2018 Jeep Compass Brakes Problems

Engine light came on, breaking light, abs

NHTSA ID

11738361

Incident

Mar 20, 2026

On around 5 occasions beginning since late 2025 I have been driving and my emergency brake has turned on automatically while driving. Yesterday, while at a stop light the light turned green and my emergency brake turned on which caused traffic to be halted I had to turn my car on and off repeatedly to have my car work. When I turned right at the intersection this happened again. I was able to slowly pull over and once again turn my car off and on. Then it did it again today at the same intersection I was able to slowly pull over and turn my car off and on. I went to the Jeep dealership today and they could not find anything wrong. No codes indicated anything they said I had a small oil leak but that is all they could find.

NHTSA ID

11734295

Incident

Apr 28, 2026

UNKNOWN. Saw there was recall in past for rear piston but mine was not affected. But I’m having issues with the brakes. When slowing down or coming to stop when using the brake, the whole car shakes and rattles.

NHTSA ID

11685485

Incident

Jul 16, 2025

While driving with my wife and 3 kids the car automatically braked by itself. Lucky to be able to report this. The NTHSA doesn’t have any current recalls on my VIN. It should now this model vehicle could be causing future accidents or deaths. Hope this gets some attention asap.

NHTSA ID

11624361

Incident

Nov 9, 2024

While driving the emergency brake self engages causing the Jeep to come to a sudden stop.

NHTSA ID

11621281

Incident

Oct 16, 2024

My vehicle shuts off while driving and while vehicle is in “Drive” mode, after my vehicle stopped the “emergency brake” automatically pops on then my car stalls before finally turning back on. This has been ongoing for months. The last incident happened two days ago while I was on a busy road and my car stopped in mid traffic while I was in drive and caused a panic. My engine light came on and I took it to get hooked up by the reader at an auto place and the following codes were displayed “PIDD2” & “U1428” upon checking online and researching the issue I found that my vehicle make, model and year has been recalled for the same issues that I am currently experiencing with my vehicle and the TCM system needing to be reset. Specifically the Chrysler U87 recall.

NHTSA ID

11617731

Incident

Sep 30, 2024

When driving the electronic emergency brake self engages thus causing the car to come to an abrupt stop. You will need to turn the car off and on again to dis-engage the brake. This has happened sever times both on the highway and local streets.

NHTSA ID

11603956

Incident

Jul 2, 2024

The auto stop/start feature on this vehicle continues to have issues after parts such as; alternator, batteries and cables were replaced twice!

NHTSA ID

11586264

Incident

May 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the 4-WD, ABS, Hill Assist, and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the differential malfunctioned due to a tightening and then releasing that occurred while attempting to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed and determined that the rear ABS sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired due to parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and then confirmed that parts were not available nor longer in production. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

NHTSA ID

11557875

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Mileage

21,000 mi

My car stalled as I was about to turn after stopped at a red light. I tried to restart it several times and then I looked down and noticed the emergency brake light was on. I turned it off, tried starting it again and then it seemed fine. Later as I was mid turn going left through an intersection the car partially stalled where I could not finish my acceleration through the intersection ( it was still on but I could not accelerate however I was able to get it to sort of drift to the side of the road where it then stalled completely). Thankfully there were no vehicles headed through the intersection as I was trying to get out of the way. When I looked down the emergency brake light was on again. I did not receive any warning lights prior to this happening. I currently have it in the shop to have the issue looked at but I have had numerous issues with this vehicle since I bought it. Previous issues were not as scary as this one.

NHTSA ID

11553167

Incident

Nov 2, 2023

Car went in for recall on start/stop issue a few months ago. Recently wife parked the car and turned it off. Several minutes later went to turn it on again and it was dead. Engine would not start and electronics did not work. Could not even put car in neutral to have towed. Had to get new aux. battery and unhook neutral on main battery just to get into neutral to be able to tow. Dealership in Mt. Airy, NC is now trying to say we caused issues by hooking up battery incorrectly which is untrue since the issue happened before anyone messed with the battery.

NHTSA ID

11547275

Incident

Sep 23, 2023

ABS anti lock break system The first time it happened, I was slowing down at a stop light, and then starting back up the car stalled and would not move It had to be turned off and on in the middle of an intersection A car from behind had to skid and almost crashed into me Another time I was turning onto a major. road and it suddenly stalled once again almost got rear ended This happened a series of times, and was taken into a local mechanic each time, in which case they said it was the wheel sensors and replaced each one Both independent and Jeep dealership reproduced and confirmed the issue No warning lights prior to the first issue. Every time the car was taken into mechanic the warning lights were cleared for @ 30 days Each time the warning lights came on the car would simultaneously stall again

NHTSA ID

11540475

Incident

Jul 25, 2023

CAR ENGINE SHUT OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAR LOST ALL POWER NO ACCELERATION / BRAKING / STEERING THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. NO NO. AS IT WAS HAPPENING

NHTSA ID

11509880

Incident

Mar 2, 2023

For the second time this week , the emergency brakes have engaged while my vehicle was in motion . Both times in the middle of a busy intersection . The car gives me about 5 seconds to try to get to somewhere safe before it totally cuts off. Luckily both times i was able to put hazards on , get a clear path to the side of the road and fidget with it until it started up again . Terrifying to think that i could lose my life or cause someone else to get seriously injured because my vehicle just STOPS in the middle of driving . With NO WARNING , and literally only seconds to react.

NHTSA ID

11504983

Incident

Feb 1, 2023

While driving on a busy road the car could not accelerate and the emergency brake turned on by itself causing the car to stop abruptly. This has happen 2 times in 1 week.

NHTSA ID

11497441

Incident

Dec 14, 2022

1. The car will stall while driving at highway speeds and/or will turn on the emergency brake after stopping due to a stop sign or traffic. Yes this is available for inspection. 2. Not as of yet, Jeep said it was a battery problem. 3. The vehicle has been inspected by Jeep. 4. There were no signs or symptoms of the problem prior to failure. It occurred from one day to another and has not stopped.

NHTSA ID

11493230

Incident

Aug 15, 2022

About two weeks ago got to my destination ok. As I was leaving I tried to start the car and the brake pedal was hard to push. The car would not start but it would turn on. Nothing was left turned on before I started it. I looked at the voltage and it said 12.0. I kept turning on and off and the car would not start just turn on(radio and lights). Finally said maybe a jump would help. I found someone who could jump my car and it finally worked. Voltage went up to 14.2. My battery was changed exactly one year ago by a jeep dealer. Then this week I was driving on a local street and at a red light I stepped on the accelerator to go, the run stop feature stalled my car and shut it down. My breaks went hard, the voltage went down again. I was stuck on the street. I turned my hazards on to notify other cars. My son was in the car with me too. My anxiety level shot up. Ive had one too many issues with this car. I left the car off for about 10 mins and tried starting it again. Finally it turned on, weak, and all the lights went wonky but then it got stable and started running. I prayed that I get home safely. I did, and made an appointment to the service dealer. It is at the shop right now and they are trying to diagnose my car. Definitely a safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11493028

Incident

Oct 29, 2022

My car lost acceleration on nj Garden state highway driving 65 miles. Luckily I was driving in the right lane as this happened. I quickly flashed my hazards as soon as I noticed, to alert drivers behind me. My car slowly moved onto the side of the highway. My breaks would not fully stop the car. It finally stopped on its own luckily. I stayed on the side of the road for about a few good long mins trying to figure out what to do or WHO to call. I then tried turning on the car again to see if it would start. It turned on and the oil warning blinked for like one second. That was it. Never stayed on like other cars do. Not one warning beforehand. From my experience of owning other cars, if your car is running low on oil, a warning light comes on and stays on until the oil is changed. Not this car, only this one second. I was heading into nyc and I just prayed my car wouldn’t shut down on me again until I got to my destination. Luckily got home safe and made an appointment to a mechanic. They told me my car consumes more oil than the average car and therefore I would have to change it more frequently. This is the reason my car malfunctioned. How is this safe? Especially that the car doesn’t give a warning, this has given me so much anxiety. I could have gotten into a major accident. Now I have to guess whether I’ve driven x amount of miles and now I have to change the oil. Such a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11493021

Incident

Oct 16, 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the parking brake independently activated. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she turned off the vehicle and deactivated the parking brake to continue driving to her destination. The contact's daughter also experienced the failure three times while driving. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

NHTSA ID

11488052

Incident

Oct 2, 2022

Mileage

139,000 mi

My head lights go out and will not come on while driving and the parking brakes turns on by itself

NHTSA ID

11477998

Incident

Jul 31, 2022

On 3/19/2022 and on 3/21/2022 while at a stop sign went to make a right hand turn and my car stalled and emergency brake engaged by itself. Had to wait a couple minutes and finally car restarted. Both times the car stalled in roadway, not enough power to pull off road. My Car has 45000 miles and original paperwork says Oil Consumption recall, however the VIN search does not show that at all. Please help.

NHTSA ID

11457576

Incident

Mar 21, 2022

Two issues to report. Both common and known to happen. Causing safety issues. The 1st. Wheel speed sensors either come loose or disconnected. This turns off AbS , dynamic steering and hill descent. Could be very dangerous is rainy or icy conditions. The 2nd. The Jeep radio unit starts to go out and then dies. Dealers know about the issue but have no idea how to fix other than make the consumer pay for a replacement if out of warranty. When the head unit goes out, the driver looses the ability to use the rear view camera while reversing, could be potentially deadly for kids behind a vehicle. Both issues are widely known on Jeep Compass 2nd generations and above. Just like the engines consume oil, Jeep knows about the wheel speed issue and radio issue.

NHTSA ID

11440728

Incident

Sep 1, 2021

My car stalls and then stops at red lights or when stopping for a bit of time. When I accelerate it seems to hesitate and then stop. The brake engages and the engine stops. I cannot go at all. All of my dashboard lights, the radio, and anything else that was on at the time, like the A/C, still runs. I have to turn everything off. Wait about a minute and disengage the brake. I can press the ignition button and the car starts back. If I had to describe it, the car dies as soon as I accelerate after stopping at red lights or at stop signs. At first, I thought it was because I was stepping on the gas too soon after stopping but that is not the case. This is becoming an issue and it is extremely frightening and annoying

NHTSA ID

11437241

Incident

Oct 18, 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the check engine warning light, the brake warning light, and other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently stalled and lost motive power. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that no issues were found. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer several times and the wiring harness, the battery, and the instrument cluster was replaced however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact could not confirm whether he had notified the manufacturer of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 8,682.

NHTSA ID

11433016

Incident

Dec 15, 2017

Mileage

8,682 mi

I purchased my vehicle in 2019 and had no issues aside from having to get my oil changed much more often than expected (not just by me, but by my servicing location). Just last month I went to turn my vehicle on for work, and the vehicle seemed to be turning on, but then stalled out. It read a message of “service electronic parking brake” and “service ESC system.” My husband managed to get it to turn on the next day and we took it into the dealership, but they could not replicate the incident and said no codes appeared and the vehicle was “fine”. Less than a week later, the same issue arose yet again and I worked around some technical way to be able to turn it on. It was an off and on issue. A couple of days ago when turning on the vehicle to go to work the issue continued, but still I turned it on the way I have gotten accustomed to. As I shift gears into drive, I notice the car feeling somewhat shaky and when I head out lightly press my brakes, the brakes feel as if my emergency brake is engaged. I stop into a parking spot and turn on my emergency parking brake and then disengage it. Then I decide to see if that made a difference, well this time as I picked up speed (around 10mph) it felt as if I had a flat tire but all the tires were fine. I parked back up and took my car to the dealership the following day. On the short drive to the dealership the car felt like it was dragging heavily and the sound was a horrifying screeching sound. Once I arrived I explained everything and my car actually displayed the issue upon my arrival and was told it was odd, but yet again I have been told that they couldn’t replicate the issue. I just can’t understand how after seeing and hearing my vehicle there is nothing more that they can do to make sure there are no issues. Currently there are no recalls on my vehicle but I believe there should be further investigation into it as I am seeing many issues with the make, model and year I posses.

NHTSA ID

11431563

Incident

Aug 31, 2021