Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Jeep Compass - part 1

My 2020 Jeep Compass experiences sudden, unexpected engine shut-offs while driving. The engine loses power and stalls without warning, and shortly afterward the dashboard displays a 'coolant temperature too high' warning. The vehicle has stalled while in motion, including at highway speeds, creating a serious safety hazard. After the stall, the vehicle restarts and behaves normally, but the problem has recurred multiple times. This matches the engine-stalling and coolant-temperature issue described in the NHTSA investigation of 2019–2020 Jeep Compass vehicles equipped with the 2. 4-liter tigershark engine.

See all problems of the 2020 Jeep Compass 🔎.

The vehicle caught on fire while sitting in a parking lot. This vehicle had just over 13,000 miles, serviced by Jeep dealer, and health reports did not surface any problems. The fire impacted other vehicles around it.

See all problems of the 2024 Jeep Compass 🔎.

My 2018 Jeep Compass, with approximately 107,000 miles, has developed symptoms consistent with the oil pump/oil pressure defects reported in other recalled Jeep Compass vehicles. The vehicle frequently struggles to start, runs rough with noticeable vibration, and has displayed an oil pressure warning light. In addition, the vehicle frequently stalls or suddenly loses power/slows while driving. The stalling and loss of power have created a serious safety concern because they can occur while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of a crash, especially in traffic or at highway speeds. These symptoms have become recurrent and appear to be worsening over time. The vehicle was evaluated by a Jeep dealership. The dealer scanned the vehicle but did not provide a repair for the underlying issue and instead advised us to continue adding coolant as needed. Despite this, the vehicle continues to exhibit the same dangerous symptoms, including the oil pressure warning light and stalling while driving. I am aware that certain 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles were recalled for oil pump-related defects; however, my vehicle was not included in the recall population. Because my vehicle is experiencing similar symptoms, I believe additional 2018 Jeep Compass vehicles outside the current VIN range may be affected. I am submitting this complaint so that NHTSA can investigate whether the scope of the recall should be expanded. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

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As I was driving my vehicle, it stalled on me and my parking brake engaged. I had to put my vehicle in park, open my door to dis-engage the brake to restart. It has happened twice now, once on Saturday may 30th and June 2nd 2026.

Experienced countless "high coolant temp" followed by power loss and engine shutoff, yes—while driving—like everyone else. Nhtsa campaign: pe22013 search it and read. They investigated it already & ruled it not dangerous enough. It took me spending so much money trying different fixes, then countless hours searching for a solution to finally realize that full investigation case was tucked away years ago. No big deal apparently. The conclusion gets it wrong of course. Part of the ruling claiming no safety risk is based on implying the car starts back right after engine loss and that's simply not true. Twice mine wouldn't start back after the incident, not immediately not within 30 minutes. Only once did it fail, then restart after. I've read through the hundreds of similar complaints and many are stranded after it happens as well. But there's definitely one thing in common everyone's driving down the road when it happens. This is a severely dangerous issue, putting peoples lives at risk. This is 100% on the manufacturer to bring to light and shamefully haven't. This started last summer for me and I didn't post about it but seeing brand new report still being added irks me. It didn't happen over the winter. And no it wasn't the alternator, battery, fuses, radiator, or injector. . I (understandably) heard it all and tried it all. Honestly I let it sit for a while and it stopped. The issue is unpredictable and undetectable by mechanics. Not sure what else you need.

See all problems of the 2019 Jeep Compass 🔎.

I have to continually add motor oil to my engine. Every 1,000-1,500 miles I need a quart of oil added. There should be a recall to address this issue.

The engine will shut off completely while traveling a a normal rate of speed. The temperature gauge will malfunction and report high temperature (when there is none) and the engine will shut off. It cannot be restarted without putting the car in park and pressing the brake while in the midst of moving traffic. This has happened to me multiple times. At first, turning off the auto stop/start feature would prevent this form happening but turning it off no longer prevents this. This happens randomly and cannot be reproduced manually. It is also extremely dangerous and upsetting when this happens in highway traffic at speed. The Jeep also seems to have a parasitic drain on the battery and both batteries had to be replaced by the dealer. My research shows that there have been alt least 15 similar complaints filed.

See all problems of the 2021 Jeep Compass 🔎.

Car jerks and temp gadgets jumps too high. Message reads high coolant temperature.

Upon driving on the highway the engine begins to make a hissing sound . Then the the car begins to feel like its slowly braking. From there it slowly loses power . The accelerator does nothing. This happened when my son I his [xxx] was drive me to airport through [xxx] mountains. Had to pull over many times eventually getting and uber from gas station to make flight. Very unsafe condition and is need of repairs information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2007 Jeep Compass 🔎.

On 04/12/2026, I was stopped at a red light. The auto start/stop engaged. I removed my foot from the brake, the auto start kicked on, but did not reengage the engine. The notification panel suddenly started blinking, entire panel lit up. The parking brake automatically engage despite not being touched. The option for selecting terrain started toggling through all options. Vehicle then seemingly died. Put vehicle in park. Pressed button to restart engine. Car was successfully restarted.

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Car stalls out when driving. Car also stalls when I dont press the automatic start button.

After replacing both batteries in my Jeep Compass 2019. The “stop safely vehicle will shut down” message kept coming on. In traffic the car shut off completely and wouldn’t start. This is a reoccurring issue and Jeep doesn’t care. It needs to be fixed. To shut off completely during driving is a safety hazard!!!.

Radiator has anti freeze smell when driven long periods of time or sometimes when at idol , also start /stop system not working properly when making a stop vechiel does not want to turn back on.

-vehicle would not start several times, this occurred just after purchasing, then battery was replaced and it occurred again over the course of 8 months. -a few days ago after getting the Jeep to start, the rpm would not go >2 and the speed would not increase >20 mph. This happened on pa220 with speed limit of 40mph causing a near-wreck when pulling out onto the road and not being able to accelerate to the flow of oncoming traffic. My 6 year old child was in the vehicle with me. -yesterday I stopped for gas & turned the engine off, then it would not start up again. Another person used their vehicle to jumpstart the Jeep with jumper cables. The dash showed there was a “coolant issue” and to check the engine. The Jeep was inspected today and serviced with no issues to the battery, it was not the cause. -previously on multiple occasions the front screen for the radio would not turn on, has glitched and flickered, would not connect to cords plugged in for carplay, chargers will not charge the phone/connect inconsistently (multiple different chargers, worked in other vehicles/outlets), screen would be black but radio would play and unable to turn off/adjust the volume, screen “buttons” will not work/respond to touch often. I have video of this happening, unable to upload footage to this complaint. Can provide if necessary. -per the service dept at tyrone Ford dealership, the O2 sensor is on along with several other codes regarding this issue. This is a manufacturer’s defect, not a user error. It is a safety concern and is not something the consumer should be held accountable to pay for/fix. This is poor craftsmanship on Jeep’s part and needs resolved on their dime, not a single mother’s.

Failing component: transmission / powertrain. The transmission is jerking aggressively when shifting into gear. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection. I currently have the vehicle in my possession. How was safety put at risk? the vehicle jerked violently into gear while accelerating from a stopped position at an intersection. The force was strong enough to physically jolt both the driver and passenger. This creates a safety risk due to unpredictable vehicle behavior during acceleration and could lead to loss of control or increased risk of collision. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed? yes – the issue has occurred after the vehicle was returned following transmission replacement. The dealership has attempted multiple transmission replacements, indicating an ongoing unresolved issue. Has the vehicle been inspected by anyone? yes – inspected and repaired multiple times by dealership service department. Transmission has been replaced multiple times, including a failed replacement while still at the dealership. Warning lights or prior symptoms? no warning lights were present. Prior to the failure, a whining noise was present, which was previously reported to the dealership as a suspected transmission issue. The vehicle was brought to a dealership for a transmission-related issue and has undergone multiple transmission replacements. After the most recent repair, the vehicle was returned with the issue unresolved. On March 22, 2026, while accelerating from a stopped position at an intersection, the vehicle jerked aggressively into gear. The force was significant enough to physically jolt both the driver and passenger. Despite multiple repair attempts, the transmission is still not operating correctly. This creates a safety concern due to unpredictable shifting behavior. Additionally, the dealership drove the vehicle approximately 3,000 miles while in their possession, yet the issue remains unresolved.

Going into a turn oil light flashed briefly and car completely shut down mid turn this happend 2 times in a month I have previously logged a complaint where the start stop did a similar shutdown in middle of driving this is extremely dangerous the issue is all over the forums on Jeep someone will die as a result of this and nothing is being done its a real life saftey issue!!!.

While driving at any time, the speedometer will instantly drop and the car feels like it's about to shut itself off. After a diagnostic with a mechanic, they stated this was the crankshaft issue; similar to a recall for other 2016 Jeep Compass. My VIN is not currently associated with this recall notice, however based on these safety defects, it seems it should be considered under the recall.

See all problems of the 2016 Jeep Compass 🔎.

This first occurred on 3/10/2026 and then occurred again on 3/15/2026. When driving the coolant temp warning will randomly come on. This causes the car to lock up. After about 30-60 seconds it goes back to normal. This could very dangerous if I were on the interstate that I take every day to work. I am a mechanic, have hooked it up to a computer and there are no codes. I have tried to research it a learned that it is a consistent issue that seems to be common in the Jeep Compass, going back as far as the 2019 model.

Oil compsuption.

We have been without our 2020 Jeep since the end of February 2026 due to an engine issue (had the car only 6-7 months). The first company thought there might be coolant in the head gasket causing the issue. After our extended warranty company wanted the engine opened to confirm, we had to send the car to precision tune at the end of March to do this (prior place didn't open engines or repair them and recommended precision tune). Based on the engine codes of p0301 and p1061, as well how the car started, precision tune knew that the multi air actuator had failed. We both kept asking the extended warranty company how opening the engine would tell them that the multi air actuator failed (precision tune and Jeep dealer both said it would not show them that). 5 days later the extended warranty company said that the part was not covered. By that time the multi air actuator was on backorder. On April 10, I called up Jeep to ask about the part and when it might be back in stock. I was told that Jeep is doing an engineering review on the part because of the various issues and until that is resolved there is no timetable on when the part will be available leaving customers without a vehicle. This may not seem like something the NHTSA cares about but there is defiantly an issue. In fact, there was a case investigated by the NHTSA about this issue that was closed in 2023. It seems like the issue was never resolved by Jeep and is continuing to the point that the part has to go back through engineering.

The engine failed while driving on the expressway putting us in a dangerous spot on the outer lane. It was towed to etscorn’s in louisville, ky and we were told despite everything looking ok on the outside, there was an internal engine failure of some kind and it would cost $900 to take it apart just to find out. I don’t have that kind of money.

2019 Jeep Compass, 65k miles car started having misfires while accelerating and decreasing speeds. It stayed pretty consistent at all speeds! shortly after the car overheated and stated coolant temperature too high. Had it diagnosed and it was confirmed oil is mixing in with the coolant meaning blown head gasket and more than likely engine rebuild/new engine. All regular maintenance has always been done. It is absolutely unacceptable that so many people are reporting this same exact issue and nothing is being done. Every other comment is someone stranded or the vehicle has shut off while driving, for the ones whose engine hasn’t failed they are on the verge of doing so. The investigation into this needs to be reopened, how is this not a major safety concern with an obvious engine defect. Is it gonna take several bad accidents, or worse a death ? this needs to be addressed immediately.

The airbag light keeps coming on. And I regularly diagnose and service my car by the Jeep dealership and the diagnostic scan shows that everything is good with the car, still the airbag light keeps coming up on the dashboard. This is highly concerning and I'm afraid that it might blow up anytime while in driving. The car also has some transmission issue that is not showing up on the diagnostic scan report. But because of this issue I can't and haven't been driving on the highway for 1 year now. Because everything when I drove the highway, after 20 min of driving the car suddenly slows down and does not move forward even though I press the gas pedal. And this happens while I was driving on the highway, in the middle of the highway. It is very dangerous. I think there is a factory fault with this car. And I'd like to get help with this. Thanks.

I was driving to work at about 4:30am and was stopped at a stoplight. When the light turned green I tried to accelarate and the engine stalled. The engine temperature warning light came on. I waited a few minutes and the vehicle started right up.

I was approaching a stoplight and every light on the dash lit up, the car wouldn’t go after stopping and it wouldn’t turn off when put in park. I also couldn’t shift into any other gear. This is seriously dangerous and not the first time I’ve had major mechanical issues with this vehicle.

See all problems of the 2017 Jeep Compass 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The contact waited for several minutes to let the engine cool down and the vehicle eventually returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA campaign number: 16v907000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 137,757.

My vehicle is experiencing the same symptoms as recall 16v907 (s89). Crankshaft shift sensor but the VIN was not bringing up the recall.

The high coolant temperature light cut on and turned my vehicle off while driving. This problem has been reported on older model Jeep Compasses. The car never turned back on and I had to get my vehicle towed home.

The contact owns a 2017 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph in the middle lane, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly. While accelerating, there was an abnormal grinding and clanking metallic sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. After three hours of being stranded on the roadway, the vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic determined that the failure was related to the drive shaft, transfer case, and driver’s side front half shaft. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,851.

The vehicle is having issues with power loss while driving and issues with starting at times of cold weather where it cranks very hard for extended periods of time without being able to fully start. I took the vehicle to a local shop to be looked at. They did a diagnostic and physical inspection and identified the issues as a catalytic converter and senor issue. When they looked up the vehicle VIN number is showed two NHTSA recall bulletins: 16v907000 and emissions recall u67. Jeep when I called them to figure out how to address them said that there are no recalls on this vehicle. They wont fix anything. Why are there recalls on the vehicle listed and they are saying there are "none that need fixed". Did Jeep lie when I had it in their shop before and say they fixed them and they were not?.

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The driver was able to restart the vehicle after several minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed, and the vehicle passed the oil consumption test. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was currently experiencing excessive oil consumption and required 2 quarts of oil after driving 5,000 miles. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Multiple times now at random, car will go from normal temp to overheating on the gauge for a moment. Shuts down in doing so regardless of being driven. Then will instantly think its cooling back down to normal. When it reaches normal it resumes normal driving abilities. While the temp is going up and down on the gauge the center of the cluster tells you "high coolant temperature". No codes or pending codes can be found. Thermostat housing and sensor have been replaced and still occurring at random. Researching online forms, lots of complaints of same issues with no resolve, spending thousands of dollars and trips to dealers and shops to not be resolved. This is a huge safety hazard as you can not move out of the way of others when it happens and occurs both when driving and stopped situations.

I tried the auto start on the fob car would not start I tried to the push start nothing again . Did get warning coolant temp high had to tow car they are investigating.

Check engine lights came on, and then a warning saying stop safely, the engine will shut down soon, now it will not start. Leaving me stranded. This happened twice, but now the car won’t start and will need to be towed. I have asked several repair shops and done research online, and nobody knows how to fix this issue.

My vehicle’s engine has shut off completely in the middle of the road twice, both on busy highways. The first time, I was turning left and the engine shut off as I was turning into oncoming traffic and was stuck in the middle of two lanes. Second time, I was stopped at a red light and the engine shut off again. Once the car is turned off and back on, the light for the auto stop/start came on and said to service the stop/start feature. The first incident, I had the car brand new for maybe a week. The second incident just happened last week.