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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 · Oct 30, 2023
Exterior Lighting

HID headlights only work intermittently. no headlights randomly while driving is extremely dangerous. two dealers have reviewed vehicle and have no fix. issue is constant and one light is off 95% of the time, sometimes driver side, sometimes passenger side, sometimes no lights at all. no warning lamps in the dash, vehicle thinks…

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HID headlights only work intermittently. no headlights randomly while driving is extremely dangerous. two dealers have reviewed vehicle and have no fix. issue is constant and one light is off 95% of the time, sometimes driver side, sometimes passenger side, sometimes no lights at all. no warning lamps in the dash, vehicle thinks its working fine. this has been ongoing for over a year.

NHTSA ODI #11552581

Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 2023
Electrical System

After 40,000 miles on the vehicle The stereo screen went black. By doing so, the backup camera does not work enabling us to see what is behind the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11552530

85,000 miles · Oct 25, 2023
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle stalled while making a left turn while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence. The …

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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle stalled while making a left turn while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated after the failure. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the residence. The next day, the contact restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart while parked at a gas station. The dealer was not notified of the failure. An email was sent to the manufacturer about the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #11551763

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2023
Exterior Lighting

The headlights do not work reliably. The first time this happened was in June but seemingly resolved itself until this last week. Sometimes the passenger side only works, sometimes the driver side only, sometimes neither side. They will come on and go off or only one will come on or go off as they please. There is no pattern or …

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The headlights do not work reliably. The first time this happened was in June but seemingly resolved itself until this last week. Sometimes the passenger side only works, sometimes the driver side only, sometimes neither side. They will come on and go off or only one will come on or go off as they please. There is no pattern or rhyme or reason. There are no warning lights; in fact, the car says Lights On, the symbol for the high beams shows as on when I pull or push forward, but neither is. This has not been inspected yet but will be shortly. There are several complaints online about this intermittent headlight issue. Even after relays, ballasts, and fuses have been changed. The car is only 5 years old, the last thing I should be worrying about is the headlights.

NHTSA ODI #11551624

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The screen for the radio and other function is not operable. Occasional glitches to work but has lines all over the screen or is completely blank. I am unable to see navigations or use majority of the functions for the climate controls at all. I have taken it to a Jeep dealership and they have advised needing a whole new replace…

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The screen for the radio and other function is not operable. Occasional glitches to work but has lines all over the screen or is completely blank. I am unable to see navigations or use majority of the functions for the climate controls at all. I have taken it to a Jeep dealership and they have advised needing a whole new replacement which is going to cost a little ove $1,000. I have searched online and see that this is a know issue for 2017-2022 models. This should not be our responsibly to pay for.

NHTSA ODI #11551554

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2023
Engine

Engine suddenly overheated while driving. My safety, and the safety of my family, was put at risk as I barely had time to pull over off the interstate before the vehicle completely shut off. My vehicle shut off in the middle of the exit lane, putting us at an increased risk of an accident. The vehicle only had 55k miles and no p…

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Engine suddenly overheated while driving. My safety, and the safety of my family, was put at risk as I barely had time to pull over off the interstate before the vehicle completely shut off. My vehicle shut off in the middle of the exit lane, putting us at an increased risk of an accident. The vehicle only had 55k miles and no previous issues with the engine, nor were there lights on until right at the incident. The entire engine needs to be replaced per dealership inspection. Upon doing further research over the months, I’ve discovered other recalls that could pertain to this issue my vehicle had. The vehicle has been unable to be repaired due to no warranty and overprices cost of the repair.

NHTSA ODI #11550769

Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2023
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemUnknown Or Other

I was driving my 2018 jeep compass with my 5 month old, my car slowed down to a complete stop and said put in park while I’m driving, the D on the shift control kept blinking. As I put it in park in the middle of the road it still didn’t work, so I shut my car off and tried to restart it, it did nothing and then randomly started…

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I was driving my 2018 jeep compass with my 5 month old, my car slowed down to a complete stop and said put in park while I’m driving, the D on the shift control kept blinking. As I put it in park in the middle of the road it still didn’t work, so I shut my car off and tried to restart it, it did nothing and then randomly started on its own 2 minutes later, after driving it, it happened again! I almost got in 2 car accidents in less then 20 min as I can not move it to the side of the road it just stops on me. This has happened once more the day after! No one can explain what my car is doing. But I’m afraid to drive it, and scared I’ll get in an accident or cause one because it’s already happened 3 times!

NHTSA ODI #11550017

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

I have been having electrical issues with my vehicle for a while. I took it to get it checked at multiple places. I have been told about certain electrical issues the Jeep Compass has. i been told my starter, batteries, and/or alternator was or were the problems. i have replaced both of my batteries. One in which I replaced two …

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I have been having electrical issues with my vehicle for a while. I took it to get it checked at multiple places. I have been told about certain electrical issues the Jeep Compass has. i been told my starter, batteries, and/or alternator was or were the problems. i have replaced both of my batteries. One in which I replaced two times. I have also replaced my alternator and purchased a starter just in case that was the issue turns out the alternator wasn’t the issues. Now my vehicle isn’t cranking. I’m not sure if any of the safety recalls were fixed.

NHTSA ODI #11549896

Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

2018 Jeep Compass Limited has the OEM Bi-Xenon option equipped. The issue is with both headlights operating intermittently. It does not matter what position the headlight switch is in (Auto, On) they continue to alternate turning on and off. Sometimes one will come on and the other will be extremely delayed (15-20 minutes), so…

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2018 Jeep Compass Limited has the OEM Bi-Xenon option equipped. The issue is with both headlights operating intermittently. It does not matter what position the headlight switch is in (Auto, On) they continue to alternate turning on and off. Sometimes one will come on and the other will be extremely delayed (15-20 minutes), sometimes both are delayed, and sometimes they do not come on at all. Shutting off and restarting the engine power does not help. The issue seems sometimes is worse if stopping for, at night, errands where the headlights then will not turn on at all. Later, next day, the whole issue starts again. This is a very serious issue.

NHTSA ODI #11549104

Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

Intermittent issue occurs where my radio screen looses power or displays code error please restart system, blinkers stop working, thermometer on display shows 2 dashes, climate controls stop working, hazards won’t work, directional buttons on steering wheel and ok button do not work to change display on dash. all of these happen…

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Intermittent issue occurs where my radio screen looses power or displays code error please restart system, blinkers stop working, thermometer on display shows 2 dashes, climate controls stop working, hazards won’t work, directional buttons on steering wheel and ok button do not work to change display on dash. all of these happen at same time intermittently

NHTSA ODI #11548842

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.