2018 Jeep Compass · symptom sheet
Battery dies or the car will not start
- 103owner reports
- 36,500median miles
- $1,000median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
381 of the 943 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 103 of those describe dead battery.
Tick what matches of 103 reports
Dead battery on other Compass years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022.
What this problem usually is
These owners walk out to a car that's dead. Some find it drained after sitting only a day or two, some need a jump start every week, and some have had the battery replaced more than once without the problem going away. A good number describe the dealer testing the battery, calling it fine, and sending them home.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (87 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.
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.
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."
All 6 recalls on the 2018 Jeep Compass, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
9 of the 103 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $555 to $1,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 18,000 and 52,000 miles, from the 53 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 9 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 Jeep Compass that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
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 Lamp On
Radio Remained On After Ignition Is Switched Off, Dead Battery From Excessive Radio Current Draw
No Start, Start Stop Inoperative, Cluster Message Service Start Stop System
No Start, After Flash And Or PCM Replace, DTC P0513 Invalid Skim Key Setting
5 more on the 2018 Jeep Compass page.
What owners wrote
“Pulled up in my drive way turned car off and when I went to start ut to go to work it just would not start anymore”
Filed Jun 1, 2026
“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. Thereâs an oil consumption issue. Thereâs a stall issue that completely cut my Jeep off in the middle of rush hour traffic almost causing an accident. Iâve replaced batteries 2x and had to dealer 3x with them unable to reproduce symptoms. They didnât do the oil consumption test. Just changed oil. This Jeep is a serious hazard!!”
Filed Jun 29, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 103 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. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 376 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 160 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 144 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 74 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 68 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 62 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 44 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 42 reports
- Headlights too dim or fail 39 reports
- Auto start-stop will not restart the engine 34 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 30 reports
- "Service Transmission" message or wrench light comes on 30 reports
- Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) 29 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 26 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 26 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 25 reports