9.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,148 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Jeep Compass lights problems

lights problem

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2018 Jeep Compass Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #53

Jul 272024

Compass

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Headlight will not come on. Both have been replaced. One may come on but the other will notcome on.

- Bells, TX, USA

problem #52

May 162024

Compass

  • miles
We realized a headlight malfunction where the headlights randomly and intermittently turn off. Sometimes they both work, sometimes one or the other works. A year ago, we seemed to notice a headlight go out, then they both worked. It happened again, so we replaced the bulb. Just last night, my wife happened to be following me home at night and her right headlight wouldn't turn on. In the middle of driving, both headlights went out. Then, shortly after, her left headlight went out and the right one came back on. I searched Jeep forums and discovered this is actually a very common problem and is not unique. This is an extremely hard issue to recognize due to the intermittent nature and poses a serious safety hazard driving at night. Given that it is obvious (took me 5 minutes) to realize there were countless other Jeep Compass owners having the issue, and the fact that headlights are a serious safety issue, I strongly recommend the NHTSA take a look into the issue. If you have any inspectors in the Dallas Fort-Worth area that would like to inspect this vehicle, please let me know.

- North Richland Hills, TX, USA

problem #51

Nov 072023

Compass

  • miles
The driver side headlight went out approximately 8 months after purchasing the vehicle used which was out of the 6 months that the dealer had a warranty. I have replaced the headlight and ballast and it is still not working properly. I have checked and confirmed voltage by testing the driver side against the passenger side which does work and all voltages match going into the rear plug of the headlight assembly. Looking on forums, I am not the only individual with this problem and the dealership wants to charge $170 dollars to run a diagnostic. This problem is certainly not due to lack of preventative maintenance, this appears to be a defect in the vehicle itself.

- Oakmont, PA, USA

problem #50

Mar 122024

Compass

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Head light problem lights not working took to dealership brought a new headlight assembly that didn-??t fix the problem waited 7 hours they still couldn-??t fix the problem took vehicle home I replaced a fuse, relay, and bulb that fix the problem. Six months later the same problem headlight please look in to this, need to be recalled.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

problem #49

Dec 302023

Compass

  • miles
I was getting my car serviced, I was getting a State inspection the mechanic told me they could not inspect the vehicle due to the fact that a headlight was not working.. they tried replacing the headlight it still did not work.. I had to leave without getting my vehicle inspected!! I was going to try to take it to the dealer to try and get it fixed.. I checked on line and found several other Jeep owners of this make and model also 2018 Jeep Compass had electrical problems involving the headlights.. at times I would turn vehicle on and both lights would be on. On other times only one headlight would be working. Some times if I would cycle thru the switch both lights would come on, other times not.. This is unsafe driving around with one headlight and not knowing when it will happen.I have spoken to both dealerships in the area, and they are no help.. they want me to bring vehicle in to troubleshoot the problem openended I do not have the money for this and Since it is happening to other people with this particular year and make vehicle I think it is a problem that should be looked into..by Jeep! This just started on my vehicle when the mileage reached approximately 32,000 miles I have owned this vehicle since 2019. Thanks for any help available..

- Richford, VT, USA

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problem #48

Nov 132023

Compass

  • miles
Head lights not working.

- Waukegan , IL, USA

problem #47

Oct 012021

Compass

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

HID headlights only work intermittently. no headlights randomly while driving is extremely dangerous. two dealers have reviewed vehicle and have no fix. issue is constant and one light is off 95% of the time, sometimes driver side, sometimes passenger side, sometimes no lights at all. no warning lamps in the dash, vehicle thinks its working fine. this has been ongoing for over a year.

- Brookfield, CT, USA

problem #46

Oct 192023

Compass

  • miles
The headlights do not work reliably. The first time this happened was in June but seemingly resolved itself until this last week. Sometimes the passenger side only works, sometimes the driver side only, sometimes neither side. They will come on and go off or only one will come on or go off as they please. There is no pattern or rhyme or reason. There are no warning lights; in fact, the car says Lights On, the symbol for the high beams shows as on when I pull or push forward, but neither is. This has not been inspected yet but will be shortly. There are several complaints online about this intermittent headlight issue. Even after relays, ballasts, and fuses have been changed. The car is only 5 years old, the last thing I should be worrying about is the headlights.

- Newington, CT, USA

problem #45

Jul 102023

Compass

  • miles
2018 Jeep Compass Limited has the OEM Bi-Xenon option equipped. The issue is with both headlights operating intermittently. It does not matter what position the headlight switch is in (Auto, On) they continue to alternate turning on and off. Sometimes one will come on and the other will be extremely delayed (15-20 minutes), sometimes both are delayed, and sometimes they do not come on at all. Shutting off and restarting the engine power does not help. The issue seems sometimes is worse if stopping for, at night, errands where the headlights then will not turn on at all. Later, next day, the whole issue starts again. This is a very serious issue.

- Bonita Springs, FL, USA

problem #44

Oct 072023

Compass

  • miles
Intermittent issue occurs where my radio screen looses power or displays code error please restart system, blinkers stop working, thermometer on display shows 2 dashes, climate controls stop working, hazards won-??t work, directional buttons on steering wheel and ok button do not work to change display on dash. all of these happen at same time intermittently

- Waveland, MS, USA

problem #43

Sep 042023

Compass

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Headlights come on sometimes sometime, other times driver will come and passanger side won't, or passanger side will come on and driver side will not. Seems to be some sort of issue other then headlights because when they do work they seem to work fine but randomly one or the other does not work. Makes it unsafe to drive at night and worry that if we are out for a late drive we may randomly end up with no headlights at all.

- Couerdalene, ID, USA

problem #42

Jul 212022

Compass

  • miles
2018 Jeep Compass with OEM Bi-Xenon Headlights w/DRL. The right headlamp assembly bulb will frequently not turn on no matter what position you turn the headlights on to. Some days I am left with only driving with one operating headlight since the other won-??t flicker on. This has been brought to my local dealership who found no source to problem.

- Raymore, MO, USA

problem #41

Jan 022023

Compass

  • miles
We purchased our 2018 Jeep Compass in December 2022, we started having problems with the headlights in January 2023 only 1 month after purchasing it. The headlights stopped working completely. We took the jeep to our local jeep dealership and they couldn't figure out what was going on with the headlights but confirmed it was the electrical system. They called their Electrical Engineer in and it was confirmed it was something going on with the electrical system via the headlamps so we replaced them along with the bulbs and it went again 3 months later. Meanwhile, because this is an issue with the 2018 everywhere the parts were on back order. It took us 2 months to get our car repaired. Currently, our jeep is in the shop again as it went out while my daughter was driving home from work at night in the county (where there are no street lights) and she almost ran off the road. This is a serious and dangerous issue and situation. I've seen a ton of complains for this same issue with the 2018 Jeep Compass model but I don't see where there has been a recall. I guess the recall will happen after someone loses their life per usual. Our jeep is in the shop yet again awaiting repair for the same issue. It appears we will be out of a car for another 2 months.

- Byhalia, MS, USA

problem #40

May 032023

Compass

  • miles
A few months after purchase, my hazard lights came on while the vehicle was off and parked in my driveway. I couldn't get them to turn off until I disconnected the battery. I scheduled a diagnostic with the jeep dealership and before I could get it in, it started happening while I was driving it as well. I never know when it's going to happen. At the diagnostics appointment, they told me it's a problem with the electrical system but that they weren't sure exactly what is causing it. They offered to replace two parts at about $1,500 cost to me that "might" keep it from happening again. They wouldn't honor the warranty. When I reached out to Jeep directly, they told me it isn't covered. Since then it's gotten worse. The auto start/stop system doesn't work. Sometimes the hazard lights won't come on at all. I've been pulled over for driving with them on and I've been unable to turn them on when I needed them. I spoke with someone at Jeep again today because they have been on for that last 2.5 hours and I have to start my car periodically to keep the battery from dying, and was told I needed to take it to another dealership and pay for another diagnostic. I don't feel safe driving this car. I stopped at rest area recently and my hazards stuck on when I got back in the car. I disconnected the battery to reset it but it happened again as soon as the battery was reconnected. I had to drive on the highway with them on. I can't signal lane changes or turns and people get in front of me, slow down, and turn their hazards on to try and let me know that mine are too. This isn't safe and Jeep won't take care of it.

- Jackson, MI, USA

problem #39

Mar 032022

Compass

  • miles
Vehicle headlights work intermittently. Either will go out unexpectedly. Car has been to dealership. Problem not solved. Relays have been replaced, etc. There is a lengthy forum on this topic with this Jeep model; many others have this issue. This is a profound safety issue. When lights do not work, my daughter has been forced to pull off of road, exacerbating the safety issue. Please urge a recall on this matter

- Bolivia, NC, USA

problem #38

Feb 092021

Compass 4-cyl

  • 15,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that the passenger-??s side headlamp suddenly failed to illuminate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the headlamp and the relay on separate occasions. After the replacement the driver-??s side headlamp operated intermittently. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000. The contact stated that the manufacturer refused to cover the cost of the repair.

- Lake Wales, FL, USA

problem #37

Nov 052022

Compass

  • miles
Recently purchased this 2018 Jeep Compass. Screen display brightness is blinding at night. Asked dealer about NHTSA Safety Recall T70/NHTSA 17V-740. Dealer said recall had been performed and only option was to replace instrument cluster at over $1000 parts & labor. This is not acceptable for an issue clearly described in the NHTSA Recall. There needs to be a reflash or software or sensor update. I cannot confirm what actions were actually taken by the dealer. Contacted FCA corporate and was told nothing further can be done. The cockpit central display is blindingly bright at night and is a safety hazard to driver and other motorists. It cannot be adjusted. The dealer was able to reproduce the issue but says recall performed and nothing further can be done. There were no warnings or messages with this issue as it is a defect or malfunction in components. If this cannot be resolved, I will simply trade the vehicle in as this should be the manufacturer's responsibility to correct this very unsafe situation. Thank you.

- Check, VA, USA

problem #36

Jun 012021

Compass

  • miles
My Jeep has had intermittently headlight issues, along w/ blind spot not working on driver side, + start/stop doesn-??t work. I-??ve had the headlights replaced, didn-??t work. Been told that because issue isn-??t happening when in dealers care, then they can-??t fix for other issues. -??this didn-??t start happening until UCONNECT bricked my radio system with an update and I had to get it repaired (took two months) -?" I firmly believe it-??s a electrical issue that stems from that but nobody (Jeep) is listening.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #35

Oct 152022

Compass

  • miles
Failure of headlights turning on puts fellow drivers in danger. The lights work but turn on and off at random times. I do have the fog lights that work but I still need my headlights to work especially in the dark and rain.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #34

Sep 012022

Compass

  • miles
Vehicle has Bi-Xenon Headlights which have started to intermittently fail while driving. Sometimes one light lights up alternating side to side and sometimes both will not light, . Sometimes one will come on immediately and the other will take up to 5 minutes to light. On two occasion both have shut off while driving at night. Definite safety issue. Occurs irrespective of the headlight switch position (Auto or On) Dealer has been unable to replicate the issue on demand.

- Ridley Park, PA, USA

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