2023 Jeep Compass problems

STEERING

Steering rack needs to be replaced per dealership. Reported loud clunking noise when turning. Not covered under warranty. Was told it was regular car maintenance. 49k miles with bumper to bumper expired a month before complaint. Have noted in forums multiple complaints for same issue yet jeep refuses to cover.

NHTSA complaint #11740475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The heating unit isn’t working. It blows out cold air when on hot and sometimes it switches to different setting for the heating unit.

NHTSA complaint #11734748 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

The car sways back and forth and the steering wheel shakes.

NHTSA complaint #11719725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The car sways back and forth and the steering wheel shakes.

NHTSA complaint #11719725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

The car sways back and forth and the steering wheel shakes.

NHTSA complaint #11719725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

NHTSA Safety Complaint Summary Component: Braking System / Electronic Stability Control / Electrical System Incident Date: November 5, 2025 Vehicle Mileage: 5,207 Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle at highway speeds on the Grand Central Parkway, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of primary braking function. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple critical system failures, including: "Service Electronic Stability Control," "Start/Stop Unavailable," "Service Park Brake," and "Dynamic Torque Service Required." The brake pedal became unresponsive/hard, requiring extreme force and distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, nearly resulting in a high-speed collision. This was a non-collision catastrophic mechanical failure of the braking and electronic control modules. Post-Incident History: The vehicle was held by an authorized manufacturer dealership (Hempstead Jeep) for over 60 days. Despite attempted repairs, the vehicle continues to exhibit electrical instability, including intermittent battery failure and charging system warnings. The manufacturer has been unable to provide a permanent remedy for the underlying electrical-to-braking system fault. This vehicle remains a severe risk to public safety and life. Thank You [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11716183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

NHTSA Safety Complaint Summary Component: Braking System / Electronic Stability Control / Electrical System Incident Date: November 5, 2025 Vehicle Mileage: 5,207 Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle at highway speeds on the Grand Central Parkway, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of primary braking function. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple critical system failures, including: "Service Electronic Stability Control," "Start/Stop Unavailable," "Service Park Brake," and "Dynamic Torque Service Required." The brake pedal became unresponsive/hard, requiring extreme force and distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, nearly resulting in a high-speed collision. This was a non-collision catastrophic mechanical failure of the braking and electronic control modules. Post-Incident History: The vehicle was held by an authorized manufacturer dealership (Hempstead Jeep) for over 60 days. Despite attempted repairs, the vehicle continues to exhibit electrical instability, including intermittent battery failure and charging system warnings. The manufacturer has been unable to provide a permanent remedy for the underlying electrical-to-braking system fault. This vehicle remains a severe risk to public safety and life. Thank You [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11716183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

NHTSA Safety Complaint Summary Component: Braking System / Electronic Stability Control / Electrical System Incident Date: November 5, 2025 Vehicle Mileage: 5,207 Description of Defect: While operating the vehicle at highway speeds on the Grand Central Parkway, the vehicle suffered a sudden and complete loss of primary braking function. Simultaneously, the dashboard displayed multiple critical system failures, including: "Service Electronic Stability Control," "Start/Stop Unavailable," "Service Park Brake," and "Dynamic Torque Service Required." The brake pedal became unresponsive/hard, requiring extreme force and distance to bring the vehicle to a stop, nearly resulting in a high-speed collision. This was a non-collision catastrophic mechanical failure of the braking and electronic control modules. Post-Incident History: The vehicle was held by an authorized manufacturer dealership (Hempstead Jeep) for over 60 days. Despite attempted repairs, the vehicle continues to exhibit electrical instability, including intermittent battery failure and charging system warnings. The manufacturer has been unable to provide a permanent remedy for the underlying electrical-to-braking system fault. This vehicle remains a severe risk to public safety and life. Thank You [XXX] & [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11716183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

I am filing this complaint regarding a deceptive business practice at Haddad Dodge Kia involving the falsification of official vehicle service records and the mishandling of safety-critical repairs. 1. Verification of Safety Defect: In December 2025, a technician at this dealership confirmed a failure in my vehicle's occupant restraint system (seat belts). Parts were ordered under warranty specifically to address this safety risk. 2. Failure to Perform and Misrepresentation: On January 27, 2026, I dropped my vehicle off for the scheduled installation of these safety components. The dealership held my vehicle for 48 hours. During this time, Service Advisor Josh Kortkamp falsely stated via text that the vehicle was "disassembled" and the technician was working on it. Upon my arrival to retrieve the vehicle, I discovered it had never been touched, and my dash cam had been unplugged without my consent. 3. Falsification of Legal Documents (Fraud): After I terminated the service for non-performance, the dealership manually entered a status of "Customer Declined Repairs" into the official service record and the Stellantis national database. I have a timestamped Multi-Point Inspection (MPI) PDF showing the work was "Approved" by me. The "Declined" status is a fraudulent fabrication intended to: Mask the shop’s failure to perform authorized work. Shift legal liability for a known safety defect from the dealership/manufacturer to me. Create a false record of owner negligence that jeopardizes my Stellantis/Mopar Warranty standing. Desired Resolution: I request that the Attorney General’s office investigate these deceptive practices. I demand that the dealership be compelled to formally amend my vehicle's national service history to accurately reflect "Shop Non-Performance" rather than a "Customer Decline," and to provide written confirmation that my warranty standing remains intact despite their fraudulent reporting.

NHTSA complaint #11714177 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

The contact's granddaughter owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 65 MPH with her daughter in the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor entering the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled into an auto shop parking lot. The contact stated that an independent mechanic from the auto shop inspected the vehicle and noticed that a fuel clip was needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the contact was waiting to hear from the dealer about a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,023.

NHTSA complaint #11709070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and repeated safety-related electrical failure involving my 2023 Jeep Compass. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous electrical malfunction. The windshield wipers activated on their own, both digital screens began flashing uncontrollably with warning messages, headlights and dashboard controls turned on and off without driver input. Most critically, the automatic emergency braking system became disabled while the vehicle was in motion. During the first service visit to an authorized Jeep dealership, I was informed that the Body Control Module (BCM) was not responding, and that multiple vehicle systems showed inactive status and communication failures. The dealership stated they could not identify the root cause. Instead of repairing the issue, the system faults and communication errors were cleared/reset, the battery was replaced “as a precaution,” and the vehicle was released without a confirmed repair. The next day, the same failure occurred again while driving on the highway. The windshield wipers activated randomly, the screen displayed a red warning stripe, multiple system failure messages appeared, and the emergency braking system was disabled at highway speed. This created an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle behaved unpredictably, critical safety systems were unavailable, and I could have been involved in a serious or fatal accident, putting my life and the safety of others at risk. Thankfully, my children were not in the vehicle at that time. Due to the severity of the malfunction, the vehicle was unsafe to operate and required towing back to the dealership. The issue remains unresolved. This appears to involve a serious defect with the Body Control Module (BCM), vehicle communication systems, and possible wiring or grounding faults, which directly affect vehicle safety and warrant investigation.

NHTSA complaint #11705938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and repeated safety-related electrical failure involving my 2023 Jeep Compass. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous electrical malfunction. The windshield wipers activated on their own, both digital screens began flashing uncontrollably with warning messages, headlights and dashboard controls turned on and off without driver input. Most critically, the automatic emergency braking system became disabled while the vehicle was in motion. During the first service visit to an authorized Jeep dealership, I was informed that the Body Control Module (BCM) was not responding, and that multiple vehicle systems showed inactive status and communication failures. The dealership stated they could not identify the root cause. Instead of repairing the issue, the system faults and communication errors were cleared/reset, the battery was replaced “as a precaution,” and the vehicle was released without a confirmed repair. The next day, the same failure occurred again while driving on the highway. The windshield wipers activated randomly, the screen displayed a red warning stripe, multiple system failure messages appeared, and the emergency braking system was disabled at highway speed. This created an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle behaved unpredictably, critical safety systems were unavailable, and I could have been involved in a serious or fatal accident, putting my life and the safety of others at risk. Thankfully, my children were not in the vehicle at that time. Due to the severity of the malfunction, the vehicle was unsafe to operate and required towing back to the dealership. The issue remains unresolved. This appears to involve a serious defect with the Body Control Module (BCM), vehicle communication systems, and possible wiring or grounding faults, which directly affect vehicle safety and warrant investigation.

NHTSA complaint #11705938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I am submitting this complaint to report a serious and repeated safety-related electrical failure involving my 2023 Jeep Compass. While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous electrical malfunction. The windshield wipers activated on their own, both digital screens began flashing uncontrollably with warning messages, headlights and dashboard controls turned on and off without driver input. Most critically, the automatic emergency braking system became disabled while the vehicle was in motion. During the first service visit to an authorized Jeep dealership, I was informed that the Body Control Module (BCM) was not responding, and that multiple vehicle systems showed inactive status and communication failures. The dealership stated they could not identify the root cause. Instead of repairing the issue, the system faults and communication errors were cleared/reset, the battery was replaced “as a precaution,” and the vehicle was released without a confirmed repair. The next day, the same failure occurred again while driving on the highway. The windshield wipers activated randomly, the screen displayed a red warning stripe, multiple system failure messages appeared, and the emergency braking system was disabled at highway speed. This created an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle behaved unpredictably, critical safety systems were unavailable, and I could have been involved in a serious or fatal accident, putting my life and the safety of others at risk. Thankfully, my children were not in the vehicle at that time. Due to the severity of the malfunction, the vehicle was unsafe to operate and required towing back to the dealership. The issue remains unresolved. This appears to involve a serious defect with the Body Control Module (BCM), vehicle communication systems, and possible wiring or grounding faults, which directly affect vehicle safety and warrant investigation.

NHTSA complaint #11705938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

1) The Power Take-Off Unit (PTU) in the drivetrain failed suddenly while driving at approximately 60 mph. This is a critical drivetrain component responsible for transferring power. The PTU is currently at the Jeep dealership where the repair order is open, and it is available for inspection upon request. 2) The PTU failure caused the vehicle to lose the ability to operate safely and became inoperable in the middle of travel on the highway. This placed my husband and son at risk of being stranded on the side of the road at highway speeds, vulnerable to collisions, limited ability to maneuver the vehicle, and potential loss of control. It also created risk to other drivers due to sudden deceleration and inability to move the vehicle to safety under its own power. 3) Yes. An independent mechanic first confirmed that the issue was related to the drivetrain. The Jeep dealership later confirmed that the failed component is the Power Take-Off Unit and that it is covered under the powertrain warranty. A repair order is open, and the part is currently on backorder. 4) Yes. The vehicle was inspected by a local independent mechanic immediately after the breakdown, and then by the authorized Jeep dealership after it was towed for warranty repair. No police or insurance inspection occurred because the incident was a mechanical failure without a collision. The manufacturer’s dealership has acknowledged the drivetrain failure. 5) No, there were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the sudden failure. The vehicle was operating normally up until the moment the PTU failed on November 27, 2024 at approximately 11:40 AM. The failure was immediate and unexpected.

NHTSA complaint #11704292 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

While driving 65 miles an hour down the road my vehicle hit a hard stop( felt like I ran into a brick wall) . memo on my car popped up, saying service transmission. Being completely stopped and using the gas, it wraps up to four or five RPMs just to get me rolling. There’s not much power behind the gas pedal. Thankfully, the person behind me did not tail end me when my vehicle hard stopped.

NHTSA complaint #11700597 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY

The contact owns a 2023 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the instrument panel was illuminated while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the battery had failed and needed to be charged. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,074.

NHTSA complaint #11694095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle was called for Safety recall 88A "refers to a recall for the 2022-2023 Jeep Compass where the instrument panel cluster may not be bright enough, preventing drivers from seeing critical information like vehicle speed and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash." I've been told a different dealerships that cluster is working as designed even if this is actually dim. Last visit was a Jeep Dealership where they realized cluster was dim but they just decided to mark it "as designed" and were telling me that as a customer I had to pay $1600 USD + tax to fix this issue. In the first place the issue came from the manufacturer as this part is not supposed to fail as being one of the most important due to the nature of this car of being "mostly electrical". They've said that it has been rectified but the true is that still dim and barely see something during sunny days. I'm not willing to pay for something that was supposed to be done in the factory.

NHTSA complaint #11685902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

Two bolts that hold the wheel assembly to the frame of the vehicle have broken off. The first in April 2025 was on the passenger side, and the second in July 2025 was on the driver side. The Jeep service personnel provided no explanation for how this could happen or seemed to have inspected the other components after the vehicle was serviced for the first broken bolt.

NHTSA complaint #11675191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SUSPENSION

Two bolts that hold the wheel assembly to the frame of the vehicle have broken off. The first in April 2025 was on the passenger side, and the second in July 2025 was on the driver side. The Jeep service personnel provided no explanation for how this could happen or seemed to have inspected the other components after the vehicle was serviced for the first broken bolt.

NHTSA complaint #11675191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Two bolts that hold the wheel assembly to the frame of the vehicle have broken off. The first in April 2025 was on the passenger side, and the second in July 2025 was on the driver side. The Jeep service personnel provided no explanation for how this could happen or seemed to have inspected the other components after the vehicle was serviced for the first broken bolt.

NHTSA complaint #11675191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

When driving on expressway at about 70 mph. Engine light comes on. Car loses acceleration. Start stop states it’s unavailable. Have to pull over on side of road and turn car off. Restart car and it drives normally with engine light on. Took it to a local dealership and they stated it need ed a software update. They then test drove the car and problem did not reoccur. The very next day while driving on the expressway again at about 70 mph. Same problem has occurred. The car has 26,996 miles on it as is still under warranty. How can a software update cause a car not to function while driving. If we would have been in a middle lane and unable to pull off on side of road we would have been required to stop and turn off car in the middle of the expressway.

NHTSA complaint #11667878 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

When driving on expressway at about 70 mph. Engine light comes on. Car loses acceleration. Start stop states it’s unavailable. Have to pull over on side of road and turn car off. Restart car and it drives normally with engine light on. Took it to a local dealership and they stated it need ed a software update. They then test drove the car and problem did not reoccur. The very next day while driving on the expressway again at about 70 mph. Same problem has occurred. The car has 26,996 miles on it as is still under warranty. How can a software update cause a car not to function while driving. If we would have been in a middle lane and unable to pull off on side of road we would have been required to stop and turn off car in the middle of the expressway.

NHTSA complaint #11667878 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.