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2018 Jeep Compass

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Compass years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Jeep Compass are substantially higher than the model-year median of 126.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

478 reports with mileage · 463 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 473 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 375 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 151 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

28 crash reports5 fire reports14 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

63 reports
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18,500 miles · Sep 2, 2019
Fuel/propulsion SystemPower TrainService Brakes

THE JEEP HAS AN ISSUE....WHEN I BACK INTO MY DRIVE WAY IN REVERSE THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES ROLL FORWARD....REALLY UNSURE WHAT THIS IS ABOUT BUT BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT. ALSO, THE JEEP SOMETIMES JERK WHEN I TAKE OFF AND EVEN SWERVE OVER TO THE LANE LEFT OF ME WHEN I'M DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY. I HAVE MENTIONED THESE THINGS T…

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THE JEEP HAS AN ISSUE....WHEN I BACK INTO MY DRIVE WAY IN REVERSE THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES ROLL FORWARD....REALLY UNSURE WHAT THIS IS ABOUT BUT BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT. ALSO, THE JEEP SOMETIMES JERK WHEN I TAKE OFF AND EVEN SWERVE OVER TO THE LANE LEFT OF ME WHEN I'M DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY. I HAVE MENTIONED THESE THINGS TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT NOTHING BACK YET. I LOVE THE VEHICLE BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED.

NHTSA ODI #11252802

16,400 miles · Aug 23, 2019
Fuel/propulsion System

VEHICLE BURNS THROUGH OIL AT A RAPID RATE WITH NO WARNING INDICATORS. ONCE THE OIL REACHES A CRITICAL LEVEL THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN WITH NO WARNING. DEALERSHIP CALLED THIS "LIMP MODE" THIRD OIL CHANGE I CHECKED THE LEVEL FOR SAFETY. 1000 MILES TO GO BEFORE MY NEXT OIL CHANGE AND THE ENGINE IS DOWN 2 QUARTS.

NHTSA ODI #11246083

8,000 miles · Aug 19, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion System

CONSUMER STATED IT WAS AROUND 8,000 MILES, IT STALLED DRIVING ON A THRUWAY IN NEW YORK TRAFFIC, PARKING BREAK ENGAGED AND IT CAME TO FULL STOP, HAD TO DEPRESS BRAKE AND RESTART CAR. MY JEEP HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR A WEEK WHILE THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY SAID THE OIL IS NOT PUMPING OUT. AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE…

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CONSUMER STATED IT WAS AROUND 8,000 MILES, IT STALLED DRIVING ON A THRUWAY IN NEW YORK TRAFFIC, PARKING BREAK ENGAGED AND IT CAME TO FULL STOP, HAD TO DEPRESS BRAKE AND RESTART CAR. MY JEEP HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR A WEEK WHILE THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY SAID THE OIL IS NOT PUMPING OUT. AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE THEY SAID THE JEEP IS BURNING OIL LIKE CRAZY WITH NO WARNING ABOUT LOW OIL. IT HAS 13,000 MILES ON IT AND ALSO INTERMITTENTLY SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING,I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND THE PARKING BREAK ENGAGES. THEN RESTART IT, IT ALSO INTERMITTENTLY WON'T START AT ALL. THEN AFTER A FEW HOURS IT WILL START BUT RUNS REALLY ROUGH. ANOTHER ISSUE IS WITH WHAT SOUNDS LIKE THE SUSPENSION IN THE FRONT RIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IT FEELS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS I HAVE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN. THE VEHICLE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREEWAY IN TRAFFIC IN NEW YORK AND IT WAS THE SCARIEST FEW MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. HONESTLY I AGREE THAT THIS CAR IS STARTING TO FEEL LIKE A DEATH TRAP YET THERE ARE NO RECALLS WHEN I ENTER MY VIN. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI #11244953

12 miles · Aug 14, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemService Brakes

FIRST OFF. I HAVE A 2018 JEEP COMPASS THAT'S I GOT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND I'M NOTICING NOW THAT MY BRAKES ARE ALREADY TERRIBLY GRINDING, THE ENGINE GETS WAY TOO HOT EVEN THOUGH THE INDICATOR IS ALWAYS NEUTRAL AND NEVER MOVES EVER. ALSO THE MPG IS ABSOLUTE CRAP AND I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ENGINE SYSTEM ITSELF CAUSING PROBLEMS.…

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FIRST OFF. I HAVE A 2018 JEEP COMPASS THAT'S I GOT A FEW WEEKS AGO AND I'M NOTICING NOW THAT MY BRAKES ARE ALREADY TERRIBLY GRINDING, THE ENGINE GETS WAY TOO HOT EVEN THOUGH THE INDICATOR IS ALWAYS NEUTRAL AND NEVER MOVES EVER. ALSO THE MPG IS ABSOLUTE CRAP AND I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ENGINE SYSTEM ITSELF CAUSING PROBLEMS. I LOST 45 MILES ACCORDING TO THE INDICATOR AND REALLY ONLY WENT 12 MILES BACK FROM WORK. THAT SHOULDN'T BE RIGHT.

NHTSA ODI #11244069

7,456 miles · Aug 12, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion System

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR, WITHOUT WARNING THIS JEEP STALLS, PUTTING MY WIFE IN A POTENTIALLY FATAL OR INJURIOUS ACCIDENT SITUATION. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY KNOW AND ACCEPT AS NORMAL THIS BRAND NEW CAR BURNING A QUART OF OIL EVERY 2000 MILES AND THAT IF THE CAR GETS LOW ON OIL IT WILL QUIT RUNNING, …

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT ABOUT 65 MILES PER HOUR, WITHOUT WARNING THIS JEEP STALLS, PUTTING MY WIFE IN A POTENTIALLY FATAL OR INJURIOUS ACCIDENT SITUATION. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY KNOW AND ACCEPT AS NORMAL THIS BRAND NEW CAR BURNING A QUART OF OIL EVERY 2000 MILES AND THAT IF THE CAR GETS LOW ON OIL IT WILL QUIT RUNNING, BUT THEY NEVER TELL THE OWNER OF THE CAR, THEY ONLY SAY COME BACK IN 5000 MILES FOR NEXT OIL CHANGE, MEANWHILE THE CAR STARTS STALLING AT 3-4000 MILES

NHTSA ODI #11243399

21,000 miles · Jul 9, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION ENGINE WILL STALL AT RED LIGHTS / INTERSECTIONS, CAR WILL STATE:PUT CAR IN DRIVE BUT CAR IS IN DRIVE, LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING WILL ILLUMINATE WHEN TURNING RIGHT THEN DISAPPEAR, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL FLASH THEN TURN OFF. CAR MAY STALL, LOSE POWER, EMERGENCY BRAKE WARNING, NO GAS PEDAL RESPONSE. I RESEA…

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WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION ENGINE WILL STALL AT RED LIGHTS / INTERSECTIONS, CAR WILL STATE:PUT CAR IN DRIVE BUT CAR IS IN DRIVE, LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING WILL ILLUMINATE WHEN TURNING RIGHT THEN DISAPPEAR, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL FLASH THEN TURN OFF. CAR MAY STALL, LOSE POWER, EMERGENCY BRAKE WARNING, NO GAS PEDAL RESPONSE. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND IT APPEARS THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR COULD BE FAULTY...CAR IS 2018 WITH 21,000 MILES...CPS SHOULD NOT BE FAULTY AT THIS LOW MILEAGE/AGE OF VEHICLE...SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT ACROSS JEEP COMPASS VEHICLES OF MULTIPLE YEARS.....RECALL JEEP VEHICLES FOR FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR....HAPPENS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AS WELL, CAR LOSES POWER AND STEERING ABILITY.....DANGEROUS

NHTSA ODI #11230362

8,000 miles · Jun 13, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemSteering

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS ON A BUSY STREET THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AUTONOMOUSLY SHUT DOWN ALMOST CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC MULTI CAR COLLISION. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. STILL AWAITING CORRECT DIAGNOSIS FROM DEALER.

NHTSA ODI #11219667

12,000 miles · Jun 12, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH SOUND SYSTEM SHUTTING OFF AND NOT COMING BACK ON, ALSO TOOK CAR IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD MY CAR HAD VERY LITTLE OIL ALMOST OUT AND NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AT ALL AND IT WASN'T EVEN TIME FOR MY OIL CHANGE, I WAS EARLY. AND NOW MY START/STOP LIGHT CAME ON AND DEALER STATES…

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HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH SOUND SYSTEM SHUTTING OFF AND NOT COMING BACK ON, ALSO TOOK CAR IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE OIL CHANGE AND WAS TOLD MY CAR HAD VERY LITTLE OIL ALMOST OUT AND NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AT ALL AND IT WASN'T EVEN TIME FOR MY OIL CHANGE, I WAS EARLY. AND NOW MY START/STOP LIGHT CAME ON AND DEALER STATES NO PROBLEM IT JUST WANT WORK PROPERLY.. GAS MILEAGE IS HORRIBLE AND I HAVE TO HAVE OIL CHANGED AND CHECKED MORE OFTEN DUE TO KNOWN ONGOING ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL. I HAVE ONLY 17K ON MY VEHICLE AND PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM. DONT BUY JEEP COMPASS.

NHTSA ODI #11219646

4,950 miles · Apr 12, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

OVER THE PAST WEEK, I HAVE HAD ABOUT 10 INSTANCES WHERE MY NEW (6 MONTH OLD - ~5K MILE) JEEP COMPASS DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, MOVE, OR ANYTHING. THE ONLY ACTION I COULD DO WAS TO BRAKE. DURING A HANDFUL OF THESE INSTANCES, I WAS IN A PARKING GARAGE, GAS STATION OR ON A SIDE STREET WHERE I WAS AB…

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OVER THE PAST WEEK, I HAVE HAD ABOUT 10 INSTANCES WHERE MY NEW (6 MONTH OLD - ~5K MILE) JEEP COMPASS DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, MOVE, OR ANYTHING. THE ONLY ACTION I COULD DO WAS TO BRAKE. DURING A HANDFUL OF THESE INSTANCES, I WAS IN A PARKING GARAGE, GAS STATION OR ON A SIDE STREET WHERE I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THE OTHER TIMES, I WAS DRIVING TO/FROM WORK IN THE CITY OF BOSTON. THESE EVENTS WERE EXTREMELY TERRIFYING AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT WARNING TO PREVENT BEING STUCK IMMOBILE IN THESE INTERSECTIONS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, REMOVE THE PARKING BRAKE (WHICH AUTOMATICALLY TURNS ON WHILE DRIVING), THEN SHUT OFF THE CAR, THEN TURN ON THE CAR AGAIN (WHERE THE ENGINE TURNS OVER A FEW TIMES FIRST), THEN IT'S "GOOD" TO DRIVE AGAIN. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY JEEP DEALER (WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE) TO HAVE THE ISSUE INSPECTED/OIL CHANGED. AS A RESULT, THEY CONCLUDED THAT THE ENGINE ON MY JEEP HAS AN UNRESOLVABLE ISSUE FROM THE MANUFACTURER WHERE THE ENGINE BURNS OIL MORE THAN ADVERTISED, UNLIKE THE 2016 VERSION OF THIS VEHICLE.THEY CONFIRM THAT NO MESSAGE OR ENGINE LIGHT CODE APPEARED, AND THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENT THIS WOULD BE TO CHECK THE OIL CONSTANTLY. THEY SHOWED A PRINT OUT FROM THEIR SYSTEM THAT STATED MY CAR HAS 5 QUARTS OF OIL, AND EACH 1 QUART OF OIL SHOULD LAST ~5K MILES. THEREFORE, THE OIL SHOULD NOT BE LOW ENOUGH TO STALL AN ENGINE @ 6 MONTHS/5K MILES. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT ACCEPTABLE IN A NEW VEHICLE. I HAVE NO INDICATION WHEN A PROBLEM EXISTS. IF I RECEIVED SOME SORT OF WARNING/DASHLIGHT (REALLY ANYTHING), I WOULD KNOW THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL AN ISSUE IS ADDRESSED. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN, SO I HAVE TO MANUALLY CHECK THE OIL WHEN I HAVE NO EXPERTISE IN DOING SO IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11195822

22,651 miles · Mar 13, 2019
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

I TAKE MY VEHICLE IN FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGES, HOWEVER, ON TWO OCCASIONS THEY SERVICE TECHNICIANS HAVE NOTIFIED ME THAT MY OIL IS ALMOST COMPLETELY OUT. I HAVE BEEN GETTING MY CAR SERVICES AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. FOR SOME REASON, MY CAR APPEARS TO BE CONSUMING RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF OIL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY. THE JUST KEEP TE…

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I TAKE MY VEHICLE IN FOR REGULAR OIL CHANGES, HOWEVER, ON TWO OCCASIONS THEY SERVICE TECHNICIANS HAVE NOTIFIED ME THAT MY OIL IS ALMOST COMPLETELY OUT. I HAVE BEEN GETTING MY CAR SERVICES AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP. FOR SOME REASON, MY CAR APPEARS TO BE CONSUMING RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF OIL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY. THE JUST KEEP TELLING ME TO COME BACK TO GET ANOTHER OIL CHANGE. I'M GOING THROUGH SEVERAL QUARTERS FULL SYNTHETIC QUARTS EVERY THOUSAND OR SO MILES. THE VEHICLE IS NOT LEAKING OIL ANYWHERE; AS I PARK IN THE SAME SPOTS AT WORK AND AT HOME AND HAVE SEEN NOTHING LEAKING. I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED FROM THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS A *SEPARATE AND UNRELATED ISSUE* TO THE ELECTRONIC ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WITHOUT NOTICE, WHILE IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI #11186584

Official recalls

6

18V523000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 9, 2018

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.

18V524000 · Electrical System:wiring:front Underhood

Aug 9, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

18V279000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

May 1, 2018

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The front lower control arms may be incorrectly welded, potentially resulting in a control arm separation.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the lower control arm separates, it can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U42.

17V732000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Nov 21, 2017

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The passenger side air bag assembly may have inflator mounting nuts loose within the module assembly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, unsecured inflator mounting nuts outside of the cushion assembly are potential projectiles that may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T73.

17V740000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Nov 21, 2017

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017-2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The brightness of the backlighting for the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) cannot be adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An instrument cluster that is too bright, and cannot be dimmed, can reduce the driver's ability to see at night, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update IPC software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 8, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T70.

17V670000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine

Oct 24, 2017

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.