The Dodge Journey, the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Renegade are what a used-car budget of around ten thousand dollars buys in a crossover with a recent model year, and they are cheap because the market has already discounted their reputation. The record on this site is more generous than the reputation for some years and less for others, and the difference is worth knowing before spending the money.
Dodge Journey, 2011 to 2020
The Journey ran for twelve years on one platform with two engines — a 2.4-litre four-cylinder with a four-speed automatic, and the 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 with a six-speed — and its complaint record is moderate throughout. The leading complaints are the brakes (undersized for the weight; pads and rotors wear fast), the electrical system (the same power-module family as the Durango, at a lower rate), and on the four-cylinder cars the four-speed automatic, which is old and slow but not fragile. The 2015 year is the worst at 552 complaints and a score of 49; the 2017 to 2020 cars score between 71 and 93. A late Journey with the V6 is a large, slow, cheap vehicle with a quiet record; the four-cylinder is the same vehicle with less to go wrong and less ability to go.
Dodge Journey: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 92 | BUY | 65 | 1 |
| 2019 | 91 | BUY | 100 | 1 |
| 2018 | 70 | BUY | 233 | 6 |
| 2017 | 85 | BUY | 197 | 2 |
| 2016 | 65 | CAUTION | 386 | 4 |
| 2015 | 49 | AVOID | 553 | 6 |
| 2014 | 64 | CAUTION | 411 | 7 |
| 2013 | 76 | BUY | 353 | 4 |
| 2012 | 72 | BUY | 376 | 6 |
| 2011 | 83 | BUY | 169 | 4 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Dodge Journey model page.
Jeep Compass, 2011 to 2025
The first-generation Compass (2007 to 2017) and its twin the Patriot are small, simple and, in the record, unremarkable — scores between 76 and 92 for 2011 to 2017, with the continuously variable transmission on the earlier years and a conventional six-speed from 2014 attracting the most complaints. The second generation launched for 2018 with the nine-speed automatic and the 2.4-litre Tigershark engine, and the record shows the launch: 933 complaints, score 32. The nine-speed's harsh and hesitant shifting is the leading complaint, followed by the engine stalling and consuming oil, which grew into a recall for the engine-control software in 2022. The 2020 and 2021 cars score 84 and 92 after the transmission software matured; the 2022 facelift year dips to 42; 2023 onward is back in the 80s.
Jeep Compass: the record, year by year
| Year | Score | Verdict | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 85 | BUY | 23 | 0 |
| 2024 | 84 | BUY | 52 | 0 |
| 2023 | 87 | BUY | 45 | 2 |
| 2022 | 47 | AVOID | 220 | 4 |
| 2021 | 92 | BUY | 77 | 0 |
| 2020 | 85 | BUY | 138 | 1 |
| 2019 | 58 | CAUTION | 327 | 2 |
| 2018 | 32 | AVOID | 936 | 6 |
| 2017 | 78 | BUY | 228 | 4 |
| 2016 | 79 | BUY | 292 | 1 |
| 2015 | 90 | BUY | 113 | 1 |
| 2014 | 80 | BUY | 306 | 2 |
| 2013 | — | DATA PENDING | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | — | DATA PENDING | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 84 | BUY | 187 | 3 |
Live from the federal record as of 2026-10-04; linked years have their own page. Full table and repair costs on the Jeep Compass model page.
Jeep Renegade, 2015 onward
The Renegade is built in Italy on a Fiat platform and shares the Compass's nine-speed and, from 2015, the 2.4-litre engine; the smaller 1.4-litre turbo comes with a six-speed manual or, on later cars, a dual-clutch. Its 2015 launch year carries the transmission complaints seen on every nine-speed launch, and the 2.4-litre's oil consumption appears from 2016. The record for 2018 onward is moderate, with the 1.3-litre turbo that arrived in 2019 attracting fewer complaints than the 2.4. It is the least expensive of the three to buy and, on the record, not obviously worse than the Compass of the same year.
What to check
On a Journey: the brake rotors for scoring and the pads for wear, the electrical system with everything switched on, and on a four-cylinder car the transmission's willingness to kick down. On a 2018 to 2019 Compass or a 2015 to 2016 Renegade: the nine-speed from cold and in traffic, and the transmission software campaign history from a dealer. On any 2.4-litre Tigershark from 2016 onward: the oil level and the engine-control recall status.
Summary
Buy: Journey 2017 to 2020, preferably with the V6; Compass 2014 to 2017 and 2020 to 2021 and 2023 onward; Renegade 2019 onward with the 1.3-litre engine. Avoid: Journey 2015, Compass 2018 to 2019 and 2022, Renegade 2015 to 2016.