Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2018 Jeep Compass: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 936 safety complaints about the 2018 Jeep Compass with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

936
Complaints
6
Recalls
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 28 crashes, 5 fires, 18 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling issues dominate. They appear in 51% of the 936 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 261 of the 936 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Jeep Compass, engine & cooling issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 936 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
476
Electrical
374
Other / unspecified
196
Power train / transmission
151
Brakes & stability
90
Visibility & lighting
82
Fuel & propulsion
64
Driver assistance
52

"I have had this car for a little over a year and it has given me nothing but problems they won’t let me out of my contract. It’s a 2018 Jeep compass and I’ve already had to replace the thermostat. My service transmission light is coming on all of a sudden, I’m having to put the oil in all the time it has completely shut down on the highway. Just stopped moving turned off on is own! So dangerous and I"

Owner complaint filed August 2026 · Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11758044

"My odometer flashes since buying. Bluetooth connection causing screen to glitch and jump between settings. Screen turns blue and back up camera doesn’t work randomly. Overheating issue came out of nowhere. No check engine lights. The jerking is a hazard while driving. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired by multiple shops. All these issues have been hazardous to me and my family."

Owner complaint filed August 2026 · Suspension,Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11756084

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2018 Jeep Compass over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2018 Jeep Compass
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
25
74
185
137
98
116
119
82
61
39
17181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

Recall history: 6 recalls

6 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Oct 201717V-670
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.

Nov 201717V-740
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017-2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The brightness of the backlighting for the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) cannot be adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 10…

Nov 201717V-732
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The passenger side air bag assembly may have inflator mounting nuts loose within the module assembly.

May 201818V-279
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The front lower control arms may be incorrectly welded, potentially resulting in a control arm separation.

Aug 201818V-524
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 J…

Aug 201818V-523
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★☆☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2018 Jeep Compass have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 936 complaints about the 2018 Jeep Compass with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2018 Jeep Compass have?

The 2018 Jeep Compass has 6 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2018 Jeep Compass safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2018 Jeep Compass an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.