Jeep Compass vs Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: which is more reliable?
The Jeep Compass and the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport are level on the federal record — 75/100 against 76/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
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)
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- 15 model years scored
- 872 owner complaints on record
- about 6 complaints per year on the road
- 55 recall campaigns, 14 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (93/100) · worst 2015 (34/100)
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 Outlander Sport
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.
| Year | Compass | Outlander Sport | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 BUY | 92 BUY | -7 |
| 2024 | 84 BUY | 93 BUY | -9 |
| 2023 | 87 BUY | 92 BUY | -5 |
| 2022 | 47 AVOID | 90 BUY | -43 |
| 2021 | 92 BUY | 90 BUY | +2 |
| 2020 | 85 BUY | 87 BUY | -2 |
| 2019 | 58 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -20 |
| 2018 | 32 AVOID | 89 BUY | -57 |
| 2017 | 78 BUY | 72 BUY | +6 |
| 2016 | 79 BUY | 36 AVOID | +43 |
| 2015 | 90 BUY | 34 AVOID | +56 |
| 2014 | 80 BUY | 65 CAUTION | +15 |
| 2013 | — | 67 CAUTION | — |
| 2012 | — | 89 BUY | — |
| 2011 | 84 BUY | 71 BUY | +13 |
What owners actually complain about
Jeep Compass
- Engine — 1,135 complaints
- Electrical System — 981 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 586 complaints
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
- Power Train — 290 complaints
- Engine — 144 complaints
- Electrical System — 119 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Compass's complaints concentrate in Engine, the Outlander Sport's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Jeep Compass — avoid: 2018, 2022.
Mitsubishi Outlander Sport — avoid: 2015, 2016.
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 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at about $30,500 — the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport is roughly $2,400 less, and they return 27.0 against 26.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Jeep Compass or the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport scores 76/100 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 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport years should I avoid?
Jeep Compass: 2018, 2022. Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: 2015, 2016. 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 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport?
The largest complaint group on the Jeep Compass is Engine (1,135 complaints); on the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport it is Power Train (290).
Is the Jeep Compass or the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport cheaper to own?
A recent used Jeep Compass prices at about $32,900 and a Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at about $30,500, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.