NHTSA (USA)High Risk
At a glance
What can fail
The Occupant Restraint Control module can short circuit, which prevents the front air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying during a crash.
This page covers 3 recalls, 81 owner complaints and EPA fuel economy for the 2010 Jeep Compass.
22–25 mpg combined
9.4–10.7 L/100km
Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted. Ranges reflect the 2 tested variants for this model year.
For the 2010 Jeep Compass, structural corrosion is the most consistent theme owners describe, with multiple reports of subframe rust and rot, both front and rear, severe enough that mechanics refused to let the vehicles back on the road. Owners report the subframes corroding through completely, not just surface rust, making the vehicles unsafe to drive. The fuel and propulsion system draws a cluster of complaints around sudden loss of power, with owners describing the engine cutting out unexpectedly, sometimes while moving in traffic, leaving them unable to accelerate or brake normally. Seatbelt complaints round out the top reported systems, though the individual reports there are less consistent in describing a single failure pattern. The subframe corrosion complaints tend to surface when vehicles go in for routine inspections, with the damage discovered by mechanics rather than felt by the driver beforehand.
81
Total Complaints
5
Crash-Related
3
Fire-Related
7
With Injuries
By System
Recalls 1 and 2 describe the same underlying defect (software error causing delayed/non-deployment of side curtain airbags and pretensioners in rollovers). Recall 3 is a separate but related issue (ORC module short circuit disabling all airbags and pretensioners). All three have the same severity score of 4. I'll lead with the most broadly dangerous one (Recall 3, which disables all restraints in any crash) and group Recalls 1/2 as a single issue.
The 2010 Jeep Compass has 3 recalls, the most serious being a restraint control module that can short circuit and disable all airbags and seatbelt pretensioners, leaving occupants without crash protection in any type of collision.
The other two recalls trace back to the same software error in the restraint control module: in a slower-developing rollover, the side curtain airbags and seatbelt pretensioners can deploy late or not at all. In a rollover, side curtain airbags help keep occupants inside the cabin and cushion head impacts, and pretensioners pull the seatbelt tight against the body at the moment of impact, so a delay or failure in either means occupants absorb more force with less restraint during the event.
At a glance
What can fail
The Occupant Restraint Control module can short circuit, which prevents the front air bags, seat belt pretensioners, and side air bags from deploying during a crash.
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Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the Occupant Restraint Control module at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software error in the restraint control module may delay or prevent side curtain airbags and seatbelt pretensioners from deploying during slower rollover crashes, increasing injury risk.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the restraint control module to fix the software error.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software error may prevent or delay the seatbelt pre-tensioners and side airbags from deploying during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the vehicle's software at no cost to correct the error.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
