2021 Jeep Compass

Showing the 2021 Compass Latitude. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.4 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
25 mpgcombined; city 22, highway 30–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $11,610 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
81filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 Compass. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Compass. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical system34100
Unknown or other28310
Engine18000
Power train9000
Steering7100
Vehicle speed control6100
Service brakes5000
Exterior lighting4000
Forward collision avoidance4000
Fuel/propulsion system4000
Engine and engine cooling3000
Lane departure3000
8 more parts
Seat belts3000
Air bags2100
Suspension2100
Back over prevention1000
Firerelated1010
Service brakes, hydraulic1000
Visibility/wiper1000
Wheels1100

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2007435
  2. 2008172
  3. 200964
  4. 201081
  5. 2011188
  6. 2012184
  7. 201380
  8. 2014307
  9. 2015113
  10. 2016293
  11. 2017229
  12. 2018944
  13. 2019330
  14. 2020143
  15. 202181
  16. 2022225
  17. 202346
  18. 202453
  19. 202528
  20. 20265

Every Compass year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2021 Compass. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 334 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Compass, the latest on Sep 19, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (139), equipment (83), structure (32), power train (31), unknown or other (23).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Compass.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2021 Jeep Compasss for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Compass
Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline22 / 31 / 25
Compass
All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic 9-spdRegular Gasoline22 / 30 / 25

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data