2016 Jeep Compass problems & reliability
290 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Jeep Compass, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
11 complaints report injuries (15 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Jeep Compass vehicles were involved in 42 fatal crashes with 18 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 134 | 46% |
| Electrical System | 61 | 21% |
| Unknown OR Other | 47 | 16% |
| Power Train | 43 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 25 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 16 | 6% |
| Steering | 16 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 15 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 13 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 57,000 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 71,055 miles), based on 171 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, shuddered, and the air conditioner was inoperative, and the vehicle coasted before coming to a complete stop. The contact restarted the…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 31, 2026
“Since purchasing this vehicle in 2022 the crankshaft position sensor has been replaced 4 times (twice by the dealer in 2022, once in 2023 and once in 2024) and now it is dying while driving once again with the check engine light indicating that it is once again the crankshaft position sensor”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jul 21, 2026
“The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for approximately 20 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The contact…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Jul 17, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Stall from Crankshaft\Camshaft Failure
Recall Query RQ22002 · opened Jul 22, 2022 · closed Jun 16, 2025
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment
Preliminary Evaluation PE19014 · opened Sep 9, 2019 · closed Feb 25, 2026
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
145 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Jeep Compass. The 10 most recent:
Emissions Recall U67 - Catalytic Converter Efficiency - Dealer Notification (Revision 11)
U67 Combo Rev11 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jun 18, 2026
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100653 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
103954 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
104087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
Start Stop Charging Warning Lamp Illuminated On, Intelligent Battery Sensor (IBS) State of Charge (SOC) Inaccurate, Battery Charging Message, Presence of IBS related Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), or Battery Warning…
S1408000384 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2024
LIFTER, Hydraulic Roller Deactivating Please do not replace MDS lifters because the disconnecting pin is not lined up, this is normal and not a defect.
9100229 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
FCA Caribbean Warranty Bulletin ID-23-20 "Can / Am" Warranty Coverage - 594 / 595 / 596 WCC
93120 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 30, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Jeep Compass has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Jeep Compass?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 57,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.