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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 · Jan 27, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

The electrical system and start/stop system has went blizzark and began loosing power going in and out of limp mode the headlights no longer work on one side and high beam isn't bright anymore I've replaced the auxiliary battery and the normal battery has begun to short circuit and cannot decide if it's full charged or down to 8…

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The electrical system and start/stop system has went blizzark and began loosing power going in and out of limp mode the headlights no longer work on one side and high beam isn't bright anymore I've replaced the auxiliary battery and the normal battery has begun to short circuit and cannot decide if it's full charged or down to 8volts when their began happening it was during a rainstorm and I was left stalled in mid intersection ....even a jump wouldn't fix the problem. I had it towed to my dealership where the mechanics were unable to diagnose the problem but did get it to happen again going down the highway they then also had it towed back to the shop and replaced the auxiliary battery it didn't happen again until 3 months later now it's getting worse each day i will replace the battery but then I'd like to have my electrical problems looked into but I have read many 9the people having the same issues even after the recall of an electrical chip and I wander if it shouldn't also.be replaced a second time

NHTSA ODI #11638970

Mileage unknown · Jan 17, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidancePower Train

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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11636649

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2025
Exterior Lighting

I bought my vehicle in May of 2019. In May 2021 my car had 34,000 miles on it and the passenger side headlight was out. I took it to the dealership and they replaced my left headlight assembly (vehicle was under warranty). In October 2024, I noticed that my headlight on the passenger side was out again. My vehicle had 56,426 m…

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I bought my vehicle in May of 2019. In May 2021 my car had 34,000 miles on it and the passenger side headlight was out. I took it to the dealership and they replaced my left headlight assembly (vehicle was under warranty). In October 2024, I noticed that my headlight on the passenger side was out again. My vehicle had 56,426 miles on it. I called the dealership (South Point Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Austin, TX) up to 9 times and no one responded to my calls. Due to their lack of response, I took it to a shop up the road that specializes in Jeeps. When the shop took a look at the issue, they found that both headlights were actually out. First they tried just replacing the bulbs, and that didn't work. So they replaced the entire headlight assembly on both sides. This fixed the issue for maybe 3 weeks. My headlights are still out. I took it back to the shop for help and they told me they cannot help me, as everything looks to be set up right. I have spent over $1,200 in repair costs and ubers to get this issue fixed and I am at a loss. Looks like this is a common issue with 2018 Jeep Compasses. I filed a case against Jeep and they immediately denied my case. This is very concerning given I do have to drive at night and early mornings to travel to work.

NHTSA ODI #11635884

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2025
Exterior Lighting

A cable going to the driver's side headlamp assembly was intermittently shorting and causing the headlight to turn off while driving. The cable and entire headlamp assembly had to be replaced to fix the issue. There are other reports of this issue on [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA),…

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A cable going to the driver's side headlamp assembly was intermittently shorting and causing the headlight to turn off while driving. The cable and entire headlamp assembly had to be replaced to fix the issue. There are other reports of this issue on [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11635418

Mileage unknown · Jan 1, 2025
Electrical SystemPower Train

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 sy…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11633561

29,000 miles · Dec 30, 2024
Air BagsElectrical System

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that there was a loud banging sound coming from the rear undercarriage while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a red light the START/STOP system activated, causing the vehicle to turn off; however, while attempting to accele…

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The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that there was a loud banging sound coming from the rear undercarriage while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a red light the START/STOP system activated, causing the vehicle to turn off; however, while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle occasionally jumped or hesitated before restarting and accelerating as designed. The air bag and START/STOP warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the main control board computer screen was glitching and went completely black. The contact stated that the radio suddenly activated, and the windshield wipers were randomly activated even though the vehicle was turned off. There were several other electrical malfunctions, and the vehicle intermittently failed to start immediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who acknowledged there was an electrical failure but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The radio was replaced four times, an electrical harness was replaced, and there was a battery replacement; however, the vehicle was not fixed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.

NHTSA ODI #11633085

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2024
Engine

My car is constantly burning about 4 quarts of oil in 2 months. It stalled on me 2 months ago, 2 months after an oil change because there was no oil in my car and I do not have a leak. it is a safety issue if my motor blows up or my car just stalls on me in the middle of the highway. I have had it inspected to see if there were…

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My car is constantly burning about 4 quarts of oil in 2 months. It stalled on me 2 months ago, 2 months after an oil change because there was no oil in my car and I do not have a leak. it is a safety issue if my motor blows up or my car just stalls on me in the middle of the highway. I have had it inspected to see if there were any leaks. I only got a low oil pressure signal after I would make a turn.

NHTSA ODI #11631766

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2024
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

My headlights only work on random occasions. The bulbs don’t need replacing so it seems electrical. I can’t drive at night now because I never know if I’ll be able to see or not with this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11628917

87,000 miles · Dec 2, 2024
Air BagsElectrical SystemPower TrainCrash

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 co…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11628344

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineForward Collision Avoidance

Systematic electronic issues culminating in electronic failures while driving on highway including successive “shut-down” of electrical systems, all codes displayed including but not limited to the following: -Forward Collision -Services Transmission -Service Engine -Service Alternator -Service EMS System Disruption to electric…

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Systematic electronic issues culminating in electronic failures while driving on highway including successive “shut-down” of electrical systems, all codes displayed including but not limited to the following: -Forward Collision -Services Transmission -Service Engine -Service Alternator -Service EMS System Disruption to electrical functions including loss of power steering, acceleration, and brake system “locking” up. Tow service and repairs, required.

NHTSA ODI #11628114

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.