NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Unknown Or Other complaints
84 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · May 23, 2024
Unknown Or Other
Car stopped in the middle of an intersection, and a ton of dash lights came on. Did this about 2 times x Brought it to Jeep dealership and they said that the diagnostic is coming back that everything is fine with the vehicle. I see a lot of jeep compasses are doing this and i need whatever the issue is to be resolved with a reca…
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Car stopped in the middle of an intersection, and a ton of dash lights came on. Did this about 2 times x Brought it to Jeep dealership and they said that the diagnostic is coming back that everything is fine with the vehicle. I see a lot of jeep compasses are doing this and i need whatever the issue is to be resolved with a recall or something to prevent this from happening to other and get this issued solved immediately. I’ve been to jeep and NOTHING.
NHTSA ODI #11590374
Mileage unknown · May 19, 2024
Unknown Or Other
Vehicle randomly blinks coolant too hot, locks up and shuts down. All fluids are full and there is no reason for the warming. Has happened backing out of the driveway, going slow, and on the freeway. Very dangerous
NHTSA ODI #11589551
Mileage unknown · May 6, 2024
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other
I was traveling from Dallas to Austin for a wedding on [XXX], going the speed limit I notice my car begins to decelerate, I would put my foot on the gas and the car wouldn't speed up, I just kept hearing my engine rev up. In addition to that, a bunch of symbols, notifications and noises started alarming and going off on my dash,…
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I was traveling from Dallas to Austin for a wedding on [XXX], going the speed limit I notice my car begins to decelerate, I would put my foot on the gas and the car wouldn't speed up, I just kept hearing my engine rev up. In addition to that, a bunch of symbols, notifications and noises started alarming and going off on my dash, it seemed like every symbol on the dash popped up. Trying to prevent an accident while having a panic attack, I had barely enough time to switch lanes and pull over while still on this dangerous highway. Once I stopped the vehicle, the brake became hard to push with my foot and the dash continued to go crazy blinking on and off. After an hour or so, the car started acting fine. I eventually got back home and took it to Jeep in Frisco, TX, and they "repaired" my vehicle they replaced my auxiliary battery and the main battery. I got the car from the shop and it was fine. 2 months later, it happened again! My car slowed down while I was on the highway and this time I couldn't pull over to safety, so I put my hazards on and just prayed I wouldn't get hit and called for a tow truck. After doing some research I'm not the only jeep owner who has had this issue, others have experienced the same thing. Ultimately this is a Jeep issue. My car is basically a death trap, and I lost my job because I lost my reliable means of transportation! My car is currently sitting out front collecting dust, I don't have the money to gamble on what the mechanics THINK is the issue, they can't figure it out! I don't want the vehicle! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11587128
Mileage unknown · Apr 15, 2024
Unknown Or OtherVisibility/wiper
The Uconnect screen has a black line on majority of the screen- happened occasionally at first, then every other time I started the vehicle, and now every time. I am unable to use the screen due to the malfunction which means I cannot use the back up camera, see the maps on the screen for navigation, or control heating/temp incl…
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The Uconnect screen has a black line on majority of the screen- happened occasionally at first, then every other time I started the vehicle, and now every time. I am unable to use the screen due to the malfunction which means I cannot use the back up camera, see the maps on the screen for navigation, or control heating/temp including defrost due not being able to see the screen which I feel are all safety issues to both myself and other drivers. So far an independent service center is running diagnostics- and no warning signs.
NHTSA ODI #11583065
Mileage unknown · Mar 27, 2024
Unknown Or Other
Car stalls while driving. While car is in drive it will stall and steering becomes limited. Works again once car is restarted.
NHTSA ODI #11579769
Mileage unknown · Jan 21, 2024
Unknown Or Other
I bought this vehicle as a CPO. After a few months the vehicle was intermittently having issues with the start stop being disabled when using the remote start. Subsequently the vehicle wouldn’t engage to start without being powered back down and restarted which would reset the start stop as well. Last week I went to remote …
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I bought this vehicle as a CPO. After a few months the vehicle was intermittently having issues with the start stop being disabled when using the remote start. Subsequently the vehicle wouldn’t engage to start without being powered back down and restarted which would reset the start stop as well. Last week I went to remote start the vehicle and everything cycled through like it would start but never turned over. Now the start stop is just disengaged. From reading the various forums on this vehicle the start stop is a common problem with no resolve.
NHTSA ODI #11566851
Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
My vehicle randomly stopped on the freeway one morning. I had no warning signs or lights on at the moment. This has occurred for the second time in the past few months. I took it to the dealership, and they acted strange as if they did not want to be held responsible for diagnosing the vehicle. I took it to another mechanic, and…
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My vehicle randomly stopped on the freeway one morning. I had no warning signs or lights on at the moment. This has occurred for the second time in the past few months. I took it to the dealership, and they acted strange as if they did not want to be held responsible for diagnosing the vehicle. I took it to another mechanic, and he stated that the car has a major electrical issue. This is something extremely dangerous, not only to myself but to other drivers around me.
NHTSA ODI #11563089
Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2023
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other
First my screen started glitching then went black, then about a week later car kept saying start/stop unavailable, then car decided it didn't want to start (not even after being jumped) I haven't had my vehicle not even 3 years yet and I'm still making payments on it.. but why all of a sudden is ir not starting? All I hear is a …
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First my screen started glitching then went black, then about a week later car kept saying start/stop unavailable, then car decided it didn't want to start (not even after being jumped) I haven't had my vehicle not even 3 years yet and I'm still making payments on it.. but why all of a sudden is ir not starting? All I hear is a click when I try to start it.
NHTSA ODI #11562749
Mileage unknown · Dec 26, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other
Car jerks/bucks violently when accelerating, to the point of being unable to control steering and slamming me into steering wheel. This has happened numerous, numerous times. Was towed to dealership, who claimed it was a loose battery cable, charged me, and said it was good to go. The very same day I picked it up, it continues t…
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Car jerks/bucks violently when accelerating, to the point of being unable to control steering and slamming me into steering wheel. This has happened numerous, numerous times. Was towed to dealership, who claimed it was a loose battery cable, charged me, and said it was good to go. The very same day I picked it up, it continues to do this, every time I drive it. It also will die completely and not restart when in park idling. This has happened at least 20x, which was also attributed to the loose cable. However it continues to do the exact same thing as before the dealership "fixed" it. I drive in the middle of nowhere, 40 miles to work in the early morning hours, making this especially unsafe as I have been stranded on a country road alone several times, which is highly unsafe as a female. I cannot continue to drive this as it is right now as I dont know when it may just stop running or not start, or start bucking violently causing me to crash or become injured. I do have videos of this happening several times over the course of less than two hours. There has also been a couple warning lights that have come on randomly (Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light, Electronic Stability Control Active Warning Light, Service Stop/Start Warning Light) and a message (Dynamic Steering Torque). I just bought this used from a dealership July 25, 2023. It is only December 26, 2023. I dont feel safe driving this vehicle and have given the dealership an opportunity to address and fix whatever may be causing it, to no avail. I do not wish to keep this vehicle, nor do I feel safe trusting in the dealership to make it a safe vehicle for me to continue to drive.
NHTSA ODI #11561883
Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
Multiple incidents over the last 5-7 weeks up to and including today 11/05/2023. When walking out and starting my Compass the engine/vehicle initially would not start. When initially pressing the start button all the dashboard lights, gauges and annunciators would illuminate but I would receive a “coolant temperature too hot” me…
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Multiple incidents over the last 5-7 weeks up to and including today 11/05/2023. When walking out and starting my Compass the engine/vehicle initially would not start. When initially pressing the start button all the dashboard lights, gauges and annunciators would illuminate but I would receive a “coolant temperature too hot” message on the dashboard and the car ultimately would not turnover and start but rather just shut down completely. Upon waiting a couple seconds I tried to start it again and this time it would start up just fine all normal without any messages on the dashboard. In other occurrences I’d receive multiple dashboard messages which included the ESS system but after turning off and trying to start again my Compass would not and I’d have to jumpstart the battery In order to successfully start the vehicle. From what I have researched and read on myjeepforums and Reddit it seems that many Compass owners going back to 2019/2020 are currently having or have gone through this same problem ultimately spending thousands upon thousands of dollars on part replacements and dealership visits only to be told that they cannot find the problem or know what may be causing the problem even though they are well aware of these issues. Some complaints have stated that this issue has happened while driving on major expressways or busy roads at random causing them to just come to a complete stop in the middle of traffic on expressways or during turns! I am taking my Compass to the dealership tomorrow morning 11/06/2023 at 7am to make them known of these issues I am having but I’m not holding out any hope. Jeep has not issued any recalls since this problem was brought to late in 2020. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle any longer and I will not spend thousands of dollars on random part replacements when dealerships or outright telling other compass owners that they can’t locate or college the problem. My next step after tomorrow may be to consult a lawyer.
NHTSA ODI #11553685
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.