Jeep Compass
Compact SUV · 2007–present. 111,697 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
It was created by the Chrysler Group, then part of DaimlerChrysler. The 2002 Compass concept came out of Chrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Center, with Michael Castiglione on the exterior, Jordan Meadows on the interior and Trevor Creed as Senior Vice President of Design. The production model was introduced by Chrysler Group Executive Vice President Joe Eberhardt and Creed; Larry Lyons led the front-wheel-drive product team and George Murphy led global marketing.
The concept was designed in Carlsbad, California. The first generation was built at the Belvidere, Illinois plant from 2006 until December 23, 2016. Since January 16, 2017, the Compass sold in the U.S. has been assembled at the Toluca plant in Mexico. The second generation was also built in Brazil, China and India for other markets.
The name debuted on a concept at the Detroit auto show in January 2002. The production Compass was introduced as a 2007 model, went into production in 2006 and reached U.S. dealers in the third quarter of 2006, priced from $15,985 including destination.
Compass is the English word for the navigation instrument. The original 2002 Chrysler concept release played on that meaning: the aptly named Compass would point buyers toward tomorrow. The name carried over to the production model.
In the mid-2000s the compact SUV segment was growing fast in the U.S., from 297,000 units in 2004 to 368,000 in 2005. Jeep wanted to reach younger buyers who had never considered the brand, with an affordable, fuel-efficient SUV that was fun to drive. That is why the Compass became the first front-wheel-drive-based Jeep, aimed more at the city than the trail. Chrysler called it "a new type of Jeep vehicle for non-traditional Jeep buyers."
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12007–2017 · MK
The first front-wheel-drive Jeep
Photo: Cutlass · CC0 What changed. It was an all-new Jeep with no predecessor: an urban-styled compact SUV with a 172 hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder, a five-speed manual or an optional CVT. It was built in Belvidere, Illinois, alongside its sibling, the Jeep Patriot. For 2011 it got a Grand Cherokee-inspired front end, sharing the styling of the hood, fenders, grille and headlights, a cabin with softer materials, and the option of Freedom Drive II 4x4 with Trail Rated status.
The innovation. It was Jeep's first front-wheel-drive-based product with fully independent suspension. Its 2.4-liter World Engine, developed jointly with Hyundai and Mitsubishi, debuted dual variable valve timing, and the optional Freedom Drive I 4x4 was a full-time system with a lock mode.
If you buy one usedCheck the exact VIN for these selected recalls: 06V493 (certain 2007 Compass ABS software that may lock the rear brakes), 10V234 (certain 2007 cars with accelerator-pedal bushings that may dislodge and cause sticking), 13V233 (certain 2010–2012 cars with delayed or absent side-airbag/seat-belt-pretensioner deployment in a rollover), 16V668 (certain 2010–2014 cars with a restraint-control-module short that may prevent deployment), and 13V552 (certain 2014 cars with the 2.4-liter engine and balance-shaft-bearing debris that may reduce oil pressure). Request repair records. - Gen. 22017–present · MP
A global mini Grand Cherokee
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It replaced both the previous Compass and the Patriot. It was unveiled in September 2016 at the Goiana plant in Brazil as a global model for more than 100 countries, and it has been sold in the U.S. since the first quarter of 2017, built in Toluca, Mexico. At first it used a 180 hp 2.4-liter engine with six- or nine-speed transmissions. For 2022 it got a new interior with screens up to 10.1 inches and Uconnect 5, and for 2023 it switched to a 200 hp 2.0-liter turbo with an eight-speed automatic and standard 4x4.
The innovation. The Trailhawk version uses the Jeep Active Drive Low system, borrowed from the Renegade Trailhawk, with a 20:1 crawl ratio for climbing over rocks slowly and under control. That is unusual for a compact SUV.
If you buy one usedSelected NHTSA campaigns include 17V670 (certain 2018 Compass 2.4-liter oil-pump housings), 18V279 (certain 2018 front lower control-arm welds), 18V524 (certain 2018 PCM voltage-regulator chips that may fail and stall the engine), 18V523 (certain 2018–2019 rear-caliper piston coatings and reduced braking), 17V732 (certain 2018 passenger-airbag inflator mounting nuts), 20V208 (certain 2019–2020 wiper arms), 23V576 (certain 2022–2023 instrument-panel brightness controls) and 24V436 (certain 2022–2023 rearview-camera software). Check the VIN and completed repairs. EPA records for Compass 4WD show 22/30/25 mpg city/highway/combined for the 2022 2.4-liter/9-speed and 24/32/27 for the 2023 2.0-liter turbo/8-speed, an increase of 2 mpg in each category.
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