2023 Jeep Compass Complaint Log

The car sways back and forth and the steering wheel shakes.

I am filing this complaint regarding a deceptive business practice at Haddad Dodge Kia involving the falsification of official vehicle service records and the mishandling of safety-critical repairs. 1. Verification of Safety Defect: In December 2025, a technician at this dealership confirmed a failure in my vehicle's occupant restraint system (seat belts). Parts were ordered under warranty specifically to address this safety risk. 2. Failure to Perform and Misrepresentation: On January 27, 2026, I dropped my vehicle off for the scheduled installation of these safety components. The dealership held my vehicle for 48 hours. During this time, Service Advisor Josh Kortkamp falsely stated via text that the vehicle was "disassembled" and the technician was working on it. Upon my arrival to retrieve the vehicle, I discovered it had never been touched, and my dash cam had been unplugged without my consent. 3. Falsification of Legal Documents (Fraud): After I terminated the service for non-performance, the dealership manually entered a status of "Customer Declined Repairs" into the official service record and the Stellantis national database. I have a timestamped Multi-Point Inspection (MPI) PDF showing the work was "Approved" by me. The "Declined" status is a fraudulent fabrication intended to: Mask the shop’s failure to perform authorized work. Shift legal liability for a known safety defect from the dealership/manufacturer to me. Create a false record of owner negligence that jeopardizes my Stellantis/Mopar Warranty standing. Desired Resolution: I request that the Attorney General’s office investigate these deceptive practices. I demand that the dealership be compelled to formally amend my vehicle's national service history to accurately reflect "Shop Non-Performance" rather than a "Customer Decline," and to provide written confirmation that my warranty standing remains intact despite their fraudulent reporting.

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 65 MPH with her daughter in the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor entering the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into an auto shop parking lot. The contact stated that an independent mechanic from the auto shop inspected the vehicle and noticed that a fuel clip was needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the contact was waiting to hear from the dealer about a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,023.

I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and repeated safety-related electrical failure involving my 2023 Jeep Compass. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous electrical malfunction. The windshield wipers activated on their own, both digital screens began flashing uncontrollably with warning messages, headlights and dashboard controls turned on and off without driver input. Most critically, the automatic emergency braking system became disabled while the vehicle was in motion. During the first service visit to an authorized Jeep dealership, I was informed that the Body Control Module (BCM) was not responding, and that multiple vehicle systems showed inactive status and communication failures. The dealership stated they could not identify the root cause. Instead of repairing the issue, the system faults and communication errors were cleared/reset, the battery was replaced “as a precaution,” and the vehicle was released without a confirmed repair. The next day, the same failure occurred again while driving on the highway. The windshield wipers activated randomly, the screen displayed a red warning stripe, multiple system failure messages appeared, and the emergency braking system was disabled at highway speed. This created an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle behaved unpredictably, critical safety systems were unavailable, and I could have been involved in a serious or fatal accident, putting my life and the safety of others at risk. Thankfully, my children were not in the vehicle at that time. Due to the severity of the malfunction, the vehicle was unsafe to operate and required towing back to the dealership. The issue remains unresolved. This appears to involve a serious defect with the Body Control Module (BCM), vehicle communication systems, and possible wiring or grounding faults, which directly affect vehicle safety and warrant investigation.

1) The Power Take-Off Unit (PTU) in the drivetrain failed suddenly while driving at approximately 60 mph. This is a critical drivetrain component responsible for transferring power. The PTU is currently at the Jeep dealership where the repair order is open, and it is available for inspection upon request. 2) The PTU failure caused the vehicle to lose the ability to operate safely and became inoperable in the middle of travel on the highway. This placed my husband and son at risk of being stranded on the side of the road at highway speeds, vulnerable to collisions, limited ability to maneuver the vehicle, and potential loss of control. It also created risk to other drivers due to sudden deceleration and inability to move the vehicle to safety under its own power. 3) Yes. An independent mechanic first confirmed that the issue was related to the drivetrain. The Jeep dealership later confirmed that the failed component is the Power Take-Off Unit and that it is covered under the powertrain warranty. A repair order is open, and the part is currently on backorder. 4) Yes. The vehicle was inspected by a local independent mechanic immediately after the breakdown, and then by the authorized Jeep dealership after it was towed for warranty repair. No police or insurance inspection occurred because the incident was a mechanical failure without a collision. The manufacturer’s dealership has acknowledged the drivetrain failure. 5) No, there were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the sudden failure. The vehicle was operating normally up until the moment the PTU failed on November 27, 2024 at approximately 11:40 AM. The failure was immediate and unexpected.

While driving 65 miles an hour down the road my vehicle hit a hard stop( felt like I ran into a brick wall) . memo on my car popped up, saying service transmission. Being completely stopped and using the gas, it wraps up to four or five RPMs just to get me rolling. There’s not much power behind the gas pedal. Thankfully, the person behind me did not tail end me when my vehicle hard stopped.

NHTSA Safety Complaint Summary Component: Braking System / Electronic Stability Control / Electrical System Incident Date: November 5, 2025 Vehicle Mileage: 5,207 Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle at highway speeds on the Grand Central Parkway, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of primary braking function. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple critical system failures, including: "Service Electronic Stability Control," "Start/Stop Unavailable," "Service Park Brake," and "Dynamic Torque Service Required." The brake pedal became unresponsive/hard, requiring extreme force and distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, nearly resulting in a high-speed collision. This was a non-collision catastrophic mechanical failure of the braking and electronic control modules. Post-Incident History: The vehicle was held by an authorized manufacturer dealership (Hempstead Jeep) for over 60 days. Despite attempted repairs, the vehicle continues to exhibit electrical instability, including intermittent battery failure and charging system warnings. The manufacturer has been unable to provide a permanent remedy for the underlying electrical-to-braking system fault. This vehicle remains a severe risk to public safety and life. Thank You [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the instrument panel was illuminated while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the battery had failed and needed to be charged. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,074.

Vehicle was called for Safety recall 88A "refers to a recall for the 2022-2023 Jeep Compass where the instrument panel cluster may not be bright enough, preventing drivers from seeing critical information like vehicle speed and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash." I've been told a different dealerships that cluster is working as designed even if this is actually dim. Last visit was a Jeep Dealership where they realized cluster was dim but they just decided to mark it "as designed" and were telling me that as a customer I had to pay $1600 USD + tax to fix this issue. In the first place the issue came from the manufacturer as this part is not supposed to fail as being one of the most important due to the nature of this car of being "mostly electrical". They've said that it has been rectified but the true is that still dim and barely see something during sunny days. I'm not willing to pay for something that was supposed to be done in the factory.

When driving on expressway at about 70 mph. Engine light comes on. Car loses acceleration. Start stop states it’s unavailable. Have to pull over on side of road and turn car off. Restart car and it drives normally with engine light on. Took it to a local dealership and they stated it need ed a software update. They then test drove the car and problem did not reoccur. The very next day while driving on the expressway again at about 70 mph. Same problem has occurred. The car has 26,996 miles on it as is still under warranty. How can a software update cause a car not to function while driving. If we would have been in a middle lane and unable to pull off on side of road we would have been required to stop and turn off car in the middle of the expressway.

The vehicle was in a front end collision and the airbags, not one single airbag deployed. This is vehicle malfunction.

Two bolts that hold the wheel assembly to the frame of the vehicle have broken off. The first in April 2025 was on the passenger side, and the second in July 2025 was on the driver side. The Jeep service personnel provided no explanation for how this could happen or seemed to have inspected the other components after the vehicle was serviced for the first broken bolt.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the message to service the START/STOP system was displayed. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the emergency brake activated independently. The contact had to press the START button again for the vehicle to move. The contact stated that there was an A within a circle around displayed, indicating that the START/STOP system warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the "Check Electronic Throttle" message was displayed. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The contact stated that during the initial failure, the same message was displayed, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where a software update was performed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 22,365.

The steering has a very sharp plastic that can make cut to the hands while driving and cause an accident. It looks like the finish of the plastic was not done correctly so when you touch those two molding it feels sharp. Maybe the pictures does not show but definitely needs to be checked with someone put their hands on the wheel on the side steering wheel

The automatic emergency braking / collision avoidance system engages randomly when there is no risk of collision and often times with no cars or obstacles in sight. For example, when driving on an open interstate highway. Without any apparent reason, the collision avoidance system alerts of an imminent collision and the automatic emergency braking system applies hard braking for a short interval or 1 to 2 seconds. This could result in a rear end collision if a following vehicle were unable to react in time to slow down. Additionally, the system will activate while navigating curves, applying hard braking pressure that could cause loss of control. In a little over a year of ownership, this issue has occurred approximately 12+ times. Changing the sensitivity of the system has not effect, as it still occurs even at the lowest sensitivity settings (shortest warning interval applied in vehicle settings)

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown computer repair was performed. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver's side and passenger's side air bag warning lights were illuminated. The dealer determined that unknown parts needed to be replaced; however, the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,269.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and approaching a red light, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, and that the gear shifter remained in drive. The vehicle came to a complete stop in the middle of the roadway. The brake light remained illuminated. The contact waited for a while and the vehicle started to function normally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The local dealer had not found a failure with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

At night, the light sensors cause the GPS map screen to flash from dark mode to bright white screen when passing under street lights. Car is available for inspection. This is a safety factor in that the bright white lights flashing in the driver's eyes in the dark is very dangerous and distracting. The safety of my passengers, myself and surrounding vehicles was put at risk when driving in the dark with the GPS screen flashing from black to blinding white under the street/freeway lights. I almost had an accident due to this problem and had to throw a towel over the screen to get home safely. Car has been back to dealership four times with no resolution or repair. No warning lights or messages, the same thing happens every time when driving at night. At this time 10/3/24, the dealership Jeep Service Manager (Al Serra Jeep, Grand Blanc, MI) is in email contact with STAR (Chrysler's Tech Team) to find resolution to this problem, which they believe may be a software issue and light sensor problem in the design of the vehicle's communication system. There are potentially many other vehicles that had the same software uploaded and their cars are operating in the same unsafe manner.

Had to have rack and pinion replaced. Started leaks power steering fluid. Pretty sure cv joints are bad also, i have a clicking sound when I turn the wheels.

Nhtsa should not be permitted to claim zero recalls while they allege repaired. Repairs fail often, consumers should have right to make choice and not gov or business choosing for them. The safety recall for this vin failed! It is class 1. I don't gamble and would have never bought. You want to buy it?

I purchased a 2023 Jeep Compass at the end of last year and have had issues while driving on the highway (with no cars in front or to the side of me) with the forward collision warning system going off and applying hard pressure on the brakes. Most recently, when driving on the highway the incident happened again (no cars in front or on the side of me), and nearly caused the driver behind me to run into my vehicle at 50+ mph. They had to swerve around me into another lane to avoid a collision. I have taken the vehicle to the Jeep dealership, and all they have been able to say is that they "cannot replicate the issue" and therefore have found no problems with the car.

See attached document for complaint

The backup/reverse camera is extremely dark and unusable at night or in very low light conditions. This makes the backup camera on the infotainment screen unusable at night and therefore very dangerous since you cannot see what is behind the vehicle or if a person is behind the vehicle. I believe this is a software issue with the backup camera and it is not adjusting the iso setting in low light conditions like every other vehicle does on the market.

Auto start/stop malfunction. Vehicle hesitates and jerks while attempting to accelerate or stalls completely and will not restart.

The vehicle was purchased in Dec of 2023. It had a slight vibration and hesitation under acceleration a few miles after leaving the dealership, just assumed everything needed to “break in”. About a month later, we had noticed an intermittent roaring noise coming from the engine bay that vibrates the whole vehicle and sometimes stops on its own or after moving the gear selector from Drive to Select Shift (~2000 Miles). About a month later, the Engine Start/Stop was cutting off the engine before coming to a complete stop (below 5MPH) (~3000 Miles). In late February 2024 I took it to the dealer we purchased from and they acknowledged the issues but were not able to diagnose, therefore, they put “No Faults Found” on the invoice and told me that it was the self learning of the modules and should clear up after 6 months. The above symptoms were getting worse so we reached out to Jeep Wave Customer Support and they recommended we take it to a different dealer. I took it in around Mid March 2024, they acknowledged the issues and performed a reflash on the PCM, ECM, and TCM for a recall. March 23-Day of Reflash and first Buy Back request submitted through Jeep Wave. Since the day of reflash, the electronic ebrake has been activating during some stops (ebrake light not indicated on center console or on the screen in the instrument panel) and is not deactivating until the gear selector is moved to park or the vehicle is restarted. The Engine Start Stop has been activating even when turned off. The front USB port has stopped working, the interior blower motor is making noise and the buttons on the steering wheel are working intermittently. The range per tank has gone from roughly 400 miles to less than 200 miles although the average MPG on the gauge cluster has not decreased. It has been to 3 different dealers on 5 different occurrences. It was at a dealer today (04/03/24) the service advisor call Jeep and was told not to touch it and send us home. Second buy back denied

The Forward Collison icon is on, on my dash. I get a screen message the service is not working, then another to say the signal is lost. I cannot reprogram/reconnect the service in Uconnect. Makes no difference for icon whether engine is running or not. This started in November 2023. The dealer is saying sensor needs replaced. Which sensor? He indicated locations of several sensors. Dealer also says front bumper and grill and something under hood needs removed to replace sensor. Takes 5 hours to replace. Procedure seems very invasive. Reading on Jeep forums on same topic does not mention this procedure and time. Saying part taken out, cleaned or replaced. My 2023 Jeep Compass Latitude has 2580 miles as of today. Ridiculous that this is happening so soon or at all. Please send me info and reply to [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 23 Jeep Compass engine light came on and it started running rough. Dealer says part of the exhaust valve came off and damaged the piston. Now it needs a new motor. I just purchased it in April 2023. It is now 12/12/23 and I took it to the dealer 11/11/23. This potentially could have happened while I was driving. This is why I believe this is a public safety issue. The engine could have locked up at anytime endangering myself and any passenger. Dealer will not giving a copy of the active work order.

My 2023 Compass instrument panel and center display panel flashes erratically at night when passing under overhead street lighting. It is very distracting and dangerous, causing visibility issues. Driving speed does not matter. The Auto/Manual choices in the vehicle settings do not seem to matter. I was told my vehicle was not part of the recent related recall, but I see other complaints exactly like mine by other owners on the internet. The US Customer Care group at Jeep does not wish to acknowledge that this is an issue.

In the past 5 days my car has died/lost all power while in drive, driving down the road. The first time that it happened I was driving down and alley. I brought the car to a complete stop and put the car in park. I hit the push button start and it shut off completely. I was able to start my car again. When I got it started the check engine light was on and the system had shut off the emergency pedestrian braking system. I turned the emergency pedestrian braking back on and the next day before I could get my car looked at, the check engine light was off. I still made an appointment but not for another 6 days after as they were booked until then. Later that night driving down the road at about 25 mph it shut off again and tried to turn on the emergency brake. Right after that happened there was a message on the screen that said something about the emergency pedestrian braking but I was unable to read it because another message that said service emergency brake showed up. I was able to come to a complete stop and start my car again. I attempted to accelerate and my car died again. I was able to restart my car and once again the check engine light was on and emergency ped braking was off. I left it off for the weekend and there were no issues in that time. The check engine light did turn off after 2 days. I just got my car looked at today by the dealership. They stated that they can see the codes that were stored from when the check engine light was on but it could be a million different things. They stated that I would have to bring it in after it does it so that they can pinpoint the issue while it is happening.

High beams will not stay on even though they are “automatic”. The eco mode where the engine turns off at a light or when idling to save gas does not work at all.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel and the screen flashed bright and then went dim on and off constantly at dusk causing a visibility hazard for the contact. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the auto-dim sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle had not been included in a recall for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the display screen illuminated randomly and flashed a bright white screen. Additionally, the forward collision warning did not alert when pedestrians were near the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 7,627.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle jerked. The contact heard a whining sound when the transmission shifted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown TSB; however, the contact was informed that there was no repair available. The contact stated that the vehicle had been serviced because of various failures since the vehicle was purchased in August 2023. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was offered a payment towards a new vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 80.

The vehicle pops and spudders when cranked. While driving it looses power and will not go, causing me to almost get hit numerous times. When shifting into gear it jerks really hard

Since my short time of ownership I have had two specific issues with the car. One the safety features. The lane departure warning often doesn't work. The icon will stay unlit when veering out of lane. This is random but often. Next the automatic emergency braking system. The icon will show turned off randomly yet often. Forcing me to go back into the menu when the car is in stop to activate it again. For unknown reasons it will randomly turn off. Secondly, the transmission has a scary delay on stop to go. About 3 months after purchase I noticed when at a stop or very slow speeds the car will hesitate when pressing on the gas petal. I have had some near accidents due to this. The best way I can describe this is a loss of power. When accelerating from a stop or very slow speed the car doesn't respond or move then out of no where it will jerk and speed up. This has been an issue when yielding to on coming traffic making accidents more likely. I have taken the car to the dealer and was told it was a learning transmission and it should go away. I did receive a recall update to fix the hesitation but so far I don't see any positive change in this matter. The car still has a loss of power and I will bring the car back in for service.

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would suddenly jerk, shake, and vibrate. Also, while at a stop light with the auto stop/start activated to save fuel, the vehicle did not automatically restart when releasing the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failures. The failure mileage was 5,600.

The contact leased a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the Navigation screen font was too small. While attempting to adjust the heater and radio, the driver was unable to stay in the lane while utilizing the screen. The Lane Keep Assist started beeping while driving. The contact pulled over to adjust the electrical system. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the font size could not be enlarged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact rented a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled inadvertently, and the rear driver's door opened unintendedly, and the rear seat shifted forward. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated, and the traction control feature independently shifted into snow traction mode. The contact was made aware by the rental agency of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 460.

At 2900 miles, my check engine light came on while I was on vacation out of state. Within a couple of seconds, my car started to choke and jerk so bad that the passenger could feel it. It did this intermittently, to the point I knew it needed to be seen before driving 900 miles home. Several times since then, my safety was put at risk due to my vehicle not accelerating when it should. I have had many cars almost hit me from behind when this has happened. Luckily, I have not yet. I took my vehicle to a Jeep dealer in Foley, Alabama because that is where I went for vacation. They looked at it ran the code and told me it was a stored code. I asked him what that meant and could I still drive the vehicle. He said the light should turn off in a few drive cycles. That did not happen. When I got back to North Carolina, I took my vehicle to the dealer I bought it from. I was at 4000 miles and the light was still on and the car was still choking out a lot. The service guy took it back, checked the code, and came back to tell me that the code read per Chrysler, “Do not try to repair vehicle, there is no known repair but we are working on it”. It has been over a month and nothing. However, my car seems to be getting worse.

On my way to work this morning 4:30 ish the same way I always take. My car decided to drive itself, every light on the middle console lit up, and the dashboard. I was going 50 when my car completely lost control while I tapped my brakes no response its locked, my steering wheel locked up, my brakes locked everything went haywire it would not let me steer or even shift to neutral all I could do was pray it stopped while it flipped off the road around 5:14 am with me still trapped inside. My seat belt wouldn't release my doors wouldn't unlock and my windows wouldn't roll down I was trapped breathing in airbag fumes for an hour until help finally came. They had to cut the windshield open to save me. I have no idea what went wrong but I could've died or have been burned to death my car acted like it went under water and not over it. I only had it for three days and I honestly feel like I have been robbed I am a mopar fan however after this I will never be again. No one believed me except for the two truck driver because the car kept trying to drive itself while he was loading it on his truck. Please save someone else I can't be the only one. I was three hours late for work and I'm always an hour early.

The hazard light button has gotten stuck several times. I went to my dealer and we compared my car with a similar 2023 Compass. Same problem. Then we checked the 2022 Compass and the hazard light on this model does not get stuck. The 2022 is more sturdy than the 2023 version of the hazard light button.

What component or system failure or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? When I started my vehicle I noticed that my navigation screen was black, and then when I put the vehicle in drive and slowed down to make a turn, the engine shut off while I was driving. I had to restart the vehicle, and I put the vehicle in drive, I made left the engine shut off again a second time. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was put at risk because the vehicle was still in driving mode, luckily there were no cars behind me. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Not yet, I will be reporting this, because I do not feel safe. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? Not yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes, my navigation screen was black, and that has never happened before.