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2010 Jeep Compass problems

The most common problem on the 2010 Jeep Compass is airbags, typically around 74,000 miles. It has fewer complaints than a typical Compass model year.

Fewer complaintsAmong the best years of this model
Year score
81/100
Owner complaints
71
Recalls
2
Service bulletins
61
Worst area
Airbags
Fuel economy
22-25mpg

The worst 2010 Jeep Compass problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Airbags
    18
  • Body
    13
  • Seat belts
    11
  • Fuel system
    10
  • Electrical
    7
  • Suspension
    7
  • Acceleration
    6
  • Steering
    6
  • Engine
    5
  • Brakes
    4
  • Transmission
    4
  • Lights
    2
  • Seats
    2
  • Driver assistance
    1
  • Visibility
    1
  • Wheels
    1

Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Jeep Compass

Stalling 9Ball joint 7

Recalls 2

Air bagsReported September 15, 2016 · 1,435,625 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler (FCA US LLC) is recalling certain model year 2011-2014 Chrysler 200, 2010 Chrysler Sebring, 2010-2012 Dodge Caliber and 2010-2014 Jeep Patriot, Compass and Dodge Avenger vehicles. The Occupant Restraint Control (OCR) module may short circuit, preventing the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk
If the frontal air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags are disabled, there is an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants in the event of a vehicle crash that necessitates deployment of these safety systems.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCR, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts are not available yet were mailed on October 26, 2016. The recall began on August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at 1‑800‑853‑1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is S61.

Recall number 16V668000 · Recall details

Electrical system: softwareReported June 4, 2013 · 254,396 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Jeep Compass and Patriot vehicles manufactured May 6, 2008, through July 20, 2012. The affected vehicles have a software error which may result in a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the seatbelt pre-tensioners and/or side airbags.
Risk
In the event of a rollover necessitating airbag deployment, the software error can lead to a delayed deployment or non-deployment of the side curtain airbag and/or seatbelt pre-tensioners. As a result, vehicle occupants have an increased risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy
Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will correct the software free of charge. The recall began June 21, 2013. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1‑800‑247‑9753. Chrysler's recall number is N01.

Recall number 13V233000 · Recall details

See all 2 recalls for the 2010 Jeep Compass

Defect investigations

Active Head Rest Inadvertent DeploymentOpened September 9, 2019, closed February 25, 2026

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE19014 on September 9, 2019, to investigate 128 consumer complaints alleging that the Active Head Rest (AHR) inadvertently deployed without the occurrence of a crash or other rear impact event in model year (MY) 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango vehicles.When ODI opened the investigation, ODI was aware of thirteen alleged injuries.A small number of Early Warning Reports identified driver and/or passenger front seat AHR inadvertent deployments without a rear impact event.Reported safety consequences resulting from the AHR deployments include concussions, headaches, soft tissue injuries, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and/or loss of vehicle control as a result of being surprised and distracted by being struck in the head by the inadvertent AHR deployment. On September 24, 2019, ODI sent an Information Request (IR) letter to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA).ODI requested certain detailed information from FCA related to the following subject vehicles: MY 2010-2014 Dodge Avenger 200, MY 2010-2014 Dodge Calber, MY 2010-2014 Chrysler Sebring, MY 2013-2015 Ram Tradesman, MY 2012 Ram Van, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Grand Caravan, MY 2010-2016 Chrysler Town and Country, MY 2010-2017 Jeep Compass, MY 2011-2020 Dodge Durango, MY 2011-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, MY 2010-2019 Dodge Journey, MY 2010-2012 Jeep Liberty, MY 2010-2011 Jeep Nitro, and MY 2010-2011 Jeep Patriot vehicles.On December 2, 2019, ODI received a response from FCA that included vehicle production data, consumer complaints, field reports, warranty claims, manufacturer actions, production changes, and other data related to the alleged defect from the start of production (2010) through September 24, 2019.On January 27, 2020, ODI received an update to the December 2, 2019, IR response from FCA.On September 22, 2020, ODI requested additional subject vehicle AHR information from FCA.ODI received FCA's response on October 21, 2020.ODI subsequently received an update to FCA's October 21, 2020, response on February 16, 2021.During the investigation, ODI requested updates to certain IR questions on two occasions.FCA provided updates to question #2 on March 5, 2021, and questions #2 and #5 on May 26, 2023. FCA’s IR response data identified approximately 7.5 million subject vehicles (with approximately 15 million AHR assemblies).Due to the large number of vehicles and failure reports, ODI focused its analysis on the FCA vehicle model with the highest failure rate to represent the worst-case scenario.For this purpose, ODI focused on MY 2012-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee vehicles for its analysis.This population includes 710,890 vehicles that FCA manufactured between August 19, 2011, and August 8, 2015.ODI identified 2,839 alleged AHR failures within this limited population.ODI identified 263 alleged injuries that were caused by AHR failures in MY 2012-2015 Grand Cherokees vehicles.Of these alleged injuries, ODI categorized them as eighty-two (82) soft tissue (neck/whiplash, bruise) injuries, four (4) concussions, fifty-nine (59) headaches, and one hundred eighteen (118) without a specific injury description.Although complainants have alleged injuries, ODI has been unable to obtain evidence to substantiate or validate any injuries where medical treatment was required.Consumer outreach was conducted by ODI, where sixty-three (63) FCA complainants with alleged injuries were contacted.Twelve of the sixty-three FCA consumers responded and were interviewed by ODI.ODI requested medical records, however, only one response was provided. Attorneys representing the responding complainant provided a synopsis that indicated they had experienced prior neck-related injuries dating to the mid-1990s.ODI also contacted one hundred (100) consumers who submitted Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) in an attempt to validate alleged injuries. Despite the efforts of ODI, the office has been unsuccessful at obtaining substantive documentation/evidence supporting complaints that allege serious injuries (where pre-existing medical conditions did not already exist). In addition to the low severity of alleged injuries caused by AHR deployments, there have been eleven alleged crashes and two alleged lane departures within the entire subject vehicle population that has been in the field up to sixteen years (with over 8,500 AHR inadvertent deployments).ODI was not able to validate that the alleged crashes were the result of inadvertent head rest deployments, and the crashes were minor in nature. ODI has conducted a thorough investigation of the alleged safety defect and with up to sixteen years of exposure for some vehicles and over 8,500 inadvertent AHR deployments, no serious crashes or injuries could be validated in the sub-population of focus.The lack of serious injuries validated by ODI with such large period of field exposure is consistent with thework done by the federal safety agency’s Human Injury Research Division and the Biodynamic Research Corporation, which support that an inadvertent AHR deployment is not likely to cause serious injury.In addition to the low risk of injury, FCA released an extended warranty program that covers inadvertent AHR deployment for ten years / unlimited mileage from the vehicle's in-service date. PE19014 is closed with the FCA extended warranty program.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist, and the Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances. To review a complete closing summary, please the attached closing report. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to

PE19014

Technical service bulletins for the 2010 Jeep Compass 61

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 61 bulletins for the 2010 Jeep Compass

2010 Jeep Compass fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
2.0L 4‑cylFWD2327-2925
2.4L 4‑cylFWD21-2325-2823-25
2.4L 4‑cyl4WD21-2324-2822-25

What 2010 Jeep Compass owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Feb 29, 2024 · Acceleration, Brakes · MO

System failed was the throttle body, power (engine?) and brakes. I was unable to accelerate while going up a hill. When this happened the whole vehicle shut off which wouldn't allow me to push in the break pedal since I was still in drive. This could of caused us to be hit from the traffic following behind me. This put our lives at risk. Unknown, unsure what is being questioned as far as repeoducing a problem? It has failed my states safety inspection yesterday. I just purchased this vehicle a week ago. Warning lights were lightening bolt, abs light and traction control light.

Filed Apr 3, 2023 · Airbags, Brakes · TX

The brake and ABS are on. Also there is a lightning bolt that appears on the cluster. The honk does not want to work as well and it is associated with the airbag since its installed with it in the center of the steering wheel.

Filed Jul 7, 2022 · Body · 100,000 miles · OH

The contact's son-in-law owns a 2010 Jeep Compass. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change and tire rotation, the mechanic informed him that the rear subframe was cracked. The mechanic advised the contact's son-in-law to not drive the vehicle until the rear subframe was replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Dec 5, 2021 · Suspension · MA

my front and rear sub-frame rotted out, making my vehicle dangerous to drive for me my family and other passengers that ride in my vehicle,it is also a danger to other vehicles and persons on the road. Chrysler knows of this problem with 2010 jeep compass but has never issued a safety recall, it seems only fair that Chrysler should held responsible to recall this vehicle since they used cheap parts knowing they would not hold up in states with heavy winters and the use of salt on roadways.

Filed Jan 15, 2021 · Body · 144,832 miles · ME

My 2010 jeep compass was taken in for an inspection today. It failed for lower front subframe being totally rusted out. This is unacceptable for a 10 year old vehicle and very unsafe!

Filed Dec 10, 2020 · Airbags · PA

The air bag light remains on and it chimes.

Filed Dec 2, 2020 · Fuel system · WV

Every time I fill my jeep up it starts jerking then completely quits. I restart my jeep and start to pull out onto the street and/or highway it still jerks for the first few seconds then quits. I had a engine diagnostic test and had to replace the canister costing me $248.00 not counting labor cost. This has been an issues for the last seven months to date, the jerking and shutting off of my jeep

Filed Sep 21, 2020 · 92,000 miles · MD

The vehicle keep on honking on it own. We took the vehicle to the dealership which the diagnosed and repaired the problem but the vehicle from time keeps honking. We took it back to the dealership they say there's no code showing up for the and it never went off while there.

Filed Jun 23, 2020 · Electrical · 50,000 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 jeep compass. The contact stated that occasionally, the horn activated independently. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted nor notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Filed Apr 12, 2020 · Acceleration · 128,000 miles · FL

I have been driving my vehicle for almost a year now it and it seems like the clutch pedal is binding, the pedal depresses when I'm driving but feels like it has some kind of resistance. I'm not sure if it may be an underlying issue or not but this is best how it can be described.

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 2010 Jeep Compass before you buy

Compare the 2010 Jeep Compass

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Other model years

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Questions about the 2010 Jeep Compass

Is the 2010 Jeep Compass reliable?

Owners have filed 71 complaints about the 2010 Jeep Compass, fewer than a typical Compass model year.

What is the 2010 Jeep Compass year score?

The 2010 Jeep Compass scores 81 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Jeep Compass: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.

What is the most common problem with the 2010 Jeep Compass?

Airbags, with 18 complaints, typically around 74,000 miles. Next is body (13).

How many recalls does the 2010 Jeep Compass have?

2 recalls, covering air bags and electrical system.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Jeep Compass airbags?

Yes, 1 recall: 16V668000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Jeep Compass have bad airbags?

The Jeep Compass model years with the most airbags complaints are 2014 (91 complaints), 2012 (28 complaints) and 2018 (22 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 2010 Jeep Compass get?

Official estimates for the 2010 Jeep Compass range from 22 to 25 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23 city and 27-29 highway.

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