Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 17,158 tests

Pass rate climbs 11.4 points across the cohorts — newer Compass examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 3,473

Pass

76.3%

Fail

19.0%

PRS

4.2%

Avg mileage at test

64,583 mi

2018–2020 cohort 11,543

Pass

84.2%

Fail

12.4%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

36,987 mi

2021+ cohort 2,142

Pass

87.7%

Fail

10.0%

PRS

2.2%

Avg mileage at test

24,054 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Compass: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 9,171 MOT tests, the Compass returns 83.0% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Wipers that don't clear the screen and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 36,130, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 20–30

Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

20–30

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

525 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
02

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

498 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
03

Wiper blade defective

333 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
04

A tyre cords visible or damaged

193 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

169 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
06

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

160 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

153 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
08

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

139 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
09

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

130 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
10

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

105 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 4 failures

£160–£280

If every one of this Compass's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 11.4-point gap between bands means the year you buy Jeep Compass has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

87.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 87.7% — a 11.4-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,054 miles — roughly 41K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, blade defective — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

76.3%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 76.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: pin or bush excessively worn, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and ball joint excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 64,583 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (87.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (76.3% pass). That's a 11.4-point spread across 3,473 older tests and 2,142 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Motor World

Motor World Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee 2005-2014 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Jeep Commander 2006- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Jeep Compass 2008-2018 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Jeep Grand Cheroke 2014- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

**The** **Jeep Compass** **of 2007 was widely panned as a sub-standard SUV. For this second-generation model, launched in 2016, Jeep fixed many of the faults of its predecessor. Nonetheless, this is a very competitive field, and picking the Jeep Compass over the Kia Sportage or big-selling** **Nissan Qashqai****would be a brave move.**

Where it falls short

Looks expensive compared to other SUVs. Modest boot capacity. Poor engine refinement.

Recall history

10 UK recalls on record.

The Compass has 10 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Compass?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Compass and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.