Pulled up in my drive way turned car off and when I went to start ut to go to work it just would not start anymore
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 →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Compass years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
What owners actually said
941 reportsEngine light came on, breaking light, abs
The headlights and interior lighting flickers when turned on. The vehicle often will not start, but once hooked up to a jumper pack starts immediately despite the batteries being inspected previously and being okay. The start/stop function doesn't always work, and the engine stalls while driving, causing a massive safety issue.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the rear backup camera screen had malfunctioned and was unreadable with lines and a whited out image displayed. The was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The ma…
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle the rear backup camera screen had malfunctioned and was unreadable with lines and a whited out image displayed. The was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 35,000.
On around 5 occasions beginning since late 2025 I have been driving and my emergency brake has turned on automatically while driving. Yesterday, while at a stop light the light turned green and my emergency brake turned on which caused traffic to be halted I had to turn my car on and off repeatedly to have my car work. When I tu…
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On around 5 occasions beginning since late 2025 I have been driving and my emergency brake has turned on automatically while driving. Yesterday, while at a stop light the light turned green and my emergency brake turned on which caused traffic to be halted I had to turn my car on and off repeatedly to have my car work. When I turned right at the intersection this happened again. I was able to slowly pull over and once again turn my car off and on. Then it did it again today at the same intersection I was able to slowly pull over and turn my car off and on. I went to the Jeep dealership today and they could not find anything wrong. No codes indicated anything they said I had a small oil leak but that is all they could find.
Oil compsuption
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the passenger’s side headlight failed to operate. The contact attempted to replace the light bulb; however, the headlight failed to illuminate. The original light bulb was reinstalled. The contact stated tha…
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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while receiving an oil change, the contact was informed that the passenger’s side headlight failed to operate. The contact attempted to replace the light bulb; however, the headlight failed to illuminate. The original light bulb was reinstalled. The contact stated that the START/STOP system failed to restart the vehicle after an idle stop. The message “Battery Charging System Failure” was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
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 intersec…
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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.
Issue occurs in [XXX] during normal daily driving, including while reversing and operating the vehicle at low speeds. The malfunctioning touchscreen interferes with safe vehicle operation in parking areas, residential streets, and regular traffic conditions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA…
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Issue occurs in [XXX] during normal daily driving, including while reversing and operating the vehicle at low speeds. The malfunctioning touchscreen interferes with safe vehicle operation in parking areas, residential streets, and regular traffic conditions. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 5…
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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
Official recalls
618V523000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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