Jeep · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 80 safety complaints about the 2021 Jeep Compass with the US government. Of those, 5 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 34 complaints, 43% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 70,000 miles, the median across the 13 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers October 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted
80
Complaints
5
Describe a crash
2
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 80.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 18.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Jeep COMPASS, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.
| Test | SUV 4WD | SUV FWD |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | ||
| Frontal crash | ||
| Frontal, driver | ||
| Frontal, passenger | ||
| Side crash | ||
| Side barrier | ||
| Side pole | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Chance of rollover | 20.6% | 20.2% |
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
fire · crash · towed
Rear ended decelerating someone and the car went up in flames then blew up. We are not sure why this happened or what failed for this to happen. Had I not gotten out to check on the other vehicle I could have been seriously injured or worse and this has been looked at by our insurance company.
NHTSA complaint 11526378. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
fire · towed · 118,000 miles
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
NHTSA complaint 11725050, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash · towed · 12,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 JEEP COMPASS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A SIDE BARRIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED A MONTH PRIOR AND WAS RELATING THE CRASH TO THE TIRES BALDING. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO STEVE LANDERS TOYOTA (10825 COLONEL GLENN RD, LITTLE ROCK, AR 72204). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND HAD SOMEBODY INSPECT
NHTSA complaint 11408037, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash · towed
I got t-boned and my airbags didn’t deploy and I smashed my head on the window
NHTSA complaint 11536187. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled in the middle of the highway. The vehicle lost power, but was able to be restarted, and the vehicle drove in LIMP Mode to the dealer. The "D" on the instrument panel was flashing during failure, and there was an electrical odor inside the vehicle. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was unable to reproduce failure but serviced the auxiliary battery and reprogrammed the transmission; however, the failure persisted. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
NHTSA complaint 11764065. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2021 Jeep Compass Limited due to repeated coolant loss, overheating/high-temperature warnings, and eventual engine failure. The vehicle began losing coolant and required frequent refilling. The problem progressively worsened until coolant would immediately leak out underneath the vehicle when added. I paid approximately $1,400 to have the radiator replaced, but the same problem returned approximately two weeks later. The vehicle subsequently developed additional problems including shaking, a check-engine light, Cylinder 1 misfire, and diagnostic code P0117 related to the coolant temperature sensor/circuit. The vehicle also displayed a warning that
NHTSA complaint 11762492, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Screen glitching can’t use touch screen and rear view camera not available when screen is glitching.
NHTSA complaint 11762302. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to formally submit a complaint regarding my 2021 Jeep Compass, particularly concerning recurring mechanical, electrical, and safety-related problems that have created serious concerns about the vehicle's reliability and safe operation. The most concerning issue is the vehicle's unexpected stalling at low speeds, particularly associated with the 2.4L engine. Unexpected loss of power while driving at low speeds creates a significant safety concern because it can occur when entering intersections, turning, maneuvering through traffic, or attempting to accelerate from a stopped or slow-moving position. In addition to the stalling issue, I have experienced or
NHTSA complaint 11759991, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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
NHTSA complaint 11738824, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
NHTSA complaint 11730531. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 1 | — |
| 2024 | 52 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 46 | 2 | — |
| 2022 | 222 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | 141 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 329 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 943 | 6 | — |
| 2017 | 229 | 4 | — |
| 2016 | 293 | 1 | — |
| 2015 | 113 | 1 | — |
| 2014 | 307 | 2 | — |
| 2013 | 80 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 184 | 4 | 1 |
| 2011 | 187 | 3 | — |
| 2010 | 71 | 2 | — |
Complaints on file, same model year.
Every Jeep on this site — 108 vehicles.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst