Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
21 -22 City / 24 -27 HWY
Horsepower
172
Seats
5
Front angle medium view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Nancy B
Great gas saver and very reliable and safe.
My vehicle is great on gas and I have traveled in this vehicle and noticed how great it was as far as highway mileage and locally. It is very comfortable to drive and my children love it and find it to be very comfortable. I do consider it to be reliable. The features such as the satellite radio is one of my favorites.
accountCircle Allison N
Jeep Compass Runs Forever
The A/C Fan makes a buzzing noise, but for the age of the car it runs very well. There are no transmission issues and the interior is still in amazing condition. The gas mileage on this vehicle is decent, 26/22. There are great features like power steering, auxiliary input, and more!
accountCircle Ashley G
Jeep compass great first vehicle.
I bought my vehicle used. Soon as I saw the design I knew she was the perfect vehicle for me and my daughter. The motor is very strong, great up and go. Took me a minute to get used to the cut trans but after I got the hang of it there was less worries on my end. I wasn't used to not feeling a vehicle shift.
accountCircle Tammie T
Nice, affordable and good gas mileage
My Jeep Compass is a great car. It gets good gas mileage and rides nice. In the winter time it does good traveling in the snow. The tires get a good grip in the snow not allowing it to slide. It is a very safe car for children. Jeep Compass are good in the rain. They ride heavy enough to keep from sliding on slippery roads.
accountCircle Robert A
The joys of Jeep ownership.
It's a nice, fun ride. The interior is not fancy but it's roomy and comfortable. It gets very good gas mileage.
accountCircle Kris W
It's been a reliable car for 10 years!
Recently have had gas tank issues. The pump releases after just seconds of trying to put gas in the car. My relays went bad to the point that the car would just stop while driving. Other than regular maintenance fixes the car runs amazing and I love it!
accountCircle Phyllis S
Why I love my Jeep Compass
My vehicle does great in ice and snow. The Heated seats are great when it gets cold. I can fit car seats in easily, when I need to take grandchildren somewhere. The seats fold down and I can fit 4 dogs in the back. It rides more like a truck when goes over potholes and speed bumps, not so great in the shock absorber department. Also, I like how high I sit up, great visibility.
accountCircle Judy N
The safety features. Advanced airbags and side window airbags.
I love Jeeps in general. I like the transmission which removes the pitching of the car as it changes gears. I also like the safety feature of advanced airbags and, side window airbags. No complaints, I love this car!

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Bob S
The Jeep Compass is a huge money waster.
After two months of owning this vehicle, we had issues with the exhaust system and had to replace the manifold and Cadillac converter. A year later, we had to replace the starter and battery. A month after replacing those parts we had to bring it into a shop to get corroded wires replaced.
accountCircle Vincent A
The jeep that has all problems and no recalls
Nothing but problems. From a leaking sunroof, which is all jeeps, to having to replace the transmission at 120k
accountCircle ReddJ
2008 Jeep Compass
Bought my car used and it upon test drive sounded great. I took on the freeway and it makes a whining noise when i start to accelerate at around 45 mph. Kind of scared of what the cost of the problem will be
accountCircle Nicole T
It constantly has issues!!
I like the leather and mpg I get. I hate the way it drives, all the issues that go wrong with it, and how small it is.
accountCircle Victoria H
I'm not impressed by the features.
It doesn't handle as well in the rain/snow as an SUV should. I am very disappointed in the electronic traction system. It doesn't really stop you from sliding like I was under the impression it would. The back seats are very difficult to lay down and the latch system to put in my daughter's car seat is nearly impossible to connect to.
accountCircle ashley h
It keeps trying to go in 4 wheel drive on It's own.
It is too small for a family of four. It keeps trying to have the 4 wheel drive turn itself on. It is hard to have two carseats in the back seat.
accountCircle Vincent A
Don't buy, jeeps use to be a well made product, not any more. They are straight junk. They know the clock spring goes bad at 150k why not a recall??
It is a cheap piece of junk. Sunroof leaks, floor boards are rotting. The ac works when it wants, and the parts are cheaply made
accountCircle David Lewis
Definitely is a lot of use when having to trouble, but have noticed that when there's a lot of rain or snow, it doesn't r prevent it from sliding. Also had my transmission cable die on me at work. Definitely wasn't a cheap fix.

Jeep Compass Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
Sport
172 HP 23-25 MPG 5 Seats
car
Limited
172 HP 23-25 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2008 Jeep Compass Owner Reviews

3.75
53 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 36%
4 stars 28%
3 stars 19%
2 stars 9%
1 star 8%
accountCircle Bob S on May 25, 2021
The Jeep Compass is a huge money waster.
After two months of owning this vehicle, we had issues with the exhaust system and had to replace the manifold and Cadillac converter. A year later, we had to replace the starter and battery. A month after replacing those parts we had to bring it into a shop to get corroded wires replaced.
accountCircle ReddJ on May 16, 2021
2008 Jeep Compass
Bought my car used and it upon test drive sounded great. I took on the freeway and it makes a whining noise when i start to accelerate at around 45 mph. Kind of scared of what the cost of the problem will be

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Kathryn S.

The Keep compass has four wheel drive, it is very spacious and also very comfortable. It has been a reliable car. I have a good field of vision while driving. Jeep makes very nice vehicles. Both of my cars I have owned have been jeeps.

likeFilled Fran L.

Has a smooth drive and good control. It is a comfortable drive. It has good gas mileage, 4 wheel drive, which is good in winter time. The back seats lower, giving plenty of room for storage. It is also a very attractive to look at.

likeFilled Myranda T.

The 2008 jeep compass sport edition handles really well in the winter, on dirt roads, and on the freeway. The gas mileage is pretty good. I have had it for about five years and I haven't had any mechanical issues at all.

likeFilled Payton S.

It has a sunroof which is really nice, as well as heated seats, it is a small car that allows you to fit in small spaces but it is very spacious. It has a trunk cover so you cannot peak. Leather seats. Warms up or cools down fast.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Kathryn S.

It does not get the best gas mileage. I was hoping when I got this car that the gas mileage it does get would be better than it actually gets. I have has a few issues with this car. Thankfully though the problems were not too difficult to fix.

dislikeFilled Fran L.

I do not find much wrong with the Jeep Compass. It drives well, especially in winter. It is just the right size of auto for a family. It drove very well when we were going thru mountains while on vacation.

dislikeFilled Myranda T.

I do not like that it is not a four-wheel drive, I think for the style it should definitely have been four wheel drive. There's also not a lot of room on the inside for camping or comfortable road tripping.

dislikeFilled Payton S.

It is an older car so it needs to be taken care of properly, the drive is not very smooth. Only had an aux cord, big antenna in the front of the car. Small windows. The car is also pretty low to the ground.

Ranks #20 Compact SUV by Owners

The 2008 Jeep Compass has an average owner rating of 3.90 out of 5 which ranks it #20 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
5
2
car
4.54
20
car
3.75

Ranks #8 Compact SUV by Fuel Economy

The 2008 Jeep Compass has a combined MPG of 26 which ranks it #8 of 23 other Compact SUVs.

1
car
31 MPG
2
car
30 MPG
8
Tie
car
24 MPG

Is The 2008 Jeep Compass A Good Car?

No. Very bad transmission. Will over heat in summer. Cannot go over 65 mph 4 cylinder engine too small.
John R.

How Reliable Is The 2008 Jeep Compass?

The transmission is belt driven and overheating in the summers long road trips are an issue. Must stop every 50-75 miles for it to cool down.
John R.

Is The 2008 Jeep Compass A Good Value?

It is good value for city commuting. Other than that it is not a good purchase. I do not recommend this.
John R.

Related Articles for 2008 Jeep Compass

From the Vehicle History blog

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2021 Jeep Compass Review: Reasonably Dependable Compact SUV With Higher Ownership Costs
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2017 Jeep Compass Review: Unreliable Small SUV With Expensive Ownership Costs
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2020 Jeep Compass Review: Comfortable Small SUV With Improved Reliability From Earlier Years
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2019 Jeep Compass Review: Average Compact SUV With Some Reasonable Ownership Costs
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2018 Jeep Compass Review: Unreliable Small SUV With High Ownership Costs As It Ages

Frequently Asked Questions

2008 Jeep Compass: What is the oil type and capacity?

Answer: The 2008 Jeep Compass holdS4.5 quarts of SAE 5W-20 oil. Jeep recommends that You use synthetic oil whenever You need to replace it. There are two different types of oil on the market these days, synthetic and...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Not Rated

Side

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety