# 2012 Jeep Compass - Are transmission issues common? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** jeep\ **Created:** [May 30, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336 "2019-05-30T22:56:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daisey18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Daisey18](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Daisey18)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/1 "2019-05-30T22:56:20Z")
Has anyone else had problems with the transmission going out on 2012 Jeep Compass? We bought ours new and we had to have our transmission replaced in 2015, then again in 2017 and the tranny is going out again now. When we had the dealer look at it and replace it previously, they could not give an explanation as to why this was happening. I just wanted to know if any onother Compass owners had this problem. ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/2 "2019-05-31T14:39:58Z")
Does this vehicle have a CVT? I think it may. Those are known to be problematic. I’d recommend finding a Consumer Reports used car guide. They provide car complaint/problem area data for a wide range of vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/3 "2019-05-31T16:06:27Z")
> **[2012 Jeep Compass Power Train Problems](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/Compass/2012/drivetrain/power_train.shtml)** > > The 2012 Jeep Compass has 17 NHTSA complaints for the power train at 33,899 miles average. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/4 "2019-05-31T16:08:28Z")
To be brutally honest . . . It’s time to dump this vehicle I say that because a vehicle that has needed 2 transmission replacements since 2012, and now needs another . . . is obviously a piece of garbage And be smart . . . the next vehicle should NOT be a Jeep ---
**Author:** ![gmallan55\_149168](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@gmallan55\_149168](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gmallan55_149168)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/5 "2019-05-31T22:04:02Z")
We had a late 60’s sedan, purchased used that ate fuel pumps every other year, never figured out why. But they were cheap enough, just kept replacing them until the chassis rust won the battle and off to the junker it went. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/6 "2019-05-31T22:05:47Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > And be smart . . . the next vehicle should NOT be a Jeep … or anything else sold by Fiat-Chrysler. ---
**Author:** ![NYBo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nybo/32/17281_2.png) [@NYBo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NYBo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/7 "2019-05-31T22:12:31Z")
Was the transmission serviced regularly as per the maintenance schedule? CVTs seem to be particularly sensitive to not having fresh fluid. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2019, 10:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/8 "2019-05-31T22:18:59Z")
I don’t know about the transmission but if I remember right, the Compass was never considered very reliable. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/9 "2019-06-01T02:30:01Z")
I’m not seeing much of anything about transmission problema on that vehicle. Not on the automatic (CVT) or the manual transmission. Note that Chrsyler/Jeep recommends the 2012 CVT transmission should NOT be flushed as part of routine maintenance . If OP has been having a transmission flushing procedure done as part of routine maintenance, that might be contributing to the cause of the early transmission failure. (Severe 4WD rock crawling activities wouldn’t be advised with this vehicle either.) Refer to TSB 26-004-12 about the flushing issue. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/10 "2019-06-01T02:43:59Z")
> [@George\_San\_Jose1](#): > > Note that Chrsyler/Jeep recommends the 2012 CVT transmission should NOT be flushed as part of routine maintenance Nobody else even mentioned that, but then you brought it up, for unknown reasons? op didn’t mention flushes as part of routine service, so I’m not sure why you’re going down that road you really think op is engaging in “severe 4WD rock crawling activities” . . . ? 😕 In a Jeep Compass . . . ?! 😆 Maybe the transmission keeps failing because it . . . and the whole vehicle, for that matter . . . is plain and simple this 💩 ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/11 "2019-06-01T02:46:50Z")
> [@db4690](#): > > you really think op is engaging in “severe 4WD rock crawling activities” . . . ? 😕 One time I drove over the top of the Sierra Nevada mountain range on a 4WD road in my VW Rabbit. Just to see if it was possible. It was. Had to move some rocks and logs out of the way, but it was definitely possible. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/12 "2019-06-01T02:47:54Z")
That’s you . . . I seriously doubt op bought this 2012 Jeep Compass to go rock crawling ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/13 "2019-06-01T02:50:45Z")
I see Jeep Compass’s all the time here in San Jose. It’s quite popular by the numbers I see. I concur it’s not what looks to be a rock crawling vehicle, but I’d guess as long as it is driven gently on paved roads it should be a pretty good ride. The frequency of transmission failures reported by the OP are almost certainly not the norm for the vehicle. That’s why I questioned if the vehicle might be being used for something it isn’t designed to be used for. ---
**Author:** ![vipergg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/50afbb/32.png) [@vipergg](https://community.cartalk.com/u/vipergg)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/14 "2019-06-01T15:02:49Z")
The newer ones with a normal transmission are fine but the early ones with a CVT in them were garbage . I wouldnt invest any more money in it if you are footing the bill .Myself I wouldnt buy anything with a CVT in it whether its a Nissan , Toyota or whatever . ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-are-transmission-issues-common/141336/15 "2019-06-01T18:54:35Z")
Per Autotrader, this model year had 3 transmission types: “manual”, “normal CVT” and “light offroad rated CVT”. The later type would be accompanied by the “trail rated” badge of honor. @Daisey18 did not tell what type she has, but I strongly suspect that another “new” transmission will not last, given the trend