Reliable Auto DB

2018 Jeep Compass reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Jeep Compass has 942 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 140 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Compass years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Front underhood wiring, Caliper, and Front lower control arm.

2012 Jeep Compass
Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

942

Per year

140

Recalls

6

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (473 of 942), then Electrical system (376) and Powertrain (151). Those filings include 28 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 14 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Compass has 229 complaints, 32 per year, and the 2019 has 329 complaints, 31 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Jeep Compass. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall electrical system, wiring, front underhood wiring 2018-08-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V524000
Summary 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 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2018-08-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V523000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan and Jeep Compass, 2018 Dodge Journey, and 2019 Jeep Cherokee vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons on these vehicles may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Remedy 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.
Recall Front lower control arm 2018-05-01 · NHTSA campaign 18V279000
Summary 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 separation.
Remedy 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.
Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2017-11-21 · NHTSA campaign 17V740000
Summary 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 be adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Remedy 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.
Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-11-21 · NHTSA campaign 17V732000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Engine 2017-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 17V670000
Summary Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Cherokee and Compass vehicles equipped with 2.4L engines. The engines may have a cracked oil pump housing that can result in oil pump failure.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (942 total)

Engine
473
Electrical system
376
Powertrain
151
Exterior lighting
64
Fuel and propulsion system
63
Service brakes
61
Forward collision avoidance
38
Speed control
33
Steering
28
Suspension
26
Electronic stability control (ESC)
25
Air bags
22
Visibility and wipers
17
Back-over prevention
12
Seat belts
10
Structure
10
Engine and engine cooling
7
Lane departure
5
Parking brake
5
Seats
5
Visibility
5
Equipment
4
Wheels
3
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Show 17 more Show less
Crash-flagged

28

Fire-flagged

5

Injury reports

14

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

2520177420181852019137202098202111620221192023822024612025452026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Aux battery failed; start/stop, stopped at a red light car shut off in start/stop mode, when I went to drive my car went into limp mode and emergency break engaged and every single light on my dash came on. I had to…"
    Electrical system, Speed control · filed 2026-09-24
  • "I have a 2018 Jeep Compass that is experiencing an intermittent engine stall while I am driving. The engine cuts off, particularly when I am sitting in traffic or maintaining the same speed for an extended period of…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "I have a 2018 Jeep Compass that is experiencing an intermittent engine stall while I am driving. The engine cuts off, particularly when I am sitting in traffic or maintaining the same speed for an extended period of…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "I have a 2018 Jeep Compass that is experiencing an intermittent engine stall while I am driving. The engine cuts off, particularly when I am sitting in traffic or maintaining the same speed for an extended period of…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-15
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rear-view camera was inoperable, and the audible alert failed to sound while reversing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer.…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Jeep Compass SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 Jeep Compass SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 3 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Compass four-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 9-speed All-wheel drive 22 30 25 MPG $2600
Compass four-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed All-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $2600
Compass front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 22 31 25 MPG $2600
Compass front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 23 32 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

MP generation, 2017–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (2.4L Tigershark) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/60R17 to 245/45R19 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 2,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 20V208000. Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Ram 1500, 1500 Classic and Jeep Compass vehicles. 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. Reduced visibility increases the risk of a crash. 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.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Jeep Compass Next year 2019 Jeep Compass See every Jeep Compass model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Jeep Compass reliable?

The 2018 Jeep Compass has 942 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 140 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Compass years on this site. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Front underhood wiring, Caliper, and Front lower control arm.

What are common problems with a 2018 Jeep Compass?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (473 of 942), then Electrical system (376) and Powertrain (151). Those filings include 28 that report a crash, 5 that report a fire, and 14 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Jeep Compass more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Compass has 229 complaints, 32 per year, and the 2019 has 329 complaints, 31 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Jeep Compass been recalled?

The 2018 Jeep Compass has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Jeep Compass?

Owners have filed 942 complaints about the 2018 Jeep Compass with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Jeep Compass get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Jeep Compass is 25.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Compass take?

5W-20 (2.0L and 2.4L)

What does NHTSA recall 16V-668 cover on the Jeep Compass?

NHTSA campaign 16V668000.

What generation is the 2013 Jeep Compass?

MK49 (US) (2012-2016).