Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Jeep Compass owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, shuddered, and the air conditioner was inoperative, and the vehicle coasted before coming to a complete stop. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact researched and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was suggested that the contact should take the vehicle to a dealer and that the crank shaft position sensor wiring connector or sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. Additionally, the contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The contact also stated that the vehicle was parked and turned off, and upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The RPM went to 0 however, the vehicle remained idling. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, she was able to continue to drive; however, the failure reoccurred 3 more times that day. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who test drove the vehicle and diagnosed that the crankshaft and camshaft sensors were turned off sporadically causing the engine to stall. The independent mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer and several unknown dealers were contacted for assistance however, the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle shuddered inadvertently, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred while making a turn. The contact then shifted into park and turned off and restarted the vehicle until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. …
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. While the contact's daughter was driving at various speeds, the RPM started fluctuating, the vehicle stalled, and lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact's daughter was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. Additionally, the contact stated that while her daughter was driving 65 MPH at night, the failure recurred. The vehicle was restarted after 15 minutes, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. While driving uphill, the vehicle was chugging. The vehicle was difficult to shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who test-drove the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: P0420 was due to the catalyst system. The contact was also made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called the two other local dealers, Pueblo Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram (2147 US-50, Pueblo, CO 81008) and Perkins Motors (1205 Motor City Dr. 1225, 1231 Motor City Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80905); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. …
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking noise was coming from the engine. The vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the vehicle stalled an unknown yellow warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified about the recall and informed him that his vehicle was not under recall. The manufacturer informed the contact of a recall on the catalytic convertor for similar vehicles. The contact left a message for the dealer regarding the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired and no longer stalls.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose a failure but advised the contact that a replacement battery was required. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who then diagnosed a failure with the crank shaft sensor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local service center to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the camshaft sensor and wiring harness were faulty and needed to be replaced. The camshaft sensor and wiring harness were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft or camshaft sensor connector, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403.
NHTSA investigations
Stall from Crankshaft\Camshaft Failure
On December 13, 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received recall 16V-907 from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) that identified a safety defect involving crankshaft or camshaft sensor failures on certain 2016 Model Year Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles.
Engine complaints in other Compass years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Jeep Compass?
NHTSA has 160 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Jeep Compass, 55% of the model year's 293 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Jeep Compass engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 16V-907 (engine, Dec 16, 2016). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Jeep Compass engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.