2021 Jeep Compass: What to check before buying

The engine shuts off while driving after a "high coolant temperature" warning, even though the gauge reads normal. Replacing the thermostat housing and sensor has not fixed it. Auto stop/start sometimes fails to restart at intersections, and the parking brake can engage on its own. Infotainment screens go blank or show lines, which takes out the backup camera. Other reports describe melting battery parts, headlight connectors and wiring harnesses, plus wipers, brake lights and signals failing around 47,000 miles. One crash followed sudden acceleration, loss of steering and brakes, and a dashboard blackout.

The transmission bucks, shifts hard, or drops into limp mode with a "service transmission" message on long climbs. A software update and a transmission relearn did not cure the bucking at 79,000 miles. A rear-end growl near 30 mph appears from about 20,000 miles and goes away with traction control off. One report describes oil consumption that triggers a low oil pressure light between changes. Other complaints describe the engine stalling at stops, sometimes with the parking brake engaging unprompted, and coolant warnings that come with a shutdown even though the engine is not overheated.

The front end knocks or clunks over speed bumps and in turns, and dealers trace it to the rack and pinion. Some find nothing, and one called the noise normal at 701 miles. In some cases the noise starts within months of purchase and keeps coming back after dealer visits. One crash happened when the car veered right after repeated visits for front-end noise. Other complaints describe the wheel pulling hard left or right at highway speed, and a failed steering module that stalled the engine at idle around 80,000 miles.

An overheating warning appears at highway speed, about 75 mph, and the car runs poorly or loses motive power. In one case a burned coolant mark was found under the engine, and the owner was told the repair was not covered by warranty. In another, the car lost power repeatedly, restarted only after several attempts, and the dealer could not reproduce the failure. That failure came at about 50,000 miles. Both cases leave the driver stranded on the shoulder at speed.

Repeated "high coolant temperature" warnings shut the engine off at about 40 mph, sometimes several times within weeks, and repair shops cannot explain it. Another complaint describes the transmission jumping out of gear, jerking forward hard enough to feel like a rear impact, and once moving backward while in Drive. That car spent over 150 days in the shop across 7 service orders without a lasting fix.

A flashing brake warning light comes with a loss of motive power, reported at about 77,000 miles and compared by the owner to an engine-cooling investigation. The other complaint concerns the electronic parking brake switch in the center console. A passenger bumped it at 40 mph and the brake engaged immediately. The owner asks for a cover over the switch, or for it to be disabled while the car is moving, so children and passengers cannot trigger it.

Despite the heading, these complaints are mostly about displays. The Uconnect screen develops a single line that spreads until the screen goes black, which disrupts navigation. The instrument display dims randomly in daylight, making the speedometer hard to read, and the radio panel shuts off on its own. Other reports describe the car jolting forward hard at stops and the collision warning system switching off.