What is the best year for a Jeep Compass?

The 2023-2025 window is the cleanest in the Compass's history — 2023 (45 complaints), 2024 (47), 2025 (18, 8/10 safety, 4 severe). Avoid 2014 (306 complaints, 25 severe) and 2019 (319 complaints, 12 severe), which coincide with documented early-generation issues. For used buying, 2023 or 2025 is the safest pick.

How much does Jeep Compass insurance cost?

Compass insurance averages around $2,011/year, or about $168/month.

Is the Jeep Compass or Ford Bronco Sport cheaper to maintain?

Maintenance cost data isn't available for the Ford Bronco Sport, so a direct comparison isn't possible. The Compass's $526/year and 25% repair frequency are solid benchmarks within the compact class.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Jeep Compass?

Major repair probability at the class average and repair frequency below it — no strong case for extended warranty on 2023+ models. For 2014 and 2019 models purchased used, documented complaint spikes in those years make coverage worth considering.

Is the Subaru Forester expensive to maintain?

The Forester costs $632/year to maintain — $111 above the compact segment average of $521. Repair frequency of 37% is above the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 7 is below the class average of 8, and major repair probability of 13% is above the 11% norm. It trails the compact class average on every ownership-cost metric.

What is the best year for a Subaru Forester?

The 2024 Forester (28 complaints, 10/10 safety, 4 severe) is the standout year — the best on record. Avoid 2014 (402 complaints, 53 severe) and 2018-2019 (483 and 831 complaints respectively), which coincide with documented engine oil consumption and EyeSight recall issues. The 2022-2024 window shows significant improvement.

How much does Subaru Forester insurance cost?

Forester insurance averages about $2,035/year — roughly $170/month.

Is the Subaru Forester or Toyota RAV4 cheaper to maintain?

The RAV4 is $203/year cheaper — $429 versus $632 for the Forester, over $1,000 in savings over five years. The RAV4 also has higher reliability (8 vs. 7), lower major repair probability (10% vs. 13%), and lower repair frequency (26% vs. 37%). The RAV4 has a significant advantage on every maintenance metric.

Should I buy an extended warranty for a Subaru Forester?

Reliability score of 7, major repair probability of 13%, and repair frequency of 37% — all above the compact class average — make extended warranty worth considering, particularly for 2014-2019 models with severe documented complaint spikes. For 2022 and newer, the risk profile improves substantially but still trails the class average.

Jeep Compass vs Subaru Forester

Two compact SUVs compared on the numbers that matter — maintenance cost, reliability, and insurance.

// VERDICT

Our verdict

Buy the Jeep Compass — lower 5-year cost and better reliability.

Buy the Subaru Forester if its specific features or size suit your needs better.

// COST HEAD TO HEAD

Maintenance and ownership cost

	Jeep Compass	Subaru Forester
Annual maintenance	$526winner	$632
5-year total cost	$2,630winner	$3,160
Reliability score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
Major repair risk (5yr)	11%winner	13%
Cargo space	—	74.4 cu ft
Starting price (new)	$29,550winner	$29,600
Best years to buy	—	—

// RELIABILITY

Which is more reliable?

	Jeep Compass	Subaru Forester
RepairPal score	8 / 10winner	7 / 10
NHTSA complaints / 100k	182.8	162.9winner
Years to avoid	2019, 2022, 2025	2013, 2018, 2019
Value retained · 3 yr	68%	86.9%winner
Value retained · 5 yr	56.9%	67.5%winner
Value retained · 7 yr	50.4%	54.4%winner

// COMMON PROBLEMS

What breaks — and what it costs

	Jeep Compass	Subaru Forester
Engine	26.2%	13.3%winner
Electrical	11.8%	8.0%winner
ADAS	12.8%	10.6%winner
Brakes	3.1%winner	3.8%
Suspension	2.7%winner	4.2%
Steering	2.9%	1.8%winner
Fuel system	4.2%	1.6%winner
Tires/Wheels	1.4%winner	1.5%
Glass/Windows	—winner	24.4%
Airbags	11.7%	10.4%winner
Lighting	2.3%	—winner

One major repair on either model can run $1,500–4,000. A warranty caps your exposure, especially on known problem years.

// INSURANCE

Which is cheaper to insure?

	Jeep Compass	Subaru Forester
Avg annual premium	$2,011winner	$2,035

// FULL MODEL PAGES

GAS

Jeep Compass

$526/yr maint · 8 reliability

Full model page

GAS

Subaru Forester

$632/yr maint · 7 reliability

Full model page

// FAQ

Common questions

The Compass costs $526/year to maintain — $5 above the compact segment average of $521, a negligible difference. Repair frequency of 25% is below the class average of 30%. Reliability score of 8 and major repair probability of 11% both sit at segment averages. A squarely average ownership cost with slightly better-than-average repair frequency.

How we calculated this. Maintenance costs and reliability scores from RepairPal. Complaints and recalls from NHTSA. Fuel economy from the EPA. Insurance averages from CarEdge. Pricing from KBB. Depreciation from iSeeCars. Full methodology →