Jeep has many great SUVs and trucks available on the market. However, not all of these Jeeps are great, and some of them are very problematic. The latest model years of the Compass, Jeep’s premier compact SUV, is an example of that. Here’s how reliable the Compass is according to various car reviewers. 

What J.D. Power and Associates says 

In the latest model years of the Compass, J.D. Power and Associates gave it a reliability rating of about 72. Compared to the earlier model years, that’s a slight improvement. For example, the 2017 Compass had a reliability score of about 69.

These scores are not very high, and U.S. News, which uses J.D. Power and Associates’s reliability rating, gave the 2020 Compass a reliability score of just 2.5 out of 5 stars. For context, a 3-star rating from J.D. Power and Associates is about average and a 2-star rating, according to U.S. News, is below average. Thus, a 2.5-star rating is about the most average score that J.D. Power and Associates can give.

What Consumer Reports has to say

In regards to reliability, Consumer Reports was far more harsh towards the Compass than J.D. Power and Associates were. For instance, in the 2018 model year of the Compass, Consumer Reports gave it the lowest reliability score possible of 1 out of 5. As a result, the 2018 Compass was also ranked as the least reliable SUV in its segment, as it was dead last on that list. 

The most common problems, according to Consumer Reports, had to do with the Compass’s transmission and its body integrity. In both of these categories, Consumer Reports gave the 2018 Compass a reliability score of 1 out of 5 as well. These parts were just not working well or simply breaking down.

The 2018 Compass also had reliability issues in other areas. Consumer Reports reported that the owners of the 2018 Compass had a lot of issues with the Compass’s drive system. As a result, its reliability score was only 2 out of 5. The Compass also had minor issues with its interior electronics systems as well as some minor issues with its engine.

On top of that, Consumer Reports says that the 2018 Compass is the subject of six recalls. These recalls involve critical systems, such as the Compass’s brakes, its suspension system, as well as its airbags. There are also recalls for the Compass’s electrical systems. One of them involves the Compass’s instrument panel, but there’s also a recall affecting the electrical wiring of the Compass. 

Overall, Consumer Reports gave the 2018 Compass a reliability rating of 11%, the lowest of all SUVs in its segment. The 2019 and 2020 models of the Compass have a higher predicted reliability score of about 3 out of 5, but that may change as owners drive their Compasses around some more.

What RepairPal has to say

For the 2020 Compass, RepairPal says that it’s an above-average SUV in terms of reliability. RepairPal gave the 2020 Compass a reliability rating of 4 out of 5, and this puts it at 11th out of the 26 compact SUVs that RepairPal surveyed. 

RepairPal also says that it’s more affordable to maintain a Compass than it is for other cars. The average annual cost for maintenance and repairs was $526 for the Compass, compared to the average of $652 for other vehicles.

RepairPal also says that it’s less likely that owners of the Compass will have to bring it in for unscheduled repairs compared to the average vehicle. Furthermore, the severity of the repairs that the Compass needs is about average. This good reliability score is typical for a Jeep, according to RepairPal.