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2016 Jeep Compass problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2016 Jeep Compass has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 1safety recall
- 293owner complaints
- 9crash reports
- 2fire reports
- 15injuries reported
293 complaints, against an average of 198 for the other 14 Jeep Compass model years.
Every Jeep Compass model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2016 Jeep Compass?
The components named most often in the 293 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2016 Jeep Compass owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 293 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does my 2016 Jeep Compass stall, lose power or shut off while driving?130 owners · 44.4% · Recall 16V907000
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2016 Jeep Compass?43 owners · 14.7%
- Why does my 2016 Jeep Compass idle rough, misfire or hesitate?15 owners · 5.1%
- Why won't my 2016 Jeep Compass start?14 owners · 4.8%
- Why are the ABS and stability control lights on in my 2016 Jeep Compass?14 owners · 4.8%
Has the 2016 Jeep Compass been recalled?
1 U.S. safety recall. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2016 Dodge Journey, Jeep Compass, and Jeep Patriot vehicles manufactured May 9, 2016, to July 15, 2016. The crankshaft or camshaft sensor may only work intermittently, causing the engine to stall.
Risk: If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
Fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft or camshaft sensor connector, free of charge. The recall began February 8, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S89.
Is the 2016 Jeep Compass recalled in the UK or Europe?
Recalls issued by the UK's DVSA and through the EU's Safety Gate system that cover this model and build period. European models can differ from U.S. ones, and "years estimated" means the recall gave no build dates, so confirm your own car with your registration or VIN.
UK DVSAThe occupant restraint controller (orc) may not operate as intendedYears estimated
Risk: The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) may experience a loss of air bag and seat belt pretensioner deployment capability during a crash due to a shorting condition resulting in a negative voltage transient that travels to the Occupant Restraint Controller via the front impact sensor wires
Fix: Replace the Occupant Restraint Control module.
EU Safety GateThe electrical connections for the daytime running lamps are inadequate and the lights may be disabled by the driver.As a consequence, the visibility of the vehicle and its identification by other drivers may be reduced.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
EU Safety GateThe User’s Guide contains incorrect information regarding the jump start procedure, depicting the battery terminals with reversed polarity…The User’s Guide contains incorrect information regarding the jump start procedure, depicting the battery terminals with reversed polarity in the battery terminal graphic. This could lead to an electric shock.
Measures: Type of economic operator taking notified measure(s): Manufacturer; Category of measure(s): Recall of the product from end users; Date of entry into force: Unknown
What do 2016 Jeep Compass owners report?
12 of the 293 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The dealer was contacted, and the camshaft sensor was updated; however, several weeks later the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Component: Engine / Electrical System / Power Train VIN [XXX] Description of Safety Defect: The vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic loss of engine power and completely shut off while traveling at highway speeds. This total engine failure disabled the vehicle on an active highway, forcing an emergency maneuver to reach the shoulder. This incident occurred less than four months after an authorized manufacturer dealership charged over $3,400 to repair the engine's air-induction vacuum and fuel systems. The sudden stalling on a high-speed roadway directly endangered the driver and a [XXX]…
Car stalls turns off by itself could be at red lights or even while driving twice already!! Needs to be recalled as well and repaired pls repairs cost thousands!!! Not safe!! I have owned it for 4-5 years and it has happened maybe 7-8 times but most recently this week twice!!
The crankshaft position sensor is throwing a code , and the car want turn over .
Brake caliphers went bad 2 days after I purchased, now a heavy humming sound that I literally feel vibration in my seat, loud weird noise when making sharp turns, turning the wheel while in park grinding noise, loud rumbling when air conditioner is on, jerking forward when press on gas. This car is horrible
The reason for the recall on this make and model is what I'm experiencing now. The whole car will shutdown power while driving with no warnings. In traffic the car will just roll to a stop with cars closely behind me. I bought the call September 2016 yet I just saw a recall when I signed up for triple a. The last 12 months I have been on n and out of shops trying to find the reason. Starter was fixed. Battery replaced. Cables replaced. Throttle body replaced yet the car still shutdown in traffic. I don't want to cause an accident.
Relay box underneath drivers side headlight prone to corrosion, causes jeeps from this era to stall and die randomly.
Electrical components failed car shut down while driving and put me and my daughters at risk I had to have a part with the lightning bolt that come on the dash replaced but that's all the inspection there was no warning only flashing engine light and it shut down it first happened June 2025 and has happened 3 times since. Also the cruise control when set will accelerate on its own and I have to hit the button multiple times and the brake to get it to stop and shut off.
I have had problems with Jeep suddenly losing all power while driving with NO WARNING! Everytime ive had it checked they could not find anything wrong with it. Just recently it happened again and since then when I drive it doesn't seem to want to accelerate. There are no noises,instrument lights on any codes showing up. I had to wait a month for my appointment at the dealership and then another month for them to even tell me what was wrong. They said i need a new transmission which is ridiculous since my car only has 89,956 miles and a majority of those miles are from military moves. The only…
Car starts fine. After the car gets up to operating team the car will just stop running, very dangerous in traffic as it cannot be sterred or hardly stopped. The lightning bolt symbol appears on dash then car just dies. I replaced 2 camshaft position sensors and 1 connector. Car was fine for 2 weeks then started acting even crazier. I scan obd2 but get no codes.
Engine cuts out while driving. Had to pull over to the side and reset by instructions from Google. Took the car to a local garage and he said it was a computer issue. This part was replaced 3-4 years ago and is failing again. A red symbol like a lightning bolt and the check engine light was on.
MY 2016 JEEP COMPASS BEGAN STALLING WHILE IDLING AT STOP LIGHTS AS WELL AS STALLING WHILE DRIVING LAST WEEK. I'VE GOOGLED AND I SEE THAT SEVERAL JEEP OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE AS WELL. I'VE NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR MY SPECIFIC VIN, HOWEVER, THERE WAS ONE ISSUED FOR DODGE AND JEEPS MANUFACTURED FROM MAY, 8, 2016 - JULY 12, 2016. CRANKSHAFT AND CAMSHAFT SENSOR WIRE HARNESS NOT MANUFACTURED CORRECTLY, THIS IS MAINLY FOR 2.0 L AND 2.4 L ENGINES. RECALL # S89/NHTSA HOV-907. THIS IS OUTRAGEUOUS! AUTO SHOPS CAN'T SEEM TO DIAGNOSE THIS ISSUE PROPERLY, BUT SOMEHOW THE NHTSA DID! MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP…
2016 Jeep Compass: questions owners ask
Is the 2016 Jeep Compass reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 293 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Compass; the most common categories were engine (135, 46.1%), electrical system (62, 21.2%), power train (44, 15%). There is 1 safety recall. 9 complaints mention a crash, 2 mention a fire, 15 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Jeep Compass?
Across 293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are engine (46.1% of complaints), electrical system (21.2% of complaints), power train (15% of complaints), vehicle speed control (10.2% of complaints), engine and engine cooling (8.9% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2016 Jeep Compass have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2016 Jeep Compass; the most recent (campaign 16V907000, 2016-12-16) concerns Engine And Engine Cooling: Engine. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2016 Jeep Compass stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
130 of the 293 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass (44.4%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. A related recall exists: campaign 16V907000 (engine and engine cooling: engine). The fix: Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crankshaft or camshaft sensor connector, free of charge. One owner wrote: "Car stalls turns off by itself could be at red lights or even while driving twice already!! Needs to be recalled as well and repaired pls repairs cost thousands!!! Not safe!!" (NHTSA complaint 11750726, July 2026). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2016 Jeep Compass?
43 of the 293 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass (14.7%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "Since purchasing this vehicle in 2022 the crankshaft position sensor has been replaced 4 times (twice by the dealer in 2022, once in 2023 and once in 2024) and now it is dying while driving once again with the check engine light indicating that it is once…" (NHTSA complaint 11751942, July 2026). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2016 Jeep Compass idle rough, misfire or hesitate?
15 of the 293 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass (5.1%) describe rough idling, misfires or hesitation when accelerating. One owner wrote: "Whenever I fill up my vehicle with gas when driving down road it starts sputtering and jerking like it is going to stall out. It will do this even when going down an interstate at 65 miles an hour." (NHTSA complaint 11546608, September 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why won't my 2016 Jeep Compass start?
14 of the 293 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass (4.8%) describe the car failing to start. One owner wrote: "Car stalls while driving. Sometimes car will not start. Car cranks but doesn’t start. Check engine light and sometimes the traction control light goes on. This seems similar to what is the safety recall S89 but our car was manufactured in September 2015." (NHTSA complaint 11622611, October 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why are the ABS and stability control lights on in my 2016 Jeep Compass?
14 of the 293 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass (4.8%) describe ABS, traction or stability control warnings or faults. One owner wrote: "Car stalls while driving. Sometimes car will not start. Car cranks but doesn’t start. Check engine light and sometimes the traction control light goes on. This seems similar to what is the safety recall S89 but our car was manufactured in September 2015." (NHTSA complaint 11622611, October 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Compass
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), DVSA vehicle recalls (Open Government Licence v3.0), EU Safety Gate alerts (© European Union), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2016 only.