2018 Jeep Compass Powertrain & Transmission Problems

failing component: Transmission / Powertrain. The transmission is jerking aggressively when shifting into gear. yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. I currently have the vehicle in my possession. How was safety put at risk? The vehicle jerked violently into gear while accelerating from a stopped position at an intersection. The force was strong enough to physically jolt both the driver and passenger. This creates a safety risk due to unpredictable vehicle behavior during acceleration and could lead to loss of control or increased risk of collision. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed? YES – the issue has occurred after the vehicle was returned following transmission replacement. The dealership has attempted multiple transmission replacements, indicating an ongoing unresolved issue. Has the vehicle been inspected by anyone? YES – inspected and repaired multiple times by dealership service department. Transmission has been replaced multiple times, including a failed replacement while still at the dealership. Warning lights or prior symptoms? NO warning lights were present. Prior to the failure, a whining noise was present, which was previously reported to the dealership as a suspected transmission issue. The vehicle was brought to a dealership for a transmission-related issue and has undergone multiple transmission replacements. After the most recent repair, the vehicle was returned with the issue unresolved. On March 22, 2026, while accelerating from a stopped position at an intersection, the vehicle jerked aggressively into gear. The force was significant enough to physically jolt both the driver and passenger. Despite multiple repair attempts, the transmission is still not operating correctly. This creates a safety concern due to unpredictable shifting behavior. Additionally, the dealership drove the vehicle approximately 3,000 miles while in their possession, yet the issue remains unresolved.

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds, and while stopped at a traffic light, several unknown warning lights illuminated with the message to “Park the Vehicle” displayed. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running and shifted from park into drive, the vehicle failed to move. The contact stated that while shifted into park, the vehicle failed to turn off. The failure persisted, and the contact made several attempts to move the vehicle. The contact was eventually able to start the vehicle and drove to a parking lot, after which the vehicle was towed to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

I was driving and my car just stalled and I could not get it to start again. I have had this happen to me over 4 times. My car is currently at the Jeep Dealer and they charged me over $700 telling me it was wiring. It happened again on 11/24/2025 and they have had my car since then and they keep telling me they cannot figure out what was wrong with it. Today they called me and said it was a circuit thing. There was a recall for exactly what was happening to my car. NHTSA Recall 18v-524 just that my car was not recalled. I am now going 2 weeks without a car and it clearly is experiencing EXACTLY what the recall says. over 3 times I was on the highway when the car stalled while I was driving. It just stopped in the middle of the highway the car behind me had to stop short. I had a bad panic attack. Why are they not doing the right thing and fixing what they know they have to fix. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I MAKE A COMPLAINT THROUGH YOU.

Shifting assembly failed. When the service center went to order it, it was heavily backordered (meaning many people with this Make / Model experiencing the same failure at the same time). Service center showed me that a thin rubber gasket is all that failed … it is no more substantial than a rubber washer you put in a water hose). Why a $500 part for a $0.50 failure? (Perhaps that is the service center taking advantage.) But even still why would Jeep put such a cheap part in such a critical location where it can break and become dislodged and result in you losing control of your vehicle drive train? Something feels very wrong about this.

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that intermittently, while driving 60 MPH on the highway uphill, the vehicle suddenly lunged forward and backward. The vehicle failed to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed or released. The contact stated that the engine revved high. The vehicle was stopped and began to shake. The driver was able to pull over safely. The vehicle was restarted, and the malfunction, transmission, and service engine warning lights were illuminated. The message “START/STOP not Available” was displayed. The contact called the local dealer, but there was no answer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was called, but the phone hung up, and the automatic system confirmed there was no recall coverage. The contact attempted to use the website, but there was an error with the submission. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

Description of Problem: Since purchase, this vehicle has exhibited severe safety defects, including sudden and repeated engine shutdowns at highway speeds, loss of power while driving, dashboard malfunctions, steering lockups, service ESC, dynamic steering torque service required, service hill holder, false fuel gauge readings, service airbag reading, transmission warming sign, and emergency brake engagement without command. These failures have occurred multiple times and forced me off the road to avoid collisions. They mirror known recalls on this model year and create a clear risk of injury or death. Attempts to Repair: The selling dealer (Coral Springs Pre-Owned Superstore) and an authorized Jeep dealer (Arrigo Jeep in Margate, FL and Arrigo Jeep Tamarac,FL) have repeatedly failed to identify or repair the issues despite video evidence. They claim they cannot replicate the malfunctions, though the vehicle continues to fail monthly. Safety Concern: The Jeep Compass shuts down without warning at highway speeds, leaving me stranded in traffic. This is an immediate hazard and should be investigated as a systemic defect. Requested Action: Investigation into recalls/defects on the 2018 Jeep Compass, enforcement of repairs, and accountability for dealerships that continue to sell unsafe vehicles.

Key fob not found, tpms not reading but sensors are good, backup camera beeping when things are not behind and continues to beep in drive, engine stalling, worn motor mounts due to no reason

Vehicle does not start or starts and will not go into gear. Dash lights go crazy and various issues display on screen

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

CAR HAS BEEN STOPPING WHILE DRIVING ON MAJOR ROADWAYS. REQUIRES A RESTART IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY AND DOES NOT EVEN MAKE IT TO THE ROADSIDE TO RESTART. UPON BRINGING IT IN TO BE CHECKED, IT HAD 0 BUT NO REPORTED LEAK AND OIL LIGHT DID NOT TURN ON. PURCHASED USED JUST 2 MONTHS AGO AND ONLY DROVE 6K MILES. WAS TOLD TO CHANGE OIL EVERY 5K MILES BECUASE THIS MODEL CONSUMES EXCESSIVE OIL. I SEARCHED AND FOUND THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE HOWEVER MY VIN # DOES NOT SHOW A RECALL.

With absolutely zero prior indication of a problem, the car became completely immobilized in drive while attempting to turn after being stopped at a traffic light on a busy four lane road. Every imaginable code was cycling through on the dash and all warning code lights came on. I was unable to shift the car into any gear. Meaning, I could not shift into neutral to push the car safely out of the way of traffic. Additionally the car could not be turned off. I could not roll down the windows and the touchscreen was inoperable. After approximately 6-8 minutes I was able to shift into neutral to push the car to a safer area. The same immobilization issue happened 3 days later after the battery and alternator were replaced. This time, I put the car in reverse and it became immobilized in exactly the same way. The car turned itself off after approximately 10 minutes and was towed to the dealership where it has been for 30 days. The dealership scanned the codes on the car and the result was 300+ error codes. The dealer cannot diagnose the problem but they have been able to replicate the issue. The car is well maintained and there were no warning messages or other symptoms of any problem prior to the first incident January 27, 2024. The car remains at the dealer and it is available for inspection.

Transmission hard shift especially when cold. Makes grinding noise when shifting into 3rd. We have not taken it to a dealer cause we bought it used and it’s 62 thousand miles on the car and 60 thousand is supposedly the limit for the warranty. Car has also stalled while making turns to the left or sometimes when driving straight. At highway speeds when I have gone and tried to accelerate more I push the accelerator down and nothing happens. Then all of a sudden the car takes off with a jerk and I have to hit the brakes cause it was not expected. Auto engine shutoff failure light comes on for no reason. Continually get number 4 cylinder misfire check engine warning which disappears after the car is restarted. Consumes oil like nothing I have ever seen always adding oil. Can’t check the transmission fluid level cause manufacturer did not put a dipstick for the transmission so I have to take it to the dealer to see if that is low. Don’t need the cost just for them to tell me it’s fine.

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, both the driver and passenger side rear windows would roll down independently. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall as several warning lights would appear on the instrument panel. The contact called the dealer about the failure and was given an estimate for a diagnostic. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who failed to diagnose the failure. The contact then stated that while driving in inclement, icy weather; the vehicle began to slide upon the depression of the brake pedal while approaching a stop light. As the vehicle began to slide, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact lost complete control of the vehicle as the vehicle crashed into a light pole. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed and the light pole was knocked down as a result of the impact. The vehicle was towed from the scene to the contact's grandmother's home where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

I purchased the vehicle on [XXX] from Mall Chevy in Cherry Hill NJ. From the first day, i was getting an intermittent A! warning for the vehicle start/stop function. The vehicle would feel like it is trying to turn off when not active. Finally on [XXX], it stayed on. The entire time i have been trying to get the dealership to fix it, they refused to look at it. The transmission keeps slipping, jerking forward and back, wants to take off at a stop. They refuse to acknowledge. I finally took it to Performance Dodge in Woodbury NJ, they determined it was a defective IBS( Intelligent battery sensor). Then a BCM issue was determined and 2 wires had insulation exposed, an OHMED was needed as well as HVAC and DTCM updates. It still needs ABS and TCM module work. The vehicle still feels like it wants to shut off, jerks while accelerating and makes a banging sound INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)