Faults:

Well, quite a few things. For the first couple of years, we were quite happy with our purchase and everything went well, except for suspension parts that kept breaking (toe-link and the like). All of them were replaced under warranty, but this was not a good indicator on long-term reliability. I cannot tell you how many time we replaced suspension parts, at least once a year, and we only drive on paved roads (living in the suburbs).

Last week, we went for our regular oil change, and as usual, the mechanic went around the car and brought us the bad news: the brakes were worn-out again (brakes are an issue on Compass-Patriot), toe-links also needed replacements, and even worst: the transmission is just about to die, after five and a half years of use and only 100 000 km on the meter (60 000 miles).

This is not what I call great reliability. And I must say we are really disappointed in the overall reliability of this car in the long-term. Needless to say, we are getting a new car on Monday (a Subaru) and will probably never buy another Jeep. The 4wd was great, no complaints there, and fuel economy was good, but having to replace a transmission after only 5 years of normal use is far below average in terms of reliability. Plus, a new OEM transmission cost around 6000$, which is the amount of money we got for our Compass as a trade-in. Of course, we could have gotten a rebuilt transmission for much cheaper, but it is still insanely expensive for Chrysler to sell a new unit at that price.

Also, the heating was getting bad and it took ages to warm up the vehicle; another thing that was not right.

A friend of ours is driving a Patriot, which is a clone of the Compass mechanical wise, and he has experienced the same problems with suspension parts and brakes.

General Comments:

Fairly comfortable ride for front seat passengers, low buying price, and fairly good on gas, although you can now get better mileage out of competitors. One of the cheapest options on the market for a 4WD, which is why we bought it because we need one. But overall reliability is well below average in the long-term, and you should look elsewhere if you plan to keep the vehicle after the warranty expires.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong so far.

General Comments:

Very inexpensive vehicle.

The 2.0 is only 158 HP, so it's not great in the hills.

The back seat is small for a baby seat. I have to put the front seat up half way so my 2 year old's feet are not smashed.

Great gas mileage though, and easy to park.

My car's only option is air conditioning that works well.

It's kind of hard getting used to no power windows, but Jeep wanted way too much $ for the "power package".

I also hate not having power locks, and having to lock each door one at a time. Overall though, for the price it is a decent, honest, no frills car.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with this car.

General Comments:

This car is very good as a commuter.

Handles very good in mud and light off road conditions.

I average 46 mpg in the city and get, yes, 31 mpg on trips from San Fernando to Paso Robles, CA.

No problem getting up the big grades like the So. Cal grapevine.

Love this small SUV!