2018 Jeep Compass Electrical Problems

379 owners have reported electrical system problems with the 2018 Jeep Compass to NHTSA — 40% of all 946 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 21,000 miles. That ranks #1 of 20 Compass model years for electrical complaints (a typical year has 22). 2 related recalls have been issued.

379complaints
21ktypical miles
2related recalls
3crashes
3fires
1injuries

Which parts fail

  • 12V/24V/48V battery
    4
  • Propulsion system › Traction battery
    1
  • Wiring › Fuses and circuit breakers
    1
  • Body control module/BCM
    1

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    7454%
  • 25k–50k
    4231%
  • 50k–75k
    129%
  • 75k–100k
    43%
  • 100k–150k
    32%
  • 150k+
    11%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Jeep Compass owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, both the driver and passenger side rear windows would roll down independently. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall as several warning lights would appear on the instrument panel. The contact called the dealer about the failure and was given an estimate for a diagnostic. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who failed to diagnose the failure. The contact then stated that while driving in inclement, icy weather; the vehicle began to slide upon the depression of the brake pedal while approaching a stop light. As the vehicle began to slide, the vehicle shut off without warning. The contact lost complete control of the vehicle as the vehicle crashed into a light pole. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. …

87,000 miles · Dec 2023 · crash

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH, the message "Stop Safely - Vehicle Will Shut Off Soon" was displayed. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle on several occasions, the messages "Service Engine" and "Stop/Start System Unavailable - Service Stop/Start System" were displayed, and the battery warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving, and the vehicle shut off while depressing the brake pedal to pull to the side of the roadway. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart on several occasions and was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. …

Body control module/BCM · 68,000 miles · Apr 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that there was a loud banging sound coming from the rear undercarriage while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a red light the START/STOP system activated, causing the vehicle to turn off; however, while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle occasionally jumped or hesitated before restarting and accelerating as designed. The air bag and START/STOP warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the main control board computer screen was glitching and went completely black. The contact stated that the radio suddenly activated, and the windshield wipers were randomly activated even though the vehicle was turned off. There were several other electrical malfunctions, and the vehicle intermittently failed to start immediately. …

29,000 miles · Dec 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle was still losing motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled and was difficult to shift into park(P). The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. However, when the contact shifted into drive(D) the vehicle still lost motive power and almost stalled. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence and it was difficult to shift into park(P). The contact was unable to restart the vehicle and called a towing service. The contact was informed by the tow truck operator that the 12-Volt battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred. …

107,000 miles · Sep 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the main control screen began to malfunction and was independently activating different apps, make phone calls, turn on the heated seats and sudden electrical failures. The contact stated that the low oil level warning light illuminated one and a half month after having an oil change performed. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle decelerated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated as needed. The failure persisted. The contact stated while idling at a red light, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle accelerated as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. …

37,000 miles · Jun 2022

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the START/STOP indicator light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine seized. While attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle set for approximately ten minutes and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The contact stated that the Auto STOP indicator was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle could only be driven for twenty minutes before the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle needed to remain parked for ten minutes before being restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. …

34,000 miles · Aug 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while approaching his driveway, when turning off the headlight and the ignition, he noticed the "Lights On' message was illuminated however, the lights were off. The contact also stated on another occasion, while making a right turn, the vehicle seized. The contact stated while restarting the vehicle, the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he continued to experience the failure while driving to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where he had an oil change performed but did not have the vehicle diagnosed. The mechanic was not informed about the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V670000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and 17V740000 (Electrical System) however, the VIN was not included. …

44,000 miles · Jul 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that she was unable to turn off the vehicle after shifting to park. The contact stated that the "Shift to Park" warning light was illuminated. The contact called a tow truck company, and the driver disconnected both batteries to turn the vehicle off. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed with needing both batteries to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but experienced the failure a second time. The video of the second occurrence show no "low battery" warning so is the low battery alert malfunctioning, Bob Baker Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Fiat (5555 Car Country Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008: [phone]) where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the trunk latch electrical system was draining the batteries. The manufacture had been contacted but provided no assistance. …

12V/24V/48V battery · 44,000 miles · Jan 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, while driving around corners the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to start on several occasions. The contact purchased a jump box. The shift lever in park, emergency brake, auto start, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed that the vehicle needed to be reset. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact stated the failure was like NHTSA Campaign number: 18V524000 (Electrical System). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer Gladstone Dodge Chrysler Jeep & Ram (5610 N Oak Traffic way, Gladstone, MO 64118) but vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 43,000.

43,000 miles · Apr 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle briefly started shaking violently, before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle initially failed to restart. After waiting approximately one hour, the vehicle was able to restart but operated under reduced power, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the powertrain control module wiring harness. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V524000 (Electrical System), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 123,478.

123,000 miles · Oct 2025

Related recalls

Electrical system › Wiring › Front underhood

NHTSA recall 18V-524 · Aug 9, 2018 · 12,779 vehicles

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…

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.

Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

NHTSA recall 17V-740 · Nov 21, 2017 · 25,823 vehicles

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.

Electrical complaints in other Compass years

’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26399892024133622628637914366341041518122
Electrical complaints per model year, Jeep Compass.

Frequently asked questions

How common are electrical problems on the 2018 Jeep Compass?

NHTSA has 379 complaints about the electrical system of the 2018 Jeep Compass, 40% of the model year's 946 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (4 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2018 Jeep Compass electrical problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-524 (front underhood, Aug 9, 2018); NHTSA recall 17V-740 (instrument cluster/panel, Nov 21, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2018 Jeep Compass electrical problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 21,000 miles, and 54% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 3 crashes, 3 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.