2011 Jeep Compass Electrical Problems

Your Jeep Compass shuts off unexpectedly while you're driving at any speed, and when this happens, the steering locks up and becomes impossible to turn. This prevents you from safely pulling over to the side of the road. The issue appears to be related to the electrical system.

ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT AND FLASHING LIGHTNING BOLT LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T EXCEED 30 MPH. OCCURRENCE FIRST HAPPENED WHEN TURNING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY. I CONSTANTLY HAVE TO SHUT DOWN/RESTART VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, AT TIMES, TO GET BACK TO BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY, OTHERWISE, IF ABLE, I WILL PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PLACE THE CAR IN PARK TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES. LIGHTS WILL RANDOMLY COME ON AND DRASTICALLY ALTER ABILITY TO OPERATE VEHICLE. OTHER OCCURRENCES APPEARED WHILST WAITING IDLE IN LINE AT A DRIVE THRU, DRIVING DOWN CITY STREETS--STOP SIGN TO STOP SIGN, DRIVING OVER ROAD IMPERFECTIONS LIKE BUMPS OR POTHOLES, EVEN SAFETY SPEED HUMPS. FROM MY OWN RESEARCH ONLINE, I BELIEVE I HAVE AN IDEA TO WHAT THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE IS. DUE TO THE FLASHING LIGHTNING BOLT SIGNAL, IT SEEMS THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY HAS FAILED.

HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ELECTRICAL ISSUES, HEADLIGHTS NOT WORKING, INTERIOR LIGHTS WORK AND THEN DONT, DASHBOARD LIGHTS WORK AND THEN DONT. HAD ENGINE LIGHT COME ON BUT WHEN I TIGHTENED GAS CAP IT WENT OFF. STARING HAVING REALLY HARD TIME UPON ACCELERATION, FELT LIKE THE ENGING WAS WORKING REALLY HARD AND THEN ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO SAID HE WAS SURE IT WAS TIPM AND WAS TRYING TO SEE IF HE COULD FIX IT WITHTOUT TOTAL REPLACEMENT. TURNS OUT ACTUATORS ARENT FIRING BECAUSE TIPM IS A TOTAL WASH AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT FOR 1100 BECAUSE ITS OUT OF WARRANTY. CAR ONLY HAS 72,000 MILES. I HEAR CHEROKEE AND DURANGO HAD RECALLS.

WE (MY HUSBAND AND I) WERE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY TO WORK AT 7:00AM WHEN IT IS STILL DARK OUTSIDE, WHEN ALL THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF (HEADLIGHTS, DASH LIGHTS AND THE HAZARDS WOULD NOT WORK). THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS THEN SHUT OFF AND IT WAS RAINING OUTSIDE. WE HAD THE JEEP TOWED HOME. I THEN DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT COMPASS OWNERS HAVE IS THE TIPM WILL GO OUT AND CAUSE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE WHOLE VEHICLE. I HAD TO HAVE IT FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR $651.00 BECAUSE IT IS A DEALER SPECIFIC PART. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS PART HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED IN THE COMPASS WHEN IT HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THE GRAND CHEROKEE, WRANGLER AND DURANGO. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT IF MY HUSBAND WASN'T SO QUICK TO GET THE JEEP OFF THE ROAD AND GET US OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC.

WHILE IN MOTION, I NOTED A TRANSMISSION TEMP WARNING LIGHT, AND A TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, WHILE MY CAR WENT INTO A NEUTRAL LIKE STATE, WHICH THE MANUAL STATES IS A SAFETY MODE. DIAGNOSTICS INDICATED A COMMUNICATION ERROR, AND IT WAS INDICATED I NEEDED A NEW TIPM MODULE. I HAD THIS REPLACED AT A JEEP DEALER. AFTER REPAIR, I CONTINUED TO INTERMITTENTLY GET THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, BUT WITH NO CHANGE TO VEHICLE PERFORMANCE. BACK TO SHOP, DIAGNOSIS INDICATED COMMUNICATION ERROR. WHILE IN MOTION AGAIN, CHECK ENGINE, TRANSMISSION TEMP AND TRACTION CONTROL ILLUMINATED, AND I LOST ALL POWER. BACK TO SHOP, CONTINUE TO HAVE COMMUNICATION ERROR. ALL OTHER DIAGNOSTICS ARE FINE. MECHANIC NOTED THIS IS COMMON AMONG THIS MAKE/MODEL. I PERFORMED RESEARCH AND NOTED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS REGARDING TIPM MODULE. I FOUND THAT CHRYSLER HAD RECALLED SAME PART ON DURANGO AND GRAND CHEROKEE, BUT NOT OTHER MODELS. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE. I HAVE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY ON AN ISSUE THE MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF. MY VEHICLE IS STILL NOT FUNCTIONAL.

FIRE STARTED SPONTANEOUSLY UNDER THE HOOD. UNABLE TO CONTROL OR STOP THE FIRE. MELTED EVERYTHING UNDER THE HOOD AND FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO BE CALLED. NO PRIOR WARNING THAT THERE WAS ANY ISSUE ELECTRICAL OR OTHERWISE.

ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. CAR LOOSES POWER AND CUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING. CAR ONLY HAS 49,415 MILES ON IT. TOOK TO DEALER, CAPITAL CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE, AND THEY HAVE HAD IT FOR 2 DAYS. STATED CANNOT TRACE DOWN THE PROBLEM SO THEY WANT TO REPLACE THROTTLE BODY TO THE TUNE OF $700.00. IN RESEARCHING I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY JEEP OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND EVEN WITH THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED THE PROBLEM KEEPS HAPPENING AND MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN POURED INTO TRYING TO FIX THIS ISSUE BUT IT KEEPS HAPPENING. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE IN TRAFFIC AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOUR CAR EITHER CUTS OFF OR REDUCES SPEED TO ABOUT 25 MPH. IT IS LIKE THE GAS PEDAL AND THE MOTOR OR NOT COMMUNICATING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DANGEROUS DEFECT IN JEEPS WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. AND IF THAT WAS NOT BAD ENOUGH, THERE IS A RECALL ON THE AIRBAGS AND SEAT BELT MECHANISM (THEY WON'T DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT) AND THE RELEASE OF THE FIX IS BEING HELD UP UNTIL LATER THIS YEAR (AS LATE AS SEPTEMBER ACCORDING TO A TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP). BOTH ISSUES NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE BOTH COULD CAUSE FATALITIES AND THE ETC ISSUE IS COSTING CONSUMERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

HORN DOSE NOT WORK, BUT BELIEVE IT GOES DEEPER THAN JUST HORN ISSUE. I HAVE SEEN A TREND WITH THESE VEHICLES THRU NUMEROUS SOURCES SUCH AS INTERNET FORUMS ECT. BEING THAT THE HORN CAN BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY FEATURE.I THINK THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM IS A COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL OR A FUSE BOX ISSUE. TOOK VEHICLE TO JEEP DEALER YESTERDAY TO GET FIXED, CALLED LATER THAT DAY TO PICK UP VEHICLE SAID IT WAS FIXED, GOT HOME HORN DID NOT WORK.

TIPM WENT BAD AND HAD TO REPLACE

THE HORN SOUNDS MUFFLED AND MUTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP COMPASS. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED THREE TIMES. THE CONTACT HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE EACH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/06/15*LJ UPDATED 11/01/2017*CN

ENGINE WILL STUMBLE AND STALL WHEN DRIVING AND HEADLIGHTS ARE ILLUMINATED, WINDOWS ARE ROLLED DOWN OR ANY ELECTRICAL DRAIN OCCURS. THIS IS AN INDICATION OF TIPM FAILURE.

WIPERS STARTED MALFUNCTIONING,SEEMED TO GET BETTER, REACHED DESTINATION SHUT VEHICLE OFF. THREE HOURS LATER WOULD NOT START, TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY, THEN TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP DETERMINED IT WAS THE TIPM, THEY SAID IT WAS A FIRST FOR A COMPASS.UPON DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE WITH QUITE A NUMBER OF CHRYSLER VEHICLES. *TR

ON 8/20/2014, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING AFTER A COUPLE MILES DRIVING IN A DOWNPOUR. I FEARED FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHER VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY FROM THE POINT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS "FROZE" VERTICALLY IN MY FIELD OF VISION UNTIL I COULD PULL OVER TO SAFETY. FROM THAT DAY ON, MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WERE INCONSISTENT AND THEY WOULD WORK ABOUT EVERY OTHER TIME I STARTED MY 2011 JEEP COMPASS. SOMETIMES THEY WOULD WORK WHEN I STARTED MY CAR, BUT QUIT SOMETIME DURING MY COMMUTE. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON 9/5/2014 AND WAS TOLD MY TIPM WAS DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND IT NEEDED REPLACED. I ORDERED THE PART AND SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE TIPM REPLACED ON 9/9/2014. AFTER GETTING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, I GOOGLE SEARCHED TIPM AND WAS DISGUSTED BY THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF CHRYSLER, DODGE, AND JEEP VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE. CHRYSLER KNOWS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE FAULTY AND DEFECTIVE PART. THIS NEEDS INVESTIGATED AND A RECALL INITIATED. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST ME $979.45. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A KNOWN ISSUE AFFECTING THOUSANDS OF OTHER CHRYSLER, DODGE AND JEEP VEHICLES. *TR

MY 2011 JEEP COMPASS THAT I BOUGHT NEW FOR $23,000.00 HAS 56,000 MILES AND WOULDN'T START. IT IS NOT RELIABLE. MANY TIMES I HAD A LOSS OF POWER. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CHARGED ME $900.00 TO FIX IT. THEY SAID I NEEDED A NEW TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE. THEY SAID THAT MY COMPUTER WASN'T TELLING THE ENGINE TO START AND THAT WAS WHY ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON IN THE DASH BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T START AND THAT WAS ALSO WHY I HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. I SPENT THE MONEY TO FIX IT AT THE DEALERSHIP. NOT A WEEK LATER I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM!! I JUST SPENT $900.00 TO FIX 3 YR OLD JEEP THAT I BOUGHT NEW FOE 23 GRAND, SO I WOULD HAVE SOMETHING RELIABLE FOR MY 20 YR OLD DAUGHTER TO DRIVE WHILE SHE WAS AWAY AT COLLEGE AND ALL THAT MONEY WAS FOR NOTHING AS MY KID HAS A PIECE OF JUNK THAT BREAKS DOWN ALL THE TIME. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH THEIR JEEPS. AND SAW HOW CHRYSLER STILL HASN'T DONE A RECALL. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. I LOST ALOT OF MONEY ON A CAR THAT IS WORTHLESS I CANNOT HAVE MY DAUGHTER DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR. I WILL HAVE TO SELL IT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ASAP. IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT THAT THIS LARGE CORP WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR