NHTSA Complaint #11257662 — 2018 JEEP COMPASS

NARRATIVE: IN AUGUST 2019, I WAS DRIVING FROM MY HOME TOWARD THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN MY 2018 JEEP COMPASS LOST POWER. I COULD NOT ACCELERATE SO I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHIFTED INTO PARK. (LUCKILY, I HAD NOT REACHED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS NOT IN DANGER OF BEING REAR-ENDED DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION!) I NOTICED THE PARKING BRAKE HAD ENGAGED AND I COULD NOT RELEASE IT. THE LOW OIL LIGHT THEN FLASHED ON. I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT, BUT IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE. THE D BUTTON WAS FLASHING, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO IN GEAR. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON TWICE MORE UNTIL IT FINALLY ALLOWED ME TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE. I ATTEMPTED A K-TURN IN A DRIVEWAY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BACK TO MY HOME, WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AGAIN, THE PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED AND THE LOW OIL LIGHT REAPPEARED. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AND AGAIN I COULDN'T MOVE. I WAITED FOR 5 MINUTES AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE AND SHIFT INTO REVERSE. I SHIFTED TO DRIVE AFTER EXITING THE DRIVEWAY AND AFTER DRIVING 1/8 OF A MILE THE POWER FAILED AGAIN. AFTER WAITING ANOTHER FEW MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME TO PARK IN MY DRIVEWAY AND ASKED MY HUSBAND TO CHECK THE OIL. THE OIL RESERVOIR WAS PRACTICALLY EMPTY! WE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND WE WERE TOLD TO PUT SOME OIL IN IT AND DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A SERVICE APPOINTMENT. COMMENTS: THIS OCCURRENCE PUT ME IN A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION THAT CAUSED ME GREAT ANXIETY. I HATE TO THINK WHAT COULD'VE HAPPENED ON OUR VERY BUSY HIGHWAY THAT I TRAVEL ON FOR MANY MILES DAILY. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO GIVE THE DRIVER A WARNING BEFORE THE OIL LEVEL IS SO LOW IT STOPS THE VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC! I HAVE READ MANY TESTIMONIALS FROM OTHER JEEP COMPASS OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS JEEP WITH MY FAMILY!