2021 Jeep Compass problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 81 owner complaints about the 2021 Jeep Compass, or 14.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.35, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #30 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Jeep models its rate is 79% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 77% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2020-10-08 and 2026-10-13. Median delay from incident to filing: 8 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 21.1 complaints per year, more than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 46.8 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 11 complaints, 82% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Electrical (28.4% of complaints), followed by Engine (25.9%) and Unspecified or other (13.6%). Electrical complaints are 1.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 6 reports (7.4%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 41 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (41% of incidents). In the last 12 months 19 new complaints were filed, versus 21 in the 12 months before — down 10%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.35
- vs. other Jeep models0.21
- vs. other 2021 models0.36
- vs. other Compact SUVs0.23
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (11)0.18
- #30 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Transmission / powertrain · Lighting · Driver-assist systems · Brakes · Airbags & seat belts
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 5
- Fires reported: 2
- Injuries: 0
- Deaths: 0
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 41 months
What owners report
The contact owned a 2021 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed black smoke coming from the front passenger side headlight. No warning light was illuminated.
[XXX] nearly three minutes after dropping my kids off to school, driving near the [XXX] ! My jeep begin to accelerate, I couldn’t control the brakes or steering wheel!
carvana falsifying 150 point inspection on bad tie rods with 2021jeep compass
The contact owns a 2021 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled in the middle of the highway. The vehicle lost power, but was able to be restarted, and the vehicle drove in LIMP Mode to the dealer.
I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2021 Jeep Compass Limited due to repeated coolant loss, overheating/high-temperature warnings, and eventual engine failure. The vehicle began losing coolant and required frequent refilling.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2021 · Compact SUVs
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia Sportage | 54 | 9.3 | 0.23 |
| 2021 Hyundai Tucson | 80 | 13.8 | 0.34 |
| 2021 Jeep Compass | 81 | 14.0 | 0.35 |
| 2021 Chevrolet Equinox | 99 | 17.1 | 0.42 |
| 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan | 142 | 24.5 | 0.61 |
| 2021 Mazda CX-5 | 148 | 25.6 | 0.63 |
| 2021 Jeep Cherokee | 173 | 29.9 | 0.74 |
| 2021 Subaru Forester | 210 | 36.3 | 0.9 |
| 2021 Nissan Rogue | 325 | 56.2 | 1.39 |
| 2021 Ford Escape | 379 | 65.5 | 1.62 |
| 2021 Honda CR-V | 439 | 75.8 | 1.88 |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 | 508 | 87.8 | 2.18 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.