Home · 2016 Jeep Patriot · Complaints

What 455 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Jeep Patriot

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (455)Crash / fire / injury (33)Engine (222)Electrical system (97)Transmission & drivetrain (74)Speed control (47)Fuel system (42)Airbags (33)Brakes (25)Steering (24)Seats (20)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (19)

Newest first · 455 complaints · page 5 of 19

Jun 27, 2023Speed controlEngine

The RPMs in my Jeep Patriot will randomly drop to zero and the car does not accelerate when you press the gas pedal. After a period of time the RPMs will jump back up and the car will start working properly again. The car never turns off and the engine is fully running. No warning lights or codes are activated when this happens. This has happened to me in the middle of traffic as well as on the open highway. The dealership is unable to diagnose the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11529190

Jun 21, 2023Electrical system

Vehicle keep stalling or losing power. We brought the Jeep to the dealer and they replaced the crankshaft and camshaft position connectors. The Jeep was "repaired" and the problem persisted. We returned the Jeep to the dealer and they replaced the sensor. All in all the Jeep was in the shop for 2 weeks. We were informed that there was a recall on other models. The vehicle was manufactured during the same period (May 19th 20216) as the other Jeeps but they did not repair it without charging us $858.00 We tried to go through the Company but they did not want to hear our concerns. The recall department was adamant that if the VIN Number was not listed they could not help us. We are seeking relief and wish our Vehicle to be included in the recall, since it was built during the time frame and that they had to replace that same defective part.

NHTSA ODI 11528157

Jun 14, 2023EngineFuel system

I've had my car since January 2022. Since last year, there's been a clicking noise once I begin driving & it'll click for awhile. For these past 3 months my check engine light has came on. The message from O'Reilly's read "Evaporative Emissions System Small Leak Detected." The 1st time I was told to get the Emissions System Cleaner. The light went off. Second month, light came back on with the same message. This time I was told to buy a new gas cap. I did, light never went off. I bought the advance emissions cleaner & the light went off. This being month 3, light came on again June 2nd. Again told to get gas cap, I did & light never went off. Last week Tuesday, getting on the freeway, I accelerated as I got over 5 lanes. When I got to Lane 3, my car jerked & by the time I got to the 5th lane, my vehicle started decelerating, with my traction control light coming on. I pulled over, being on the left side of the freeway. Turned my car off then restarted it and it wouldn't drive though my foot was on the gas pedal. Turned off then back on after a bit and it started driving slow then stopped, turning it off. Sat for a bit longer then started her again. Drove on the shoulder to get a clearance to get to the other side, by the time I got to Lane 3 the car started decelerating again & the traction light came back on. While trying to be safe, I managed to get over the last 2 lanes and had to stop now on the right shoulder of the freeway. Turned it off. Sat for awhile and started it back up so I can get to the next exit. I drove the shoulder & even at a slower speed the car shut off again. Traction light came on each time it decelerate. Sat again for another while. And this time when I turned it back on, it started shaking which I immediately turned it off! I had to get towed. I researched, there's a recall for the time frame my vehicle was manufactured, which was May 2016 for the crankshaft senor causing the engine to stall, which never got fixed on its Carfax I have.

NHTSA ODI 11526911

Jun 14, 2023Electrical systemEngine

I believe it's the engine or could have something to do with fuel. Car shuts off while in idle, mainly while sitting at a red light it shuts off/down completely. I then have to turn the switch to the on position to recrank it. It starts with no problem at all. Happens almost everyday. I've taken it to have it checked and they can't find any issues. It's been this way since I've gotten the car. Still no one can find the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11526951

Jun 7, 2023Speed control

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated and failed to accelerate over 30 MPH. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while driving. The contact stated that the electronic throttle control warning light and the check engine warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic throttle control had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11525787

Jun 4, 2023EngineFuel system

After filling up vehicle (not overfilled) it stalls when I come to a stop or slow down for a turn. This just started today after filling up from the same fuel station I always use. The Jeep restarts after a few seconds after turning it completely off.

NHTSA ODI 11525269

May 18, 2023Seats

The contact's fiancé owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side head restraint deployed without impact. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure reoccurred with the driver's side head restraint. The contact's fiancé did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11522715

May 12, 2023Engine

The car started shutting off while driving

NHTSA ODI 11521758

May 9, 2023Engine

Car turned slowed down and almost turned off while I was driving with my toddler in the back seat potentially putting our lives in danger had it happened in the freeway. The ABS light turned on but later in the day turned off and the engine light turned on as well but didn’t turn off until the next day. After a week it did the same thing again except the ABS light didn’t turn on.

NHTSA ODI 11521217

May 3, 2023Engine

Vehicle will intermittently stall and/or lose power while driving. This causes me to have to pull over while driving, wait several minutes, and then I can restart the vehicle and proceed with my way. Overall acceleration is now sluggish in all conditions. The diagnostic code that is recurring indicates an intermittent speed sensor circuit A. I have taken this to my local Jeep dealership, and they have replaced the camshaft, which failed to address the issue. They are still working on the issue as I file this complaint. I note that Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) had a prior recall issued in 2017. The VIN for my vehicle was not part of that recall, and I was not notified. I also note that NHTSA has opened a still current Recall Query with Chrysler as of July 22, 2022, as the issue that was described in that recall is still an issue with other owners of the same model, and that their symptoms match what I am facing with my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11520353

Apr 30, 2023Electrical systemLightsEngine

The suv uses large amounts of oil, no matter what brand. Also an electrical issue is present. The radio stops working, thr check engine light stays on. And the headlights dim way down. This happens randomly. The engine code reappears for p420, and i have fixed every component related to the code. The suv consumes approximately 2 quarts of oil in a months driving. The headlights dim so low, even with brights on, you can barely tell they are on.

NHTSA ODI 11519687

Apr 24, 2023Engine

when im driving it will either stall completely or feel like its loosing power and go limp. its very dangerous while on the highway because people dont expect that ill go from 65 down to 40mph. i have already taken it to a mechanic and didnt find anything wrong with it. the occasion where it completely stalled. i had to have it pushed off the road, car was still on just didnt have any kind of power, couldnt move my wheels. turned off the car waited a couple of minutes then was able to turn it back on and drive again. this has been going on for the last month

NHTSA ODI 11518591

Apr 24, 2023Airbags

While sitting PARKED in a car port, the passenger seat headrest deployed, without the vehicle being bumped, jostled, shaken, or otherwise having any reason for the headrest to deploy.

NHTSA ODI 11518673

Mar 16, 2023Seats

The clips that hold the active headrest together broke and the headrest sprung forward. It cannot be reset closed because of the broken pieces. This car has never been in an accident of any kind.

NHTSA ODI 11512264

Mar 13, 2023Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled without warning. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light would remain illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions and on multiple occasions the vehicle was either towed or driven to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the crankcase sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The crankcase sensor was replaced but the failure persisted. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 53,790.

NHTSA ODI 11511528

Jan 27, 2023Electrical system

The throttle body goes out every few months. The vehicle will suddenly go into limp mode while driving. This is dangerous as it rapidly decelerates in traffic!

NHTSA ODI 11504043

Jan 17, 2023Engine & coolingTransmission & drivetrainSeats

The contact owns a 2016 Jeep Patriot. The contact stated that upon accelerating uphill, the RMPs revved up but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the temperature sensor had failed and damaged the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the temperature sensor, head gasket, water pump, radiator, and unknown hoses and clamps were replaced. A transmission flush was performed, and the transmission was rebuilt. Additionally, the contact stated that upon parking the vehicle after driving 45 MPH, she noticed that the driver's seat headrest had partially been deployed independently. The contact pushed the headrest inside the seat; however, the headrest was completely deployed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

NHTSA ODI 11502270

Jan 9, 2023Engine

While operating the Vehicle up to 45 MPH the engine will stall, but the car remains on. The wheel locks and pushing on the pedal does not work. I usually turn on my hazard lights on turn the car off and back on. By doing so, someone may not be paying attention and slam into the back of my vehicle and I have held up traffic because of this issue. After restarting the car drives and operates normally. I would also like to report shuddering, and jerking while driving at any speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11500827

Dec 19, 2022Speed controlEngineFuel system

I purchased the vehicle 4 months ago, and this began at the end of September. Engine stalls out when driving down the highway, check engine light and road hazard lights come on and car trying to accelerate itself at times and other times won’t go over 40 mph. If you let off the brake the car immediately launches forward. I have almost been hit as the car stalls out of no where. I can pull over and turn it off then back on and it will drive for a few miles then happen again. The car was hooked up to the code reader and it says throttle body injector P2173

NHTSA ODI 11498161

Dec 18, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

The check engine light keeps coming on and it the codes keep saying it’s the throttle pedal position sensor A/B circuit

NHTSA ODI 11497943

Dec 9, 2022Airbags

This vehicle had an air bag indicator light come on. After taking it to the dealer for diagnosis. It has a Restraint System Control Module that has quit responding and as a result has no Restraints that are operable. The part has been on order for over a month and the latest update from Chrysler says there is no ETA available due to the global microchip shortage. I am driving the vehicle out of necessity, but consider it unsafe.

NHTSA ODI 11496793

Sep 24, 2022Engine

I was driving to work and noticed that I wasn't getting any power when I accelerated from being stoped at a stop sign and when I got to another stop sign it felt like the brakes where still on for a few secs then the car stalled on ne. I Crunk it up and drove about 3 more miles and the car started overheating so I pulled over and shut it off and waited for it to cool down. It hasn't been able to crank since I shut it off. I've checked my fluid and other minor trouble shooting. No luck.

NHTSA ODI 11486178

Sep 19, 2022SteeringElectrical systemEngine

I would like to recall my 2016 Jeep Patriot because the crankshaft and camshaft sensor are failing to work properly and that increases the risk of crash. There were also problems with the steering column and the tires being off balance because after balancing was found to move without the steering wheel being turned. The recall is important because the vehicle is potential for crash . I only found these things out after driving and seller claimed everything was at top shape but bent the truth due to the small amount of miles put on the vehicle and the fact that I didn't crash the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11485183

Sep 19, 2022Engine

While on highway engine has completely stalled since MAY of 2022-September-2022

NHTSA ODI 11485303

Sep 16, 2022Electrical systemSpeed controlEngine

Like many other Jeep Patriot owners, I have experienced driving down the road when out of nowhere, the car dies! Mechanics keep telling people that either the camshaft position sensor or the crankshaft position sensor needs to be replaced...... It's a temporary fix. The code that comes up says that the sensor is intermittent. It's not the sensor that's the problem, it's the wiring connectors!!! Those two sensors are on the same harness. I've had all three sensors replaced. Right after, the car drives fine. Very soon after, the car stalls while driving. Back to square one. They need to recall the sensor wiring for these two sensors for ALL 2016 Jeep Patriots.

NHTSA ODI 11484835

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Working with the data? Download all 455 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Jeep Patriot verdict →