2018 Jeep Compass transmission and drivetrain problems
151 of the 943 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Jeep Compass name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 46 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database7 of the 151 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 16 · 2019: 36 · 2020: 27 · 2021: 17 · 2022: 15 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2026: 4
Half of the 84 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 8,000 and 37,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
943 complaints in all about the 2018 Jeep Compass, 4 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Jeep Compass transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Transmission shift locked in reverse, when this happens engine will not shut off,shift will not move or disengage, have to hold brake peddle down or have accident. No shut down, had to have someone pull fuse under the hood to shut car off. Was in motion in reverse in a parking lot, almost hit car behind me.
After using the remote start and getting in the vehicle I was able to place the vehicle in drive without pressing on the brake or pressing the start/stop button to allow the wheel to move freely, in turn allowing the vehicle to roll forward on a hill without being fully turned on thus not allowing for the power steering to work and the…
Automatic transmission, at times, makes a clunking noise shifting from 4th to 5th gear. Noted times are when cresting a hill (stays in 4th gear at higher rpm's until car levels out over the hill) and also when cruising at low speed (30-35mph) when rpm's are low. All other gear shifts are smooth.
After stopping at intersections, accelerated to 30-35 MPH, then as car starts to shift at higher speed, a clunk and hesitation is heard after auto shifting
Upon starting vehicle and shifting into drive, vehicle has started rolling in reverse on the incline eventhough the transmission is in drive. Upon inspection of the shift indicator, the "d" drive position indicator has been flashing and transmission is not engaged, and the vehicle is freewheeling .
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications46 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
B25C9 P1DD2 U1428 C0513 P023E P0513 P16A2 C0507
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Jeep Compass names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Jeep Compass
Source: the same files- engine problems 481 complaints
- electrical problems 376 complaints
- exterior lighting problems 64 complaints
- brake problems 62 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2018 Jeep Compass?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 151 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (16% of everything owners filed about it), and 46 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2018 Jeep Compass?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2018 Jeep Compass?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 24,000 miles; half of them between 8,000 and 37,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.