Owners of 2020 Jeep Compass vehicles have reported that their vehicles are stalling and shutting off. 2020 Compass vehicles have shut off at highway speeds, including on the freeway at 75 miles per hour. When this happens, the vehicle not only loses all acceleration, but power steering and power brakes are not available. As a result, it takes a huge amount of physical effort to maneuver the vehicles to safety in an already dangerous situation. Other drivers have experienced the vehicle going into limp mode while at highway speeds, where the vehicle would not go over 35 miles per hour.
2020 Jeep Compass vehicles have also shut off at stop lights or stops signs and could not be restarted. Like many new vehicles, the 2020 Compass is equipped with a start/stop function. At a stop sign or stop light, the vehicle will shut off on its own, which is normal operation. The system is designed to start up immediately when the driver takes their foot off the brake. With the 2020 Jeep Compass, the vehicle will instead not restart at all, leaving the driver stranded at a stop sign or stop light.
Each of these scenarios, engine shutting off at highway speed, loss of acceleration at highway speeds and shutting down and not restarting at stop signs or stop lights, puts drivers in serious danger of a collision. With the 2020 Compass vehicles, this writer has recently received multiple reports of these problems within the first two weeks after purchase.
FCA, the manufacturer of Jeeps, has been aware of these issues with Compass vehicles going as far back as 2018, yet there has been no recall. After several years of these dangerous defects, FCA should have found an effective solution. Not only has FCA not come up with an effective repair, but the problem is getting worse because it has been happening in the 2020 Compass vehicles almost immediately after purchase.
If your Jeep Compass has shut down while in motion at highway speeds, lost acceleration or failed to restart after a stop, take your vehicle to a Jeep dealership for repair as soon as possible, and make sure to keep the paperwork from that service visit. If the dealership claims that it cannot duplicate the problem, ask the dealership personnel to go on a test drive with you driving to demonstrate the issue. Consumers should also report incidents to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.safercar.gov. If the problems with your Compass are not fixed, contact Attorney Christina Gill Roseman at www.helpforlemoncars.com or 800-745-5259 about your rights under state Lemon Laws.