2009 Jeep Compass problems & reliability
44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Jeep Compass, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Jeep Compass vehicles were involved in 6 fatal crashes with 1 occupant death. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension → | 15 | 34% |
| Structure | 7 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 11% |
| Engine | 5 | 11% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 11% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 9% |
| Power Train | 4 | 9% |
| Steering | 3 | 7% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 89,350 miles (middle 50% between 44,652 and 110,500 miles), based on 32 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2009 Jeep Compass. The contact initially became aware that the rear passenger’s side tire was resting at an angle. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to have the rear struts replaced; however, the mechanic informed the contact that the rear suspension was extremely corroded. The…”
Suspension · filed Feb 1, 2024
“Jeep extended the warranty for the front and rear body subframes. I had my vehicle inspected at the onset of the warranty. I again had an inspection done at my local dealer on 4/15/2022. Since that date the vehicle has been driven approximately 7000 miles. A week ago as I was making a turn at traffic speed I heard a…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 14, 2023
“front and rearsubframe extremely rusted, making it dangerous to drive. fuse box under front hood in front of driver side rusting out wiring. Not main fuse box but the one with relays.”
Suspension · filed Jun 3, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
50 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Jeep Compass. The 10 most recent:
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100653 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
Verify Reman part number availability. Order the "R" part number for all orders: Warranty, Mopar, customer pay and service contract. Order "68" part number for New unsold units only.
9100645 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 15, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
103954 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
ACTUATOR - A/C AND HEATER
104087 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
Connector kit Before ordering this connector repair kit 68018957A$, check it in the Mopar Connector Repair Kit Website to confirm part number and applicability. There is an error with the wiring diagrams in Service…
9100226 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2023
KEY, BLANK WITH TRANSMITTER Please note that after programming the new key integrated transmitter that Lock, Unlock and Remote Start will all function as expected but the Remote Start Cancel button requires a double…
9004378 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2021
KEY, BLANK WITH TRANSMITTER Please note that after programming the new key integrated transmitter that Lock, Unlock and Remote Start will all function as expected but the Remote Start Cancel button requires a double…
9004378 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2021
KEY, BLANK WITH TRANSMITTER Please note that after programming the new key integrated transmitter that Lock, Unlock and Remote Start will all function as expected but the Remote Start Cancel button requires a double…
9004378 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2021
KEY, BLANK WITH TRANSMITTER Please note that after programming the new key integrated transmitter that Lock, Unlock and Remote Start will all function as expected but the Remote Start Cancel button requires a double…
9004378 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2021
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Jeep Compass has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Jeep Compass?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 89,350 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.