10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,624 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #102

Sep 212023

Compass

  • miles
The vehicle will show that it is overheating when it is not and it will power down where you are only able to go around 50. When going over mountain passes it will do this and sometimes it will totally shut down. It will do it in town and any time it is at a traffic light. Sensors, water pump have been replaced. Antifreeze does not leak stays at the same level it is not actually overheating. When you beging to drive again at about 65 the gauge immediately goes to normal. This is a hazard

- Palisade, NE, USA

problem #101

Sep 192023

Compass

  • miles
Car was at the gas pump. Filling up gas, then start the car. When car get started the engine suddenly turn off with the coolant temperature too high alert. The temperature on the dashboard is normal (middle). Engine wouldn't turn on after and the alert keeps popping up. Had to tow to the nearest jeep service

- Peoria, IL, USA

problem #100

Sep 162023

Compass

  • miles
The stop/start system for saving on gas mileage has pulled the charge from the secondary stop/start battery and depleted that, in turn pulling from the car battery and depleting that and then pulling on the alternator, weakening it. The car has been stuck in "off" regarding the stop/start system. The car died in traffic today with again the battery depleted. After jumpstarting it, and turning the car off, it would not restart as the cells have been depleted. It is dangerous when you have no warning, no battery light to tell you that it needs help. I have another Jeep, a Cherokee Limited 4x4 that did the same thing and stranded me in the middle of six lanes of traffic. This is a serious Jeep problem that is going the get people killed, if it already has not. I will write a complaint about that as well.

- Lynchburg, VA, USA

problem #99

Sep 092023

Compass

  • miles
Went out to start my jeep and it flashed coolant temperature high and would not start. Still won-??t start. Contacting dealership Monday when they open.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #98

Sep 052023

Compass

  • miles
While driving, the Jeep Compass lurched forward several times rather than having smooth acceleration. Within 5 minutes, the vehicle was sputtering and the engine just shut down completely. the "BRAKE" light illuminated on the dashboard, but no check engine light has ever been on. I was able to restart 4 times as I was trying to get to a mechanic. The last time I restarted it was struggling to start. Mechanic has since looked at it, and there are no codes to indicate what is going on. I did notice online that there are other complaints of Jeep Compass shutting off while driving, so I wanted to file a complaint.

- Monroe, OH, USA

problem #97

Sep 022023

Compass

  • miles
High temperature coolant warning message appeared while car was parked and being turned on. This was followed by engine shutdown. The car had to be towed.

- Southbury, CT, USA

problem #96

Aug 232023

Compass

  • miles
Randomly -??High Coolant Temp-?? or -??Coolant Temp too high-?? appears after not driving car for 12+ hours and car won-??t start. Check engine light flashes. The Low power light comes on also. Sometimes I can turn ignition button off and right back on and it-??ll start with no issues, sometimes I have to hook jumper cables or a jump box to the car to get it to start after the messages appears. Sometimes when it starts after turning off and back on because of the message, idle surges bad and throttle pedal is not responsive. Radio screen becomes unresponsive.

- Goodyear, AZ, USA

problem #95

Aug 152023

Compass

  • miles
I purchased my Jeep in January of 2022. It has been running fine except for the past few months. Within the past month my Jeep starting flashing a High Coolant Warning which has been followed by the car shutting off while I am driving. This has happened to me on on ramps to highways and when driving 70 on the highway. The car has immediately turned itself back on when this happens. I brought my Jeep to Allen Mello Jeep in Nashua NH. At first they couldn-??t find anything wrong but then they thought it was the water pump and Temperature Gauge. After spending $1300 with them it didn-??t fix the issue and my car shut off two days ago on 8/15 while I wasn-??t even driving for 10 minutes. Jeep doesn-??t seem to know what is going on and they can-??t seem to reproduce it. They are just guessing at a serious safety concern. This has also happened to me on the following dates 7/14/23, 7/20/23, 8/8/23

- North Chepmsford, MA, USA

problem #94

Oct 292022

Compass

  • miles
The Jeep has been in the service department since March 2023. The vehicles system malfunctions while driving and shuts down. The ability to drive to safety is not available. This has happened to me twice while driving on the hwy with my SPECIAL NEEDS daughter in the car.

- Garland, TX, USA

problem #93

Jul 312023

Compass

  • miles
I had just got back from a trip where my Jeep Compass ran perfectly fine. I had to go to work the next morning and my Jeep would not start. A warning came on that said "coolant temperature to high" and would not let me start my car. Keep in mind that the car had not even been running to have a high temperature. The engine would not turn over and the power steering locked up. This came without warning and I had no signs that something was about to happen. I have read that this has been occurring since 2021 and I wanted to add to the complaints of how dangerous this could be if my engine would have locked up and shutdown while driving on the highway like others have reported. The battery and auxiliary battery are not even two years old. This issue seems like it needs to be investigated more even though a investigation was opened up in 2022 and it is now 2023 and I have note seen anything from it.

- Gainesville , FL, USA

problem #92

May 012023

Compass

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil consumption failure and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

- Georgetown, MA, USA

problem #91

May 152023

Compass

  • miles
This situation has now happened twice in the past three months. In the first incident, I was driving around midnight (had only been in the car for about twenty minutes) and my car showed an "engine overheating" warning on my dash and immediately went into limp mode for approximately 5 seconds. After those few seconds, it resumed driving normally and the warning went away. I made it about 1000 feet to the next intersection to turn off into a parking lot, and my vehicle shut itself down entirely (in the middle of the intersection). I was unable to turn on my hazard lights, dome lights, or restart my car for about 3 minutes. Both my safety and the safety of others was put at risk due to the fact that it was midnight, I had no way of showing others that my vehicle was immobile in the intersection, and could have well caused an accident. After restarting my car, I was able to move it out of the intersection and look at the coolant level. The level was at the full line and my vehicle behaved normally the rest of the way home. After this incident, I took the vehicle to an auto-shop and they diagnosed the issue as a faulty thermostat. Therefore, the entire thermostat housing was replaced and the coolant system was pressure-tested to ensure everything was properly done and working. Ultimately, though, this did not resolve the issue as this morning on my way to work (about 1 month after replacing the thermostat housing and about 10 minutes into my commute), my car again flashed an overheating warning and immediately went into limp mode - shutting itself off at the next intersection (approximately 1200 feet). This time, though, it was during everyone's morning commute and I narrowly avoided being rear-ended multiple times. I took my vehicle to the auto-shop and they have been unable to recreate the issue thus far. When they had replaced my thermostat housing originally, they were unable to see an issue with it to begin with (not staying closed or staying open).

- Kennesaw, GA, USA

problem #90

Jun 092023

Compass

  • miles
High Coolant temperature warning came up on dashboard and engine shut off while I was driving my vehicle through an intersection. Car had plenty of coolant and other fluids, car was not overheating. About 5 minutes later the car turned back on.

- Leominster, MA, USA

problem #89

Jun 142023

Compass

  • miles
Multiple times while driving, the vehicle's high coolant temperature will instantaneously spike and shut the car down while driving. The problem so far has resolved itself within a couple seconds every time but we fear what will happen when this happens on the highway. The engine temperature is never close to too hot so I believe this to be an electrical issue.

- Buda, TX, USA

problem #88

May 232023

Compass

  • miles
Fuel saving start/stop feature induced function. Oct 2022-- Vehicle stopped on slightly upward slope. Engine turned off automatically (start/stop). Driver removed foot from brake and placed on accelerator. Accelerator push resulted in engine stall out. Car had to be cycled through multiple shut downs and gear shifts before being able to move. This was in a neighborhood fortunately. Vehicle submitted for repair where no fault reported but a sensor was replaced. May 2023-- Same incident but in traffic. Very dangerous. Waiting to submit vehicle for repair. No confidence.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #87

May 192023

Compass

  • miles
Was driving along going 35 mph and had to stop for a pedestrian crossing the road. After coming to a full stop, the Jeep flashed a warning on the dashboard that the -??engine coolant temperature is too hot-?? and the car completely shut off. The car was then turned back on and driven another 10 minutes to work without issue. After researching, it seems that we are no the only ones that are seeing this issue and is a massive safety issue if, for example, the car on the highway and shut off while going 70+ miles and hour. We are not sure what components are the issue as there were no warning lights or anything prior to the issue occurring.

- Lake Geneva, WI, USA

problem #86

Mar 012022

Compass

  • miles
Power train experiencing a loss of power or stalling while driving. vehicle has completely shut down while on the highway. Obviously, this is a major safety issue. Another issue harsh shifting, jerking, and hesitation when the vehicle is in gear. The vehicle has completely failed to shift into gear, leaving me stranded at times

- Phoenix , AZ, USA

problem #85

Apr 032023

Compass

  • miles
One month ago, my jeep compass's engine turned off on HWY199 in Southern Oregon, one of the most dangerous highways in Oregon. It was due to an error message saying "High Coolant Temperature Warning". This warning stalled my engine in the middle of going 55 mph with vehicles behind me and limited turn-offs. Luckily, I was able to find a driveway and go up it before I ran out of speed. I was not able to accelerate at all. Once I stopped and parked the vehicle, the warning message disappeared, and my engine was fine. I proceeded to pop the hood and check the coolant and radiator for signs of overheating, and there was absolutely nothing wrong. I called the dealership, and they said that it was strange and that if the car seemed to be fine after that, then to "drive it until it happens again". I have read multiple threads of people experiencing the same issue. Since the first time, this issue has happened 5 more times all while driving on the same Highway to and from work. I can't find any occurrence that causes it or warning signs before receiving that alert. In all cases that this has happened to me, the car has never once been overheating, yet it has almost caused an accident every time. This NEEDS to be resolved. I DO NOT want to trade this car in and pass this on to another unfortunate driver or their family. I am expecting a baby in three months and DO NOT feel safe. I see that there are cases with the same incident report and dealerships have yet to find a solution or diagnosis. Someone is going to get hurt if nothing is done about this.

- Selma, OR, USA

problem #84

May 042023

Compass

  • miles
On 05/04/2023 the outside temperature was 58 degrees. The vehicle in question had been sitting for approximately 5 days without being operated. When I depressed the ignition button, the vehicle shuttered slightly and started. Immediately a high coolant temperature alarm was displayed on the dashboard. When I placed the vehicle in reverse it slowly moved backwards. When I placed the vehicle in drive, it was slow to respond then suddenly lunged forward at a high rate of speed with little to no pressure on the accelerator. The vehicle shut down and required a restart. Through research, I discovered this is apparently a common complaint with this make, model, and year vehicle and that it needs to be reported. Fortunately I was not at speed or traveling, if I had of been, there would have been a high risk of a traffic accident. This vehicle only has about 25,500 miles on it.

- Dublin, VA, USA

problem #83

Jul 102020

Compass

  • miles
My 2019 Jeep Compass started shutting off during driving. The car would shut off at stop lights or stop signs when the AC was turned to the maximum level. You have to put the car in park and restart the car. There would be no indication and it would only do this when the auto stop/start was on. The stop/start symbol is a green A. When it is malfunctioning the symbol turns orange and only goes off if you restart the car. I took my Compass to the local dealer several times to fix the issue. They have never heard of this happening and when they attempted to fix the issue the same thing happens again. My safety was/is at risk when the Compass can shut off during traffic at any moment leading to traffic accidents with my family in the car. I took the Compass to get this issue fixed several times in 2020, 2021 and recently in 2022 due to the fact that I was pregnant and was concerned for the safety of my baby and myself.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

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