2016 Jeep Compass Problems, Recalls & Reliability

461 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 Jeep Compass, alongside 1 recall campaign and 4 defect investigations. It scores 31/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 59,000 miles.

461Complaints
31/100Trouble index
1Recalls
57,000Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2016 sits among all Compass years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 160 complaints (35%) · typically ~59,000 miles
“Engine will stall with no warning in the middle of driving it. Has happened multiple times already in the last few days.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Compass
Other 64 complaints (14%) · typically ~61,000 miles
“Stops running while driving down the road. Has stopped at least 20 times. There is no lights that come on when this happens. It is hard to steer car to the side of the road when this happens.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Compass
Electrical 63 complaints (14%) · typically ~54,500 miles
“For a while now when my car accelerates between 3 and 3.5 rpms the throttle control sensor goes off, and when that happens traction control turns off check engine light goes on and i cant go over 20mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Compass
Transmission & drivetrain 44 complaints (10%) · typically ~55,000 miles
“My car power train went out as i only have the car for 11 months and transmission is not working well i was driving home and the car rpm was going to 6”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Compass
Speed control 30 complaints (7%) · typically ~52,338 miles
“Engine stalls all a sudden while driving, then the dashboard sensor lights come on like the engine light the etc light and the esp light. You do not currently have a recall on my vin#, but i believe this to be a recall issue. Please investigate this being i need to have this fixed. Pretty please…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Compass
Fuel system 18 complaints (4%) · typically ~70,000 miles

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 256 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 57,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,000 and 71,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (1)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 16V907000 2016

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.

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…

Federal defect investigations

Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture EA21002 opened September 17, 2021 · still open

Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…

Model years named: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Stall from Crankshaft\Camshaft Failure RQ22002 opened 2022, closed 2025
Active Head Rest Inadvertent Deployment PE19014 opened 2019, closed 2026
Electrical overstress EA19001 opened 2019, closed 2024

Led to recall campaign 20V024.

Technical service bulletins

145 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2016 Jeep Compass. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2016 Compass TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2016peak 85 in 20192026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2016 Jeep Compass reliable?

The 2016 Jeep Compass drew 461 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 31/100, scored against the model's worst year (2018).

What are the most common 2016 Jeep Compass problems?

The top reported problems for the 2016 Jeep Compass are engine (160 complaints), other (64), and electrical (63).

At what mileage do 2016 Jeep Compass problems show up?

Owners most often report 2016 Jeep Compass problems around 57,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,000 and 71,000 miles.

Does the 2016 Jeep Compass have recalls?

1 recall campaign applies to the 2016 Jeep Compass. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

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Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.