Subaru Forester vs Jeep Compass: which is more reliable?
The Jeep Compass is ahead of the Subaru Forester on the federal record, 75/100 against 71/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Subaru Forester
- 15 model years scored
- 4,756 owner complaints on record
- about 52 complaints per year on the road
- 58 recall campaigns, 44 safety-critical
- best year 2024 (90/100) · worst 2019 (41/100)
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)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Forester against Compass
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 | Forester | Compass | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56 CAUTION | 85 BUY | -29 |
| 2024 | 90 BUY | 84 BUY | +6 |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | 87 BUY | +3 |
| 2022 | 90 BUY | 47 AVOID | +43 |
| 2021 | 83 BUY | 92 BUY | -9 |
| 2020 | 46 AVOID | 85 BUY | -39 |
| 2019 | 41 AVOID | 58 CAUTION | -17 |
| 2018 | 63 CAUTION | 32 AVOID | +31 |
| 2017 | 65 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -13 |
| 2016 | 76 BUY | 79 BUY | -3 |
| 2015 | 66 CAUTION | 90 BUY | -24 |
| 2014 | 84 BUY | 80 BUY | +4 |
| 2013 | 76 BUY | — | — |
| 2012 | 75 BUY | — | — |
| 2011 | 75 BUY | 84 BUY | -9 |
What owners actually complain about
Subaru Forester
- Visibility/Wiper — 986 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 747 complaints
- Electrical System — 707 complaints
Jeep Compass
- Engine — 1,135 complaints
- Electrical System — 981 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 586 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Forester's complaints concentrate in Visibility/Wiper, the Compass's in Engine. 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
Subaru Forester — avoid: 2019, 2020.
Jeep Compass — avoid: 2018, 2022.
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 Subaru Forester prices at about $32,900 and a Jeep Compass at about $32,900 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 29.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Subaru Forester or the Jeep Compass more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Jeep Compass scores 75/100 against the Subaru Forester's 71/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Subaru Forester and Jeep Compass years should I avoid?
Subaru Forester: 2019, 2020. Jeep Compass: 2018, 2022. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Subaru Forester and the Jeep Compass?
The largest complaint group on the Subaru Forester is Visibility/Wiper (986 complaints); on the Jeep Compass it is Engine (1,135).
Is the Subaru Forester or the Jeep Compass cheaper to own?
A recent used Subaru Forester prices at about $32,900 and a Jeep Compass at about $32,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.