AI DamageJeep Patriot FWD reliability: problems, complaints, recalls
Summary for the Jeep Patriot FWD across 4 model years: 171 owner complaints and 0 NHTSA service bulletins, plus repair videos. Pick a year for details.
Model years
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 37% of all complaints
- 2 Structure 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 4 Steering 13% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Wheels 4% of all complaints
- Suspension: 63 complaints (37% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 38 complaints (22% of all).
- Powertrain: 25 complaints (15% of all).
- Steering: 22 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 16 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 171 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 63 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 38 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I hit my knee on the dash and had bruising from the seat belt. My air bags didn't deploy which has me greatly concerned. I had someone that was highed by chrysler to come out and inspect the vehicle. Chryler sent me a letter that due to the deceleration the air bags were not activated.
My side airbags did not deploy causing a concussion. I have some memory loss and back and neck injuries. My jeep rolled onto a median causing the roof to cave in from the center of the car to the passenger side during the roll over.
The air bags failed to deploy at the time of impact. This is the second occurrence of the vehicle attempting to move while the brakes were depressed. A police report was filed. The failure and current mileages were 11,500.
While attempting to start the engine, the vehicle would not start. The failure occurred approximately six times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, but they could not determine why the vehicle took so long to start. The vehicle also stalled while being driven.
Tire sensor light went on. Pulled over to air station. Stopped car. Removed tire stem cover to put air in tire. Stem broke and tire deflated. This happened 3 separate occasions to 3 separate tires. My mechanic said the tire stems are faulty. They cost $180 each to replace and break off months after purchase
Each time after fueling up the vehicle, it stalls out. This has happened twice within a week of each other on a city street after leaving the gas station. The first time my foot was on the brake and the car stalled out. The next time the car was in motion and stalled.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Other models of this make
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.