What 76 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Jeep Compass

Was backing out of parking spot this morning and got error message saying “coolant temp high” and vehicle locked up. i shut off and turned back on and it was fine. checked everything out that needed to be. read online that this has happened to other people with the same vehicle. this is a safety risk and i do not feel safe driving on a highway. or in the snow this winter.

NHTSA ODI 11552644

The following message displays on my dashboard "Coolant Temperature High. Shutting Down" and the vehicle wants to shut down or sputters. Car shakes like it wants to turn off and then it starts to run like normal

NHTSA ODI 11552226

My jeep compass has turned off on me a couple of times as I have been driving. At high speed on the highway and driving in my jobs parking garage arriving to work. Brake coolant has came up on the dash board and the car has stopped running and locking immediately. I have had to restart my vehicle. My safety and others were put at risk as it could have caused a major accident on the parkway that I take to and from work. as well as other drivers around me. There has not been any other warnings or messages or symptoms prior to the shut offs on my vehicle. I took it to the dealership and they keep saying nothing is wrong with my vehicle. This vehicle has put me in danger! & i do not feel safe until it is resolved.

NHTSA ODI 11547156

My car has been operating fine. No complaints or any reason to believe there was any problems. I pulled up to a stop sign at a 4 way intersection and my just car shut off. The indicators on my dashboard panel were blinking on and off. It also said my car was on but it was not. The MPH gauge when i tried presssing the stop/start button would slightly move up and back down again. I was able to get my car into neutral but the emergency brake was on and it would not release. After 20 to 30 minutes i tried the start button and it thankfully started back up. I was in an industrial area. Semis and lots of cars and i was unable to even move my car off to the side of the road.

NHTSA ODI 11547217

When I was driving all a sudden it started having a weird chugging feeling. I was going 40 MPH. Then when I got to a stop sign, my vehicle completely shut off. I have to hit the button to turn back on as it was not the Auto Start and stop feature. I made it home and as I pulled into my driveway it shut off again. When I start it, just it warming up it shuts off. When I come to a stop sign or traffic light it shuts up in the middle of the intersection. All while this is happening the emergency brake flips on without me turning it on. I have to wait 2 weeks to have it looked at by the Jeep Dealership. My safety and daughters safety was put at Risk because anyone behind us could hit right into the back of us while it malfunctions or oncoming traffic could hit us while it stalls while turning in a turning lane. I did take it to a repair shop and they couldn’t pull any codes as it was locked out but it was reproduced and shown to them the malfunction. There have been no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of problem prior to the failure besides 2 months ago, I was reversing slowly out of a parking spot at Maverick and it felt like something hit the back of my jeep. But no one had. Not sure if this has anything to do with the problem occurring now. Both very concerning. Miles at that time was 34056 and miles as this issue happening is 37000.

NHTSA ODI 11546727

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Compass The contact stated that while the vehicle was idle the engine was running, and the vehicle turned off independently. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The contact stated that occasionally, several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the steering module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11545980

On multiple occasions my 2021 Jeep Compass will have a "Coolant Temperature to High," and then shut my car off. So far I have been able to turn it off and it comes back on. I have taken it to our local Jeep dealer and they basically said there is nothing they can do. The safety issue is that it has just stopped while I am in motion in the middle of traffic risking a collision from the sudden stop. The dealer had it for 3 days and was unable to recreate the problem or find any issues. My Jeep worked fine with no other issues. It has never missed a maintenance appointment and never caused other problems.

NHTSA ODI 11546098

Error message on dash "Coolant Temperature Too High" and vehicle shuts down. This is happening multiple times. Sometimes it happens multiple times in a week and won't do it for a couple months and then it starts to happen again. Sometimes the vehicle will self resolve after 5-10 seconds and let me keep driving, other times it will shut down and make me restart the vehicle. After restarting, the vehicle is fine as if nothing happened. This has happened going 5-10mph and has also happened driving down highways at 60mph. In some instances, this is happening when stopped and then turning into oncoming traffic and the vehicle stalls which may cause someone to crash into me. Thankfully it hasn't happened yet. After some internet research it appears an investigation was already opened on 2019-2020 jeep compass's for this same issue (PP 22-013).

NHTSA ODI 11545252

A common problem, which mine has, is a growl in the rear end at around 30mph. In forums I have seen people get a software update to fix, but it just changes the problem to around 50mph. If I drive with the traction control button off, or put it into manual mode, the sound goes away. On the forums the only fix is to replace the entire rear end. It's done this since I got it at about 20,000 miles. There are also clunks in the front end. The steering rack is designed to not be serviced by the consumer and you cannot replace inner tie rod ends. I don't believe there's any other vehicle designed this way. You have to replace the whole rack. One way for the dealer to make sure you come back for service. The plastic sway bar links go out under 40,000 miles and result in sloppy steering that could be dangerous. Again, on the forum boards, people have been replacing with MOOG that are a quality product and not plastic. The parking brake engages for no reason while the vehicle is moving. The auto start/stop feature is dangerous and nearly got me into an accident, twice.

NHTSA ODI 11543692

Unconnect screen is faulty causing lines down the screen and causes the screen to go completely black. Issue has been noted by hundreds of other jeep owners available online and dating back to 2018. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue puts me and others at risk due to the possibility of loss of visual location on the screen while using navigation, poses possible distraction to the driver which can cause an accident involving other drivers. Problem confirmed by independent service center. Has not been inspected by insurance, manufacturer etc. There were no warning signs before distortion began. Started as 1 single line through the center of the screen and quickly progressed. Lime forst appeared in October 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11537804

I got t-boned and my airbags didn’t deploy and I smashed my head on the window

NHTSA ODI 11536187

Rear ended decelerating someone and the car went up in flames then blew up. We are not sure why this happened or what failed for this to happen. Had I not gotten out to check on the other vehicle I could have been seriously injured or worse and this has been looked at by our insurance company.

NHTSA ODI 11526378

When the vehicle is in fuel economy it turns off completely and I have to change the transmission to park to turn it back on. This happens when I stop at a light, at a stop, or just stop to wait for someone to cross the street. Both the dealer and the manufacturer are aware and have not been able to find the reason why this is happening to the vehicle. This situation has been occurring since 2021 and the alert appears in the bus cluster. It is a risk for my family to have a vehicle with this situation, since we could have an accident that could cause death.

NHTSA ODI 11521849

The Jeep's engine decided to shut off at a red light. This jeep has the automatic shutoff for the engine when idling too long. I could not restart the engine. I blocked 2 lanes of traffic, and was unable to push the vehicle out of the way. I Tried restarting the engine several times. The accessories would come on, but the parking brake would NOT disengage and I had several issues trying to get the shifter into neutral to push the car out of an intersection. The fire department lucky was behind me after this happened, and helped me so did local police. 5 different people could not get the car to start or engage into neutral and disengage the parking brake to move the vehicle to a safe location. This was a rental so lucky I am not the owner of a failure of a jeep. This was an emergency situation while it was raining in traffic at an intersection. Police called a tow truck to tow the jeep out of the intersection because it was inoperable at this point. This is the strangest issue I have ever had with a vehicle and I am a automotive mechanic. Jeep had only 50,000 miles and no previous issues. Engine light was illuminated and I didn't have a scan tool with me (out of town). The vehicle was taken to a service shop requested by the rental company. We never knew the root cause. My advice if you have to spring for a jeep go for a bigger and better model. These and the patriots are the worst jeeps in terms of reliability.

NHTSA ODI 11519150

It’s happened 3 times now. I’ll be driving and everything is fine, and suddenly an error will pop up on the dash that will read “coolant temp too high” and the entire car will power down while driving. It’s almost caused me to wreck all 3 times. The coolant had been at a normal temperature all 3 times. 2 of the times it has been able to turn right back on and continue driving, 1 time I had to sit and let the car cool down for 30 minutes before it would turn back on (it was the middle of summer)

NHTSA ODI 11505900

Turn on cruise control, press +, hold until the rental car begins to accelerate, and release. Car continues to accelerate. This is not the same as my 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid that accelerates only as long as the button is being depressed. The mileage of the rental vehicle is unknown. I DO NOT wish to receive safety recall alerts from NHTSA because the vehicle is a rental from Enterprise in Lake Park, FL.

NHTSA ODI 11490517

My 2021 jeep Compass transmission and front camera has been causing me problems. My car for months has been jumping out of gear and jerking forward. The jerk get to a point where it feels as if someone just hit me from behind. These jerks almost caused me to get into about 3 accidents where I almost hit the person in front of me. In addition one time when I was at a red light and switched from brakes to gas as I was in drive my car did not go forward but reversed instead. My car has been in the shop for over 150 days with 7 different service orders. They tried to fix the jerking but was unsuccessful since it would go away for a short period and then get worse each day. Now for the front camera when I first bought the car about brand new I turned on the lane departure warning and a light popped on saying that it was not working. They replaced the camera and now I had a forward crash collision light and crusie control light turn on which has to do with the front camera and was just switched out again. My car is still in the shop after being there for over 2 months and the jerking still needs to looked at and addressed as well as the car driving in reverse.

NHTSA ODI 11465353

THE 2021 JEEP COMPASS HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE LOCAL JEEP DEALER MORE THAN 5 TIMES DUE TO VEHICLE CONSTANTLY BLOWING HOT AIR DURING HOT SUMMER DAYS.AC STILL DOESNT WORK AN WITH HOT AIR BLOWING IT STARTS TO FOG UP FRONT DOOR WINDOWS.

NHTSA ODI 11460992

Lane Assist and Front Collision Camera ceased functioning...yes available for inspection Lane assist and traffic collision camera went out while driving in the rain on the freeway. Traffic came to a quick stop and was able to stop without assistance by sliding off to shoulder, was able to miss the other cars but it sure was close. Took to dealer (leased Dec. 2021) with 3,100 miles on it. Told I would have to leave for 72 hours while they figured out what the issue is. (no rental provided). Have not taken in yet. Drives okay without the lane assist and front camera but you cannot rely on these components. Especially when needed. No one has inspected yet. Warning lights are still on dashboard. The warning message came on as the components quit working.

NHTSA ODI 11443457

When driving this car, the steering wheel sometimes pulls strongly to the left or the right, making it more difficult to control the direction of the vehicle. This is particularly problematic when on a freeway with narrow lanes and lots of traffic. Sometimes it simply pulls left or right for a brief moment. Other times, such as when going around a tight curve at a high speed, it pulls strongly for a protracted time. It didn't cause an accident. I was able to overcome the pulling forces exerted on the steering wheel by the car, but it made it much more difficult to keep close control of the vehicle location at high speeds. It is intermittent, but happens typically a few times an hour.

NHTSA ODI 11442050

A noise, coming front the front end of my 2021 Jeep Compass is generated while is driving at low velocity (15 mph or slower). The noise intensity increases when the jeep is driven for over an hour. I took the jeep to dealer on Nov 3, 2021, with 701 miles to have it checked and repaired. At that moment, the service manager indicated me that the noise is coming from the rack and pinion and the manufacturer has indicated that this noise is normal, but they are consulting this with their engineers. See attached service invoice dated. Nov 3, 2021. On Nov-17, 2021 I went back to the dealer I was able to talk with the service manager and he informed me that their instruction is not to perform any repair until receive a final decision from the manufacturer. At that moment the jeep had 1000 miles. He told me that other 2021 Jeep Compass and Cherokee clients have the same problem. He did not provide me a repair or invoice receive of this visit he told me to use previous service invoice if needed for future reference. If this steering component breaks or got locks, I will lose control and could have an accident. In addition, this is a new car and the front-end sound like an old car. Please help. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11440929

On Friday, November 5th I was driving my 2021 Jeep Compass when it suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and the message came on 'vehicle not in park' and 'key fib not found.' I pulled into a shopping complex and called the dealer Napleton Chrysler in Clermont, FL and was advised to call Chrysler Roadside Assistant. I called and a tow truck came and took the vehicle to the dealership. On 11/06 Greg serviced my vehicle and he said that the battery was faulty and he changed it and he also changed a part in the glove compartment. I asked him why should a 2021 vehicle has this problem and he said he did not know and he was sending the battery to Chrysler. I took possession on 11/06. On 11/07 I drove to work and on coming home the same incident happened. This time I had to wait about 3 hours for a tow truck to come and then since I had to go to work the next day went to get a rental. Did not get home until after 10:45pm. I am still waiting to get a call from the dealership. This is unacceptable and a serious accident can happen. I do not want to keep this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11439717

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN JULY 2021. I DRIVE IT 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK. EACH WEEK I PUT IN BETWEEN $15-$20 IN GAS TO BRING THE FUEL LEVEL BACK UP TO THE FULL MARK. THE JEEPS DOES NOT HAVE GOOD FUEL ECONOMY. IT DEFINITELY DOES NOT REACH 22-25MPG. I DRIVE IT ABOUT 30MINUTES EACH WAY; WITH A FEW STOPS IN BETWEEN AT ABOUT 40MPH. ALSO, THE JEEP MAKES A LOT OF NOISE TO CLIMB STEEP HILLS. THE NOISE ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN A LOWER GEAR AND THE CAR IS TRYING TO REV UP TO THE NEXT GEAR.

NHTSA ODI 11430746

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 JEEP COMPASS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A SIDE BARRIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED A MONTH PRIOR AND WAS RELATING THE CRASH TO THE TIRES BALDING. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO STEVE LANDERS TOYOTA (10825 COLONEL GLENN RD, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72204). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND HAD SOMEBODY INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE PARKING BRAKE BEING ENGAGED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11408037

MY HUSBAND AND I BUY TWO JEEPS. THE REASON I CHOOSE MINE AND HE CHOOSE HIS, WAS FUEL ECONOMY. BUT THE JEEP COMPASS IS NOT PERFORMING AT ALL TO THE STANDARDS. I DID CONTACT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY WERE VERY NICE SETTING AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE COMPASS TO HAVE A CHECK AND SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED THE RESULTS OF THE CHECK-UP. AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE REPORT FROM THE MECHANICS, NOT EVEN THE CAR LIES IN REGARDS TO THIS SITUATION CLEARLY SAYS THAT ONLY DOES 13.5 MILES PER GALLON. THE ADVERTISING ALSO ATTACHED SAYS AN AVERAGE OF 25 MPG 22 MPG ON CITY AND 31 MPG ON HIGHWAY. I WILL UNDERSTAND IF PERHAPS THE CAR DOES 20 MPG IN HWY AND 18 MPG IN THE CITY SINCE PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT STYLES OF DRIVING AND THAT WILL REFLECT IN THEIR GASOLINE CONSUMPTION. BUT THIS LITTLE BEAUTIFUL CAR DOES NOT HAVE A V8 ENGINE TO DO ONLY 13.5 AND IT SAYS SO ON THE DASHBOARD. PLACING A CAR IN A COMPUTER SYSTEM TO CHECK IT IS ALSO A BIT TRICKY BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WILL ANALYZE IF THERE IS A BAD PART IN THE CAR, THE COMPUTER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DETECT A POORLY CONSTRUCT PART THAT CAUSES THAT HUGE AMOUNT OF GAS USE PER GALLON.

NHTSA ODI 11407113