Diagsheet

2018 Jeep Compass · symptom sheet

Battery dies or the car will not start

  • 102owner reports
  • 36,500median miles
  • $1,000median quote
  • 1involved a crash

Newest report Jul 17, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

379 of the 937 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 102 of those describe dead battery.

Tick what matches of 102 reports

17
12
38
73
7
13

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (86 reports), the alternator (8 reports), the starter (8 reports) and the module (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

18V-524Aug 9, 2018
Electrical System:Wiring:Front Underhood

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain 2018 Jeep Renegade, Compass and Grand Cherokee, RAM 1500 and Promaster, Fiat 500x, Dodge Journey, Challenger, Charger and Durango and Chrysler 300x vehicles, 2017-2018 Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country vehicles and 2018-2019 Jeep Cherokee and 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid vehicles. The powertrain control module may be equipped with a voltage regulator chip in the circuit board that may fail, causing a stall or a no start condition.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A vehicle stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the powertrain control module, free of charge. The recall began October 2, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is U87.
17V-740Nov 21, 2017
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel

Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2017-2018 Jeep Compass vehicles. The brightness of the backlighting for the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) cannot be adjusted. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Risk and remedy
Risk: An instrument cluster that is too bright, and cannot be dimmed, can reduce the driver's ability to see at night, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will update IPC software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 8, 2018. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is T70.

What owners paid

8 of the 102 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $555 to $1,800.

$555$1,000$1,800
$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 18,000 and 52,000 miles, from the 52 reports that gave a mileage.

218
919
1120
1721
1622
1623
1724
825
626

What owners wrote

“Car turn off while driving on the freeway, all dashlights come on ( 4WD, service engine, transmission service, ABS, crash detector, high voltage, battery voltage, etc) the car has 79k miles”

Filed Nov 10, 2025 · 79,000 miles

“When vehicle in park mode it will not start. Seems to be an issue with Start/Stop system. Must place in neutral to start car. Auxiliary and main battery replaced. Seems to be bringing auxiliary battery down”

Filed Aug 20, 2023

“Key fob not detected since I bought certified pre-used. There’s an oil consumption issue. There’s a stall issue that completely cut my Jeep off in the middle of rush hour traffic almost causing an accident. I’ve replaced batteries 2x and had to dealer 3x with them unable to reproduce symptoms. They didn’t do the oil consumption test. Just changed oil. This Jeep is a serious hazard!!”

Filed Jun 29, 2023

“All lights randomly flashed on dash then the vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic. This is the third time it has happened, and the dealership had claimed to have fixed it. Just had brand new batteries installed to ensure sufficient voltage, and it still happened. 32k miles.”

Filed Dec 10, 2022 · 32,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 1 of 102 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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