NHTSA Complaint #11616450 — 2022 JEEP COMPASS

The component that failed is the start-stop gas-saving feature on my 2021 Jeep Compass, which I leased in 2021. Initially, the feature stopped working entirely, and the dealer claimed it was due to a battery issue, which they replaced. However, after the repair, the start-stop system began to stall and jolt when stopping at traffic lights. Despite reporting this to the Jeep mechanic, the issue was not considered urgent, so I delayed returning it for further service due to my busy travel schedule and the fact that I rarely drive. I simply avoided using the feature when I did drive. The stalling occurred about four times, but the most significant safety issue happened recently. I was stopped at a traffic light on a busy street when the start-stop feature reactivated automatically. When the light turned green, my vehicle failed to restart, leaving me stuck in the middle of the road with a completely dead car. I had to call AAA for a tow, and I was left blocking traffic in an unsafe situation where I was at risk of being hit by other vehicles. This issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center after this incident, and the vehicle is still available for inspection upon request. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives since the event. There were no warning lamps or messages indicating a problem before the complete failure, though the stalling and jolting after the initial repair were clear symptoms that something was wrong. The vehicle has only 14,000 miles on it and is less than three years old, so this issue should not be happening in a nearly new car.