NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 143 owner complaints for the 2020 Jeep Compass.
Recalled components: visibility. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (43 complaints, 30%). Most-reported area: engine (79 complaints, 55%; median mileage when it happened: 6,500).
Fewer complaints than a typical Compass year
The 2020 drew 44 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 72 for a typical Compass year. It is not picked as a best year: its first three years fell in the pandemic, when people drove less.
Years to avoid: 2018 and 2022; best years: 2021 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The windshield wiper arm or arms may loosen, possibly causing the wipers to not operate properly and reduce the driver's visibility in certain weather conditions.
Risk: Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper nuts, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is W25.
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles.
NHTSA listing: COMPASS. Jeep campaign W25.
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 has opened 1 investigation that names the 2020 Jeep Compass; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
False overheat leading to loss of motive power
Preliminary evaluation PE22013Closed Dec 10, 2023 (opened Dec 2, 2022)
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…NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: COMPASS. Components: Engine and cooling; Engine.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 143 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Compass. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 6,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Electrical system66 · 46%
Powertrain29 · 20%
Steering8 · 6%
Brakes7 · 5%
Speed control7 · 5%
Engine and cooling4 · 3%
Unknown or other29 · 20%
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 2020 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) and the 2020 drew 44.
Owner complaints
2020: 143 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
2020: 1 recallTap 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 143 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Jeep Compass, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (43), overheating or coolant loss (20), and auto start-stop problems (20). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Jeep Compass safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Jeep Compass earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2020 Jeep Compass?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2020 Jeep Compass. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Dec 10, 2023.
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.