Electrical & Forward Collision Avoidance issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The Jeep Compass, which debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, was one of the first Jeep brand vehicles to enter the small cross-utility segment.
Sales peaked at 171,167 in 2018, but have been declining ever since. By 2020 they were down to 107,968 and then to 75,642 the following year. Sales for 2022 seem to be holding firm, with 46,335 units sold by mid-year. They could meet or beat the 2021 figures.
But not all consumers are happy about its performance, and there are already seven complaints on file with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There is also a recall on improperly welded head restraints that could increase the risk of injury to occupants if the vehicle crashes.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2021 2023
Contents [hide]
Issues relating to forward collision avoidance and lane departure top the list of complaints. Other problems concern the SUV’s electrical system and other relatively minor issues. Some complaints are regarding the dashboard display lighting being too bright or too dim.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel | |
| Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | |
| Lane Departure: Warning |
There are four forward Collision avoidance complaints on record, two of which are also listed under lane departure. All the complaints state that these problems recur, sometimes happening multiple times.
This complaint states that the problem has recurred multiple times.
“I entered my vehicle and started the engine. I needed to use GPS to reach my destination, so I was sitting in Park while getting everything the address inputted. For no apparent reason, I start getting messages: AEB limited Functionality Service Required, I do not have the active lane management functionality either, service headlights, service automatic window wipers, etc. I eventually can get these settings to go away by manually turning them on but not this time.”
Another complaint says simply: “Shuts off at random and you have to go back into the system setting to turn (it) back on. Has happened twice in the two weeks I have had the vehicle.”
Someone loaning a car from a dealership says that “when we got it pretty much as soon as we were in it and down the road every dashboard warning light popped on and it goes through the process of telling you everything from lane assist to park assist. Nothing works as far as cruise control blind spot warning nothing.”
Having driven the SUV for two weeks, they reported that these issues recur “every single day at least twice a day. Around the same time every day.”
We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 877-795-3666 today.
Complaints about electrical system problems are described as safety issues. For example:
“On Feb 8th, 2022 the four-wheel drive quit working giving (a) message to service 4wd. The front tires turned and the back tires did not turn and the car did not move forward or backward. If this would have happened in an area that was remote and (with) no people around I would have not been able to get help. This is a safety issue as (the) car was inoperable and could have stranded me in a remote location.”
This particular vehicle was leased on December 29, 2021, and the electrical issues started on January 5, 2022. “The screen would not work (and) was unable to control heat, radio, navigation, hands-free, cruise control, etc.”
The lessee was in Tennessee at the time. It was warm and no heat was needed. But heading back to Minnesota, the temperature plummeted. “With no heat in MN at negative 30 degrees, it is unsafe to drive without heat. This is a big safety issue.”
After a week in the service department, it continued to have “daily issues.” After more than another two months in the shop, the lessee was “still having issues”.
Listed under engine and engine cooling problems, this complaint reports “a continuous audible alert coming from the vehicle” while it is parked. No warning lights illuminate and the owner did not know the result of the dealer’s diagnostic test.
Another complaint states: “Back up camera screen (is) totally black when trying to back up at night.”
If you’ve had similar problems or have suffered issues that are completely different, you may believe you have bought a lemon. Lemberg Law can assess your problems and advise whether we can negotiate a settlement on your behalf.
If it’s a lemon law case, it’s not going to cost you anything because the law says Jeep must pay the legal fees. All you need to do is contact our Helpline.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones
Every time driving in the rain. I get all the messages. Like service auto headlights. Then it pops up forward collision off. Also in stop and go traffic shifting from first to second it clunks.
I’m financing my 2022 jeep compass for a year now brand new and I’ve been having electrical issues. From my back up camera went black, auto head light message and auto start pops up with exclamation beside it also my car chimes and there’s nothing for it to chime for. Also my car thumps when going from a stop position and the dealership only fixed the back up camera and told me there’s nothing wrong with the jeep and to ride it till the wheels fall off! And I’m still under warranty. Please help I’m paying a lot on my jeep.