11,574 tests in 2025
Jeep Compass reliability and MOT pass rate
80% passed first time. The 20% fail rate is 2.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 6 years old with 44,282 miles.
Pass rate
80%
22.6% of all cars failed; 20% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
44,282 mi
6 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4,185 | 12.3% |
| 6-9 years | 5,147 | 20.4% |
| 10-13 years | 1,430 | 33.7% |
| 14+ years | 586 | 40.3% |
What the Compass fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres824 dangerous33.3%
- Suspension66 dangerous31.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous21.9%
- Visibility21.2%
- Brakes247 dangerous17.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous12%
- Steering6 dangerous6.8%
- Body, chassis, structure5 dangerous3.5%
Is the Compass getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5.1 points to 19% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.2 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,455 | 4 | 13.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 8,039 | 4 | 15.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 7,712 | 5 | 17.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,526 | 6 | 19% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Compass at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Compass in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm366 tests
- 2Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively237 tests
- 3Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction216 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn200 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn191 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed178 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid177 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick160 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Compass collects 2.6 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,085 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,314 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,182 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn998 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick918 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine506 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn449 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt382 tests
Questions
What is the Jeep Compass MOT pass rate?
80% of the 11,574 Jeep Compass first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 20% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Jeep Compass usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 366 failed tests, followed by "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction". By section, tyres appears in 33.3% of failures, suspension appears in 31.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 21.9% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 12.3%; at 14+ years it was 40.3%. The median Jeep Compass tested in 2025 was 6 years old with 44,282 miles.
Is the Jeep Compass getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5.1 points to 19% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.2 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Compass trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 9 safety recalls naming the Jeep Compass: Jeep Compass recalls.
Other Jeep models
- Renegade 23%
- Grand Cherokee 22.1%
- Cherokee 27.1%
- Wrangler 20.3%
- Patriot 40.9%
Checking a particular Compass?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.