What 353 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Jeep Patriot

WHILE DRIVING OR IN A PARKED POSITION WHILE THE ENGINE RUNS, THE RPM NEEDLE DROPS TO ZERO 0 AND MY CAR DOESN'T ACCELERATE WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. THERE ARE TIMES I AM ON THE HIGHWAY AND RPM DROPS TO ZERO 0 AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDERS. I WOULD HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND SHUT MY CAR OFF FOR EXTRA MINUTES OR MORE BEFORE I CAN FULLY RESTART IT. IF I TRY TURNING THE CAR ON BEFORE THE 2 MINUTES IT WOULD TAKE A LONGER TIME TO RESTART. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THE CAR SHUT OFF WHEN I'M AT THE STOP LIGHT, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. WHEN MAKING A TURN, AND THE RPM NEEDLE DROPS TO ZERO 0, MY STEERING WHEEL BECOMES SO STIFF/HARDEN AND IS VERY VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPLETE THE TURN.

NHTSA ODI 11301518

A FEW MONTHS AGO MY VEHICLE STARTED TO RANDOMLY STALL AND JERK. WE THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. THEN A FEW WEEKS AGO MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A WARNING THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE FUEL CAP. A FEW DAYS LATER ALL OF THAT STOPPED COMING ON. YESTERDAY AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD SEVERAL LIGHTS CAME ON FOR THE STABILITY CONTROL AND THE ELECTRICAL THROTTLE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL. I WAS GOING UP A HILL AND MY VEHICLE BARELY MADE IT UP THE HILL. I GOT BACK TO MY DRIVEWAY TURNED IT OFF AND TRIED AGAIN AND IT WAS THE SAME ISSUE. I'VE MADE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM, BUT THIS CAME OUT OF NO WHERE. I HAVEN'T TRIED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR SAFETY REASONS.

NHTSA ODI 11299186

CAR WOULDN'T START ONE MONTH AGO. IT WOULDN'T EVEN TURN AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS. AFTER 10 MINUTES IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND HAD BEEN NORMAL. TODAY, 9/15/19, MY CAR STARTED UP FINE BUT 2 MINUTES INTO DRIVING AT 20MPH MY CAR LOST ALL POWER. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH MY WORK PARKING LOT DRIVING IN A FORWARD MOTION. SEVERAL LIGHTS LIT UP IN MY DASHBOARD PRIOR TO LOSING POWER. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO NOT BE ON THE FREEWAY. I PUT MY CAR IN BRAKE AND RESTARTED IT. IT STARTED RIGHT UP, BUT NOW HAS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DISPLAYED. MY BATTERY IS A FEW MONTHS OLD. I'VE TESTED IT AND IT'S CHARGED. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR AND CONSIDER IT NOT IN A DRIVABLE STATE. IF MY CAR WERE TO DIE ON THE FREEWAY THAT WOULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. CAR DEFECT THAT CAUSED THIS IS UNKNOWN. .

NHTSA ODI 11255573

2 INCIDENTS SAME DAY. VEHICLE IN MOTION, LOST OF CONTROL, POOR RESPONSE OF STEERING WHEEL, BRAKES NOT RESPONDING, ENGINE AND/OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM NOT WORKING PROPERLY. ENGINE CUTTING OFF. TIPM PROBLEM. ESC AND ENGINE LIGHTS ON. SOUNDS OF CAR SURGING. NO ACCELERATION IN SOME CASES AND UPHILL IN PARTICULAR. WE COULD HAVE GOT KILLED IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY FOR SURE.

NHTSA ODI 11230503

I BOUGHT A JEEP THRU RANDY WISE DURAND 3 MONTHSS AGO. SINCE BUYING IT IS HAS BEEN RELAIRED W OR 3 TIMES FOR THE ENGINEE RANDOMLY STOPPING WHILE DRIVING. THIS PAST TIME I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 70 WITH A SEMI BEHIND ME WHEN THE ENGINE FOR NO REASON JUST STOPPED RUNNING. WE WERE ALMOST KILLED BECAUSE THE JEEP WENT FROM 70 TO 0 WITH A SEMI BEHIND US THAT ALMOST SLAMMED US. IT JUST "SHUTS OFF" WHEN IT FEELS LIKE IT. RANDY WISE HAS NOT OFFERED A REPLACEMENT AND CANNOT SEEM TO FIX IT. A WITNESS IS AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11206968

DRIVING ON THE FRWY CAR TURNED OFF AND WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON , FROM THEN IN IT HAS HAS TROUBLE STARTING LIGHT SIGNALS TRIP . I'VE BEEN STRANDED WITH NO CRANK. TOOK IT TO SEVERAL MECHANICS ALL WHOM SAYNITS A FAULTY TPIM . WITH A $1000 OR MORE FIX.

NHTSA ODI 11150842

CAR STALLS OUT GOING DOWN THE ROAD. CAR MOST RECENTLY STARTS AND DIES RIGHT AFTER. WE ARE GETTING FUEL.

NHTSA ODI 11121523

ON OCTOBER 28, 2015 WITH ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT, MY JEEP WENT INTO LIMP MODE WHILE I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE GETTING REAR-ENDED. MULTIPLE LIGHTS TURNED ON INCLUDING THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL, CHECK ENGINE, AND TRACTION CONTROL. I UNHOOKED THE BATTERY AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. HOOKED IT BACK UP AND IT SEEMED TO BE FINE. UNTIL MARCH 13, 2016 WHEN I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO THE MALL FOR HER BIRTHDAY. I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY 4 LANE ROAD WHEN MY CAR SEEMED TO TURN OFF OR LOOSE ALL POWER WHILE CLIMBING A HILL. AGAIN, I JUST AVOIDED BEING REAR ENDED AND PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. I TURNED THE KEY OFF, TOOK IT OUT, WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND IT WORKED. WE WENT SHOPPING AND WENT BACK HOME WITHOUT A PROBLEM, UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. MARCH 14, 2016 WHILE DRIVING MY DAUGHTERS TO SCHOOL MY JEEP WENT INTO LIMP MODE. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE VILLAGE AND ONLY GOING 30 MPH, BUT ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN-ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE. I DROVE IT BACK HOME AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THAT AFTER RESETTING THE BATTERY AND PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK, ONLY A VAC LEAK WAS DETECTED. THEY PERFORMED A CHECK AND CONFIRMED (ACCORDING TO MY INVOICE) THAT THERE WERE "NO VACUUM LEAKS AT THIS TIME PER CODE" AND THAT "COULD BE MANY THINGS." AND THEY "CLEARED CODES AND ROAD TESTED OK AT THIS TIME." SO I DROVE IT HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND TO WORK TODAY WITH NO PROBLEMS. WHEN I WENT TO GO HOME, ALL THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND I FEEL STUCK. NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO FIX IT BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO FIX... AND THIS IS PATHETIC WHEN EVEN THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM CAN NOT HELP. I AM AFRAID SOMEONE WILL BE KILLED IF A SOLUTION IS NOT FOUND TO THIS COMMON PROBLEM WITH JEEP PATRIOTS.

NHTSA ODI 10850107

WHILE SHIFTING INTO THIRD GEAR THE VEHICLE REVVED REALLY HIGH AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO SHIFT. AFTER TOWING THE PATRIOT TO THE SHOP I WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS TOTALLED. THE NEXT INCIDENT HAPPENED A YEAR LATER THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE KEY AND WAIT THEN ATTEMPT TO.RESTART. THE CAR ALWAYS STARTED BUT IT TOOK AS MANY AS 6 TRIES SOME TIMES. THE DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT CAME UP WITH NOTHING. THEY COULDN'T GET THE VEHICLE TO DUPLICATE. VERY FRUSTRATING AND RIDICULOUS. CHRYSLER IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT WON'T HAVE A FIX UNTIL THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2016.

NHTSA ODI 10765291

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR FELT LIKE IT PULLED BACK THEN JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD THANKFULLY THERE WASN'T A CAR BEHIND ME OR THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. AFTER A FEW TRIES THE CAR STARTED, SO I DROVE IT HOME THEN THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. THEY STATED AFTER GETTING IT BACK TO ME 2 DAYS LATER THAT THERE WASN'T A CODE, SO THEY'D CLEARED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND GAVE IT BACK TO ME. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I'M DRIVING DOWN THE MAIN ROAD ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND THE CAR DOES THE SAME THING. THIS TIME IT WAS REALLY SCARY, BECAUSE IT WAS RUSH HOUR AND I ALMOST GOT HIT BY A CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO START IT SEVERAL TIMES THEN SAT FOR A BIT WITH THE FOUR WAYS THEN TRIED IT AGAIN. IT STARTED UP AND I DROVE IT RIGHT TO THE DEALER. I WAS SO SHAKEN IT TOOK A FEW MINUTES BEFORE I FINALLY LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AGAIN. I LEFT THE CAR WITH THEM THEN THE NEXT DAY THEY CALLED ME TO COME GET IT. I WENT IN WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT IT HAD BEEN THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR THAT HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM. I'M TRULY AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE I KEEP WONDERING IF IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I NEVER HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY USED CARS, BUT I GOT A NEW CAR THINKING I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING AND NOW I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS CAR TURNING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10550380

ENGINE STALLS OUT AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING, BRAKE, AT HIGHWAY SPEED CAUSED ME TO VEER OFF THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES. COULDN'T STOP DURING ONE ENGINE STALL IN TOWN AND TURNED INTO A CVS PHARMACY LOT AND CRASHED INTO AND ISLAND CURB, ENGINE STALL PULLED OF HWY INTO A CEMETERY AND HIT A POST DURING A STALL WHILE TURNING BECAUSE OF LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WHILE PULLING TO SHOULDER JEEP SWAYED AND PULLED INTO DITCH WHEN ENGINE STALLED AT HWY SPEED. WHILE TRYING TO CORRECT THE VEHICLE WENT AIR BORN AT NIGHT... *TR

NHTSA ODI 10533062

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON INTERSTATE 5 NEAR BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIA, AND UNDER CRUISE CONTROL, MY 2012 JEEP PATRIOT STALLED AND LOST POWER TO THE TIRES. AT THAT MOMENT, THE CHECK ENGINE, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND ELECTRIC SYSTEMS (RED LIGHTNING BOLT) LIGHTS ALL BEGAN TO FLASH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FREEWAY SAFELY. BEING ONLY A FEW MILES FROM MY EVENTUAL DESTINATION, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN GEAR AT VERY LOW RPMS (SUB 2500). AT RPMS OVER 2500, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE WOULD MISFIRE AND I WOULD EXPERIENCE NO ACCELERATION. WITH THE VEHICLE STILL PARTIALLY DISABLED, I WAS ABLE TO REACH MY DESTINATION. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, UNLOADED MY LUGGAGE, AND THEN RETURNED TO INSPECT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SEEING THAT ALL BELT, HOSE, AND CABLE CONNECTIONS WERE SECURE, AND ALL FLUIDS AT THEIR PROPER LEVELS, I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND DROVE THE VEHICLE SUCCESSFULLY FOR ABOUT A MILE, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF THE RECENT SYMPTOMS. BEING THAT THE VEHICLE IS STILL SO NEW, AND WELL MAINTAINED, THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT WAS PARTICULARLY ALARMING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10496228