These help you judge whether this one is worth its price.
Costly problem zones ahead at your miles come with a Car Hunt Pass or Pro. See plans
Loading the EPA's yearly fuel cost
What about the price? Check the asking price on two listing sites. Buying from a dealer? Run its offer through the offer X ray.
Education, not financial or mechanical advice. Have any used car checked by a mechanic you trust before you buy.
The full record
Tap to open
What owners complain about
Loading owner complaints
Seller kit
Questions for the seller, test drive checks and price points
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
Walk up to the seller ready
Questions to ask the seller of a 2007 Jeep Compass, built from this year's owner complaints and recalls. What to feel, hear and look at on the test drive, with boxes to tick at the car. Honest points to raise on price, from the records and never from guesses. Copy the questions to your phone in one tap.
A ready to send offer for the seller, by text or email
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
Send the seller a fair offer
Type the asking price and your own offer for the 2007 Jeep Compass, tick what you found, and get a polite message ready to text or email. Its reasons come from this year's owner complaints, recalls and crash ratings, and never from made up repair prices.
NHTSA's stars out of five, for each version it tested. Front crash stars only compare cars of about the same size and weight. The tests changed for 2011 models, so these stars do not line up with newer ones.
Loading crash ratings
Fuel economy
The EPA's estimates for each engine and transmission, and its own yearly fuel cost. Yours depends on how you drive and the shape the car is in. Figures for 2007 and older use the EPA's 2008 method, so they may be lower than the original sticker.
Loading fuel economy
True cost to own
The loan, fuel, insurance and upkeep, a month and over 5 years
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
What it really costs to own
What the 2007 Jeep Compass costs a month and over 5 years: the loan and its interest, fuel worked out from the EPA's figures for the version you pick, and your own insurance, registration and upkeep. A cost a mile, a link that reopens your numbers, and the breakdown copied to your phone in one tap.
Owner complaints for each model year, this one outlined. Tap a year to open it. The newest 2 are not judged yet. Bars are totals, so older years stand taller; the verdict compares every year at the same age.
Loading every year of this model
Before you buy this one
Built from this year's numbers. Whatever the data says, the car in front of you is the one that counts.
A history report such as Carfax or AutoCheck pulls in more of the car’s past than these checks can:
Crashes and damage reported by police, insurers or shops, even when it was fixed.
Service visits that shops reported, with the miles each time.
How many owners, for how long, and the states it was registered in.
Whether it was a rental, fleet or lease car, when that was reported.
It only knows what was reported to it. A clean report is not proof of a clean car. Ask the seller first: many dealers hand one over for free.
Red flags in a history
Salvage title
Usually an insurer called it a total loss. In most states it cannot be driven on the road until it is rebuilt and inspected.
Rebuilt title
A salvage car that was fixed and passed a state check. It can be fine, but it is worth less, can be harder to insure, and needs a careful inspection.
Flood damage
Water can ruin wiring and sensors months later. Be wary of a flood brand that vanished after a move to another state.
Lemon or maker buyback
The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix. Ask what the defect was and how it was fixed.
Odometer rollback
A mileage reading lower than an earlier one, or a title marked not actual miles.
Many owners, fast
Three owners in two years can mean a problem each one passed along.
Gaps in the records
Years with no service or registration. Ask why: it may have sat, been off the road, or been rebuilt.
Title words and rules differ by state. Not legal advice.
Before you pay
Pre purchase inspection
Have a mechanic you choose, not the seller, put it on a lift and look it over before you pay.
Insurance quote
Get a quote on this exact car before you sign. Ask your own insurer and one or two others.
Not every car needs every fix. Run the VIN at NHTSA to see which are still open. Repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand; ask before any work.
Cruise and speed control
Jun 3, 2010 · Recall 10V234000
Chrysler is recalling certain model year 2007 dodge caliber and jeep compass passenger vehicles manufactured from march 7 through may 19, 2006. The pivot bushings in vehicles with oversized accelerator pedal bearing pockets may become dislodged and potentially cause the accelerator pedal to bind or stick.
What can happen
Should the pedal bind or become stuck, it can be overcome by smart brakes which override the accelerator pedal in certain conditions.
The fix
Chrysler will notify owners and dealers will inspect and replace all affected accelerator pedal assemblies free of charge. The safety recall began on june 29, 2010. Owners may contact chrysler toll-free at 1-800-853-1403.
Brakes
Dec 29, 2006 · Recall 06V493000
On certain vehicles, the antilock brake system (ABS) control module software may cause the rear brakes to lock up during certain braking conditions.
What can happen
This could result in a loss of vehicle control and cause a crash without warning.
The fix
Dealers will reprogram the ABS electronic control unit. The recall began on february 19, 2007. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
Equipment and accessories
Nov 15, 2006 · Recall 06V434000
On certain sport utility vehicles, the owner's manual does not contain the required higher rollover risk warning information.
What can happen
Without the rollover warning information in the owner's manual, drivers may not be aware of the significantly higher rollover rate on this type vehicle, which could result in a crash.
The fix
Daimlerchrysler will mail an addendum to the owner's manual to all affected vehicle owners. The recall began on november 14, 2006. Owners may contact daimlerchrysler at 1-800-853-1403.
434 complaints; the part named most is the suspension
Unverified reports, not adjusted for sales. One complaint can name several parts, so shares add up past 100%. Filed Feb 12, 2007 to May 6, 2026. 32% name a part that is usually costly to fix.
Owners reported 13 crashes, 8 fires and 7 injuries in these complaints.
Suspension163 · 38%
Fuel system93 · 21%
Steering64 · 15%
What one owner wrote about the suspension
The frame Infront where the motor and steering attach rotted completely threw, separated at the weld. It is a safety hazard where steering is affected. The dash lights for the traction, abs, and even the cruise control are on and those items are no longer functional. This car was purchased in 2017, Holiday automotive in Fondulac, Wi with this condition…
Filed Nov 29, 2022NHTSA complaint 114952591 of 18 owner quotes
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
15 more parts, and 18 owner quotes
Every part owners name for the 2007 Jeep Compass, with their own words about what went wrong. Usually costly to fix among them: Engine, Transmission and drivetrain, Body and frame.
The bar holds the middle half of the complaints that gave a mileage; the dark mark is the middle one. 160 complaints of 434 gave one. Owners file when something fails, so this shows when problems were reported, not how long the cars last.
Body and frameCostly75,000 to 115,000 mi
Half of these 22 complaints came between about 75,000 and 115,000 miles, the middle one around 95,000.
050K100K150K200K250K
Car Hunt Pass or Pro
Mileage for 5 more parts, 2 usually costly
The mileage band for every part owners name, and your car's miles laid across them.
Run the VIN at NHTSA to confirm every recall was fixed.
This year has 3 recalls on file. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for the brand. Ask the dealer to confirm before any work is done. Look up a VIN at NHTSA.
Ask the seller for the service records.
Look closely for any work on the suspension. It is the part owners complain about most for this year.
Have a mechanic you trust inspect it before you pay.
Ask them to look at the suspension first.
Look at a vehicle history report.
It can show reported crashes, flood or salvage titles, and mileage that does not add up.
On the test drive, pay attention to the suspension.
Listen for clunks over bumps, and notice if the car wanders or leans hard.
More owner complaints than usual. Buy only with records and an inspection.
Confidence: Medium
Close to the Pass line, so a few complaints either way could tip it.
How the dial was counted
Year verdict: Typical year: 61 complaints, the median of 7 nearby years, leaving out 2014, which was high itself. Each counted over its first 8 years from January 2006; this one had 173.
Same car, better year: 2009 or 2010 Compass (both Worthy)
