2018 Jeep Compass Review: Unreliable Small SUV With High Ownership Costs As It Ages

Camille on December 7, 2024

When you purchase a car you never know what problems are going to occur later down the road. With my 2018 Silver Jeep Compass I've had to get a whole new engine back in 2022 because the dealership in the beginning couldn't figure out why I was losing coolant and overheating. I had to tell the mechanics to check certain areas I basically told them every last thing before they told me I had to replace the engine. Problem could have been easily fixed if there mechanics knew what they were doing on trying to resolve the problem without having the customer has to fish out thousands of dollars. I could have sued them. Faster forward to my problem I'm having currently. First it was a coolant problem my kids father took it to a mechanic they test drove it to make sure everything is fine. They said it's good. That was in November. Now December 6th I leave work it's driving fine. Drove to another town it's fine getting to my destination. Get in the car sat in the car let it warm up. I'm driving on the highway. I'm in the fast lane luckily enough not a lot of cars behind me. My car literally when I mean literally it slows down and drive light starts blinking, the brake light comes on, I see the engine light I'm like no the xxxx not. This can't be an engine problem. So I'm in my car turning it off the car. Restarting it. Moving the gears to see if it will respond nothing. My wheel locked up at some point. The brake lever light wouldn't turn off. I thought a car was going to hit me. I get I was in a bad spot but I could not help the fact my car just stopped and would not move. So I'm just curious as to what the problem is now. Don't have money for a new car. But if someone my car and trades me for something else at this point I'll take it. Or win the lottery and I can buy a new car.

Domm on August 10, 2024

I had an awful experience. I got every oil change and did ALL of the required service on time. This car is on its last leg. It has stayed in the shop the entire time I've had it. My mechanic said Jeeps are known for engine failure and transmission issues. I'll be trading it in tomorrow for a Toyota or a Lexus. Never buying Jeep again.

Go JEEP on July 20, 2024

I,ve had several Jeeps and Subarus and Chevys and my Compass Latitude 4x4 is as good as any for around the city and my freeway trips. Better than the Subaru for the highway and offroad. I feel safe. posted this as i feel some people are harsh and wrong about Jeeps. Do the required oil and transmission services as requested.

Sandra ahiakwo on May 18, 2024

It always something wrong with this car I pray it not a lemon it cost me a month 699.00 and I just got it 6 month ago.

J on August 8, 2023

My first and last from JCD. Had nothing but electrical issues one year after purchase, was told the mileage took it out of warranty. I'm not sure how mileage affects the radio calling so for no reason.

AS on May 19, 2023

I have had problems since 3500 miles. Tires, brakes, suspension, electrical etc. I I even tried to get the company to replace early on. I will never buy another Jeep product.

Debra on March 24, 2023

I was so thrilled to buy a beautiful white jeep with black roof, and the first 6 mos. the car performed great. Between 6 mos-1 year the car started losing oil, then shutting off without warning. I brought it back to Jeep dealer-they suggested I do oil changes more frequently. Are you kidding? Do you know how much synthetic oil costs? And of course the oil level was good at the dealership. Fast forward to present-oil issue is no longer---new issue-- while driving on the highway at 65 mph the temp gauge goes up to hot then stalls and shuts off-while driving at fast speed. Luckily the few times this happened I was able to coast off the ramp onto side street, and the car started again in a few mins. This has happened to me many times. This is so dangerous. I brought it back to Jeep & they were trying to re-create the problem by keeping my car for over a month and putting 600 miles on it-to see if oil issue reappeared, and if it stalled like it did for me. When I picked up my car, month later, they said they couldn't find anything wrong & I got charged $110 for gas that they used to re-create the problem. I want to get rid of this car so bad. Nothing but problems for almost 5 years & Jeep ignores the complaints & recalls all over the internet. Car is sitting in my boyfriends driveway till I can sell it. I'm scared of getting into an accident so I won't drive it.

Sandi on December 6, 2022

As I'm writing this, my car is once again in the shop for the same problem that it's been in the shop three times. It is now out of the manufactures warranty thank God I purchased the extended warranty. It has stranded me more times than I can say last was last Saturday night in a bad part of town that I was lost in actually and the whole entire car went into limp mode I'm told nothing worked. I could only go 30 miles an hour, my great extended warranty and insurance as a matter fact neither would send a tow truck in there. I sat on the side of the road helpless. Basically they tell me every time that they can't make it duplicate what happens and so this time my grandson drove it 30 miles an hour manually shifting by the way to my home, and I had the service foreman pick it up and drive it in front of me so that they could not say it was not duplicating the problem. His words when he got out of the car were yeah, this is got some problems. That said it seems the same thing that's been replaced or worked on since I bought at the stop start feature that I don't even use because I don't trust it seems this time now instead of batteries being low or gone. Basically it's broken. In some type of wheel sensor that actually towed controls everything in the car if it's messed up, then the car doesn't run. This is a new thing. I hate the car. I am leery about driving alone. I've been stranded so many times and it's always been light at night. I just don't trust it. I'm going to get rid of it as soon as I can. I've always had a Ford I had a explore 17 years never a problem. Oh by the way this car only just turned 19,000 miles in three years ridiculous stay away from this car it's just a limb and they should paint them all yellow. Oh and this time not to mention they tried to add on tires, and some sort of cabin filter of course none of these are covered by the warranty never even heard of the stuff if the tires were bad, why didn't the computer say some thing isn't that what it's for and both of the front tires are bad to me that says there's some thing in the front end either alignment if they still do that with all these computers, I don't know but they're not even equally worn. Just trying to get me to buy tires from them that's not gonna happen I could just go on and on just beware please read these reviews I wish I'd known about this site before I bought this car.

NA on December 1, 2022

I would NOT recommend this car,2 times in 1 yr it left me stranded already.If I could give it a 0 I definitely would have for reliability

Giedrius on November 30, 2022

I own a 2018 Compass with 1.4 l gas engine, 125 kw, 170 HP. This is not mentionned in the article. And this engine is quite more powerful than the American atmospheric one. Still, the Jeep is not quick 🙂 The gas pedal still 'creates more sound than speed' 🙂 Giedrius, Europe