NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Jeep Compass. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Turned vehicle on. Going down the road about a mile from home vehicle turned off while in motion. Manage to turn car on after a minute and move to a safe area. After inspection, car had thought half an inch of oil. Car is inspected with regular oil changes. No prior signs that vehicle has loss oil.
While parked for maybe 10 minutes, the service engine and service transmission lights dinged. When putting in reverse it shifted really hard and felt like the car jumped. No problem going in reverse, but would not accelerate very well, couldn’t go over 30-35mph. Going on 2 days now! The code we’ve gotten is “P1DD2”, but no one seems to know what it means. Taking it in Monday morning. Very frustrating and not safe at all!! I’ve read several issues of the same incident(s).
I parked my car somewhere between 1:00-1:30 pm came back out at 3:00 and opened my drivers side door to see the door panel caught fire it was extinguished when I open the door. Yes it can be inspected I could’ve been driving when it caught fire. It will be inspected by an insurance adjuster on Monday. No appearance of any problem prior to incident.
Was pulling into traffic and my car had a low oil pressure light come on and the car shut off almost got hit 3 days later the wiring system when crazy wouldn't let me shut the car off causing my car to over heat
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the infotainment screen would occasionally independently operate or fail to operate as needed without warning. Due to the failure, various safety features including the defroster could not be used as needed. The contact had initially called the maker of the infotainment screen and she was informed that a case had been opened regarding the failure; however, the manufacturer had not helped regarding the failure. The vehicle manufacturer was then notified of the failure and referred her to a local dealer and the NHTSA. The contact then notified the dealer and made an appointment for service. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
Radio,navigation, backup camera touch screen is not working properly and sometimes changes settings, views and stations on its own. When using backup camera this creates a dangerous situation. Radio station changes can be a distraction situation while driving.
2018 jeep compass rearview cameras fail. Info shared by hundreds of owners on Reddit and jeep forums. Mine haven't functioned properly since 2022 mostly off but working sometimes with lag.
Engine sputtering, stalling, then shutting down during intersection turns while trying to move from a stationary position, etc. This started happening only recently during colder temperatures here in Michigan, December 2021, and has only happened at the second intersection on a declined roadway, and only if the vehicle engine has not been "warmed up". This issues has now occurred 4 times at the same declining intersection. My daughter drives this vehicle and transports herself and my 3 grandchildren!
I purchased my 2018 Jeep Compass Limited as a certified pre-owned in late 2019 or early 2020. Late December 2021 I noticed that my infotainment screen looked strange so I began searching online and discovered the delamination known issue with the 2018 Jeep Compass screens. I took the car to the dealership that services it for me and they acted as though they had never heard of the issue (which I was certain wasn't true) before finally admitting they had "a couple" of these issues brought in. The only remedy according to them is for me to pay $1995.00 for a replacement. I am disabled and do not have that kind of money for the repair. A few short weeks later and now my backup camera isn't working at all, my screen randomly freezes up while driving or won't shut off when the car is turned off. My heated steering wheel gets blazing hot and won't turn off and the heat and AC randomly turn themselves on at full blast. I bought this particular vehicle Limited Edition because it had GPS, the backup camera and heated seats and steering wheel because I have severe arthritis and autoimmune issues that affect my joints and my vision. The heat helps my back and hands so I can drive. The camera was a great help in my being safe to back up as my peripheral vision is an issue. This defective part is a SAFETY issue! I don't feel safe driving the car because I cannot see to back up. I'm constantly having to focus on trying to correct the random issues with the screen controls instead of concentrating on my driving. It's dangerous and they need to issue a recall! Jeep is well aware of this issue.
On 12/21/21 at 6:30AM my vechicle stalled out making a right hand turn off on Trap Shooters Road onto Bay Road Magnolia DE. On 12/22/21 at 3:30PM my vechicle stalled out making a right hand turn off of Walker Road on to Salsbury Road in Dover DE. I took the car to jiffy lube on the way home from work and the car was over two quarts low on oil with 2K more before oil change is due. This was the fourth time the car ran out of oil inbetween oil changes. It uses over one quart per 1K miles
The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Jeep Compass Latitude. The contacts daughter stated while driving approximately 20 mph when the vehicle pulled to the right without warning, which resulted in hitting a parked vehicle. The air bags were deployed minus the rear driver-side air bag. The contacts daughter sustained some bruising on her legs, chest, and hands but did not seek medical treatment and a police report was taken. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where it was awaiting diagnosis. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The wire behind screen gets too hot and none of the controls work. It overheats the screen and it won't turn on. Also it took 15 minutes to unlock the doors more than one time. Something with the lock mechanisms is faulty. In the cold winter the doors won't unlock and open . Very poorly designed. I love this jeep but don't have the money to fix ALL of these issues. It has really low miles too.
uconnect 8.4 inch touchscreen is delaminating. This soon leads to software buttons being activated randomly, as I have read in blogs. This screen controls phone, navigation, electronic power to things like seat movement among many other features.
The touchscreen laminate on the display is rapidly detaching from the screen. This causes a safety issue in distractions in the screen causing accidental calls, changed radio stations, and generally making any adjustments to the vehicle because of a faulty screen.
The backup camera doesn’t activate when going into reverse intermittently. Sometimes it has a very long delay too.
On 3 separate occasions since we purchased the vehicle, the Start/Stop function, where it shuts down at a light or Stop sign, has failed to restart the vehicle upon pressing the gas pedal. We have had to have the vehicle towed for service each time, and they are now replacing the starter again after having replaced it and the fuse link, as well as battery issues related to the start/stop function. Each time, this has happened in intersection (stop light). We have almost been rear ended or hit because the vehicle is now impeding the flow of traffic and has to be put into neutral and pushed off the road, then towed, as it will not start back up without repair. We have always taken it to an official MOPAR/CDRJ service center for repair. It has less than 16,000 miles on it. There was no warning or indication this was going to occur each time, it just fails to start back up after the start/stop function activates.
When using the auto start/stop feature, the vehicle will stall at a stop once I attempt to move from a stop. It happens any time I use this feature, and I have to be sure to turn it off before driving. The most recent incident happened at a stop light, and morning traffic was behind me, causing a back up and potential wreck. We have replaced both batteries and it has not remedied the situation and at this point I am not feeling safe to drive my own vehicle.
Stalled in the middle of traffic and would not switch out of gears almost was rear ended. Acceleration delayed and jerks when accelerating going up hill. Check engine light comes on if idling too long. Constant need for oil changes and burning smell of oil leak. Smoke coming from hood due to oil leak. Misfires and if idle temperature of coolant and transmission increases.
The screen is out affecting an advertised safety feature with the backup camera not working. It is a known issue with the 2018 Jeep Compass yet they are not doing a recall. When I called into Jeep they continued to refer to it as a radio issue. I explained the entire screen is out and it affects the hands free feature, backup camera and as it is cold out now they have a feature where the heated steering wheel and heated seat turns on high when the vehicle starts automatically and with the screen out you have no way to turn it off. Long periods of time in the car get very uncomfortable and distracting with your seat and steering wheel very hot and unable to turn off. The screen just shows lines through it like an old TV when you did not get that station. Spoke with a few dealerships which also confirmed this is a known issue and they have had a lot of repairs. Jeep just confirmed it is still under review for a recall, hoping with more complaints it will assist with the recall going through as this is a $900 fix that was quoted to me and the vehicle has around 24,000 miles only.
While driving the engine will shut off completely, I’m unable to press the gas pedal to accelerate the vehicle and have to coast my vehicle to a place in order to shut off the vehicle and start it in order to continue driving.
While driving down the road going 55mph, my car suddenly stalled with the "Service Transmission" and "Service Engine" lights and messages appearing. The car would not accelerate. Once safely stopped on the side of the road, the car shifted heavily in park. In order for my car to safely drive, we had to sit with the car off for several minutes. Once cranked again, the service transmission light went off and it would shift into gear without any grinding noise but the Service engine light stayed on. This is the SAME ISSUE REPORTED AND RECALLED with the PCM Voltage Regulator Chip. It has done this FIVE TIMES while driving down the road, and countless others while idling in park. This is a safety hazard. Though the VIN dictates it is not part of the recall, my car clearly is.
My car stalls and then stops at red lights or when stopping for a bit of time. When I accelerate it seems to hesitate and then stop. The brake engages and the engine stops. I cannot go at all. All of my dashboard lights, the radio, and anything else that was on at the time, like the A/C, still runs. I have to turn everything off. Wait about a minute and disengage the brake. I can press the ignition button and the car starts back. If I had to describe it, the car dies as soon as I accelerate after stopping at red lights or at stop signs. At first, I thought it was because I was stepping on the gas too soon after stopping but that is not the case. This is becoming an issue and it is extremely frightening and annoying
My car lost acceleration on nj Garden state highway driving 65 miles. Luckily I was driving in the right lane as this happened. I quickly flashed my hazards as soon as I noticed, to alert drivers behind me. My car slowly moved onto the side of the highway. My breaks would not fully stop the car. It finally stopped on its own luckily. I stayed on the side of the road for about a few good long mins trying to figure out what to do or WHO to call. I then tried turning on the car again to see if it would start. It turned on and the oil warning blinked for like one second. That was it. Never stayed on like other cars do. Not one warning beforehand. From my experience of owning other cars, if your car is running low on oil, a warning light comes on and stays on until the oil is changed. Not this car, only this one second. I was heading into nyc and I just prayed my car wouldn’t shut down on me again until I got to my destination. Luckily got home safe and made an appointment to a mechanic. They told me my car consumes more oil than the average car and therefore I would have to change it more frequently. This is the reason my car malfunctioned. How is this safe? Especially that the car doesn’t give a warning, this has given me so much anxiety. I could have gotten into a major accident. Now I have to guess whether I’ve driven x amount of miles and now I have to change the oil. Such a safety hazard.
Car is under 40k miles. Was turning and the car took off on its own. Rapidly accelerating until the car flashed emergency electronic throttle control. It took off so fast I had to drive off the road to avoid slamming into someone. The breaks would not slow it downs the scariest thing that has happened in ten years off driving. The car had a complete mind of its own and hadn’t shown any signs of problems with this previously.
The car stops in the middle of traffic and doesn’t restart for about 5 mins causing traffic stops. People have to go around me because the emergency brake won’t disengage. The car won’t start when it’s supposed to I called to get it repaired and they gave an appointment 2 months later. The car is just sitting.
I purchased this vehicle in June 2021. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have had it in the dealership (Lia Jeep, Dodge, Ram in Colonie, NY) five times for the same problem. The vehicle hasn’t been repaired to date. The problem is that the temperature gauge will spike at random and the vehicle will stall out. It will restart after a period of time (usually minutes). If I keep the start/stop feature disengaged the problem is kept in check until the start/stop re-engages which it does on it’s own. I have had this (vehicle stalling out in traffic) to me too many times. It’s amazing that I haven’t been hit from behind. This vehicle has stalled out while I was in a round about and it has happened several time when I was exiting various places I do business with. If the dealership doesn’t get this resolved, I will be left with no other choice than to pursue New York Lemon Law.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while her granddaughter was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat and then seized. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to park on the side of the road. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the engine to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experience the same failure at the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced for a second time. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V670000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that water was entering the headlight housing and the headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The unconnect radio worked fine for 3 years until I would have the heat running a while and then the screen would either go completely black or black with colored lines going through it. Since it has warmed up and now summer, I can come out and the screen does not work. This cause a safety issue it’s many blind spots in the vehicle and hard to see when going in reverse! Also the car’s temperature control settings are in the screen. When this happens at night it causes a issue because its like a flashing with the black and other colors it does when the screen goes out. I cannot control the radio, temperature, GPS navigation, backup camera, etc. Google it this is a know issue jeep need to put a recall out on these radios. The infotainment screen is delaminating. Safety at risk: This is a problem because most of the controls for the vehicle are based in the infotainment touch screen. I've checked the web and noticed this is a problem with model year 2018 and possibly other years. Not a one time incident and seems to be happening to all models with the infotainment system.
HID headlights only work intermittently. no headlights randomly while driving is extremely dangerous. two dealers have reviewed vehicle and have no fix. issue is constant and one light is off 95% of the time, sometimes driver side, sometimes passenger side, sometimes no lights at all. no warning lamps in the dash, vehicle thinks its working fine. this has been ongoing for over a year.
Since purchasing my vehicle the fuel saver feature has caused my car to stall at stop signs or red lights. I have taken it in many times for service for them to put a temporary update on the computer and say im good to go. Yet again this past weekend we go to stop at a red light, the fuel saver kicks on, and all of sudden the car stalls, warning messages start popping up stating engine service, transmission service, auto start/stop disabled, and the car starts rolling backwards as we were on a hill. Luckily we put our hazards on and turned the car off and back on and was then able to accelerate forward but the warning signs continue to show. To say this vehicle is going to kill someone is an understatement yet there are no active recalls for this vehicle. I have read countless articles on consumers having this exact issue for this same car with nothing being done.
I have had several lights flash on my dash (I have videos) and car would not start without a jump start. I took it to a dealership that told me I needed two new batteries (needing these because the vehicle ruined the two I had). I took my vehicle to a battery store for them to install batteries, as soon as I left the pull over safely the car is going to shit down came on, on highway I finally found a place but not before the car started putting several warming lights on and check engine light on again, then lurching slowing to no acceleration and stopping in the middle of the road no power, none not even enough to power the door locks. This is the 3rd attempt at fixing this issue without any help from Chrysler that my Vin should be included in the U87 recall I have the same engine and problems. The dealership (Victory Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram) refused to actually fox the issue. Then told me because I did not buy the Mopar brand batteries that why my vehicle nearly killed my family, AGAIN.
My husband purchased me this car about three months ago and it has been nothing but hell for me. My car won’t stop swallowing oil. I had an oil change a month ago and I’ve already lost a little over half of the oil, and there’s no obvious oil leaks under the car. My tranny also won’t shift past a 45 minute drive. It shifts rough for the first half hour but after that it progressively gets worse by the minute. After 45 minutes it won’t go faster than 50ish mph and it makes a very loud humming sound when it tries to shift. It has a harder time driving through cities than on the highway, my car just won’t go. I’m trying to gather the money to get it fixed but times have been hard so I haven’t even been able to drive the car. It only has 39k miles on it and I spent over 30k for it so it’s super agitating. I’ve talked to other jeep owners and they’ve all complained about similar issues with the transmission
My car burns a quart of oil every 500 miles, it doesn’t warn me when it’s low on oil. Only when it’s bone dry, and when its low on oil it throws random engine codes that make the car start stalling. I’ve been driving down the interstate in the fast lane and my car just shut completely off with no check engine light on, no low oil warning, no warning at all. My breaks don’t work when my car shuts off, so on the interstate doing 70 isn’t an option for me anymore. I fear that my children will be in my car, and I’ll get plowed from behind because my car randomly shuts off!! This car shouldn’t be allowed to be sold.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The traction control warning light illuminated and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact waited until the vehicle cooled down and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the ECM needed to be updated, and the battery needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and the contact was advised to contacted the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
On September 3, 2021, my vehicle failed in the middle of the street without warning. The dash lights were on but the vehicle would not move. The engine light was also on. This happened in the turning lane in the middle of the street. There was no warning. When I pressed on the gas to go when the light changed is when I discovered that the car was inoperable. It had to be towed. My safety, as well as those driving on that road was put at risk because of how busy the street is regularly. In addition, at that intersection there are 4 lanes of traffic. In order for a diagnosis the dealership states that it needs to replace a fuse.
Two issues to report. Both common and known to happen. Causing safety issues. The 1st. Wheel speed sensors either come loose or disconnected. This turns off AbS , dynamic steering and hill descent. Could be very dangerous is rainy or icy conditions. The 2nd. The Jeep radio unit starts to go out and then dies. Dealers know about the issue but have no idea how to fix other than make the consumer pay for a replacement if out of warranty. When the head unit goes out, the driver looses the ability to use the rear view camera while reversing, could be potentially deadly for kids behind a vehicle. Both issues are widely known on Jeep Compass 2nd generations and above. Just like the engines consume oil, Jeep knows about the wheel speed issue and radio issue.
Multimedia screen began delaminating and causing SEVERAL issues, including attempting to call Emergency Services through the app while I was driving. This is an extremely common issues throughout the Jeep community with 2018 vehicles across many models. I drive a Compass but there have been Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, etc. with this same exact issue.
I purchased my vehicle in 2019 and had no issues aside from having to get my oil changed much more often than expected (not just by me, but by my servicing location). Just last month I went to turn my vehicle on for work, and the vehicle seemed to be turning on, but then stalled out. It read a message of “service electronic parking brake” and “service ESC system.” My husband managed to get it to turn on the next day and we took it into the dealership, but they could not replicate the incident and said no codes appeared and the vehicle was “fine”. Less than a week later, the same issue arose yet again and I worked around some technical way to be able to turn it on. It was an off and on issue. A couple of days ago when turning on the vehicle to go to work the issue continued, but still I turned it on the way I have gotten accustomed to. As I shift gears into drive, I notice the car feeling somewhat shaky and when I head out lightly press my brakes, the brakes feel as if my emergency brake is engaged. I stop into a parking spot and turn on my emergency parking brake and then disengage it. Then I decide to see if that made a difference, well this time as I picked up speed (around 10mph) it felt as if I had a flat tire but all the tires were fine. I parked back up and took my car to the dealership the following day. On the short drive to the dealership the car felt like it was dragging heavily and the sound was a horrifying screeching sound. Once I arrived I explained everything and my car actually displayed the issue upon my arrival and was told it was odd, but yet again I have been told that they couldn’t replicate the issue. I just can’t understand how after seeing and hearing my vehicle there is nothing more that they can do to make sure there are no issues. Currently there are no recalls on my vehicle but I believe there should be further investigation into it as I am seeing many issues with the make, model and year I posses.
Oil was changed last year and within 48 hours all leaked out, no issue found with oil filter such as torn gasket, double gasket, twisted gasket, etc. Refilled and installed new filter and randomly there would be oil spots. Next 2 oil changes we ran into the same issue with slow leaks, random leaks, etc. with no reason why. This last time, the technician stated that it has been seen frequently on Jeep Compass vehicles in their shop. In researching we found there is a known issue where the oil cooler sheet metal is too thin and it easily warps which prevents a solid seal on the oil filter causing leaks. When I called our local dealership the service manager agreed and said they have the new replacement part in stock and are frequently changing them due to this issue. I believe this should be a recall as there is a safety risk if it randomly decides to leak out all the oil while driving down the road, or randomly leak any amount of oil.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that while driving 25 - 30 MPH, and making a turn, the vehicle stalled. The low engine oil message was displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer performed an oil consumption test and reprogrammed the powertrain control module (PCM). However, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the oil level was near empty and that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer would not cover the cost of repair since the vehicle was not under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
CAR WOULD NOT STOP, HAD NO CONTROL BEFORE IT HIT THE FRONT OF A HOUSE
About two years ago I noticed that my seat had a broken part. The power seat assembly had a broken place where it attaches to the actual seat. Finding the part to replace it is so expensive. I also purchased two new batteries running $400 plus from the dealership with the vehicle only being a few year old the batteries should last longer. The start stop on the car fails all the time and I barely am able to crank the car from the fob. Since purchasing this vehicle for $31,210. I am trying to reach the manufacture to see what they can do.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the engine failed. The contact stated that while driving in traffic at various speeds, the vehicle abruptly stalled. The failure was experienced several times. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the push to start button remained illuminated after the failure occurred. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after waiting a few minutes and regained normal vehicle functionality. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
In April my vehicle started stalling when I would turn the corner. Then it died when my son and I were going down the highway at full speed. It just stopped running I had no power to move anymore. Then it would not sure off so I could start it again, now it is hit or miss if it will start I had to buy a jump box so I could go to the store or work. Today the auto start light came on, I am in fear for my families safety. I have reported it to Chrysler multiple times, taken my vehicle to two different dealerships all refusing to help the second dealer refuses to look at it to determine what the issue could be without me paying them first. I am scare we are going to stall again in the highway and get killed. Please help.
Screen delimitation, this is causing the the screen to act on its own. This is distracting to the driver to constantly try to fix the false inputs. This effects Bluetooth, climate controls, and other systems in the car.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while approaching his driveway, when turning off the headlight and the ignition, he noticed the “Lights On’ message was illuminated however, the lights were off. The contact also stated on another occasion, while making a right turn, the vehicle seized. The contact stated while restarting the vehicle, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued to experience the failure while driving to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where he had an oil change performed but did not have the vehicle diagnosed. The mechanic was not informed about the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V670000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 17V740000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to operate intermittently. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the warranty had expired and there was no recall associated with the Vin. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for diagnosis. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Bought this jeep from dealer Bourne car center, easton ma. jeep electric system malfunction with brakes frequently. Brakes gets locked up and car does not start. i bought this car 5 months before, this issue has happened 3 times already. concerned with brake issue. when jeep is moving, it works well.
I have a 2018 Jeep Compass with a 8.4" Uconnect Infotainment system. I have owned the car since new. The infotainment system screen has started to de-laminate after only 3yrs. This is something you usually see in screens much, much older. While researching the issue at several user sites, I have found that the de-lamination of the screen is quite common among, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep vehicles. I believe this is a defect in the build of the infotainment control head screen and, at minimum, the manufacturer should offer a one time repair to original owners, ans correct the defect in all future vehicles.