2019 Jeep Compass: What to check before buying

Sudden stalls with the dashboard full of warnings dominate these reports. Messages for the transmission, ESC, AWD and coolant appear at once. Then the engine shuts off, the parking brake engages, or the steering and brakes go stiff. Many nearly new cars, some with under 500 miles, show the engine as running when it will not start. Auto start-stop also fails to restart at lights. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Reported fixes include a PCM update and a new start-stop battery. Two reports involve crashes after stalls in traffic.

The most common report is the engine shutting off along with a false "coolant temperature too high" warning. Power drops at any speed, including on the highway, while the coolant level and gauge read normal. Dealers often find no codes. A second pattern is oil burning between changes. Dealers run oil consumption tests, and some stalls trace back to low oil. The most serious reports describe oil mixing into the coolant and a blown head gasket, plus a full engine replacement at 50,000 miles.

The costliest pattern is coolant mixing with transmission fluid or oil. The fluid turns milky and the engine or transmission is damaged, with one failure reported at 74,000 miles. Other reports describe lost power, limp mode, and a false coolant warning that blocks shifting. Some stalls are traced to the auxiliary battery or the PCM. A whining power takeoff unit near 50 mph and a worn CV axle at 50,000 miles also appear. One crash followed broken axles while driving in snow.

Popping, clunking, or thumping when turning points to a failed steering rack. Dealers have confirmed failed rack-and-pinion units around 63,000 miles. Fractured control arms and failed tie rods are also reported, and one complaint describes a long wait for a replacement rack. Many other complaints describe power steering cutting out when the engine stalls. This often comes with a false coolant warning or a "power steering system hot" message, and the wheel turns heavy at speed. One crash report describes the car pulling left and right on its own.

The most alarming pattern is the electronic parking brake engaging on its own. It can stop the car in the middle of traffic or lock the brakes at a light, with one report at 12,000 miles. Other complaints describe grabby, overly sensitive pedals, grinding and squealing that dealers cannot reproduce, and early pad and rotor wear. One report covers failed rear calipers and parking brake actuators. A crash with 1 injury happened when the brakes failed to stop the car after several warning lights came on.

The main concern is air bags not deploying in frontal crashes, including a head-on collision at about 40 mph. The opposite fault also appears. Air bags fired with no collision at 55 mph on an interstate, and a curtain air bag went off in a parked car. Other reports describe the air bag warning light coming on and staying on. Three of the 6 complaints involve crashes, with 3 people injured.

The common thread is a sudden loss of acceleration. The car drops into limp mode on the highway or shuts down after a false high coolant warning at 55 mph, and dealers often cannot reproduce the problem. Other reports describe the car lurching forward after braking, hard shifts, and stalls with the electronic throttle warning light on. One owner describes a brake pedal that locked at startup. One crash followed a total loss of brakes while using cruise control after the ABS light came on.

The main complaint is headlights that do not turn on, or that come on only minutes after the car starts. Replacing the bulb, the fuse, and even the whole headlamp assembly does not always fix it. The gear shift indicator lights also flicker or stay dark, so the driver cannot see which gear is selected. One fire report describes the engine compartment bursting into flames after the car had been parked for a few hours.