[santi_monti]

Since I purchased my Jeep Compass Trailhawk in February 2019, sporadically a message appears on the dashboard display about "High Coolant Temperature" and immediately sends the vehicle to shut down and after a couple of seconds the error disappears and the temperature returns to normal. I must clarify that at no time does the vehicle overheat. This error occurs at any time of the day, regardless of whether the vehicle is cold in the morning or after driving for several hours; sometimes it occurs several times a week and sometimes not at all for weeks; the vehicle may be stopped at a traffic light or in motion on the highway, a particular situation that worries me greatly, because when this happens, the vehicle locks up for an instant (approximately one second) in which the steering hardens and the vehicle tends to stop abruptly, and I fear that this may cause damage to my car or even worse cause an accident.

This situation has been reported since the first time it happened (about 18 months ago) and I have had to go to the garage about 20 times. In each occasion the technical team has tried to solve the problem without success, they even replaced a control module, installed updates, ran the scanner, and made long driving tests trying to recreate the condition that causes the error without succeeding.

I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and what solution they have been given in the workshop, perhaps it could be the temperature sensor. Thank you for your comments!

 

[Jasmine]

First off, welcome to the site. Glad to have you on the board.

It seems like your dealer is trying to help so I don't fault them. You must be getting frustrated. I once had an vehicle that was almost new and had multiple problems. I went to a different dealer and told them I was seriously unhappy with what I was driving even though it was new. They got me into another (new) car for three more payments so about $1000 difference over 3 years. I just walked away from the disaster and into what turned out to be one of my favorite vehicles of all time (I've had plenty).

 

[Nikehead07]

Since I purchased my Jeep Compass Trailhawk in February 2019, sporadically a message appears on the dashboard display about "High Coolant Temperature" and immediately sends the vehicle to shut down and after a couple of seconds the error disappears and the temperature returns to normal. I must clarify that at no time does the vehicle overheat. This error occurs at any time of the day, regardless of whether the vehicle is cold in the morning or after driving for several hours; sometimes it occurs several times a week and sometimes not at all for weeks; the vehicle may be stopped at a traffic light or in motion on the highway, a particular situation that worries me greatly, because when this happens, the vehicle locks up for an instant (approximately one second) in which the steering hardens and the vehicle tends to stop abruptly, and I fear that this may cause damage to my car or even worse cause an accident.

This situation has been reported since the first time it happened (about 18 months ago) and I have had to go to the garage about 20 times. In each occasion the technical team has tried to solve the problem without success, they even replaced a control module, installed updates, ran the scanner, and made long driving tests trying to recreate the condition that causes the error without succeeding.

I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and what solution they have been given in the workshop, perhaps it could be the temperature sensor. Thank you for your comments!

Oh my! Yes and yes! I purchased my 2019 Jepp Compass Trailhawk over 1 year ago. Happened to me the first few months a few times. Went awhile without anything and it has happened about 8 times the last 2 weeks! So frustrating. The dealership is really no help. I was away from home about 2.5 hours and it happened at the light before the highway and I alsmot got hit. It is ridiculous!
without succeeding.

 

[JeepCares]

Hi @Nikehead07 !

We're super sorry to hear that you've been experiencing these concerns. Would you mind sending our JeepCares team a private message with your current mileage & VIN? I'd like to look into this further for you.

Courtney
Jeep Cares

 

[Nikehead07]

Hi @Nikehead07 !

We're super sorry to hear that you've been experiencing these concerns. Would you mind sending our JeepCares team a private message with your current mileage & VIN? I'd like to look into this further for you.

Courtney
Jeep Cares

Thank yoj for reaching out. This week has been a horrible week. The car is under 17 K miles. I am calling the dealership early Monday AM. It happened while driving , thank goodness no one was behind me. I feel unsafe and this is a fault of something

 

[Jasmine]

It could be air in the coolant system.

 

[Trebek]

Since I purchased my Jeep Compass Trailhawk in February 2019, sporadically a message appears on the dashboard display about "High Coolant Temperature" and immediately sends the vehicle to shut down and after a couple of seconds the error disappears and the temperature returns to normal. I must clarify that at no time does the vehicle overheat. This error occurs at any time of the day, regardless of whether the vehicle is cold in the morning or after driving for several hours; sometimes it occurs several times a week and sometimes not at all for weeks; the vehicle may be stopped at a traffic light or in motion on the highway, a particular situation that worries me greatly, because when this happens, the vehicle locks up for an instant (approximately one second) in which the steering hardens and the vehicle tends to stop abruptly, and I fear that this may cause damage to my car or even worse cause an accident.

This situation has been reported since the first time it happened (about 18 months ago) and I have had to go to the garage about 20 times. In each occasion the technical team has tried to solve the problem without success, they even replaced a control module, installed updates, ran the scanner, and made long driving tests trying to recreate the condition that causes the error without succeeding.

I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and what solution they have been given in the workshop, perhaps it could be the temperature sensor. Thank you for your comments!

My wife 2020 is having the same issue, did you get a successful diagnosis and repair/solution. thanks

 

[Trebek]

Oh my! Yes and yes! I purchased my 2019 Jepp Compass Trailhawk over 1 year ago. Happened to me the first few months a few times. Went awhile without anything and it has happened about 8 times the last 2 weeks! So frustrating. The dealership is really no help. I was away from home about 2.5 hours and it happened at the light before the highway and I alsmot got hit. It is ridiculous!
without succeeding.

my wife's 2020 is having a similar issue, did you ever get a successful diagnosis and repair?

 

[santi_monti]

Hi, so far nothing, the dealer is still trying to identify the problem and has already done many tests, changed the temperature sensor, the VCM, PCM (or something like that), purged the cooling system, checked the entire electrical harness, tried to identify possible places where some electrical wire is pinched, etc., but to no success. In the last week it seems to me that the error has become more frequent and the only change I have noticed is that maybe there is more humidity in the environment, all this has already been reported to the dealer but they can't find a solution.

 

[Jasmine]

Thanks for checking back. Sorry they can't find the problem. At least they admit it. The only thing to worry about is if the temp really is running hot -- that could damage the engine. Keep a record of all those shop trips in case you need help after the warranty is gone. At least you'll have proof that the problem was pre-existing.

 

[Chatram25]

Since I purchased my Jeep Compass Trailhawk in February 2019, sporadically a message appears on the dashboard display about "High Coolant Temperature" and immediately sends the vehicle to shut down and after a couple of seconds the error disappears and the temperature returns to normal. I must clarify that at no time does the vehicle overheat. This error occurs at any time of the day, regardless of whether the vehicle is cold in the morning or after driving for several hours; sometimes it occurs several times a week and sometimes not at all for weeks; the vehicle may be stopped at a traffic light or in motion on the highway, a particular situation that worries me greatly, because when this happens, the vehicle locks up for an instant (approximately one second) in which the steering hardens and the vehicle tends to stop abruptly, and I fear that this may cause damage to my car or even worse cause an accident.

This situation has been reported since the first time it happened (about 18 months ago) and I have had to go to the garage about 20 times. In each occasion the technical team has tried to solve the problem without success, they even replaced a control module, installed updates, ran the scanner, and made long driving tests trying to recreate the condition that causes the error without succeeding.

I would like to know if anyone else has had this problem and what solution they have been given in the workshop, perhaps it could be the temperature sensor. Thank you for your comments!

Hey my 2020 Jeep Compass trail hawk is literally having the same problems with stopping at a light or even driving and the car would say it’s overheating, car would shut off then I would turn it on and the message would be gone. Been happening for couple weeks now. I have it in the shop right now but they can’t even find the problem

 

[JeepCares]

Hey my 2020 Jeep Compass trail hawk is literally having the same problems with stopping at a light or even driving and the car would say it’s overheating, car would shut off then I would turn it on and the message would be gone. Been happening for couple weeks now. I have it in the shop right now but they can’t even find the problem

So sorry to hear this! If you would like assistance from our team while your Jeep is with the dealership, please send us a private message.

Kate
Jeep Cares

 

[byokes21]

Hello, all. I'm very glad to find a thread about this. I have a 2018 Compass Trailhawk with 49k miles on it. I've loved the Compass and I've had absolutely no issues with it, up until about 2 months ago. I had the "Coolant Temperature High. Shutting Down" message appear while I was stationary at a red light. The Jeep shut down and completely froze. The speedometer display was still on, but unresponsive to any inputs. The main screen display was frozen on the "Jeep" start screen, and was also unresponsive. After about 15min of trying everything I could to restart the vehicle at a busy light, I held the "Start/Stop" button for about 20sec. It must have performed a hard-restart because everything re-booted as if there was nothing wrong.

Just today, I was cruising down a hill at 35mph and the same "Coolant Temperature High. Shutting Down" message appeared. The Jeep turned off for about 1sec then immediately restarted as if nothing had happened.

Has anyone found a fix? Since my warranty has expired, I'm cautious to put a bunch of time and money into fixing the problem. Like I said, I've loved my Compass, but if this is a persistent and unresolvable issue, I may have to part ways with it.

Thank you for any insight!

 

[Jasmine]

Did you check the temp and was it actually hot? Before you blame the sensor, but sure it isn't telling you the truth. Check your coolant level, too. Have you had the coolant refilled recently? Air in the system can make hot spots.

Presuming these are false alarms, I can only add that the electronics in these new vehicles are still being perfected. I've not had your exact problem, but I have had problems with the TPMS coming on and telling me a tire is going down. A quick check of the gauge says they're all in the mid-30s PSI. That has happened twice. At least mine doesn't shut down. I also had one snowy morning when I backed out of my driveway over the road rind while my neighbor plowed my driveway. When I restarted every possible warning light came on. I shut it off, told my Wife I was going to get a diagnosis, and took it to a store that reads codes for free. When I restarted again all but the CEL were gone. When I got to the store the CEL went out by itself and they couldn't even find any stored codes.

Unfortunately complexity is the enemy of reliability and these new vehicles are fabulously complex with all sorts of features, gizmos, and sensors. I know I'm not helping you, but at least you know you are not alone.

 

[santi_monti]

Hello, all. I'm very glad to find a thread about this. I have a 2018 Compass Trailhawk with 49k miles on it. I've loved the Compass and I've had absolutely no issues with it, up until about 2 months ago. I had the "Coolant Temperature High. Shutting Down" message appear while I was stationary at a red light. The Jeep shut down and completely froze. The speedometer display was still on, but unresponsive to any inputs. The main screen display was frozen on the "Jeep" start screen, and was also unresponsive. After about 15min of trying everything I could to restart the vehicle at a busy light, I held the "Start/Stop" button for about 20sec. It must have performed a hard-restart because everything re-booted as if there was nothing wrong.

Just today, I was cruising down a hill at 35mph and the same "Coolant Temperature High. Shutting Down" message appeared. The Jeep turned off for about 1sec then immediately restarted as if nothing had happened.

Has anyone found a fix? Since my warranty has expired, I'm cautious to put a bunch of time and money into fixing the problem. Like I said, I've loved my Compass, but if this is a persistent and unresolvable issue, I may have to part ways with it.

Thank you for any insight!

Hi, I'm sorry to tell you that in my case they couldn't find the solution and I finally gave the car to the dealer as part payment for a Grand Cherokee. The last thing they told me was that it could be a problem with the main harness, and to replace it they had to literally disassemble 60% of the vehicle, including the dashboard, remove the engine, seats, upholstery, etc., and also they could not guarantee that this would solve the problem, so I opted to leave the vehicle and take another one, of course at my own expense. I am sorry to tell you that I see that this problem is becoming more and more frequent and apparently there is no solution.

 

[santi_monti]

Did you check the temp and was it actually hot? Before you blame the sensor, but sure it isn't telling you the truth. Check your coolant level, too. Have you had the coolant refilled recently? Air in the system can make hot spots.

Presuming these are false alarms, I can only add that the electronics in these new vehicles are still being perfected. I've not had your exact problem, but I have had problems with the TPMS coming on and telling me a tire is going down. A quick check of the gauge says they're all in the mid-30s PSI. That has happened twice. At least mine doesn't shut down. I also had one snowy morning when I backed out of my driveway over the road rind while my neighbor plowed my driveway. When I restarted every possible warning light came on. I shut it off, told my Wife I was going to get a diagnosis, and took it to a store that reads codes for free. When I restarted again all but the CEL were gone. When I got to the store the CEL went out by itself and they couldn't even find any stored codes.

Unfortunately complexity is the enemy of reliability and these new vehicles are fabulously complex with all sorts of features, gizmos, and sensors. I know I'm not helping you, but at least you know you are not alone.

Hi, unfortunately it is an electronic problem and has nothing to do with the temperature sensor, coolant or cooling system, the vehicle computer, not the control modules, all of those components were replaced on my vehicle and did not fix the problem. Apparently it is a design problem and there is no way to diagnose/identify with certainty the root cause of the problem.

 

[TrailhawkFan9999]

Hi, unfortunately it is an electronic problem and has nothing to do with the temperature sensor, coolant or cooling system, the vehicle computer, not the control modules, all of those components were replaced on my vehicle and did not fix the problem. Apparently it is a design problem and there is no way to diagnose/identify with certainty the root cause of the problem.

Just want to chime in to say I'm having the exact same issue with a 2019 Jeep Compass Trailhawk with less than 25000 miles on it. I have reported this on the NHTSA website and encourage all of you to do the same! Report a Safety Problem | NHTSA

 

[Trebek]

I have had this same issue with my wife's 2020 Compass Trailhawk. "Coolant Temperature Too High" message, vehicle shuts itself down, operator needs to completely turn the vehicle off and restart the vehicle, then vehicle drives normally until the same messages happens again. This will happen while stopped at a stop light, backing out of the driveway, and while driving at highway speeds. What is concerning to me is the vehicle wants to shut itself off while traveling at highway speeds. Along with this issue the auto start/stop feature has been intermitant. Took vehicle to dealership multiple time, one time the auxiliary battery was replaces and that solved the issues for a few months but the same issues returned. Took vehicle back to dealership and they could not diagnose, five days later the same "Coolant Temp Too High" message and associated issues returned. I have filed a complaint with NHTSA as well as contacted Fiat Chrysler directly and filed a complaint with them, the number I called is 1 (800) 992-1997. After detailing the issues we have experienced the customer service representative told me this complaint would be passed along to a higher tier of their complaints department and that I will receive a call within 2 business days. I recommend all Compass owners that are experiencing this same issue, or any issue, follow these same steps as this is the first step in getting Jeep to issue a recall, warranty, or better yet buy back their defective vehicles. Maintain all documents of your attempts to have the issue resolved as that is your proof that there really is an issue. If Fiat Chrysler does not issue a recall or find a solution to this issue my only course of action is to pay off the vehicle, sell it private party which only passes the issue on to the next owner and does not resolve a documented safety issue, and use that money from that sale to buy my wife a reliable and safe Toyota.

 

[N Jason]

I am having the same issue with my 2018 Compass Altitude. It has been doing for a couple years and at first was rare. Now it’s happening more frequently, but the dealer can’t find anything. It has done it a few times at highway and interstate speeds and often kills the engine so not fun or safe. Check gauges and no issue registered all normal operating temps. Only last a second or two with the alarm and message and then everything is normal again. Check coolant level and temperature under hood and it’s fine. I don’t know what to do about it. It is concerning and scary when it happens because I lose control of the car for a second or two, longer if it dies.

 

[BooMan 62]

Was it hooked up to get a code ?