Feds Drop Jeep Compass Engine Shutdown Investigation

Federal vehicle safety investigators are closing a probe into complaints about a serious defect in certain Jeep Compass sport utility vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not force a recall of the SUVs after looking into complaints that the cars' engines were shutting down without warning. NHTSA determined that such failures are relatively rare and vehicles can be restarted immediately after engine shutdowns, The Detroit News reports.

“The agency says its investigation agreed with Jeep maker Stellantis' conclusion that once the engine shuts down, the SUVs can be put in park and restarted with no issues,” according to the news outlet.

NHTSA initially launched the probe, covering roughly 229,000 Jeep Compass SUVs from the 2019 and 2020 model years, in December 2022. It said at the time it had received 15 complaints of engine shutdowns. Drivers in those cases reported getting dashboard messages saying their coolant temperature is too high immediately before the engines shut down.

NHTSA found one claim of an accident stemming from the issue and not injuries, The Detroit News reports.

Jeep Safety Issues Continue

The Compass complaints are just one of several safety issues facing Jeep and anyone who drives its vehicles or is on the road near them.

Stellantis recently announced that it is calling back some 40,000 Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUVs whose batteries could fail. Stellantis said it is aware of at least eight fires stemming from the defect, including six in which the cars were plugged into chargers at the time.

In 2022, NHTSA announced that it was investigating a possible parking brake defect in certain Jeep Cherokee sport utility vehicles. The probe, covering some 1.3 million Jeep Cherokee vehicles, came in response to roughly 80 complaints that water leaking into SUVs makes parking brakes inoperable.

California Jeep Drivers: Know Your Legal Rights

Californians who own Jeeps and other vehicles have some important rights and protections under the state’s lemon law. You do not have to wait for an investigation or recall to get malfunctioning cars fixed.

The California lemon law generally forces car manufacturers to perform a full range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires manufacturers to buy back (or replace, in some cases) vehicles that they are unable to or flat-out refuse to fix. 

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must be made in order for the buyback requirement to kick in. An experienced California lemon law attorney can help you understand your rights and explore your options.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

California car owners and lessors have some important rights and protections under the state’s lemon law. You do not need to wait for a recall to get a defective vehicle fixed.

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.