Jeep · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
76
Complaints
5
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2021 Jeep Compass have filed 76 safety complaints with NHTSA between October 2020 and May 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 31 of them (41%). The typical failure was reported at 60,050 miles, the median across the 12 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
Complaints rose 29% year on year: 22 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 17 in the twelve before.
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.
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 76.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 18.
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.
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.
72,972 miles
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.
NHTSA complaint 11727245. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
NHTSA complaint 11726595. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
NHTSA complaint 11724485. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 52 | 0 | — |
| 2023 | 45 | 2 | — |
| 2022 | 219 | 4 | — |
| 2020 | 137 | 1 | — |
| 2019 | 326 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 931 | 6 | — |
| 2017 | 228 | 4 | — |
| 2016 | 292 | 1 | — |
| 2015 | 113 | 1 | — |
| 2014 | 306 | 2 | — |
| 2013 | 80 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 184 | 4 | 1 |
| 2011 | 187 | 3 | — |
| 2010 | 71 | 2 | — |
Every Jeep on this site — 104 vehicles, 303 recall campaigns and 7 open investigation s.
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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.
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