Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Jeep Compass owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My car lost acceleration on nj Garden state highway driving 65 miles. Luckily I was driving in the right lane as this happened. I quickly flashed my hazards as soon as I noticed, to alert drivers behind me. My car slowly moved onto the side of the highway. My breaks would not fully stop the car. It finally stopped on its own luckily. I stayed on the side of the road for about a few good long mins trying to figure out what to do or WHO to call. I then tried turning on the car again to see if it would start. It turned on and the oil warning blinked for like one second. That was it. Never stayed on like other cars do. Not one warning beforehand. From my experience of owning other cars, if your car is running low on oil, a warning light comes on and stays on until the oil is changed. Not this car, only this one second. …
My name is [redacted] DL #[redacted], I live in Detroit Michigan 48219, About August 2022 I purchased a used 2018 Jeep Compass. About late November 2022 I was driving on the drive free way and the I got a quick dashboard reading High coolant Temperature and the vehicle started slowing down, I push the gas pedal and the car, accelerate it. I truly thought I did not have any radiator fluid in the radiator so I put the gas station and brought radiator fluid and put it into the vehicle. In December 2022 I was coming from basketball practice in the evening with a cold evening and I had the heat up in the ventilation of both up to high and I got to a stop sign the car * at the stop sign. From that point it had to be towed to a dealership Feldman Chevrolet in Livonia Michigan after three days in the shop I was told that there was nothing wrong but the vehicle needed a new battery. …
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 turn car off in the intersection. Once I turned the car back on every light came back on and when I shifted it into drive the transmission slammed so hard it jerked the entire car. This has issue started around 60,000 miles. I have 131,000miles now. Being broke down in the middle of an intersection is extremely dangerous especially with a new born in the car and it reoccurs every couple of months. Also wheel speed sensor has frequently loosen since 60,000 miles. This caused every light to come on the dash and car go into limp mode. It happened the first time on the highway going 70mph. The car lost drivetrain we almost lost control. …
I believe I received a faulty vehicle from Brooklyn Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram. Located at 2286 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234. I received this vehicle in October 2021 with a dead battery and a faulty engine. I returned the vehicle, and services claimed to fix all the issues. The next day my car completely shuts down on the highway in the middle of traffic nearly causing an accident. I immediately contacted Jeep to let them know my concerns. Since, the car has completely shut down in the middle of me driving multiple times. This is creating a hazardous environment for myself and others. I returned the car to Jeep and told them I am no longer comfortable driving this vehicle especially since I got it within reasonable mileage (18K). I was told that if I wanted to give the vehicle back I would have to pay $10,000 to do so. I expressed that I was not pleased with that amount. …
Daughter was driving. Came to a stop sign, proceeded through after stopping and the the car's accelerator wouldn't work and the car stalled in the middle of the intersection. She had to turn if off and it started back up after a few "weird" sounds. Took it to a shop we trust, they checked it quickly and couldn't find a reason. Checked the battery:fine. Checked the oil: was low, told to return soon for oil. This incident was repeated the next day. She stopped driving it, dropped it off at the same shop. The shop inspected throughly, found to have no oil in the engine. Have been advised to add oil to this car every 1000-1500 miles to keep it safe.
I have been experiencing the same issues with the high temperature warning as mentioned for the 2019-2021 Jeep Compass. If this occurs at higher speeds, I am able to release the accelerator, and coast for 2-3 seconds, which allows the temp to show back to normal, and continue normal driving conditions. If this occurs as I begin accelerating from a stop, the car will stall, requiring me to put the car in park, turn it off, turn it back on, then continue driving.
Car is under 40k miles. Was turning and the car took off on its own. Rapidly accelerating until the car flashed emergency electronic throttle control. It took off so fast I had to drive off the road to avoid slamming into someone. The breaks would not slow it downs the scariest thing that has happened in ten years off driving. The car had a complete mind of its own and hadn't shown any signs of problems with this previously.
The week after I purchased it, the warning for my eco fuel came on and then service engine light. I was traveling at 45 mph and it instructed me to pull safely to the side of the road. Before I could do so, the car seized and jerked to a halt at a slowing speed of 10pm. The car had to be towed, "reset". Since then I get the same alerts, the car will not accelerate when this happens and then slowly declines and shut down.
I will be driving and suddenly the car stops. The parking break comes on and the car won't start. Takes awhile to get it restarted. It seems dangerous and as I've googled seems like a problem all across the board not just me.
i bought my jeep compass 2018 5 months ago and is a defected car and has been getting into issues and the dealer ship no cooperating at all and car now is parked cuz the TCM denied (transmission control module )also the engine coolant revoir broke suddenly and they made me pay for that when I don't really drive and the car came like that and I don't know what to do the people at the dealership...... has been so rude to me and am about to loose my job I haven't been able to work and don't have money plus other privileges as two keys I should get when I got the car that I never got them only one ,the hidden the warranty papers etc and I need help. …
Acceleration complaints in other Compass years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2018 Jeep Compass?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2018 Jeep Compass, 3% of the model year's 946 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Jeep Compass acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2018 Jeep Compass, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2018 Jeep Compass acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles, and 76% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.