NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 951 owner complaints for the 2018 Jeep Compass.
Recalled components: brakes, electrical system, suspension, air bags, and 1 more. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (362 complaints, 38%). Most-reported area: engine (477 complaints, 50%; median mileage when it happened: 19,000).
One of the Compass years to avoid
The 2018 drew 421 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 72 for a typical Compass year: 5.8 times as many.
Years to avoid: 2018 and 2022; best years: 2021 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
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 2.4L engines.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Jeep Compass.
What owners report
Owners have filed 951 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Compass. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off362 · 38%
Median 20,000 miles at failure, from 210 reports with mileage
Excessive oil consumption117 · 12%
Median 12,900 miles at failure, from 83 reports with mileage
Auto start-stop problems100 · 11%
Median 22,000 miles at failure, from 43 reports with mileage
Check engine light91 · 10%
Median 20,400 miles at failure, from 51 reports with mileage
Won't start70 · 7%
Median 25,300 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Backup camera problems67 · 7%
Median 15,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Loss of power or limp mode50 · 5%
Median 28,100 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting41 · 4%
Median 21,800 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
Median 19,000 miles at failure, from 278 reports with mileage
Electrical system381 · 40%
Most named: 12v/24v/48v battery (4) · Median 21,000 miles at failure, from 136 reports with mileage
Powertrain153 · 16%
Median 21,000 miles at failure, from 87 reports with mileage
Exterior lighting64 · 7%
Median 200 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage
Fuel and propulsion system63 · 7%
Median 18,500 miles at failure, from 29 reports with mileage
Brakes62 · 7%
Median 17,500 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
Forward collision avoidance38 · 4%
Most named: automatic emergency braking (29); warnings (7)
Unknown or other195 · 21%
Median 16,200 miles at failure, from 66 reports with mileage
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: 951 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Jeep Compass
Model year
Complaints
2010
81
2011
188
2012
184
2013
80
2014
308
2015
113
2016
294
2017
229
2018
951
2019
333
2020
143
2021
82
2022
226
2023
49
2024
55
2025
30
2026
5
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
2010
2
2011
3
2012
4
2013
1
2014
2
2015
1
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.
In the 951 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Jeep Compass, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (362), excessive oil consumption (117), and auto start-stop problems (100). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
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.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2018 Jeep Compass?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2018 Jeep Compass.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
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.