Mechanic Bemoans How Hard It Is To Replace the Starter on a Jeep CompassGuessing HeadlightsHenry KelsallUpdatedWed, September 9, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleImage Credit: @gtm_auto/TikTokA mechanic has taken to TikTok to voice his frustration at having to replace the starter on a 2020 Jeep Compass. Mechanic Edgar Vargas (@gtm_auto) posted a video that is starting to do the rounds as he criticizes the Jeep's design.Vargas wasn't annoyed at the fact that it was a starter he had to replace on the Jeep, but rather how complicated and time-consuming it ended up being. In fact, the number of parts that needed removing to access the starter was quite alarming.In the video, we see Vargas and his fellow mechanics at GTM Auto Repair in Ann Arbor, Michigan, all standing underneath the Jeep. None of them can believe how many parts it required in order to access the starter on the SUV. They do give us a rundown of what was taken off in a TikTok video that is starting to gain a lot of traction.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe video is a perfect illustration of how frustrating it can be for some car mechanics to repair things. If a manufacturer hides a part behind lots of others, or just makes it really hard to gain access to it, then it can be annoying for those trying to fix the car.How Hard Was It to Access the Jeep's Starter?"Talk about junk cars. Look at this piece of crap that we have here," Vargas said at the start of the video. "No disrespect for the customer or their car, but we're doing a starter on this [expletive] thing. Look at all the [expletive] that has to come out just to be able to see the starter," Vargas added. As you can probably tell, he wasn't enjoying working on the Jeep Compass.Vargas said that he and his team had to take out the transfer case, full exhaust, and K-frame to even begin to see the starter, which they still struggled to do. While they could have done the job from the top, the mechanics did not want to deal with removing the powertrain control module from under the hood. "We still can't really see it," said Vargas after they took all the parts out.Upon realizing that more work needed to be done, the mechanics let out a deep exhale before continuing to work on the car. "Nice job, huh?" Vargas concluded in the video. While it might seem like sour grapes, it actually isn't the first time that a mechanic has questioned the engineering choices from the American car company. Others have also wondered why Jeep has made certain engineering design choices.Jeep Has Made Odd Choices in the PastImage Credit: @gtm_auto/TikTokIn a story we also covered, one mechanic was baffled as to why an auxiliary battery on a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee had been placed under the front passenger seat. Poor design choices like this lead mechanics such as Vargas to call the cars junk, even though they aren't. It is, however, clearly a car that is a bit of a nightmare to work on and leads to a lot of frustration.AdvertisementAdvertisementViewers in the TikTok comments were also bemused by how big a job the starter seemed to be. "I just did one of those; they suck," one TikTok commenter said. "Engineers: We have done it, sir. 10 hours to replace the starter. CEO: Excellent," joked another user. One asked how much they charged, and it was $950 altogether. The starter cost $350, and then $600 was added for labor costs. That does sound like a lot, but it shows how frustrating it was for Vargas and his fellow mechanics.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.