My Jeep Compass Forum banner

One pissed off customer, burning way way toich oil

19K views 43 replies 21 participants last post by  Jasmine 
#1 ·
We purchased a new 2018 Compass Trailhawk in Feb 2019. It has just over 3,000 miles and low oil pressure light came on. Stopped to check oil and no Oil. WOW, so pissed!!! One why did the low oil light not come on, Second I can only imagine the damage caused to the engine because of this and driving around with low oil. There is bound to be long term issues because of this. Called the dealer and can't get in for two weeks. Had to add 2.5 quarts of oil to a brand new car. Not only that but going over a speed bump @ 5mph you can hear and feel the right front bottom out and make a big clank. I have a sad feeling this is going to be one hell of a headache and probably the worst car I have ever purchased and I'm 55 years old. Anyone else having these issues.
 
#2 ·
Welcome Zildjian!

Yes, there are a couple threads on here about excessive oil consumption. My 2018 used a lot at first (1000/qt) but gradually improved to about 3000/qt by the time it got to 30,000 miles. So there is hope.

Any new engine will use some oil. After my 2018 Compass was wrecked I bought a 2019 Compass and the new one is much better on oil. I just added 1/2 quart at 3500 miles which I consider normal for a brand new engine. Typically the oil consumption should moderate after about 10,000 miles.

The party line is that 1000/qt is "normal," but I don't buy that. The reason is that to maximize fuel economy new engines are using thinner oil and the tolerances are looser to reduce internal friction. Putting those two thoughts together is a recipe for increases oil consumption.

We are not alone. I've heard these complaints from Honda owners and Ford owners. Seems I read that the new Mustangs can run 500/qt. That's outrageous, but that's how manufacturers are achieving the CAFE standards.

For my part, I'd adjusted to checking my oil every 1000 miles. Adding a quart or two between changes is a nuisance, but it isn't the end of the world either.
 
#3 ·
Only problem other then the added costs with this method are that you never really know how much you are adding.
Overfilling on a regular basis can lead to issue of its own and even gasket leaks.
I've checked mine once since new and still good on the dip stick but will closely monitor.
If you care about the car the best way is to do oil changes sooner then scheduled (which I do anyway but not by that much).
That sounds like REALLY excessive oil burning and maybe need a compression and leak down test to see if piston rings defective or something of that nature. Hope dealer helps investigate that doesn't sounds even remotely normal.
 
#5 ·
Just a note here, the oil light indicates low oil pressure, not low oil level. I have heard if the oil pressure drops too low (could be due to low oil level or other reasons, pump failure, leak, etc.) the engine will shut down as not to damage the engine. My 2018 was using oil when we first got it. It now has over 13K miles and on a 1300 mile all highway trip with temps in the 90s, it used less than a pint of oil. That's over 2600 miles/quart. And remember, these engines use super thin oil to get the gas mileage we do and that translates into more oil usage.
 
#6 ·
I think if you get a low oil pressure warning, it means you pretty much damaged the engine. Low oil pressure warning indicates the oil pump is sucking air, oil pump is at the bottom of the engine. If the oil level is that low to allow oil pump to such air, top of the engine is pretty much running dry.

This is why it is always a good practice to check you engine oil manually. Keep in mind damage resulting from low oil (even due to burning oil) is not covered by warranty because owner is responsible for maintaining proper fluid levels. Checking the oil once a week would not take more than 3-5 mins. You can even do it with the cold engine (even if manual suggests fully warmed engine). I just check the cold engine, if the oil level is on crosshatch with cold engine, it will be on crosshatch when warm. Just dont fill based on cold reading as you can overfill (cold will read about 1/3 - 1/4 qts lower than warmed).
 
#9 ·
Our new model '17 Compass w/2.4L I4 MultiAir Engine uses about a quart every 2,500 miles. Dealer said it was a clogged PVC valve. They replaced, but still uses the same amount of oil. Threads on other forums say this is a common problem with this engine. I too blame it on the thin oil. I'd try a 5w20, but that would probably void the warranty. I'm 70 years old, and the only other vehicle I've ever owned that went through oil this fast was a 1970 Impala with a leaking main seal. Other than the oil problem, our Compass has been bullet proof for two years now. Since it's my wife's DD, and she only puts about 6,000 miles a year on it, I'll just keep checking it, and keep a quart on hand. First world problems!
 
#10 ·
We’re in the same boat, the wife maybe puts 6,000 miles a year. I’ve been extremely meticulous monitoring the oil level. Initially her compass was consuming 1qt/2,000 miles (oil/filter changed) then 1qt/2,500 miles (oil/filter changed) and now looks like less than 1qt/5,000 miles. She only has 150miles before reaching 10,000 miles on the OD. that seems to be a magical number for oil consumption slowing down, PROVIDED you catch it early and not letting the low oil light come on. hopefully it keeps improving over time. as a side note, her driving style was aggressive for the first 5k miles, lots of 4k-5k rpms launches and zipping around in traffic. She’s one of those drivers “who can get to the next red light the fastest” lol …
 
#11 ·
We bought a new 2018 Compass, had to have a new engine before 4500 miles were on the vehicle. Had to have a new engine installed because cylinders were scored. New engine consumes just as much oil. On top of that we a have a ton of electrical issues no one can explain. Had to have new sway bars in front because of thumping noise when we hit bumps and this Jeep only has 29,000 miles on it. Sounds like you have similar issues as we do. Document everything! Take pics of your dip stick, any messages that appear and keep your service records. We dealt with FCA for almost year and got nowhere, they’re a joke! But my caseworker referred me to another arbitration company, where I submitted documentation and pictures to a 3 person review board and we won our case. We just found out Monday that Jeep has to pay our existing loan and cover all the costs of getting us into a new vehicle. The whole process dealing with FCA and NCDS was tedious and time consuming but I felt it necessary considering I paid $28,000 for a vehicle that was junk before I drove it off the lot. Jeep knows this engine has oil consumption issues but will jerk you around with oil consumption tests until your warranty is up. Be persistent and keep all notes and receipts because this issue is not going to go away.
 
#13 ·
I would just like to say thank you for your efforts. It's important to have at least some customers who do the work and hold the corporation to account. Sad to say but unless there is a public backlash and $$$ costs being incurred they aren't going to bother making changes.
 
#15 ·
You should NEVER have to check the oil in the car as often as everyone says you should or put a drop in it. A new car shouldn't burn oil period, perhaps a high milage car would but thats to be expected.. I don't care who makes it or the type of motor it is. I ran into the same problem on our 2018 Jeep Compass and had to ditch it. NCDS didn't do squat and FCA's warranty is useless. If your motor burns oil excessively its a design flaw and that falls on the manufacturer.

i've owned sky high mileage vehicles that retain oil at a better rate or don't burn it at all compared to this. I remember someone saying this 2.4L is the most technologically advanced motor of it's kind, it's also the most underpowered motor you can stick in these chassis.
 
#16 ·
You should NEVER have to check the oil in the car as often as everyone says you should or put a drop in it.
Wasn't this the way you ruined your Compass'es engine? I remember yous saying you never put in oil and just waited for the low oil pressure to show. No wonder you run into extreme oil burning, while other who maintained their oil levels eventuality went to no to low oil burning range. What you say is a very bad advice lol. All modern small capacity high power engines have the capacity to burn oil due to narrow margins, especially when new. Worse thing you can do is ignoring the oil level and turning temporary problem into a permanent one. If you check Ford or BMW forums, you would see some get oil consumption around 1qt per 500 miles, which is far worse than what anyone gets with Compass. As unfortunate as this is, this is where the industry is going to.

I remember someone saying this 2.4L is the most technologically advanced motor of it's kind, it's also the most underpowered motor you can stick in these chassis.
Yeah it is, it is a type of engine where the bottom and the top of the engine is not linked mechanically but linked hydraulically. That is type of tech used in Ferrari engines, which makes sense since until recently FCA owned Ferrari. You say it is under-powered, but how many 4 cylinder, naturally aspirated engines below 2.5L you can name that makes more power than this engine? The only ones that come to my mind are exotic engines like Mazda's rotary engine and Honda S2000 engine that reved to something like 8500 RPM.
 
#22 ·
Either your thick in the head or just not listening. My old Compass, this OP or anyone in the world who owns this vehicle should not be subjected to adding oil ALL....THE.....TIME. It's not owner neglect. It's just a poor design. The oil was literally coming out of the EVAP tube, oil cap, and some who have added a catch can had full cans. I guess in your definition now your saying everyone who is experiencing this problem must be just neglecting the cars they drive. I mean your accusing me which is fine, I know I take care of my vehicles and am on the up and up with maintenance otherwise I won't have what I have. This is becoming more main stream for anyone who buys it.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Sorry but I consider it owner neglect if you cannot realize a car is running low in without a low oil pressure warning kicking in over a span of of 3k miles. It is simple as that. It is pretty standard operation to monitor the oil level of a new engine, if you cannot and run it dry, it is owner neglect. You dont need to add oil all the time, you need to add it maybe for the 1st 10k miles, and it slows down significantly after ~5k, so in total you wont need to add more than 2-4qt, unless you dont care, run it dry, damage the engine and complain. Than it will burn oil like there is no end to it.

I guess in your definition now your saying everyone who is experiencing this problem must be just neglecting the cars they drive.
People who figured it out early on (without a low pressure oil warning) are obviously not neglecting their cars. And if you check their thread, they also have less and less oil consumption overtime. But people who dont realize it without a low oil pressure issue are pretty much neglecting the car, check all the threads like this where people have extreme oil burning. They all said they got low oil pressure light at one point. So basically all of them never checked the oil level, run the engine dry, only realized the issue after low oil pressure warning and damaged the engine during all this. Than it will burn oil like there is no end to it.

Either your thick in the head or just not listening.
A side note, there is no reason to insult people over an argument. If you cannot handle it, you should not contribute to this forum.
 
#24 ·
I know I've posted this before elsewhere on this site and maybe earlier in this forum. Mike, ya gotta realize any new engine will use some oil. That's been true since they've been making internal combustion engines. Rare is the engine that doesn't require some.

In my experience with my (late) Compass after getting 1,000 miles/qt up to about 10,000 miles, the consumption dropped to about 3000/quart by about 30,000 miles. More than I'd like, but as others have posted, all new engines are running on super-thin oil and with looser tolerances by design. That equals some oil consumption no matter what.

A low oil LEVEL light would be a good idea on all new cars. If the low PRESSURE light comes on, its doomsday. Park it, and if you're lucky you'll get away with it. If you drive on, even a short distance, you've probably killed it.

Anyone should check their oil on a regular basis. I check the oil in my lawnmower every time I use it.
 
#26 ·
any new engine should not consume this much oil in such a short period of time, period. but since so many other manufactures are having and had this issue in the past, its now pushed as “normal”. (hence the amendment/update of oil consumption policies) If this was truly normal, why didn’t they put a warning system in the software to begin with? simple, its not, otherwise they would have better safe guards in place, like a "check oil" light every 1,000 miles. imo, poor quality control on engine parts and assembly. placing the (total) blame on the consumer, I think is unfair statement.
 
#27 ·
You guys never heard the concept of engine break-in ever? New engines always consume more engines than older ones (until the engine becomes very old of course). So a check oil every 1k miles wont work because it wont consume that much of oil after say 10-15k miles. For some it can be shorter and for others it can be longer. But any owner should check the oil every 1k mile without needing a remainder, imo even 1k is a long period. I generally check the oil level of my cars every other week, even when neither consume any oil. My Grand Cherokee WK has 130k miles on it and never consumed oil, but I still check the oil level frequently. It is not something difficult or time consuming.
 
#29 ·
For those of you with an oil burning problem, what has your typical drive been like? Mostly highway? Mostly city miles?

Perhaps one type of driving is more closely linked to oil burning. I think the oil change computer factors in engine hours and load into the calculation.

It could be that high hours on low mile city driving, idling, lots of acceleration and a slower average speed (high engine hours to miles on odometer) being a factor.

It may be the opposite with extended highway driving being the issue with longer periods where the engine is constantly working, not at idle and overall longer time frame while the engine is warm to burn oil.

I am just curious. I haven't had issues. I bought 5 quarts of oil on sale in anticipation of oil burn but have not had an issue so far.

Could be build quality but I think it could also be driving style and some applications will need to watch for oil burn more than others.
 
#30 ·
I'm glad you check your oil every week but with a new vehicle you shouldn't have to be under the hood every week checking the oil. I worked for Chrysler in the 60's and 70's and we had a few cars that used oil but not the amount my 2018 Compass is using, 3.5 quarts in 3200 miles. My brother just retired from a Jeep dealership and he said there is a problem with the 2.4 engine. After you keep burning oil the next problem will be fouled plugs because the plugs can't keep up with the amount of oil coming into the cyclinder. So you can say what you want about checking oil I have owned a lot of Chrysler vehicle and never had an oil problem until the 2018 with a 2.4 engine. A new vehicle may use a little bit of oil in the first 1000 miles but after that it should not use oil. At the rate my car is using oil i'll never have to change it because it will change it own oil.
As a side note, I retired from a police department where as part of my duties I maintained a fleet of cruisers that we change to oil every 5K. In between oil changes we hardly ever had to add oil.
 
#32 ·
I'm glad you check your oil every week but with a new vehicle you shouldn't have to be under the hood every week checking the oil. I worked for Chrysler in the 60's and 70's and we had a few cars that used oil but not the amount my 2018 Compass is using, 3.5 quarts in 3200 miles. My brother just retired from a Jeep dealership and he said there is a problem with the 2.4 engine. After you keep burning oil the next problem will be fouled plugs because the plugs can't keep up with the amount of oil coming into the cyclinder. So you can say what you want about checking oil I have owned a lot of Chrysler vehicle and never had an oil problem until the 2018 with a 2.4 engine. A new vehicle may use a little bit of oil in the first 1000 miles but after that it should not use oil. At the rate my car is using oil i'll never have to change it because it will change it own oil.
As a side note, I retired from a police department where as part of my duties I maintained a fleet of cruisers that we change to oil every 5K. In between oil changes we hardly ever had to add oil.
I responded to your post on another thread. Today's engines are made to a much different spec than the engines we all worked with a decade or two ago. Today's consumers want more power and the government is demanding better fuel economy. In the 1960s V-8 engines with twice the displacement were delivering only a little more power than the tiny litte 4-cyls in our Compasses and used twice as much fuel. I once owned a Ford Falcon with the 144 CID 6-cyl engine. Do the math and you will discover that is the exact same displacement as the 2.4L engine in our Compasses -- but the Compass delivers more than twice the power of my old Ford and slightly better fuel economy. And modern engines are choked with anti-pollution stuff that wasn't dreamed of back then.

Yet they deliver twice the power, better fuel economy, and run much cleaner. How do they do this?
  • Computer technology that didn't exist 50 years ago.
  • Fuel injection that only race cars had back then.
  • Reducing internal friction with looser tolerances.
  • Using thinner oil.
It should be no surprise that when pushed to this extreme that there is a trade-off. Check around and you will discover that other manufacturers are dealing with similar oil consumption issues. Welcome to the 21st Century. Soon we'll all be driving electrics anyway.
 
#31 ·
Something feels really wrong with these vehicles that are using so much oil. After reading about this issue on the forum, I started watching and checking the oil level on my 2019 Compass Sport. I filled it exactly to the top mark on the dip stick to monitor and so far it has not used any noticeable amount of oil in the 1,000 miles since. Truck is 3 1/2 months old and has 3,500 total miles.

Baja-D
 
#37 ·
Wow so many wrong ideas in one sentence. Burning oil will not cost you more since your are not burning engine oil equivalent to the amounts of gas. Having 30 MPG rather than 25 MPG would save someone ~70 gallons of gas in one year if they make 10k miles. That would cost something like $200-300 depending on where you live. You can buy 32 bottles of 1 qt motor oil for that (Pennzoil Platinum 0w-20). For oil burning to cost more than gas, the engine would need to burn 8 gallons of oil per 10k miles.

And no evaporating oil will not pollute more than exhaust gas. Evaporated oil will basically settle on its own and be degraded by bacteria. Even if we assume it is burned but not evaporated, it wont pollute more than what is equivalent to 70 gallons of gas.
 
#40 ·
Or you could just add a quart every 1000 miles. Or trade it in on something else and don't mention the consumption problem.

It would be interesting to have a conversation with a sales rep about your trade-in value. If they bring up the service history it would be like pulling the pin on their own grenade. Your response: "Since you brought it up, how about if you come down on the price of a new one? Obviously these things are such a service nightmare."
 
#41 ·
I have a 2014 Jeep Compass that I purchased with 17000 miles on it. It now has 56000 miles on it with NO oil consumption problems at all. I maintain the vehicle religiously. I use Mobil 1 oil ONLY. Strange isn't it? Either the engine clearences,etc, are correct or not. Computer reflashes DO NOT FIX MECHANICAL ISSUES. The dealers and the factory are hoping if the they run you around enough you will give up or buy something else. These engines have mechanical issues PERIOD! What do you think the difference between an engine that burns oil or not? It's mechanical. I speak from 50 years of automotive experience. The dealership and/or the manufactuer is responsible. Insist they replace the engine.
 
#44 ·
Just noticed this thread. From what I've seen on this site, the update seems to have solved the problem. The oil consumption was caused by valve timing that created a vacuum problem, not loose tolerances -- so the software fix actually worked.
 
#42 ·
When I buy new cars, my 2021 is the first since 2003, I remember what my dad said break it in regardless of what they tell you at the dealership, change the oil and filter at 1000 miles the transmission and filter around 2000. Have the dealer save and run a magnet over it.
 
#43 ·
Everyone who has this issue needs to check the oil pressure sensor!!! I had a low oil pressure warning and took it to my neighbor. He found that the oil pressure sensor was not threaded all the way in and had been leaking oil. That's why the sensor didnt give the warning until I was almost out of oil!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top