NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
9 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Mar 29, 2026
Electrical SystemExterior LightingVehicle Speed Control
It appears to be the Body Control Module that gave out. While driving home in the evening from work, the vehicle stopped accelerating beyond 20 mph. Further, the passenger windows stopped working, as did exterior tail, emergency, and turn signal lights. The dealer was unable to directly confirm that the BCM was the problem, ho…
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It appears to be the Body Control Module that gave out. While driving home in the evening from work, the vehicle stopped accelerating beyond 20 mph. Further, the passenger windows stopped working, as did exterior tail, emergency, and turn signal lights. The dealer was unable to directly confirm that the BCM was the problem, however, it was confirmed the problem was not fuse, battery, or engine related. No inspection of the component or vehicle to date. No warning lamps or messages appeared. It was raining outside, the vehicle started as normal, and moved as normal for approximately five minutes, then suddenly the vehicle stopped accelerating forward placing myself and others in harm's way.
NHTSA ODI #11727851
Mileage unknown · Feb 19, 2024
Electrical SystemExterior LightingSeat Belts
The gear selection lights near the gear shift go on and off for no apparent reason. I can not see which gear I am in at night. I am afraid that this is indicative of a more serious electrical problem. I am still under warranty because I purchased Added Care Plus from directly from Jeep that covers me through the end of December…
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The gear selection lights near the gear shift go on and off for no apparent reason. I can not see which gear I am in at night. I am afraid that this is indicative of a more serious electrical problem. I am still under warranty because I purchased Added Care Plus from directly from Jeep that covers me through the end of December 2024. I took the vehicle to Jeep Dealer CH Urness Motors in The Dalles, Oregon. The owner and service manager told me that my car "Is not broken enough" for them to repair. The owner, Tim Urness, stated that they only repair items with warning lights and that they do not honor the Added Care Plus warranties sold by Jeep dealers unless they've sold it. Additionally, my auto stop start battery is malfunctioning, and the engine is making a strange noise. Stellans Jeep Cares is not responding to my calls concerning the warranty or getting the car towed to a different dealer for service. I live in a rural area, so I will need to travel 200 miles round trip to have my car serviced and I have been advised that I will need to make the trip at least twice to have the car first diagnosed, then serviced. I know that NHTSA does not normally handle these sorts of problems, but it is a safety issue, also I would like direction on where to report the dealership and Stellantis for not making necessary safety repairs covered under warranty. I had a previous issue with the same car's seatbelt webbing and had to fight to get the repair made. Thank you
NHTSA ODI #11572797
Mileage unknown · Jun 7, 2023
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
Occasionally the knob that dims the dash and infotainment screen does not work. The lights stay at full illumination. This creates a blindingly bright situation in the dark of night.
NHTSA ODI #11525765
Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2022
Exterior Lighting
The right Headlamp stopped working and Jeep keeps recommending fixes that don't work. This has created a big expense because they recommended running the diag, replacing the bulb, replacing the fuse, then finally replacing the entire Head Lamp Assembly. The HeadLamp still does not work and this is a safety issue.
NHTSA ODI #11489146
Mileage unknown · Aug 20, 2022
Exterior Lighting
OEM Xenon headlight do not turn on at all while vehicle is running at times, other times they will turn on a few minutes after vehicle has been running and stay on until it is turned off, makes no difference if switch is on the headlight on position or auto. Turned on high beams turns off the fog light and does not turn on eithe…
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OEM Xenon headlight do not turn on at all while vehicle is running at times, other times they will turn on a few minutes after vehicle has been running and stay on until it is turned off, makes no difference if switch is on the headlight on position or auto. Turned on high beams turns off the fog light and does not turn on either low beam or high beam. No solution has been found with 2 master mechanics have looked at it and internet search revealed other people are having this issue with no resolution. This is a huge safety concern.
NHTSA ODI #11480363
Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2022
Electrical SystemExterior LightingSteering
Will not start, it’s not the car battery or fob battery
NHTSA ODI #11451062
Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting
MY 2019 JEEP COMPASS STARTED HAVING ISSUES IN SEPTEMBER 2020. IT SHUT OFF AT A RED LIGHT ON HIGHWAY 76 IN OCEANSIDE, CA WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, IT STARTED BECOMING SLUGGISH WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND BACKING INTO THE STREET. SHIFTING BETWEEN PARK AND DRIVE IT STALLS, THE LIGHTS ON THE GEAR SHIFT HAVE …
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MY 2019 JEEP COMPASS STARTED HAVING ISSUES IN SEPTEMBER 2020. IT SHUT OFF AT A RED LIGHT ON HIGHWAY 76 IN OCEANSIDE, CA WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, IT STARTED BECOMING SLUGGISH WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND BACKING INTO THE STREET. SHIFTING BETWEEN PARK AND DRIVE IT STALLS, THE LIGHTS ON THE GEAR SHIFT HAVE SINCE GONE OUT. I HAVE REFUSED TO DRIVE OR REGISTER MY VEHICLE SINCE OCT. 2020 BECAUSE I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR. I MAKE MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS ON TIME AND HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REPORT MY ISSUES HERE. MY 2019 JEEP COMPASS IS A PAPERWEIGHT AT THIS TIME.
NHTSA ODI #11396345
1,000 miles · Oct 1, 2019
Exterior LightingVehicle Speed Control
TO START I STILL DON'T HAVE MY LICENSE PLATES, WHICH TELLS YOU HOW NEW IT IS. THE GEARSHIFT DOESN'T LIGHT UP AND IF IT DOES IT FLICKERS WHEN I SWITCH GEAR FROM P TO R TO D OR WTVR I NEED TO DO THERE IS NO INDICATION ON WHAT GEAR I'M IN. I'M ASSUMING IT'S ELECTRICAL WHICH ISN'T A GOOD SIGN. JEEP BRAND ISN'T DOING GOOD.…
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TO START I STILL DON'T HAVE MY LICENSE PLATES, WHICH TELLS YOU HOW NEW IT IS. THE GEARSHIFT DOESN'T LIGHT UP AND IF IT DOES IT FLICKERS WHEN I SWITCH GEAR FROM P TO R TO D OR WTVR I NEED TO DO THERE IS NO INDICATION ON WHAT GEAR I'M IN. I'M ASSUMING IT'S ELECTRICAL WHICH ISN'T A GOOD SIGN. JEEP BRAND ISN'T DOING GOOD. ALSO WHEN I LIGHTLY TAP MY GAS IT MAKES THE SOUND OF ACCELERATION BUT IT'S NOT ACTUALLY DOING SO. I HAVE TO TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS FOR THE SYSTEM TO I GUESS CATCH UP WITH THE SPEED I'M TRYING TO GET TO AND THIS IS ON THE CITY STREET . I WILL UPDATE ON 10/3 IF MY CAR COMES BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP BY THEN.
NHTSA ODI #11265426
3,500 miles · Jul 22, 2019
EngineExterior LightingStructureFire
PARKED 2019 JEEP COMPASS IN NORMAL PARKING LOT WENT INSIDE FOR A FEW HOURS THEN HEARD POPPING NOISES FROM PARKING LOT. RAN OUTSIDE TO SEE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURST INTO FLAMES VIA THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGING THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER FLAMES PUT OUT, THERE WAS A LARGE HOLE IN THE HOOD OF THE CAR GOING …
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PARKED 2019 JEEP COMPASS IN NORMAL PARKING LOT WENT INSIDE FOR A FEW HOURS THEN HEARD POPPING NOISES FROM PARKING LOT. RAN OUTSIDE TO SEE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURST INTO FLAMES VIA THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DAMAGING THE ENTIRE FRONT HALF OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER FLAMES PUT OUT, THERE WAS A LARGE HOLE IN THE HOOD OF THE CAR GOING DOWN INTO THE ENGINE THAT DAMAGED THE WINDSHIELD, BUMPER, ENGINE, LIGHT, TIRES AND DOORS. OTHER CARS AROUND MINE WERE DAMAGED AS WELL AS THE FIRE SPREAD. WAS PARKED AT HOTEL PARKING LOT FOR A FEW HOURS BEFORE CAUGHT ON FIRE.
NHTSA ODI #11233740
NHTSA investigations
1PE22013 · False Overheat Leading To Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Dec 2, 2022 · Closed Dec 10, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine; Engine And Engine Cooling
On December 2, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22-013 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power accompanied by high coolant temperature messages on the dashboard of Model Year 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. At the time this investigation was opened, ODI was aware of fifteen Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) for Model Year (MY) 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles alleging a loss of motive power (LOMP) while driving. The LOMP events were often accompanied by a high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high message appearing on the dashboard of the vehicle. In most incidents, the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages spontaneously self-corrected or were corrected after the vehicle was stopped and restarted. One complainant alleged no immediate restart, and the vehicle was towed. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) was opened to assess the frequency and potential safety consequences of these engine shut down events. On January 19th, 2023, ODI sent an information request letter to Fiat Chrysler US LLC (FCA) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. FCA provided its full response on March 2nd, 2023. ODI has reviewed the information FCA provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA’s Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on a review of available information, ODI has identified 173 subject vehicles that likely experienced a shutdown event associated with the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages. ODI found the 2019 Model Year (MY) Jeep Compass as having the highest failure rate while also being the oldest group of vehicles in this investigation. The 2019 Jeep Compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.09%. The 2020 Jeep compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.04%. After reviewing the information available at this time, ODI identified one allegation of a crash and no allegations of injury, fire, or fatality. The alleged crash occurred at a stop light and was able to be restarted immediately. In its response to ODI, FCA provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. FCA believes the alleged defect does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. FCA stated that allegations related to this investigation involve the vehicle notifying the driver of an overheat condition, via a message and telltale lights, followed by an engine shutdown. FCA goes on to say that once the engine shuts down, the driver is instructed via an instrument cluster message to place the vehicle in park. After the vehicle is placed in park, it can then be restarted and immediately driven with no issues. This is consistent with ODI’s observations. Based on the analysis conducted by ODI indicating a low failure rate and given that the vehicles normally can be re-started immediately after the shutdown event, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling
On December 2, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22-013 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power accompanied by high coolant temperature messages on the dashboard of Model Year 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. At the time this investigation was opened, ODI was aware of fifteen Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) for Model Year (MY) 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles alleging a loss of motive power (LOMP) while driving. The LOMP events were often accompanied by a high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high message appearing on the dashboard of the vehicle. In most incidents, the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages spontaneously self-corrected or were corrected after the vehicle was stopped and restarted. One complainant alleged no immediate restart, and the vehicle was towed. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) was opened to assess the frequency and potential safety consequences of these engine shut down events. On January 19th, 2023, ODI sent an information request letter to Fiat Chrysler US LLC (FCA) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. FCA provided its full response on March 2nd, 2023. ODI has reviewed the information FCA provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA’s Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on a review of available information, ODI has identified 173 subject vehicles that likely experienced a shutdown event associated with the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages. ODI found the 2019 Model Year (MY) Jeep Compass as having the highest failure rate while also being the oldest group of vehicles in this investigation. The 2019 Jeep Compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.09%. The 2020 Jeep compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.04%. After reviewing the information available at this time, ODI identified one allegation of a crash and no allegations of injury, fire, or fatality. The alleged crash occurred at a stop light and was able to be restarted immediately. In its response to ODI, FCA provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. FCA believes the alleged defect does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. FCA stated that allegations related to this investigation involve the vehicle notifying the driver of an overheat condition, via a message and telltale lights, followed by an engine shutdown. FCA goes on to say that once the engine shuts down, the driver is instructed via an instrument cluster message to place the vehicle in park. After the vehicle is placed in park, it can then be restarted and immediately driven with no issues. This is consistent with ODI’s observations. Based on the analysis conducted by ODI indicating a low failure rate and given that the vehicles normally can be re-started immediately after the shutdown event, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Engine
On December 2, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22-013 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power accompanied by high coolant temperature messages on the dashboard of Model Year 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. At the time this investigation was opened, ODI was aware of fifteen Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) for Model Year (MY) 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles alleging a loss of motive power (LOMP) while driving. The LOMP events were often accompanied by a high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high message appearing on the dashboard of the vehicle. In most incidents, the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages spontaneously self-corrected or were corrected after the vehicle was stopped and restarted. One complainant alleged no immediate restart, and the vehicle was towed. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) was opened to assess the frequency and potential safety consequences of these engine shut down events. On January 19th, 2023, ODI sent an information request letter to Fiat Chrysler US LLC (FCA) requesting pertinent information on the subject 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles. FCA provided its full response on March 2nd, 2023. ODI has reviewed the information FCA provided as well as new reports submitted to NHTSA’s Vehicle Owner Questionnaire database. Based on a review of available information, ODI has identified 173 subject vehicles that likely experienced a shutdown event associated with the high coolant temperature or coolant temperature too high dashboard messages. ODI found the 2019 Model Year (MY) Jeep Compass as having the highest failure rate while also being the oldest group of vehicles in this investigation. The 2019 Jeep Compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.09%. The 2020 Jeep compass vehicles that experienced a failure represent an incident rate of about 0.04%. After reviewing the information available at this time, ODI identified one allegation of a crash and no allegations of injury, fire, or fatality. The alleged crash occurred at a stop light and was able to be restarted immediately. In its response to ODI, FCA provided its assessment of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. FCA believes the alleged defect does not pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. FCA stated that allegations related to this investigation involve the vehicle notifying the driver of an overheat condition, via a message and telltale lights, followed by an engine shutdown. FCA goes on to say that once the engine shuts down, the driver is instructed via an instrument cluster message to place the vehicle in park. After the vehicle is placed in park, it can then be restarted and immediately driven with no issues. This is consistent with ODI’s observations. Based on the analysis conducted by ODI indicating a low failure rate and given that the vehicles normally can be re-started immediately after the shutdown event, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. NHTSA reserves the right take additional actions if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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