2020 Jeep COMPASS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
138 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
19,126 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 31 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 79 of 138 complaints (57.2%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 26 | 18.8% |
| Engine operation | 21 | 15.2% |
| Braking behavior | 19 | 13.8% |
| Steering behavior | 12 | 8.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 9 | 6.5% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 0.7% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 79 |
| Electrical System | 63 |
| Unknown Or Other | 29 |
| Power Train | 27 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 |
| Steering | 6 |
| Service Brakes | 5 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 4 |
Engine: 79; Electrical System: 63; Unknown Or Other: 29; Power Train: 27; Vehicle Speed Control: 7; Steering: 6; Service Brakes: 5; Fuel/Propulsion System: 4
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 17 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 6 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 6 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 2 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 17; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 6; 75,000 to 99,999: 2; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (17). 107 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 10 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2025 | 25 |
| 2026 | 13 |
2020: 10; 2021: 13; 2022: 21; 2023: 28; 2024: 28; 2025: 25; 2026: 13
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 26 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 21 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11360035 · 2020-09-20 (September 20, 2020)
MY 2020 COMPASS STALLS WHILE DRIVING ON THE STREET AND FREEWAY AND WHILE TURNING. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN 6 OR 7 TIMES AND ONE TIME A GUY SLAMMED ON HIS BRAKES AND SWERVED AROUND ME SO HE DIDN'T HIT ME. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES AND ITS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 25 DAYS AND I PROVIDED VIDEO PROOF OF THE ISSUE AND THE DEALER SAID IF THEY DON'T SEE IT THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING. THE CAR KEEPS GETTING DIFFERENT CHECK ENGINE CODES AND THEY JUST CLEAR THEM. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AND ISSUE THE DEALER WON'T VERIFY DRIVING THE CAR TWO MILES. THERE IS CLEARLY …
Owner-reported narrative. 10,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 11360035 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11373221 · 2020-11-05 (November 5, 2020)
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IN NEIGHBORHOODS, INTERSTATE, ETC - RANDOM TIMES THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WILL OVERHEAT UP TO 295 DEGREES, AND CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STALL ENGINE WISE. ALL POWER IS LOST TO THE GAS PEDAL AND I'M NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES THE ELECTRICAL WILL SHUTTER, LIGHTS WILL DIM. ANOTHER TIME VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY IMMOBILIZED AND ALL POWER WAS LOST. THE OVERHEATING AND STALLING HAS HAPPENED 4/5 TIMES NOW - AND ALL JEEP CAN TELL ME IS THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, SERVICE TRANSMISSION MESSAGE, …
Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11373221 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11331626 · 2020-06-29 (June 29, 2020)
PURCHASED A 2020 COMPASS ON MAY 28TH, 2020 WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK IT SHUT DOWN OR STALLED COMPLETELY AT A STOP STREET, HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND HIT THE RESTART BUTTON. I WAS NOT SURE IF THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE AUTO STOP/START SO I SWITCHED THIS FUNCTION OFF AND IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS IT DIED 2 MORE TIMES ONCE WHEN DRIVING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION THE NEXT TIME WHEN I WAS STARTING OFF AT A STREET LIGHT, THIS IS NOT NORMAL SO ON JUNE 26TH I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FILLED A CLAIM WITH JEEP CUSTOMER SERVICE. THE SERVICE…
Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 11331626 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11350896 · 2020-08-24 (August 24, 2020)
I HAVE HAD MY 2020 JEEP COMPASS 4.5 MONTHS AND IT HAS STALLED TWICE. BOTH TIMES AS I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT TO STOP. MY LIFE HAS BEEN ENDANGERED BOTH TIMES AS I DID NOT REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED NOR DO THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME. I ONLY REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN I ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE. BOTH TIMES I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND. THE FIRST TIME AT APPROX AT 1624 MILES AND THE SECOND TIME AT APPROX 1742 MILES. THERE IS NO WARNING OR DIRECTION FROM THE VEHICLE, BUT WHILE PANICKING IN TRAFFIC I SEE THAT MY EMERGENCY BAKE IS ON!!!!! SUDDENLY AND FOR…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,742 miles reported. Look up ODI 11350896 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11319222 · 2020-03-25 (March 25, 2020)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 JEEP COMPASS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM FAILED FUNCTION AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEED WAS NOT REDUCED NEITHER WAS THERE A WARNING OF STOPPED VEHICLES AHEAD. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM WAS RESET AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BROWN'S JEEP CHRYSLER DODGE RAM LOCATED AT (483 NY-112, PAT…
Owner-reported narrative. 600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11319222 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11338949 · 2020-07-12 (July 12, 2020)
TWICE NOW, THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST TIME HAPPENED AT A RED LIGHT. THIS VEHICLE HAS AUTOMATIC ENGINE SHUT OFF WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE, BUT WHEN YOU RELEASE THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE IS SUPPOSED TO COME BACK ON. WHEN I WAS AT THE RED LIGHT, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND I NEEDED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE I WAS MAKING A U TURN A FEW WEEKS LATER. AS I WAS TURNING THE CAR, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND I LUCKILY ROLLED TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD TO PUT THE CAR IN PA…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11338949 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11439469 · 2021-11-05 (November 5, 2021)
An issue with my 2020 Jeep Compass has been reoccurring, regardless of the engine temperature whether at operating temperature or cold, the vehicle will flash a message of "Coolant Temperature too High", the vehicle will shut itself down and the operator will need to press the brake, press the start/stop button to fully turn the vehicle off, press the brake again and press the start/stop button again to restart the vehicle. After restarting, the vehicle will run normally until the error message flashes again. this issue will occur when pulling …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11439469 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11472466 · 2022-07-06 (July 6, 2022)
Engine shut itself off by itself at a stop light. The car flashed a “coolant temperature too high” message then immediately turned off. As i was driving I always check my dashboard. I was going 45mph reached the stop light and the engine/coolant temperature gauge was normal in between the cold and the high sign. But even then it flashed that “coolant temperature too high” message and shut itself off right when the red light changed to a green light. It was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside and inside the car without AC it was awful. I immedi…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11472466 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11478032 · 2022-08-07 (August 7, 2022)
Vehicle jolts back and forwards while shifting while driving
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11478032 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11406522 · 2021-04-05 (April 5, 2021)
I WAS FILLING UP MY GAS TANK, THE AUTOMATIC STOP ON THE GAS PUMP NEVER SHUT OFF. GAS BEGAN SPILLING OUT OF MY CAR ONTO THE GROUND. I PLACED THE GAS PUMP BACK AND ATTEMPT ED TO START MY CAR, MY CAR STARTED BUT SHUT OFF RIGHT AFTER SIGNALING MY OIL WAS LOW. I JUST GOT MY OIL CHANGED A WEEK BEFORE. MY CAR IS NOW AT THE SHOP AND I AM OUT OF POCKET TO FIX THIS ISSUE. THIS WAS A BRAND NEW CAR AND IT CONTINUES TO STALL AND WON'T HOLD A CHARGE. AFTER SEARCHING THIS ISSUE IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. ALSO I AM TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP …
Owner-reported narrative. 4,021 miles reported. Look up ODI 11406522 at NHTSA ↗