Scotty Kilmer, the internet’s outspoken car repair legend, just crowned the Jeep Compass as his all-time worst SUV in new video rants and social posts. Kilmer’s advice is blunt: “Don’t buy a Jeep Compass, new or used, unless you love headaches.” According to Kilmer and other top mechanics, the Compass is plagued by brutal reliability issues, chintzy plastics, constant electrical gremlins, and an engine that burns oil like a bonfire.
Kilmer’s YouTube review lays it bare: “It’s a dressed-up Fiat with quality shortcuts everywhere. The transmission breaks, the electrics fail, and the plastic interior feels like a giant lunchbox.” He singles out the infamous 2.4-litre MultiAir engine and nine-speed transmission as chronic troublemakers, warning that many owners report transmission failures and oil consumption problems before 100,000 miles. Early Compass models saw water leaking into dashboards, ruining sensors and wiring, while more recent ones suffer too many recalls to count.
Other industry rankings echo Kilmer’s verdict. The Compass regularly scores near the bottom for reliability in JD Power and Consumer Reports data. Owners grumble about expensive repairs, unfixable electrical faults, cute-but-crumbling interior finishes, and a ride that’s far less refined than rivals in the same price bracket.
Kilmer says the Compass’s trouble stems from a rushed and under-engineered launch by Fiat-Chrysler, and that even newer Stellantis versions haven’t fixed the fundamentals. Anyone thinking about a Jeep Compass, Kilmer says, should “shop elsewhere ... you deserve better than this SUV.”
