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2020 Jeep Compass

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Compass do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 126.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 31 of 139 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 79 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 28 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

65 reports
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Mileage unknown · Mar 21, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

I purchased this vehicle a year ago. About 2 months ago I started having problems getting the vehicle to start. AAA & Geico have come several times to jump me. The vehicle also states High coolant temperature sometimes when it does this. At one point it would not go over 35 mph. I took it to the jeep dealer to be told start by r…

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I purchased this vehicle a year ago. About 2 months ago I started having problems getting the vehicle to start. AAA & Geico have come several times to jump me. The vehicle also states High coolant temperature sometimes when it does this. At one point it would not go over 35 mph. I took it to the jeep dealer to be told start by replacing both batteries for $600 and then we can go from there! She also stated it was probably electrical. I don't have $600 to spare, especially on a vehicle that's a 2020. Took it to Auto Zone they tested both batteries & said they both tested fine. I ended up purchasing a jump box as this happens at least 3 times/week. Well as of today, now that wont even work.

NHTSA ODI #11457667

Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

An issue with my 2020 Jeep Compass has been reoccurring, regardless of the engine temperature whether at operating temperature or cold, the vehicle will flash a message of "Coolant Temperature too High", the vehicle will shut itself down and the operator will need to press the brake, press the start/stop button to fully turn the…

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An issue with my 2020 Jeep Compass has been reoccurring, regardless of the engine temperature whether at operating temperature or cold, the vehicle will flash a message of "Coolant Temperature too High", the vehicle will shut itself down and the operator will need to press the brake, press the start/stop button to fully turn the vehicle off, press the brake again and press the start/stop button again to restart the vehicle. After restarting, the vehicle will run normally until the error message flashes again. this issue will occur when pulling out of the drive way after the vehicle has been sitting over night and when it is stopped at a stop light. When driving at highway speeds the vehicle will flash the same "Coolant Temperature Too High" message, act as if it wants to shut itself off for a split second, steering and braking is effected when this happens, and after a split second the vehicle returns to normal operation. The vehicle has been into a Jeep dealership multiple times, on one occasion the auxiliary battery was replaced and that seemed to have solved the issue for a few months but the same coolant temperature message and associated issues returned. The vehicle was taken back to the dealership again and no issues were found. After the most recent trip to the dealership the vehicle drove and operated normally for four days until the next day, the same message and issues listed above happened twice in one morning. I have filed a complaint with Fiat Chrysler, the dealerships have no solution to this issue which in my opinion is a safety hazard, due to the fact the vehicle wants to turn off while traveling at highway speeds.

NHTSA ODI #11439469

3,000 miles · Feb 4, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

MY CAMERAS QUIT WORKING FIRST. 2ND TIME IN THE SHOP, DUE TO STALLING WHEN DRIVING. 3RD TIME LOOSING POWER/STALLING WHILE DRIVING. LOOSING ALL POWER TO CENTER CONSOLE. RADIO, HEAT, PHONE WOULDN'T CONNECT, SCREEN WASN'T WORKING. NOTHING. CAME.BACK ON WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #11394687

8,000 miles · Nov 5, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, INTERSTATE, ETC - RANDOM TIMES THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WILL OVERHEAT UP TO 295 DEGREES, AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL ENGINE WISE. ALL POWER IS LOST TO THE GAS PEDAL AND I'M NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES THE ELECTRICAL WILL SHUTTER, LIGHTS WILL DIM. ANOTHER TIME VEHICLE WAS COMPLETE…

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DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, INTERSTATE, ETC - RANDOM TIMES THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WILL OVERHEAT UP TO 295 DEGREES, AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL ENGINE WISE. ALL POWER IS LOST TO THE GAS PEDAL AND I'M NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES THE ELECTRICAL WILL SHUTTER, LIGHTS WILL DIM. ANOTHER TIME VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY IMMOBILIZED AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. THE OVERHEATING AND STALLING HAS HAPPENED 4/5 TIMES NOW - AND ALL JEEP CAN TELL ME IS THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, SERVICE TRANSMISSION MESSAGE, AND OVERHEAT WARNING COMES ON AS WELL. I'VE SHOWN THEM PICTURES OF THE OVERHEATING TEMPERATURE AS WELL AS ERROR MESSAGES. THEY (JEEP SERVICE) HAS TOLD ME WHEN THEY HOOK IT UP TO THEIR MACHINE IN SERVICE, IT TELLS THEM NOTHING - SO THEY CLAIM THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT OR WHAT CAUSES IT. THIS CAR IS A DEATH TRAP WAITING TO HAPPEN. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. MY CAR HAS BEEN "IN SERVICE" FOR 4 WEEKS NOW WITH NO RESOLUTION IN SIGHT, AND I'M BEING TOLD SINCE THE ISSUE CAN'T BE DUPLICATED IT'S NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AND THAT I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LOANER I WAS GIVEN. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THEY COULDN'T GET THE CAR TEMPERATURE OVER 200 DEGREES, AND THAT THEY CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE OVER 65MPH PER THEIR INSURANCE POLICIES. SO, I TOLD THEM I WOULD DRIVE THE CAR FOR 20 MINS, AND BRING IT BACK TO THEM OVER 200 DEGREES. I CAME BACK IN 25 MINS, AND GAVE THEM THE CAR AT 230 DEGREES. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE SHOP TO BE HOOKED UP TO THEIR "MACHINE" AND SAID HE RECEIVED NO ERROR MESSAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE MECHANIC SAYS THE CAR SHOULD NEVER GO OVER 200 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION TEMPERATURE RUNS OVER 200 DEGREES DAILY.

NHTSA ODI #11373221

700 miles · Aug 10, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON TWO OCCASIONS. BOTH TIMES I HAD SLOWED TO A STOP AND WHEN I HIT THE GAS TO REACCELERATE AT A GREEN LIGHT THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE INFOTAINMENT SCREENS REMAINED ON AND THE LIGHTS ON THE SHIFT KNOB STARTED TO BLINK. I HAD TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK, TURN IT OFF AND RESTART IT ALL WHILE SITTING AT A…

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VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON TWO OCCASIONS. BOTH TIMES I HAD SLOWED TO A STOP AND WHEN I HIT THE GAS TO REACCELERATE AT A GREEN LIGHT THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE INFOTAINMENT SCREENS REMAINED ON AND THE LIGHTS ON THE SHIFT KNOB STARTED TO BLINK. I HAD TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK, TURN IT OFF AND RESTART IT ALL WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION. IT WAS NOT A QUICK PROCESS. THE CAR HAS AN IDLE FEATURE TO SAVE ON GAS HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT THE FEATURE IN ACTION THE CAR WAS OFF COMPLETELY.

NHTSA ODI #11348490

Official recalls

1

20V208000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Apr 9, 2020

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W25.

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

1

PE22013 · 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.