Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Jeep Compass owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. While driving for 5-10 minutes at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated, and a "Pressure Overheating" message was displayed. The Automatic Emergency Braking feature activated. The contact called roadside assistance and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the valve cover gasket, spark plug, and battery. The failure persisted. The vehicle was turned off and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a second independent mechanic, who checked the cooling system, performed a coolant test, and completed an oil change. The failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed back to the mechanic, who flushed the coolant and replaced the coolant hose, radiator hose, and coolant reservoir tank. The failure continued with a collapsed radiator hose. …
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while at the traffic light, the auto Stop-Start feature turned off the engine; however, the engine failed to restart. The message "Stop-Start Unavailable" was displayed. The contact restarted the vehicle and manually disengaged the auto Stop-Start feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The message "Coolant Overheating" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start the following day. …
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed driving visibility and prevented the safe operation of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at a slow speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. An unknown warning light was flashing on the gear shift lever. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled. After the first failure, the contact waited for a while before restarting the vehicle and then drove to a dealer. Despite the failure, the contact was informed that no defect was found in the vehicle. During the second failure, the contact stated that a high coolant temperature message had flashed on the instrument panel. As a result of the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was provided the same information when the initial failure occurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the 4WD engaged and disengaged while driving down the road. The contact stated that the brakes locked up while 35 MPH. Additionally, the computer became inoperable. The contact stated that the battery was replaced, but the vehicle failed to charge. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The Service 4WD message was displayed and the Auto START/STOP feature was inoperable. During inclement weather of snow or rain, the 4WD failure was more prevalent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, a low oil pressure warning light illuminated intermittently, and the gears failed to shift as designed. The contact also stated that the front of the vehicle was shaking, causing an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to a dealer the low oil pressure sensor was replaced. After the repair, the failure reoccurred and the vehicle was taken to another dealer, Harr Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram (110 Gold Star Blvd, Worcester, MA 01606) where the service tech was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
On December 9th, my Jeep compass caught fire in Tyson's corner parking lot (1750 Tysons BLVD). The fire department believes it came from the engine. No warning signs such as engine lights or temperature overheating prior. The car was parked in a spot when this occurred. My daughter was in the car and smelled smoke, car was turned off, got out and it was smoking and sparking then caught fire. 911 was called during this process and came to the scene. The insurance is aware and deemed it total loss. The police and fire department have records we are trying to obtain. The fire spread to other cars.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while approaching a traffic light, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving to his destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 63,774.
The contact owns a 2020 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while in stop and go traffic, the temperature gauge rose into the high temperature range. The contact stated that the vehicle lost motive power; however, after several minutes, the vehicle started and operated normally. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,685.
NHTSA investigations
False overheat leading to loss of motive power
On December 2, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE22-013 to investigate allegations of loss of motive power accompanied by high coolant temperature messages on the dashboard of Model Year 2019-2020 Jeep Compass vehicles.
Engine complaints in other Compass years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2020 Jeep Compass?
NHTSA has 83 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2020 Jeep Compass, 58% of the model year's 143 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2020 Jeep Compass engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2020 Jeep Compass, though it has 1 recall 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 2020 Jeep Compass engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 34,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries 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.