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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

What owners actually said

941 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2024
Electrical SystemPower Train

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11599412

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

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 …

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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,

NHTSA ODI #11597168

Mileage unknown · Jun 27, 2024
Electrical System

radio software prevents the rearview image from displaying on the center screen when in Reverse.

NHTSA ODI #11597116

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2024
Unknown Or Other

2018 jeep compass rearview cameras fail. Info shared by hundreds of owners on Reddit and jeep forums. Mine haven't functioned properly since 2022 mostly off but working sometimes with lag.

NHTSA ODI #11595238

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2024
Unknown Or Other

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 …

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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

NHTSA ODI #11593652

Mileage unknown · Jun 10, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11593449

Mileage unknown · May 17, 2024
Seat BeltsStructureUnknown Or Other

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11589382

Mileage unknown · May 17, 2024
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

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 h…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11589285

9,000 miles · May 10, 2024
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights independently turned off. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the result of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was r…

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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights independently turned off. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the result of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was serviced under Customer Satisfaction Number: W20 (Reprogram Power Train Control Module) however, the failure with the headlights persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ODI #11588038

164,002 miles · May 8, 2024
Engine

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 wa…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11587700

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.