2016 Jeep Compass electrical problems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Component: Engine / Electrical System / Power Train VIN [XXX] Description of Safety Defect: The vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of engine power and completely shut off while traveling at highway speeds. This total engine failure disabled the vehicle on an active highway, forcing an emergency maneuver to reach the shoulder. This incident occurred less than four months after an authorized manufacturer dealership charged over $3,400 to repair the engine's air-induction vacuum and fuel systems. The sudden stalling on a high-speed roadway directly endangered the driver and a [XXX] passenger who were left stranded on the highway shoulder in extreme weather conditions. The vehicle was completely inoperable and required an emergency flatbed tow from the highway back to the repair facility. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11757293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car stalls turns off by itself could be at red lights or even while driving twice already!! Needs to be recalled as well and repaired pls repairs cost thousands!!! Not safe!! I have owned it for 4-5 years and it has happened maybe 7-8 times but most recently this week twice!!

NHTSA complaint #11750726 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The crankshaft position sensor is throwing a code , and the car want turn over .

NHTSA complaint #11748989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The reason for the recall on this make and model is what I'm experiencing now. The whole car will shutdown power while driving with no warnings. In traffic the car will just roll to a stop with cars closely behind me. I bought the call September 2016 yet I just saw a recall when I signed up for triple a. The last 12 months I have been on n and out of shops trying to find the reason. Starter was fixed. Battery replaced. Cables replaced. Throttle body replaced yet the car still shutdown in traffic. I don't want to cause an accident.

NHTSA complaint #11742017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Relay box underneath drivers side headlight prone to corrosion, causes jeeps from this era to stall and die randomly.

NHTSA complaint #11737453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Electrical components failed car shut down while driving and put me and my daughters at risk I had to have a part with the lightning bolt that come on the dash replaced but that's all the inspection there was no warning only flashing engine light and it shut down it first happened June 2025 and has happened 3 times since. Also the cruise control when set will accelerate on its own and I have to hit the button multiple times and the brake to get it to stop and shut off.

NHTSA complaint #11730257 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Continuously stalls out regardless of speed it has stalled on the highway, in the middle of intersections losing power steering. sometimes restarts right away, sometimes not. leaving me stranded in in the middle of highway/intersections sometimes in very dangerous places. It has had a recall repaired in 2017 before I owned the vehicle however it has had the exact same issues as the recall since I’ve bought it. I’ve spent the past few years trying to look up recalls and communicate with the dealership with zero luck at all. I’ve been told time and time again that it has already been repaired and the 2 years warranty is has expired since. (expired before I even bought the car) Yet the car clearly has has not been properly fixed for the same issues to keep happening. Because lack of help to resolve this issue I have paid out of pocket to have these issues repaired. However again the same issues keep happening leaving me and my family in very dangerous positions time and time again at the mercy of other drivers paying attention. What am I to do? I Cannot afford to keep replacing something that isn’t fixing the problem and leaving us in dangerous positions. Check engine light comes on after the car stalls but goes away after a little bit of driving.

NHTSA complaint #11722604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My vehicle is experiencing the same symptoms as Recall 16V907 (S89). Crankshaft shift sensor but the vin was not bringing up the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11714454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have had problems with Jeep suddenly losing all power while driving with NO WARNING! Everytime ive had it checked they could not find anything wrong with it. Just recently it happened again and since then when I drive it doesn't seem to want to accelerate. There are no noises,instrument lights on any codes showing up. I had to wait a month for my appointment at the dealership and then another month for them to even tell me what was wrong. They said i need a new transmission which is ridiculous since my car only has 89,956 miles and a majority of those miles are from military moves. The only thing they did was run a diagnostic test (nothing showed up) and said they had 2 people test drive it ( but my mileage was the same going in and going out) They told me it would cost 7500 before taxes for the transmission. They could not give me a clear answer when I asked what exactly is wrong with the transmission. I was told that its something internal but they couldn't tell me exactly the problem because that would require them to take it apart. I asked if I should get a transmission flush to make sure it wasn't that since I just learned that cvt should be flushed earlier than usual and he told me probably not. I decide to take my car home and will never use them again. I went two months without a car and was unable to work because they did not offer me any time of vehicle while I had to wait. Im concerned because Mopar discontinued the transaxle package with torque converter, part number 68000676AH that is for my vehicle because it is known to be defective. I bought this car brand new and thought it was clear of any defects or safety issues. A new transmission for a car that is less than 10 years old is ridiculous and seems like a lemon. Since Jeep knows this Jatco transmission is defective and also discontinued it with a different part then why arent they offering a goodwill repair or at least a warranty adjustment. I will now have to quit my job or buy a new car.

NHTSA complaint #11684146 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I recently got the catalytic converter and 02 sensor swapped which removed the check engine light. My vehicle was running perfect. The I drive it today. Made a right turn, next thing you know the vehicle starts shaking and such and won’t go over 20 mph. I take it to the mechanic. They’re telling me the reader isn’t picking up the problem. Invalid data. I looked online and multiple people are having the same problem. My thing is I was overcharged charged 25,000 for this vehicle from Sam at jeep, Chrysler, dodge on route 300 Newburgh New York 2 years ago.

NHTSA complaint #11655543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car starts fine. After the car gets up to operating team the car will just stop running, very dangerous in traffic as it cannot be sterred or hardly stopped. The lightning bolt symbol appears on dash then car just dies. I replaced 2 camshaft position sensors and 1 connector. Car was fine for 2 weeks then started acting even crazier. I scan obd2 but get no codes.

NHTSA complaint #11648485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My jeep compass falls under the problems of the S89 recall but my local dealer is stating my vin doesn’t meet the recall. 1 it’s a safety issue 2 I will be going down the road and the engine completely shuts off and I have to coast to the side of the road turn the ignition off. And start it back sometimes I have to wait a few minutes before it’ll start back

NHTSA complaint #11640474 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car stalls while driving. Sometimes car will not start. Car cranks but doesn’t start. Check engine light and sometimes the traction control light goes on. This seems similar to what is the safety recall S89 but our car was manufactured in September 2015. Root cause seems to be in the relay box with the automatic shutdown being corroded and subsequent issues with the crank shaft position sensor based on codes thrown.

NHTSA complaint #11622611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I bought this car year and half ago and I been doing a lot of repairs in it and now the engine light came on and stated the bank 1 and bank 2 sensor camshaft and engine is stalling and car is jerking very dangerous I did allighment new control arms engine mounts I repaired a lot I put new tires I can’t drive it on the high way it starts to jerk left and right and steering is very hard to control seats are horribale and so are the seatbelts.

NHTSA complaint #11609916 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost electrical and motive power, causing the vehicle to shut off. The contact was able to pull over on the shoulder of the roadway and restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone where it was ODB scanned and determined that the crankshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA complaint #11596414 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

We were driving down the road and the car started violently shaking, the check engine light went on and the car wouldn't move. The car needed to be pushed to the gas station and we almost got hit with my son in his car seat. I do believe this is a safety concern that needs to be looked into for a possible recall. The mechanic determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt.

NHTSA complaint #11562331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I bought my car in Oct 2022 and it ran fantastic until this summer (July 2023) when it shut down while drive. The shop told me it was the crank shaft sensor. FIXED it. But that didn't fix the stalling issue. Had my car towed back in and they ran it, ran a lot of test on it. Finally they let it run for 30mins and found out that when the car heats up, it stalls. They told me this has to do with the sensor/engine/transmission and basically since it's hot outside as the car heats up it sends a message to the engine/transmission to shut down.

NHTSA complaint #11532804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I purchased the vehicle in dec 2018. The odometer read 40248. I had to replace the alternator 3 times. Last one in 2021. the vehicle would loose power on the road causing a safety hazard. Since I bought the jeep the vehicle would stutter when pressing the gas pedal. 2021 at 100,000 miles Check engine light came on and stalled driving home and had to be pushed out of the lane by police. Diagnosing code said misfiring. Took to a small mechanic and replaced engine. After repair still had the stutter. and a year and a half later stalled on highway. The vehicle code now says misfiring on po302. Parked vehicle for now.

NHTSA complaint #11531841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When turning key stalling to start car. Finally car wouldn’t start and I went to auto services and they said I probably needed a new battery. So I purchased a new battery. Now it’s about two months later and car is hesitating/stalling to start again as I try crank the car up.

NHTSA complaint #11514605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I have been having issues with my vehicle for the past month or so. I took it to a mechanic and they said that my Power Transfer Unit is bad and my vehicle currently doesn't have 4 wheel drive capability. My vehicle periodically stutters, slows and looses power while driving at freeway speeds. During all of my issues, not once has my check engine light or any sort of indicator has lit up letting me know I have an issue with my vehicle. I thought newer cars are supposed to know when there is an issue with the vehicle. This is completely unacceptable and now I'm looking at over $2,000 in repairs.

NHTSA complaint #11497778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

11/9/2022 2016 jeep compass shaking and shuts off randomly, won't reverse , turning off and on engine fix the issue for a few minutes.

NHTSA complaint #11492918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Have replaced Cam Shaft AND Crankshaft Positioning sensors to no avail. Check engine light will come and go, sometimes with the traction control lights as well if the brake is engaged for any length of time. After these lights come on, the jeep loses the ability to accelerate, leaving the car in limp mode. Light goes off after each sensor is replaced, will drive fine for a day or so, and then will leave you stuck. All attempts to diagnose, end in codes that have already been fixed

NHTSA complaint #11479305 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On October 12, 2021about 1:30pm, I was at my dentist office. As I was leaving, my 2016 Jeep Compass would not start. I called my wife to bring jumper cables to me. I jumped my vehicle and started towards home. My driveway has a slite income and I drove just inside the overhead door and stopped. For a moment, I took my food off the brake pedal to draw my drivers mirror inward, at that moment, the vehicle started forward. I slammed my foot unto the brake pedal and the pedal went to the floor, not stopping the vehicle before hitting my work bench. The front edge of the hood had five dents in it. I made an appointment with the local Jeep dealer for October 19, 2021. I explained to the service adviser, about the battery and brake pedal, both happening on the same day. Later in that day, the adviser called me at home. They could not find a problem with the brake system, However, they said I needed a new battery. I gave them the okay. Several times sense that time, I have felt like my pedal was going to the floor, while stopping the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11475551 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle has a slow acceleration ration. I was merging onto the Freeway and pressing on the accelerator, but it does not accelerate. It takes quite sometime to pickup speed, throttle body light has just started coming on along with the check engine light. Purchased Vehicle 8/2021, no acceleration from the beginning. Check engine and Throttle Body light 2-3 weeks ago.

NHTSA complaint #11472213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Friday 06/17/22 Parked care to go to excise class for 1 hour, when returned the car was running/had been started , I thought maybe the key control hit another set of keys in my pocket however, when I arrived home, and cut car off, and went in house the car started again and this happen several times that day.06/18/22 went to Walmart and parked car, when returned to car and unlocked the car door ,the car automatically locked it self, I unlocked it and it locked itself again.then when got home locked the car and went inside the house, the car then started up and was running again. also, the Radio AM/FM stations not working , only the Sirius radio stations are.

NHTSA complaint #11469922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was recently driving my vehicle at a speed of 50mph when all of a sudden the engine light and the electrical light came on and I was unable to accelerate. I was able to pull over. Restart the car and get to my mechanic. A diagnostic was run and it was determined it was the throttle body actuator. I said fix the part. Apparently it is on backorder and there is nothing Jeep can to and the only way you can get one emergently, is to have your car break down The following day I was driving and my vehicle completely stopped without warning. I was able to pull over. My car was not drivable and had to be towed. I called Jeep and the service manager laughed and said the part was on backorder. My brother was able to find an aftermarket part to replace it. I filed a claim with Jeep to cover it and replace the part and they told me there is no recall and they will not do it. My car is 6 years old, which is not old for a Jeep. Upon looking on-line, this is an ongoing issue with Jeep Compasses since 2015. Jeep knows this is a SAFETY issue and they are not recalling the part. If I was on the highway when this happened, I would have been killed. There is no warning at all. You are at a speed and then the car just shuts down. There is no warning. This needs to be investigated as it is a serious safety defect with the vehicle that Jeep knows about and is refusing to put the safety of their customers first.

NHTSA complaint #11453150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Occasionally, while driving, the vehicle will exhibit catastrophic electrical system failures. I was driving home just last night, and my headlights, turn signals, horn, windshield wipers, dash lights, hazard lights, and cruise control all turned off. I was able to limp it home with the help of someone driving in front of me, because I could not see. Imagine doing 45 mph on a turn at night, in an area with no streetlights, and all of a sudden your headlights and running lights turn off. I'm lucky I didn't hit a tree. No hazards means no one would have seen me on the road waiting for help until it was too late.

NHTSA complaint #11418795 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WHEN VEHICLE IS IDLING AT A STOP, PARK, GEAR SELECT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE THEN INTERMEDIATELY STALLS

NHTSA complaint #11402952 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND I TURN ON THE "AIR CONDITIONER" I HEAR THIS AWFUL NOISE COMING OUT OF MY GLOVE BOX AREA, IT WAS SO STARTLING THAT IT TOOK MY EYES OFF THE ROAD AND I HIT A TREE. I HAVE THE SOUND COMING ON EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CRASHED CAR.

NHTSA complaint #11399695 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

FOR A WHILE NOW WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATES BETWEEN 3 AND 3.5 RPMS THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR GOES OFF, AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND I CANT GO OVER 20MPH.

NHTSA complaint #11373214 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.