What 113 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Jeep Compass

Both headrests on our 2015 Jeep Compass have deployed. It happened while parked in our driveway and without warnings or symptoms. The headrest in the passenger's side happened first, then maybe two months later the headrest in the driver's side deployed. Both times the car was in the driveway not in use. This is a safety hazard because in case of an accident the headrest is not protecting our heads. I have seen many other Jeep owners having the same issue and it has not been resolved. I called one of the Chrysler dealership near me and they said I would have to pay out of pocket, which doesn't make sense since this is a Jeep failure.

NHTSA ODI 11738885

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that a pedestrian assisted with jumpstarting the vehicle, and the vehicle moved several feet but stalled again. The Police arrived, but a police report was not taken. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and DTC: P0335 (Crankshaft Sensor Failure) was retrieved. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11718611

I'm not sure if these are related incidents or not, but at the end of Nov. 2025 I was driving in heavy traffic when all of a sudden I noticed a warning light on the dash came on. Then as I kept going another light, and another, each one about a minute apart until all of the warning lights were on. Then the car started cutting out and then it just died. I had been making my way over out of traffic because of the warning lights all coming on, but the car died before I could get all the way over. I had to be pushed out of traffic and into a parking lot. I spent the next 4 hours trying to get it started, a mechanic I called said it was most likely the alternator. Being it was 10p I couldn't get it fixed until the next morning. I bought a new alternator and had the mechanic fix it the next day and everything was fine. No problems at all until about 3 weeks later when I came out of a store at 9pm and the car wouldn't start. I tried several times, it was turning over no problem, it had plenty of power but wouldn't start. After about an hour of trying it finally started up. I hadn't done anything just kept trying it. There were no warning lights, no nothing. It just started and ran fine. Now it has been about 3 weeks since that incident and it has been having many problems. It is completely unreliable and will die while I'm driving it. There is no warning lights that come on. I never know if or when it's going to do it. The check engine light will come on but when I took it to a shop to have them see what was wrong, the check engine light was not on. I have done this twice and both times the check engine light is off when I get there. It has died in the middle of traffic and starts right back up, it has done it many times and won't start up again for half an hour. There is no warning, no signs, it just does it. This of course is very unsafe and dangerous. I am at a loss as to what to do. I read there is a problem with this car and a sensor that goes bad.

NHTSA ODI 11708445

Component or System Involved: ABS module (Anti-lock Braking System), with apparent impact on transmission and engine performance. The component is still installed in the vehicle and available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The vehicle will not drive over 45 mph or exceed 3,000 RPM, which presents a serious safety risk when attempting to merge, change lanes, or maintain safe speeds in traffic. The car has also shut off unexpectedly while in the driveway, raising concerns about stalling while driving. Service Confirmation: The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by Jeep Napleton in Kissimmee, FL as a failed ABS module. The replacement part has been on national backorder since March 2025. There was no ETA until September, when the estimated arrival date was September 17. That date has been pushed back several times, with the current ETA now October 8, 2025 — with no guarantee it won’t be delayed again. Inspection History: The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed by an authorized Jeep dealership (Jeep Napleton). The ABS module failure has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. Warning Lamps and Symptoms: Dashboard warning lights for ABS, transmission, and check engine have been on consistently. Symptoms first appeared in March 2025. The car has about 100,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11690438

Passenger headrest exploded while parked - thankfully it happened overnight while no one was in the seat. I checked online and there’s tons of reports of this exact issue with no way to repair it or recall it. There’s only the option to replace it from a parts store and it’s $500. Please enforce this as a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11678033

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while reversing, the front driver’s side headrest unexpectedly deployed. The contact stated that there was no impact to cause the headrest to deploy, creating a safety hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the plastic bracket holding the mechanism had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11663809

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated intermittently. The contact inquired with the dealer if there was a recall associated with the VIN. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,500.

NHTSA ODI 11651760

Driver's side headrest exploded. Fortunately, the car was parked at the time, so no injuries. I understand that this is a known defect, but that a recall still hasn't been issued.

NHTSA ODI 11634071

The minute the front tires start to slip on any surface, I lose power in the engine, I don't have front wheel drive or 4x4. The 4x4 light comes on the dash with an exclamation point and flashes. It rear drive shaft doesn't engage. This makes my vehicle useless. The smallest amount of mud, snow or ice/slush-the vehicle just doesn't work. Its very dangerous to be driving when this happens! I've seen some jeep Cherokees being recalled for the PTU (power train unit), but that's only something with the computer system. This problem I'm experiencing makes me believe the PTU is no good, and if that's the case this is going to be at least a $2500 fix or more!! I am not the first owner on this vehicle, I think I'm the 2nd. Why doesn't Chrysler give a full powertrain warranty regardless of which owner you are?!

NHTSA ODI 11633444

This jeep compass had been a nightmare since we got it. The 4wheel drive/parking break is stuck ON. We gave had it replaced already, the repair lasted a week. And now it's stuck ON again. It's dangerous. It's costing us gas money, repair money, we have to keep replacing our brakes. We drive 50 minutes to and from work each way 5 days a week. Ontop of that. The headrest EXPLODED while we were on the highway. And is now just dangling off the seat. There are several other issues with this particular vehicle, like some days. It decides to turn on, others it doesn't. Evidently there is "nothing wrong with it" when we take it in. The key gets stuck on the ignition. We paid $11,000+ for this vehicle, and if you ask me, it's a lemon from the factory, and a safety problem.

NHTSA ODI 11607691

I can be driving or at a stop and the vehicle shuts off randomly. No lights come on the dash and no codes or stored codes when hooked to a scanner.

NHTSA ODI 11602119

It’s been over a year since I’ve experienced stalling problems with my Jeep. At first, it would happen every once in a while. Now, it occurs everyday. There doesn’t appear to be a trigger as it happens while driving on an interstate, highway, while turning, etc. My Jeep will completely shut off and I will lose power steering. This has left me stranded in the middle of roads and on highways numerous times. The only thing I can do is put the car in park, turn the ignition off, put my safety hazards on, and pray no one hits me until it starts back up again. This has been a big mystery as no indicator lights appear on the dash board, nor do any codes appear on the reader when plugged into the vehicle. Many others Jeep owners have experienced this exact same issue and I have not been able to find the root cause of the issue and neither have the Jeep manufacturer dealerships.

NHTSA ODI 11597254

ABS and anti-slip Lights they are on

NHTSA ODI 11595389

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to the gas cap, and the vehicle was serviced. The contact stated that while driving 20-30 MPH after picking up the vehicle from the dealer, the front passenger's side seat head rest deployed without impact. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,329.

NHTSA ODI 11595026

My 2015 Jeep Compass will randomly stall while I am driving... randomly breaking while im driving. Then very frequently it will not let me drive past 20 miles per hour (sometimes slower than this). It randomly acts like this. It always feels like it does not want to accelerate... it will sometimes but most times doesn't. I have taken it to both a private service center and to the dealership multiple times. The dealership states each time they see nothing wrong with my car. No codes pop up. Also when this happens nothing pops up on my dashboard. Driving this car has put me at risk multiple times that I refuse to drive it now. The last time I drove it, it was going 10 mph and I was reversing into my driveway and the car randomly sped up while I was reversing then went back to going super slow. I know someone in the same area as me with a jeep and she said her jeep has been doing similar things and the dealerships don't know what's wrong with it. The car has a mind of its own and is unsafe to me the driver and the drivers around while it is on the road. Nothing was wrong with my car prior to this... this randomly started happening and never stopped months later.

NHTSA ODI 11582819

Passenger Headrest popped off (AHR deployed) while I was driving. After further inspection the plastic pieces inside that holds the whole headrest together broke off. I researched this issue on google and there has been a lot of complaints with this happening and even a class action lawsuit back in 2020. I tried to replace the part but the dealership wants over $500 for just the replacement even though this is a known defect with the headrests in 2010-2017 Jeep Compasses.

NHTSA ODI 11567665

The past month or 2, I started having issues with my car where it would stop while driving. The engine is running, but my car would slow down, brakes and wheel would stop and I’m not able to move after that. Luckily none of this has happened on the expressway, but I am always concern if it were to happen at a high speed that an accident could happen, plus I’m a mother of 2 so I’m even more cautious when driving it. My father checked it and got a code of P0007 “Fuel Shutoff Valve Control Circuit High” I had 2 different mechanics look into it and both stated fuse box (while the last mechanic said he got the same code my dad did as well) I took it to the dealer recently and was told ABS module but currently on backorder.

NHTSA ODI 11548931

The contact owns a 2015 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, while coming to a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate immediately. The vehicle was taken to the auto zone, where codes P0420 and P0430 (Catalytic Converter) were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair: 15V878000 (steering); however, the dealer informed the contact they were unable to perform the recall repair due to a restriction on the vehicle for a rebuilt title. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11547944

Prior to the failure of the rear drive axles there were 2 instances of the 4WD lamps coming on. Reset the lever and light went out.Another instance had the ABS light come on.After several miles the light went off. The next morning while driving to the independent repair shop the car completely stopped on a Blvd in the middle of traffic.Luckily I was not rear ended by another vehicle.The car needed to be towed to the shop. Upon inspection by the tech was the rear drive axles had become corroded and needed to be replaced.As well as the backing plates.The vehicle is 8 years old and has 62,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11528898

As I was turning left at a green light my engine stopped and I was unable to move the wheel. I was able to restart it but that was extremely scary and I have looked up the issue and it is not just me as alot of other Compass owners are reporting the same issue. The vehicle is immaculately maintained as my husband is a certified mechanic. A recall needs to be issued for whatever this is.

NHTSA ODI 11527829

2months after purchase with only 42000 miles check engine light and ETC lights come on, horn stopped working, am/fm radio no longer working. Sometimes when check engine light and ECT lights come on, vehicle loses acceleration or accelerates on its on. Other times while driving engine stalls. Radio and horn have not worked since. Vehicle has been repaired several times by previous owner. Multiple stored codes when read at dealer. Dealer has no idea what is causing problems.

NHTSA ODI 11526898

At 80000 miles stated doing weird electrical issues windows wouldn’t go up or down then they would auto lock on the doors wouldn’t kick in for miles then it stalled in traffic tried to restart sounds like starter is engaged already there crankshaft position sensor code so we replaced it it was fine for a couple months dies again in traffic was told starter replaced it it started once then sounded like the starter was already engaged when we went to start it later. Took to shop and had electrical systems checked and it is the TIPM that is bad I see this issue coming up often when I searched the internet for some information on the issues I was having Currently still in the shop awaiting parts and repair

NHTSA ODI 11521832

Since I bought the vehicle in Nov 2022 it has been in the repair shop 3 times for the check engine light being & the traction light being on. The Cam Shaft Sensor has been changed . At least twice. Place Codes have been reset

NHTSA ODI 11505551

My car just stops running when traveling down the road. This is very dangerous. I loss ability to excelerate and i loss power steering. I do not get any warning lights or any Thing.

NHTSA ODI 11496155

Rear frame is rusted to the point that it is unsafe to drive as per Monroeville, PA Chrysler/ Jeep. I included some images and the cost of repair from the dealership. I am having the repairs done at this dealership. Please extend the warranty to Jeep Compasses. Mine is a 2015 and it is unsafe to drive and is costing me more money to replace tires.

NHTSA ODI 11491312