NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 942 owner complaints for the 2018 Jeep Compass.
6Safety recalls
942Owner complaints
28Complaints citing a crash
5Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: brakes, electrical system, suspension, air bags, and 1 more. Most-reported area: engine (473 complaints, 50%; median mileage when it happened: 19,000). For 2017 Jeep sold the previous-generation Compass alongside the new one; both are included.
6 safety recalls for the 2018 Jeep Compass
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U86.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles.
The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
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 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles.
The front lower control arms may be incorrectly welded, potentially resulting in a control arm separation.
Risk: If the lower control arm separates, it can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the front lower control arms, free of charge. The recall began May 31, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U42.
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.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, unsecured inflator mounting nuts outside of the cushion assembly are potential projectiles that may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began December 28, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T73.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles.
NHTSA listing: COMPASS. Jeep campaign T73.
Electrical system
Nov 21, 2017
instrument cluster/panel
Fails federal standard 101 (controls and displays)
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 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: An instrument cluster that is too bright, and cannot be dimmed, can reduce the driver's ability to see at night, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update IPC software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 8, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T70.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017-2018 Jeep Compass vehicles.
4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
Risk: If the oil pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the oil pump, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 5, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T65.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.
NHTSA listing: COMPASS. Jeep campaign T65.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 942 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Compass. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine473 · 50%
Median 19,000 miles at failure (278 reports)
Electrical system376 · 40%
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (4) · Median 21,000 miles at failure (135 reports)
Powertrain151 · 16%
Median 21,000 miles at failure (87 reports)
Exterior lighting64 · 7%
Median 200 miles at failure (25 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system63 · 7%
Median 18,500 miles at failure (29 reports)
Brakes62 · 7%
Median 17,500 miles at failure (34 reports)
Forward collision avoidance38 · 4%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (29); warnings (7)
Unknown or other193 · 20%
Median 16,200 miles at failure (66 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Jeep Compass recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2018 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Compass drew the most (421).
Owner complaints
2018: 942 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Jeep Compass
Model year
Complaints
2016
293
2017
229
2018
942
2019
329
2020
140
2021
80
2022
222
2023
46
2024
52
2025
26
2026
4
Safety recalls
2018: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Jeep Compass
Model year
Recalls
2016
1
2017
4
2018
6
2019
2
2020
1
2021
0
2022
4
2023
2
2024
0
2025
0
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Jeep Compass SUV AWD
Rollover risk 20.6%
Jeep Compass SUV FWD
Rollover risk 20.2%
Questions
What are the most common 2018 Compass problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (473), electrical system (376), powertrain (151). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2018 Jeep Compass safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2018 Jeep Compass earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Compass has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Jeep dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: COMPASS.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.