Jeep Compass problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 1,819 owner complaints and 11 safety recalls for the Jeep Compass. That averages 34.7 complaints per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (index 0.83 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Compact SUVs segment it ranks #4 of 12 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 62.1.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
Across eight model years from 2018 to 2025, NHTSA has logged 1,819 owner complaints and 11 safety recalls for the Jeep Compass, with the 2018 model year showing the highest rate at 107.9 complaints per year compared to 12.2 for the 2023 model year. The most common problem area is Engine, accounting for 43.8% of complaints where issues like "shut", "oil", and "stalled" appear frequently in owner reports, while 84 complaints or 4.6% describe a crash or fire involving 38 injuries and 0 deaths. Although the trend is improving with recent years running well below the model's average, buyers should research the 2018 models carefully as they generated the most recent reports totaling 59. Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage, whereas Subaru Forester, Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4 have more.
Summary drafted by an AI model running on our own server from the figures on this page, and checked number by number against the data before publishing. The statistics and the analysis above come from our fixed methodology, not from the model.The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 82% below the 2018 and 2019 models (28 early complaints per model year versus 175).
The 2018 model year has the highest rate (107.9 complaints per year) and the 2023 model year the lowest (12.2). The 2018 model year runs at least 50% above the model's own average — the one to research most carefully. Model years 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 sit well below the model's average.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (43.8% of complaints), followed by Electrical (22.4%) and Interior & equipment (7.9%). Engine complaints are 2.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Recurring terms in owner reports: “shut”, “oil”, “coolant temperature”, “light” and “stalled”. 84 complaints (4.6%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 38 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 235 complaints versus 217 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace. The 2018 model year generated the most recent reports (59). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 35 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 11 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2017 (3), 1 fixable over the air. 1 NHTSA defect investigation has covered this model; the latest is “False overheat leading to loss of motive power” (opened 2022-12-02, closed 2023-12-10).
Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage; Subaru Forester, Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4 have more.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Complaints in first 2 years on the road | vs. same-year average | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Years to research carefully | 936 | 107.9 | 2.56 | 284 | 3.19 | 59 | 6 | Engine | View › |
| 2019 | 327 | 42.6 | 1.01 | 66 | 0.82 | 40 | 2 | Engine | View › |
| 2020 | 138 | 20.7 | 0.49 | 23 | 0.4 | 24 | 1 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 | 77 | 13.6 | 0.32 | 11 | 0.18 | 16 | 0 | Electrical | View › |
| 2022 | 220 | 47.1 | 1.12 | 138 | 1.87 | 28 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2023 Fewest complaints | 45 | 12.2 | 0.29 | 29 | 0.35 | 11 | 2 | Electrical | View › |
| 2024 | 52 | 19.4 | 0.46 | 27 | 0.38 | 37 | 0 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2025 | 24 | 14.3 | 0.34 | — | — | 20 | 0 | Electrical | View › |
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 235 · Previous 12 months: 217 Steady
Problem areas
Interior & equipment ›
143 · 7.9% · 0.88 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- screen35
- coolant temperature9
- shut26
- turn32
Transmission / powertrain ›
127 · 7.0% · 0.6 vs. all vehicles · Steady
- transmission39
- shifting22
- gear20
- light41
Lighting ›
65 · 3.6% · 2.29 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- night33
- dim18
- bright18
- instrument20
Driver-assist systems ›
58 · 3.2% · 0.56 vs. all vehicles · Rising
- lane21
- emergency15
- collision17
- automatic13
Brakes ›
56 · 3.1% · 0.51 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- brake34
- emergency12
- engaged9
- engages4
Body & structure
34 · 1.9% · 0.2 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- joseph hunter3
- tunkhannock3
- windshield wiper4
- wipers5
Steering
28 · 1.5% · 0.24 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- steering23
- wheel16
- turning9
- rack6
Wheels, tires & suspension
27 · 1.5% · 0.6 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- tire11
- front16
- lwbjd3
- sway bar4
Fuel system
18 · 1.0% · 0.23 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- oil8
- gas6
- consumption3
- bad4
Other
11 · 0.6% · 0.33 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
- accelerate4
- pedal4
- turn3
- control3
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Common terms in reports
- shut331
- oil319
- coolant temperature92
- light556
- stalled215
- turn352
- restart230
- high coolant51
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 35 months
What owners report
The contact rented a 2025 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while slowly pulling into a parking space, the engine revved and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated.
The contact rented a 2025 Jeep Compass. While the contact’s husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a burning odor and an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle.
The central Uconnect infotainment display completely failed, went black, and is entirely inoperable. Because the screen is dead, the rear backup camera fails to display an image when the vehicle is shifted into Reverse.
There have been multiple instances where the engine has locked up in the middle of me driving (usually at stop lights) where the only fix is to completely shut the car off and on again which has resulted in me almost being in an accident.
Several safety warning lights continue to appear while driving. Car slows down on its own at times. Media screen glitches as well. Dealer has worked on the car about 4-5 times.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Compact SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazda CX-5 | 826 | 18.9 | 0.45 | Worsening | Steady | 3 | Engine |
| 2 | Volkswagen Tiguan | 1,181 | 28.2 | 0.67 | Improving | Rising | 26 | Engine |
| 3 | Kia Sportage | 949 | 28.5 | 0.68 | Worsening | Rising | 11 | Engine |
| 4 | Jeep Compass | 1,819 | 34.7 | 0.83 | Improving | Steady | 11 | Engine |
| 5 | Subaru Forester | 2,417 | 49.5 | 1.18 | Improving | Steady | 12 | Body & structure |
| 6 | Jeep Cherokee | 2,798 | 61.9 | 1.47 | Improving | Steady | 21 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 7 | Chevrolet Equinox | 1,917 | 62.9 | 1.49 | Stable | Steady | 23 | Engine |
| 8 | Toyota RAV4 | 3,075 | 71.4 | 1.7 | Improving | Steady | 23 | Engine |
| 9 | Hyundai Tucson | 2,247 | 73.5 | 1.75 | Worsening | Rising | 14 | Engine |
| 10 | Nissan Rogue | 2,991 | 81.0 | 1.92 | Improving | Rising | 24 | Engine |
| 11 | Ford Escape | 5,144 | 97.3 | 2.31 | Stable | Steady | 49 | Engine |
| 12 | Honda CR-V | 5,760 | 137.9 | 3.28 | Stable | Steady | 24 | Steering |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 11
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 1
Safety recalls: 2018 (6) · 2019 (2) · 2020 (1) · 2021 (0) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (0) · 2025 (0)
Investigations
- False overheat leading to loss of motive power Closed
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 a…
Frequently asked questions
Which Jeep Compass model year has the most complaints?
The 2018 model year has the highest rate (107.9 complaints per year) and the 2023 model year the lowest (12.2).
Is the Jeep Compass getting better or worse?
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 82% below the 2018 and 2019 models (28 early complaints per model year versus 175). In the last 12 months owners filed 235 complaints versus 217 in the previous 12 months — a steady pace.
What are the most common Jeep Compass problems?
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Engine (43.8% of complaints), followed by Electrical (22.4%) and Interior & equipment (7.9%). Recurring terms in owner reports: “shut”, “oil”, “coolant temperature”, “light” and “stalled”.
How does the Jeep Compass compare with other Compact SUVs?
Within the Compact SUVs segment it ranks #4 of 12 for fewest complaints per year; the segment average is 62.1. Segment peers with fewer complaints per year include Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage; Subaru Forester, Jeep Cherokee, Chevrolet Equinox and Toyota RAV4 have more.
Does the Jeep Compass have recalls or open investigations?
Recalls: 11 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2017 (3), 1 fixable over the air. 1 NHTSA defect investigation has covered this model; the latest is “False overheat leading to loss of motive power” (opened 2022-12-02, closed 2023-12-10).