Jeep Compass vs Hyundai Kona: which is more reliable?
The Hyundai Kona is ahead of the Jeep Compass on the federal record, 83/100 against 75/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Jeep Compass
- 13 model years scored
- 2,944 owner complaints on record
- about 34 complaints per year on the road
- 26 recall campaigns, 14 safety-critical
- best year 2021 (92/100) · worst 2018 (32/100)
Hyundai Kona
- 8 model years scored
- 769 owner complaints on record
- about 23 complaints per year on the road
- 10 recall campaigns, 4 safety-critical
- best year 2018 (93/100) · worst 2024 (74/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Compass against Kona
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Jeep Compass
- Engine — 1,135 complaints
- Electrical System — 981 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 586 complaints
Hyundai Kona
- Engine — 396 complaints
- Electrical System — 135 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 133 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Jeep Compass — avoid: 2018, 2022.
Hyundai Kona: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023….
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Jeep Compass prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500 — the Hyundai Kona is roughly $2,400 less, and they return 27.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Jeep Compass or the Hyundai Kona more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Hyundai Kona scores 83/100 against the Jeep Compass's 75/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Jeep Compass and Hyundai Kona years should I avoid?
Jeep Compass: 2018, 2022. Hyundai Kona: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Jeep Compass and the Hyundai Kona?
The largest complaint group on the Jeep Compass is Engine (1,135 complaints); on the Hyundai Kona it is Engine (396).
Is the Jeep Compass or the Hyundai Kona cheaper to own?
A recent used Jeep Compass prices at about $32,900 and a Hyundai Kona at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.