2018 Jeep Compass: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
66%
568 of 855 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
66% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2018 Jeep Compass are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 88% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 82 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 61%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,ENGINE10/28/2019CRASH2 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 JEEP COMPASS. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EASTCHESTER CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE RAM (718-547-5500, LOCATED AT 4007 BOSTON RD, BRONX, NY 10466) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. A LOANER VEHICLE WAS…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12/02/20201 INJURED
'18 JEEP COMPASS- IN REPAIR SHOP 19 TIMES FOR 55 INDIVIDUAL REPAIRS (SEVERAL REOCCURRING) WITH ONLY 14 COMPLETED REPAIRS. HAD LOANER 119 DAYS IN 2YR- 15 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR TRANSMISSION (DIFFERENTIAL) NOISE 6 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR STOP/START WARNING AND FUNCTION 5 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR A/C 5 ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR MICROPHONE (…
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE11/15/2018CRASH1 INJURED
AT ABOUT 25 MPH THE BREAKS DIDN'T WORK WHEN APPLIED AND CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, SOME TIMES THE CAR SPEEDS UP EVEN WHEN GAS PEDAL IS NOT APPLIED, SOMETIMES WHEN I SHIFT TO DRIVE OR REVERSE THE D OR R INDICATOR FLASHING THEN I HAVE TO PARK AND TRY AGAIN.
Three of 568 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (6)
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 sep…
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 b…
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 Duran…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2018 Jeep Compass
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
6 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
