- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- If the engine stalls, there is an increased the risk of a crash.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
2016 Jeep Compass Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 294 complaints about the 2016 Jeep Compass with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (161) and the electrical system (63). Those complaints describe 9 crashes, 2 fires and 15 injuries. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in December 2016 for the engine. For comparison, the 2015 has 113 and the 2017 has 229.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Compass year, for its age
#44 most complained-about 2016 vehicle
- Complaints
- 294
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 9
- Fires
- 2
- Injuries
- 15
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2016 Jeep Compass problems
Share of all 294 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2016 Jeep Compass recalls 1
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
What owners say
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294 complaints about the 2016 Jeep Compass
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 12.
ENGINE STALLING Vehicle: 2016 Jeep Compass Latitude 2WD, 2.0L Current mileage: Approx. 105627 Stellantis case: 985-23391 Check-engine light illuminated. Diagnostic scan identified P0344 (Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Intermittent) Camshaft position sensor was replaced. Vehicle initially ran normally Shortly afterward, engine shut off while stopped at a red light. I cycled the ignition and restarted it, but the check-engine light returned The next morning, the engine briefly had a delayed start A local...
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mechanic replaced the camshaft position sensor connector and electrical terminals. Only that connector and its terminals were replaced The problem continued Vehicle continues to stall intermittently while idling, particularly at red lights Engine runs normally with no warning; RPM suddenly drops to zero and engine shuts off. Dashboard, radio, and other electrical accessories remain on I turn the ignition off and restart the vehicle Check-engine light returns immediately, although it sometimes appears to go off overnight Chrysler recall S89 (NHTSA 16V-907) addressed crankshaft and camshaft sensor connector terminal issues on certain 2016 Jeep Compass vehicles. My VIN is not included NHTSA investigation RQ22-002 examined similar stalling complaints in vehicles outside the original recall population I am concerned my vehicle may have the same or a related defect, although this is unconfirmed Manufacturer involvement The dealership has replaced the camshaft wiring and ran a diagnostic on the vehicle I have an active Stellantis customer assistance case (985-23391) A case manager is coordinating with the dealership regarding my vehicle and repair history The issue remains unresolved Safety concern The engine shutting off without warning in traffic is a serious safety concern, especially at intersections. I ask NHTSA to document this complaint and evaluate whether these stalls indicate a broader safety defect in vehicles excluded from recall S89.
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 [[redacted]] 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....
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The sudden stalling on a high-speed roadway directly endangered the driver and a [[redacted]] passenger who were left stranded on the highway shoulder in extreme weather conditions. The vehicle was completely inoperable and required an emergency flatbed tow from the highway back to the repair facility. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Spontaneous deployment of passengers headrest . A safety system defect causing passengers concerned discomfort ! Plastic mechanism failure CANNOT be repaired. Headrest must be replaced by Jeep covered regarding the safety & security of their customers. Headrest deployed problem encountered has been reported in many Jeeps. FCA US LLC due to safety should correct the problem , at no charge , even if the vehicle is out of warranty and are not the original owner.... Please contact me aSAP THANK YOU.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate, shuddered, and the air conditioner was inoperative, and the vehicle coasted before coming to a complete stop. The contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact researched and became aware...
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of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was suggested that the contact should take the vehicle to a dealer and that the crank shaft position sensor wiring connector or sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft position sensor wiring connector or sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.
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 again the crankshaft position sensor
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for approximately 20 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The contact stated that at the residence, the vehicle remained running but failed to operate properly. No warning light was illuminated. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine...
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Cooling); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the vehicle was repaired, but the failure occurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000.
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 .
The seatbelts in the drivers and passenger sides are disconnecting without pressing the release button
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.
While driving at any time, the speedometer will instantly drop and the car feels like it's about to shut itself off. After a diagnostic with a mechanic, they stated this was the crankshaft issue; similar to a recall for other 2016 jeep compass. My vin is not currently associated with this recall notice, however based on these safety defects, it seems it should be considered under the recall
The crankshaft sensor has failed.
Continuously stalls out regardless of speed it has stalled on the highway, in the middle of intersections losing power steering. sometimes restarts right away, sometimes not. leaving me stranded in in the middle of highway/intersections sometimes in very dangerous places. It has had a recall repaired in 2017 before I owned the vehicle however it has had the exact same issues as the recall since I've bought it. I've spent the past few years trying to look up recalls and communicate with the dealership with zero...
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luck at all. I've been told time and time again that it has already been repaired and the 2 years warranty is has expired since. (expired before I even bought the car) Yet the car clearly has has not been properly fixed for the same issues to keep happening. Because lack of help to resolve this issue I have paid out of pocket to have these issues repaired. However again the same issues keep happening leaving me and my family in very dangerous positions time and time again at the mercy of other drivers paying attention. What am I to do? I Cannot afford to keep replacing something that isn't fixing the problem and leaving us in dangerous positions. Check engine light comes on after the car stalls but goes away after a little bit of driving.
The contact's daughter owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle restarted. The driver waited for several minutes before attempting to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to Midas, where it was diagnosed with a CAM shaft sensor failure. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The...
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contact was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. Approximately one year later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to Midas. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor connector, CAM shaft sensor, crank shaft, and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor was the only part available. The contact was informed that the CAM shaft sensor connector, crank shaft, and the wiring harness were not available and were on back order. The CAM shaft sensor was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The engine failed while driving on the expressway putting us in a dangerous spot on the outer lane. It was towed to Etscorn's in Louisville, KY and we were told despite everything looking ok on the outside, there was an internal engine failure of some kind and it would cost $900 to take it apart just to find out. I don't have that kind of money.
The Airbag light keeps coming on. And I regularly diagnose and service my car by the Jeep dealership and the diagnostic scan shows that everything is good with the car, still the airbag light keeps coming up on the dashboard. This is highly concerning and I'm afraid that it might blow up anytime while in driving. The car also has some transmission issue that is not showing up on the diagnostic scan report. But because of this issue I can't and haven't been driving on the highway for 1 year now. Because everything...
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when I drove the highway, after 20 min of driving the car suddenly slows down and does not move forward even though I press the gas pedal. And this happens while I was driving on the highway, in the middle of the highway. It is very dangerous. I think there is a factory fault with this car. And I'd like to get help with this. Thanks.
"The vehicle stalls while driving and restarts after cooling down. This matches a crankshaft position sensor failure. This has accrued while driving on the highway. Sounds like the Safety recall S89.
The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle stalled again. The contact waited for several minutes to let the engine cool down and the vehicle eventually returned to normal operation. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the crankshaft sensor needed to be replaced....
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The dealer made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V907000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 137,757.
My vehicle is experiencing the same symptoms as Recall 16V907 (S89). Crankshaft shift sensor but the vin was not bringing up the recall.
The vehicle is having issues with power loss while driving and issues with starting at times of cold weather where it cranks very hard for extended periods of time without being able to fully start. I took the vehicle to a local shop to be looked at. They did a diagnostic and physical inspection and identified the issues as a catalytic converter and senor issue. When they looked up the vehicle vin number is showed two NHTSA recall Bulletins: 16V907000 and Emissions recall u67. Jeep when I called them to...
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figure out how to address them said that there are no recalls on this vehicle. They wont fix anything. WHY are there recalls on the vehicle listed and they are saying there are "none that need fixed". Did jeep lie when I had it in their shop before and say they fixed them and they were not?
Head rest on passenger side popped out while driving and hit me, the passenger, in the head. I found that this particular model did have a recall a few years back as said below, however, our car was not recalled, why not? We went to the dealership to get this repaired and was told there was a warranty but because this head seat was no longer made they couldn't replace it. What can we do to get this repaired, shouldn't Jeep be responsible and should have notified us of a recall? The Jeep Compass front passenger...
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headrest recall involves issues with the active head restraint (AHR) that may deploy unexpectedly, posing a safety risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received nearly 500 complaints regarding headrest failures, with at least 71 involving injury. 1 The recall affects certain 2022 Jeep Compass vehicles due to improper welding of the head restraints, which violates safety standards. 1 Owners may contact FCA US LLC customer service for more information and to check if their vehicle is affected. 1 If your vehicle is affected, dealers will replace the front seat head restraints free of charge. 1 For further details, you can refer to the official recall notice or contact your local Jeep dealership.
Jeep Compass: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 143 | 1 | C |
| 2019 | 333 | 2 | D |
| 2018 | 952 | 6 | F |
| 2017 | 229 | 4 | C |
| 2016 | 294 | 1 | D |
| 2015 | 113 | 1 | B |
| 2014 | 308 | 2 | D |
| 2013 | 80 | 1 | B |
| 2012 | 184 | 4 | C |
2016 Jeep Compass vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Jeep Compass | 294 | 1 | D | |
| 2016 Hyundai Tucson | 1,626 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Jeep Cherokee | 1,415 | 9 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Ford Escape | 1,192 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2016 Mazda CX-5 | 512 | 5 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Subaru Forester | 416 | 3 | D | Compare |
| 2016 Chevrolet Equinox | 400 | 1 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander | 171 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2016 Kia Sportage | 134 | 2 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2016 Jeep Compass
Does the 2016 Jeep Compass have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2016 Jeep Compass: engine (December 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Jeep Compass?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (161), electrical system (63), transmission & drivetrain (44).
How many complaints has the 2016 Jeep Compass had?
294 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on February 6, 2016 and the latest on November 5, 2026. Of these, 9 describe a crash and 2 a fire, and together they report 15 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2016 Jeep Compass a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 35 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than a typical Jeep Compass year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Jeep Compass years have the most complaints?
2018 (952), 2007 (434), 2019 (333). See every Jeep Compass year compared.
What should I do if my 2016 Jeep Compass has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data