the vehicle only has 30,000 miles and the back up camera is mostly blacked out. I feel is is a safety concern Jeep isn't fixing even out of warrenty or acknowledging. After reading numerous forums on this problem, there are quite a few yr models that are affected. The cost to replace a screen is so much. Also the u joints went bad and the dealer said it's a flaw also and I paid to have replaced under 30,000 miles. Thank you; [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Hello,2018 jeep compass 4x4 with 35,000 miles. Backup camera screen half blacked out, can't use features without or see. Many of these jeep screen radios are defective and should be recalled at 900. Also sway bar links are weak,broke two times. Should be recalled do to plastic like part and for a front end that is disgusting. Are these being investigated?
My vehicle shuts off while driving and while vehicle is in “Drive” mode, after my vehicle stopped the “emergency brake” automatically pops on then my car stalls before finally turning back on. This has been ongoing for months. The last incident happened two days ago while I was on a busy road and my car stopped in mid traffic while I was in drive and caused a panic. My engine light came on and I took it to get hooked up by the reader at an auto place and the following codes were displayed “PIDD2” & “U1428” upon checking online and researching the issue I found that my vehicle make, model and year has been recalled for the same issues that I am currently experiencing with my vehicle and the TCM system needing to be reset. Specifically the Chrysler U87 recall.
August 14, 2024 - The vehicle stalled while driving. It restarted 30 minutes later and was taken to the Helfman Dodge Chrysler Jeep RAM Fiat for service. The diagnosis did not indicate any issues. September 13, 2024 - Vehicle stalled. The engine could not start. To be towed to a service station.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was still losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and was difficult to shift into park(P). The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. However, when the contact shifted into drive(D) the vehicle still lost motive power and almost stalled. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and it was difficult to shift into park(P). The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and called a towing service. The contact was informed by the tow truck operator that the 12-Volt battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and the contact was informed that the 12-Volt battery and the START/STOP battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The dealer performed a preliminary diagnostic test and advised the contact that there were several electrical failures and that a comprehensive diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
The touchscreen lcd on my jeep compass is glitching and no longer usable I am unable to access certain features that includes my radio and also the backup camera no longer works. This is a safety concern because the whole reason I bought this car was for the use of the backup screen and to set up music with Bluetooth. I am now risking my life every time I get into the car and the colorful glitching lines on the screen are a distraction while I drive.
The electrical system and start/stop system has went blizzark and began loosing power going in and out of limp mode the headlights no longer work on one side and high beam isn't bright anymore I've replaced the auxiliary battery and the normal battery has begun to short circuit and cannot decide if it's full charged or down to 8volts when their began happening it was during a rainstorm and I was left stalled in mid intersection ....even a jump wouldn't fix the problem. I had it towed to my dealership where the mechanics were unable to diagnose the problem but did get it to happen again going down the highway they then also had it towed back to the shop and replaced the auxiliary battery it didn't happen again until 3 months later now it's getting worse each day i will replace the battery but then I'd like to have my electrical problems looked into but I have read many 9the people having the same issues even after the recall of an electrical chip and I wander if it shouldn't also.be replaced a second time
My 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude has had issues with the backup camera not working properly. It is NOT included in the recall for the 2022-2023 Compass with the same issues. The screen display will only show a black screen with "Check entire surroundings". When I was leasing, I took the vehicle to the dealership a few times for this issue. The backup camera was replaced in 2021 but it continued. It froze up as I was leaving the dealer so the tech got to see what was happening. He said it was was something in the wiring. Again It worked for awhile BUT the black screen returned and NOW sometimes the camera will appear as if it is on delay (freezes).The dealership said they would not replace or repair what they have already fixed under warranty. If you wiggle the wiring leading from the trunk into the car, the camera may come back on. Once you wiggle the wires you have to gently close the trunk but if you open it you have to repeat wiggle then shut gently. Lately it appears more of a delay when camera is on which is a major safety issue. The camera shows that it is clear when actually it may not be. I was pulling out of a parking spot when the camera was on delay. Thankfully I was able to avoid an accident when a car was approaching. However something is preventing the image from appearing on the screen which decreases visibility and increases the risk of a crash. It resembles "buffering" when it is "delayed". Since there is an exact issue as well as a software update for newer Compass models, this recall and fix should also include my 2018 Jeep Compass. Please add the 2018 Jeep Compass to this recall.
The uconnect radio/screen has been malfunctioning for 4+ months. It began with small streaks throughout the screen and glitchy radio play. It elevated to half the screen being black and the other half being streaky. Now it is fully black and will not come in. I have viewed countless Jeep forums and this is a problem for THOUSANDS. The dealership said a new radio system plus labor is >$1000 for something that should obviously be recalled.
I bought this car in 2018 with minimal miles on it, since then I have had nothing but issues with this car. Currently my oil cooler is leaking and at a mechanic shop because the closest dealer is an hour in a half and they tried to pull a fast one on me last time and I had to call corporate to report negligence. I have had to replace the -Navigation system since the screen went black and would only show writing -start stop relay -Starter relay -Both batteries -The wire from the batteries to the engine -Currently in the shop for my oil cooler leaking -Had to have my breaks bled which the mechanic did for free because he was pissed off at the breaking system -And Currently have an airbag light on. When looking up the year of my jeep is shows alot of the recalls that relate to my cars issues. At this current time I can't get the car to a dealership hours away that tried to squeeze money out of me for no reason, and otherwise my engine is going to blow and that's not ideal. My car has less that 75,000 miles on it and issues started around 30,000 miles. I need assistance because my car should have been added to the recall list and it wasn't resulting in alot of money coming out of my pocket. I do have photos but it will not allow me to upload them.
Low and high beams. Come on at intermediate times sometimes the passenger side will be on and there will be no driver side. Sometimes they will not come on at all. No matter how many turns you turn the light or flick. The switch I've replaced both headlights and the ballasters. Still to no Avail. They do not work all the time.
HEADLIGHT WILL NOT COME ON. BOTH HAVE BEEN REPLACED. ONE MAY COME ON BUT THE OTHER WILL NOTCOME ON.
MAIN ISSUE 1) My 2018 jeep compass has a very high coolant temperature issue, temperature will exceed 256 also transmission temperatures will exceed 210 My dashboard coolant icon appears and says COOLANT TEMPERATURE TOO HIGH POWER ENGINE OFF ISSUE 2) A! On off power option THE PERSON WHO INVENTED THE POWER ON / OFF A! OPTION NEED TO BR SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN PRISON, this “energy efficientoption”option will destroy your vehicle engine , battery, the starter, even my sensor system indefinitely, this has completely disabled all power to my jeep in the middle of I75 interstate with my 3 kids all under 10 45 minutes away from home , could not control a single all power was disabled I could not even power my engine off . I’ve never been so afraid for my kids and I , this could have caused a horrible accident that could have claimed us all , it was all caused by the ON/OFF feature,
On three separate occassions the vehicle has lost all power while driving and required towing to a repair facility. On two of these occassions the vehicle was traveling at highway speed and caused an usafe situation for surrounding vehicles. The batter and alternator were replaced and the vehicle lost power after these repairs. It is most likely the Totally Integrated Power Module, which has been the subject of numerous lawsuits for Chrysler Fiat vehicles.
Vehicle started rattling going over bumps.
Seat heat turns on and off randomly by itself. Screen does not always work. Transmission jumped, service transmission came on. Took to dealer. They said updates to the computer system needed done and charged me $450 saying they were not covered by the warranty I bought from Mopar. If updates are required to keep you and your passengers safe how are they not free of charge and charge you almost $500 for these updates? Had I been on the interstate and not a side road my son and I could have been badly injured due to this problem. I will never purchase another car “American Made” again.
When driving the electronic emergency brake self engages thus causing the car to come to an abrupt stop. You will need to turn the car off and on again to dis-engage the brake. This has happened sever times both on the highway and local streets.
3 years ago the first problem started. If my car was idle for more than 15 minutes the SERVICE TRANSMISSION & CHECK ENGINE lights would turn on. I made an appointment at Jeep but could not be helped because the light turned off the next day. I was advised this would not be covered because I had 32,000 miles on the car. Last month as I was driving on the. Freeway my SERVICE TRANSMISSION & CHECK ENGINE lights turned own. The car slowed down. I pulled off the freeway and turned the car off. After 20 minutes i turned it back on and the TRANSMISSION light turned off and only the CHECK ENGINE stayed on. This has now happened twice. I took my car to a transmission shop and was advised to contact the manufacturer as this is a factory issue. Code P1dd2.
I will be driving at any speed and the engine will lose power and stall. Very similar conditions as the U87 recall. I have had my vehicle at the Jeep dealership multiple times and still have yet to fix the issue. When the vehicle loses power and stalls I pull over however sitting on the side of any road is dangerous, that if I can get the compass over to the side of the road.
Screen is not turning on. It is always problem to drive on reverse while on a parking places. Since back window is kind of small size, it is always hard to drive back and observe surrounding space by using just only rear view mirrors and back window. Camera view on a screen would help. But screen doesn't work. I've been in situation where I almost hit cars while moving on reverse. Thanks real axident didn't happen yet. But I really need this screen to work. Without it I cannot set/reset time, day, Bluetooth etc.
Navigation screen has a bubble internally. It turn on automatically connects with phones that are synchronized and starts calling. In my case it has called sos, random numbers it will not allow the phone to hang up while driving and it will not turn off just by pushing the button when it’s making a call. It has become such an issue and safety concern. It has taken my attention while driving on highways and we have had many instances where an accident almost happened because of it. There are many other people out there with the same issue and this is not caused by wear and tear but manufacture defects
ABOUT YEARS AGO I WAS DRIVING MY 2018 JEEP COMPASS, WHEN ALL OF A SUDEN THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD WENT CRAZY BLINKING ON AND OFF AND THE RADIO TOO, THEN THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TO HARD, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET IT CHECKED UP. AFTER A FEW DAYS THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. BUT DAYS LATER THE CAR DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A OVER TWO WEEKS THEY SAID CAR WAS FIX TWO MONTHS AFTER THAT CAR DID IT AGAIN WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR MORE THAN SIX MONTHS, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM THEY CHANGE SOME WIRING, BATTERIES AND THE RADIO AND THEY SAID ITS FIX BUT NO. THE CAR KEEP DOING THE SAME THING, OVER AND OVER NO I DONT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR SPECIALLY IN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE WHEN IT SHUTS OFF THE STEERING WHEEL IS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER AND IS NOT SAFE AT ALL.
We realized a headlight malfunction where the headlights randomly and intermittently turn off. Sometimes they both work, sometimes one or the other works. A year ago, we seemed to notice a headlight go out, then they both worked. It happened again, so we replaced the bulb. Just last night, my wife happened to be following me home at night and her right headlight wouldn't turn on. In the middle of driving, both headlights went out. Then, shortly after, her left headlight went out and the right one came back on. I searched Jeep forums and discovered this is actually a very common problem and is not unique. This is an extremely hard issue to recognize due to the intermittent nature and poses a serious safety hazard driving at night. Given that it is obvious (took me 5 minutes) to realize there were countless other Jeep Compass owners having the issue, and the fact that headlights are a serious safety issue, I strongly recommend the NHTSA take a look into the issue. If you have any inspectors in the Dallas Fort-Worth area that would like to inspect this vehicle, please let me know.
Since 2023, my vehicle has had water leakage coming from the back right passenger side from the seat belt opening and right side of the back trunk. This is a major concern because my son’s car seat is seated on the right back seat where the water leakage is coming from. I don’t want any mold to grow under his car seat or on his car seat. Also I gave jumper cables in the back of my trunk for safety. What if they were to get soak and wet then they are not able to work. Also I put my groceries in the trunk of my car. I don’t want them to get spoiled or become contaminated.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop sign, the vehicle stalled without warning. After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be restarted. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 164,002.
Random shiggling when driving between 20 ad 35mph specifically goin up slight inclines or hills, hardshifting randomly some times light some no noise times catches u off guard and makes metal noise , power dips only to 12v wall and cigarette plug stops charging what ever is plugged into it or restarts the item when engin starts back up at a stop sign or stop light with autostart stop activated,
Since the purchase of the car (2017), the vehicle has had the issue of excessive oil consumption causing the vehicle to burn up oil at higher unknown fluctuating rates. The vehicle doesn’t have an oil life indicator to begin with, and the only thing that indicates you have no oil in your car is the oil pressure light that will SOMETIMES pop on and off. My car has stalled out multiple times while driving on the road and luckily has never happen on the freeway. I have been getting routine oil changes more than frequently ( anywhere from 1500-2000 miles sooner than the recommended oil change. What’s concerning is the oil is burning up at an unknown fluctuating rate, making it hard to tell when there is any oil left in the vehicle. This is causing the vehicle to stall randomly while operating it, which ultimately can result in a devastating fatal crash in the near future. Every time I get an oil change there is little to no oil left in the vehicle. This is an issue that needs to get addressed for the safety and well being of myself, family, and others on the road.