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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 22, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

Stop/Start system We took the car to get it checked out within the first month due to hard shift and for warning light. We were told the warning light for stop/start was on because it needed an update. It came back on within a few months. Then our car battery had died, changed it out, and within maybe 6 months the new one died. …

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Stop/Start system We took the car to get it checked out within the first month due to hard shift and for warning light. We were told the warning light for stop/start was on because it needed an update. It came back on within a few months. Then our car battery had died, changed it out, and within maybe 6 months the new one died. We changed out both batteries this last time, and the within a week the stop/start warning came back on. Now it comes on and off sporadically for the last month. So we are clueless about this stop/start and what to do about it.

NHTSA ODI #11533836

Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

When stopping at a red light the start/stop system activated and the truck would not restart. There was an alert saying service ecs system and the parking brake activated on its own. It took about 10 minutes for us to be able to deactivate the parking brake and for it to start again. This has happened 2x and only when the start/…

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When stopping at a red light the start/stop system activated and the truck would not restart. There was an alert saying service ecs system and the parking brake activated on its own. It took about 10 minutes for us to be able to deactivate the parking brake and for it to start again. This has happened 2x and only when the start/stop happens. My check engine light has come on and now I'm getting a service engine notification.

NHTSA ODI #11532599

Mileage unknown · Jul 13, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

We purchased our 2018 Jeep Compass in December 2022, we started having problems with the headlights in January 2023 only 1 month after purchasing it. The headlights stopped working completely. We took the jeep to our local jeep dealership and they couldn't figure out what was going on with the headlights but confirmed it was the…

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We purchased our 2018 Jeep Compass in December 2022, we started having problems with the headlights in January 2023 only 1 month after purchasing it. The headlights stopped working completely. We took the jeep to our local jeep dealership and they couldn't figure out what was going on with the headlights but confirmed it was the electrical system. They called their Electrical Engineer in and it was confirmed it was something going on with the electrical system via the headlamps so we replaced them along with the bulbs and it went again 3 months later. Meanwhile, because this is an issue with the 2018 everywhere the parts were on back order. It took us 2 months to get our car repaired. Currently, our jeep is in the shop again as it went out while my daughter was driving home from work at night in the county (where there are no street lights) and she almost ran off the road. This is a serious and dangerous issue and situation. I've seen a ton of complains for this same issue with the 2018 Jeep Compass model but I don't see where there has been a recall. I guess the recall will happen after someone loses their life per usual. Our jeep is in the shop yet again awaiting repair for the same issue. It appears we will be out of a car for another 2 months.

NHTSA ODI #11531972

Mileage unknown · Jul 6, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

As I was pulling my 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk to a light off the highway exit, the vehicle did its automatic stop the engine function. After about 4 seconds a "high coolant temp, shutdown vehicle" note appeared. The engine turned off and I lost complete control. The car would not move, e-brake engaged automatically, and the ve…

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As I was pulling my 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk to a light off the highway exit, the vehicle did its automatic stop the engine function. After about 4 seconds a "high coolant temp, shutdown vehicle" note appeared. The engine turned off and I lost complete control. The car would not move, e-brake engaged automatically, and the vehicle would not restart. 30 minutes later someone came by to jump start the battery and the car started. I was able to drive to a safe location but I am worried this problem will continue. There was no real explanation online and I have read countless accounts of the same problem happening to others, some while driving at high speeds.

NHTSA ODI #11530585

Mileage unknown · Jun 29, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

Key fob not detected since I bought certified pre-used. There’s an oil consumption issue. There’s a stall issue that completely cut my Jeep off in the middle of rush hour traffic almost causing an accident. I’ve replaced batteries 2x and had to dealer 3x with them unable to reproduce symptoms. They didn’t do the oil consumption …

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Key fob not detected since I bought certified pre-used. There’s an oil consumption issue. There’s a stall issue that completely cut my Jeep off in the middle of rush hour traffic almost causing an accident. I’ve replaced batteries 2x and had to dealer 3x with them unable to reproduce symptoms. They didn’t do the oil consumption test. Just changed oil. This Jeep is a serious hazard!!

NHTSA ODI #11529505

Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 2023
Engine

Same incident happened two days in a row, was only driving my car for a minute when the car just shut off while driving. Luckily I was still in my neighborhood and able to pull over, except today it happened as I entered the main road. Car just shut off while driving. Both days “low oil pressure” warning came on for a second and…

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Same incident happened two days in a row, was only driving my car for a minute when the car just shut off while driving. Luckily I was still in my neighborhood and able to pull over, except today it happened as I entered the main road. Car just shut off while driving. Both days “low oil pressure” warning came on for a second and then went away. No prior oil or engine light or anything that would indicate an oil issue. Dealership found no leaks/cracks but said I have a serious oil consumption issue. Suggested I monitor and come back at 1000 miles. This is a huge safety concern and recall should be mandated for this known issue!! Car has only 53,000 miles and don’t even know if I can keep this car. My son was in the car both times, I’m incredibly concerned for our safety.

NHTSA ODI #11529477

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

When at a stop sign the car auto shut off. After releasing the break, the car would not restart and would not go into park. After a few minutes of panic, I was able to move the gear shifter to park and after several attempts, the car barely restarted. This also happened a previous time at a stop light.

NHTSA ODI #11529018

Mileage unknown · Jun 26, 2023
Electrical SystemEngine

This 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude has gone through several repairs already; a lot of them concerning the start/stop system and the battery that powers this feature. In the past 4-5 years, it's been replaced three times. In addition, the engine had to be replaced due to high oil burn. As of recent, the vehicle has started displayin…

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This 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude has gone through several repairs already; a lot of them concerning the start/stop system and the battery that powers this feature. In the past 4-5 years, it's been replaced three times. In addition, the engine had to be replaced due to high oil burn. As of recent, the vehicle has started displaying "Stop safely. Vehicle with Shut Off Soon" message; especially during highway cruising. This has posed a highly increased safety risk for my family and there seems to be no way for the dealer to address the problem because they cannot replicate it. The vehicle underwent these repairs when covered by the warranty but because of it's mileage, it is no longer eligible. We need

NHTSA ODI #11528939

Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2023
Power Train

While at a stop light, my vehicle moved into "stop" mode and as the light turned green and I attempted to resume driving the vehicle attempted to go back into "start" mode and shut down completely. I could not press down fully on the break nor turn on my hazards. THe dashboard flickered, but never shut off. Given that this happe…

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While at a stop light, my vehicle moved into "stop" mode and as the light turned green and I attempted to resume driving the vehicle attempted to go back into "start" mode and shut down completely. I could not press down fully on the break nor turn on my hazards. THe dashboard flickered, but never shut off. Given that this happened at a busy intersection, it was quite dangerous and I was fearful that I would get hurt.

NHTSA ODI #11528767

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other

The emergency brake lights up and engages randomly. This has happened several times while driving, causing the vehicle to slow to a stop, and requiring a restart.

NHTSA ODI #11528637

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.