2021 Jeep Compass Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 05/15/2026

The engine will shut off completely while traveling a a normal rate of speed. The temperature gauge will malfunction and report high temperature (when there is none) and the engine will shut off. It cannot be restarted without putting the car in park and pressing the brake while in the midst of moving traffic. This has happened to me multiple times. At first, turning off the auto stop/start feature would prevent this form happening but turning it off no longer prevents this. This happens randomly and cannot be reproduced manually. It is also extremely dangerous and upsetting when this happens in highway traffic at speed. The Jeep also seems to have a parasitic drain on the battery and both batteries had to be replaced by the dealer. My research shows that there have been alt least 15 similar complaints filed.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 04/09/2026

I was driving on the Arecibo. P.R. highway when suddently the car started acelererating..i wouldn't show down. There were a lot of cars on the road, so I had to swerve onto the grass and hit a tree car. I dind'd receive any help from highway patrol. The Police were show to arrive. I've done some research and this Jeep Compass has received many complaints about this factory defect.

AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — Filed 03/12/2026

The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bags warning light illuminated on the instrument panel with the message "Air Bags Wiring Fault" displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the passenger’s side seat belt latch was defective and failed to latch properly. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,972.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 02/26/2026

The infotainment screen in my 2021 Jeep Compass has developed a display failure where the screen is glitching and unusable. The issue persists after restarting the vehicle and appears to be a hardware malfunction. This affects visibility of navigation, backup camera, and vehicle settings, which creates a potential safety concern while driving.

FIRERELATED — Filed 02/09/2026

The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed black smoke coming from the front passenger side headlight. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate as needed. The contact pulled over and safely exited the vehicle with her daughter. The vehicle then caught fire and was engulfed in flames. The firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire, but they were unable to determine the cause of the fire. A fire department report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 03/10/2026

This first occurred on 3/10/2026 and then occurred again on 3/15/2026. When driving the coolant temp warning will randomly come on. This causes the car to lock up. After about 30-60 seconds it goes back to normal. This could very dangerous if I were on the interstate that I take every day to work. I am a mechanic, have hooked it up to a computer and there are no codes. I have tried to research it a learned that it is a consistent issue that seems to be common in the Jeep Compass, going back as far as the 2019 model.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/20/2026

[XXX] nearly three minutes after dropping my kids off to school, driving near the [XXX] ! My jeep begin to accelerate, I couldn’t control the brakes or steering wheel! I became very scared as I approached a curve upon me reaching the curve, the dashboard and radio screen completely blacked out! I lose complete control of the vehicle, hit and embankment and tree! Cause injuries to my left wrist! I’m still in a splint and have a 5lbs restriction in place, with abrasions to my face as well! Found out from the adjuster yesterday they can’t even get the vehicle to start to retrieve any needed information! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 02/02/2026

Gas pedal broke off while driving. It is made of plastic and the arm that attaches to the pedal snapped off. We towed to a shop to have repaired today. No warning lights or sounds. Thankfully I was going slow and not on a busy street. It could have been a bad outcome if I was merging into on coming traffic. My safety and others were at serious risk due to my car not being able to accelerate with no warning.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/01/2025

The LCD radio screen goes in and out, mostly out. Can't see information projected on infortainment screen hence can't see for back up camera situations. If it does come on fully meaning seeing all the controls, sometimes all the letters and numbers are projecting upside down. If the car is hugely warm enough from long term driving the screen will be normal. I have read some reviews and it seems like this is a jeep problem. This issue has never been with other cars I owned. This poses a safety risk especially because it makes a back up camera issue.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 01/28/2026

While driving, the 2021 Jeep Compass displays "Coolant Temperature High: Shutting Down" even though the car temperature gauge indicates normal engine temperature. Following the warning notification, the vehicle came to a complete stop. Fortunately, I was not going fast and was able to drift into a parking lot space. After several minutes, the vehicle started again and drove normally. If this was to happen at high speed or on a congested highway, someone could be seriously injured or killed. I have seen on other online forums that this is a somewhat common issue with the Jeep Compass. However, after many different service procedures have been attempted from reports online, it appears that no solution has been determined or suggested by the manufacturer.