2011 Jeep PATRIOT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Jeep PATRIOT has 485 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 6.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (15% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2011 jeep patriot. the contact stated the lights on the instrumental panel illuminated as the vehicle stalled. the contact was able to coast the vehicle onto the shoulder. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnosti. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.

5 fire reports 24 crash reports 16 injuries

485

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

6.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

75 complaints

15%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. AFTER COASTING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT AND IT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO ADVISED
• WHILE TRAVELING ON A FREEWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, MY INSTRUMENT PANEL LIT UP AND MY CAR LOST ALL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER. WHEN I LOOKED UP THE PANEL LIGHT MEANINGS IN THE MANUAL, I DETERMINED IT WAS SAFE TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR. THE CAR WOULD NOT START. AFTER WAI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SUSPENSION

55 complaints

11%

• BALL JOINTS ARE WORN AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY AND AROUND TOWN. NO OFF-ROADING. LOOKING AT JEEP PATRIOT FORUM ON-LINE THIS APPEARS TO BE PRETTY TYPICAL. PERHAPS A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE SO THAT JEEP CAN PUT IN PARTS THAT ARE DURABL
• I HAVE A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT LATITUDE THAT BEGAN HAVING A ROUGH RIDE AND RATTLE NOISE IN THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AREA IN OCTOBER 2013. IN DECEMBER 2013 THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED WITH 42,000 MILES AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED REPLACING BECAUSE OF A BAD BALL JOINT. I RESEARCHED T
• IN 2012 WE HAD A NAIL THROUGH THE TIRE OF THE 2011 JEEP PATRIOT THAT WE BOUGHT NEW. WHEN WE TOOK THE CAR TO TIRES PLUS TO HAVE THE TIRE REPLACED. WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T LEGALLY REPLACE JUST ONE TIRE. THE TREAD WEAR WAS SO AWFUL; UNEVEN, DIFFERENT TREAD VARIANCES, THEY COULDN'T MATCH ONE US

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“BALL JOINTS ARE WORN AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY AND AROUND TOWN. NO OFF-ROADING. LOOKING AT JEEP PATRIOT FORUM ON-LINE THIS APPEARS TO BE PRETTY TYPICAL. PERHAPS A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE SO THAT JEEP CAN PUT IN PARTS THAT ARE DURABL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

54 complaints

11%

• I WAS DRIVING ON NB I-5 IN A 2005 SUBARU. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS THIS 2011 JEEP PATRIOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT. WE WERE DRIVING APPROX. 65MPH. I WAS NOT TAILGATTING! THE JEEP PATRIOT'S POWER DIED. THE DRIVER THOUGHT SHE WAS NOT GETTING GAS AND KEPT HITTING THE GAS PEDAL. SHE NEVER HIT T
• ON THE SECOND DAY OF OWNERSHIP, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FIRST FUEL UP, WE IDLED THROUGH A FASTFOOD DRIVE-THROUGH AND UPON PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, IT JUST DIED. SCARY, BUT ALL THE CARS STOPPED FOR US. IT STARTED RIGHT UP. I FAXED ALL THE INFORMATION TO THE DEALER AND ASKED IF IT WAS THEM TESTING T
• DRIVING ON FREEWAY, AT APPROX 65 MPH, CAR WHINES, THEN DIES. ALSO, THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEAT LIGHT COMES ON ALL THE TIME. SOMETIMES IT JUST DIES WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS POSSIBLY A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. I WANT ACTION NOW!!!!! *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“I WAS DRIVING ON NB I-5 IN A 2005 SUBARU. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS THIS 2011 JEEP PATRIOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT. WE WERE DRIVING APPROX. 65MPH. I WAS NOT TAILGATTING! THE JEEP PATRIOT'S POWER DIED. THE DRIVER THOUGHT SHE WAS NOT GETTING GAS AND KEPT HITTING THE GAS PEDAL. SHE NEVER HIT T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BODY/STRUCTURE

51 complaints

11%

• WATER IN DOME LIGHTS, UNKNOWN SOURCE & I BELIEVE IT IS LIKELY THERE IS WATER THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR. *TR
• AFTER HEARING A NOISE IN MY EXHAUST SYSTEM, I CHECKED UNDER THE CAR AND FOUND MY MUFFLER LOCKED UP ABOUT 2 TO 3 INCHES WITH THE EXHAUST PIPE POINTING DIRECTLY AT THE BACK OF MY PLASTIC BUMPER. MY BUMPER WAS DISTORTED AND MELTING. I CAUGHT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE A FIRE STARTED BUT AM CONFIDENT THIS WOUL
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE MOVED UP AND DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“WATER IN DOME LIGHTS, UNKNOWN SOURCE & I BELIEVE IT IS LIKELY THERE IS WATER THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

43 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND FELL ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE OVER A BRIDGE AND CRASHED 30 FEET UNDER THE BRIDGE, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPL
• DRIVER LEFT ROAD, PROCEEDED OVER A SHORT GRASSY AREA, UP INTO TREES, HIT A TREE HEAD ON /RIGHT SIDE, THEN ROLLED TO THE LEFT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE LEFT SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. INJURIES INCLUDED TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY. THE RECALL NOTICE FOR SIDE AIR BAGS ARRIVED BY MAIL A FEW DAYS LATER.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL. THE FAILURE WOULD ONLY OCCUR WHEN USING THE AUTOMATION DRIVE TRANSMISSION AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE DID NOT OCCUR WHEN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 10 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND FELL ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE VEHICLE WENT AIRBORNE OVER A BRIDGE AND CRASHED 30 FEET UNDER THE BRIDGE, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

SUSPENSION(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 485 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 JEEP PATRIOT. THE CONTACT STATED THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SUSPENSION: BALL JOINTS ARE WORN AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN ON HIGHWAY AND AROUND TOWN. NO OFF-ROADING. LOOKING AT JEEP PATRIOT FORUM ON-LINE THIS APPEARS TO BE PRETTY TYPICAL. PERHAPS A RECALL SHOULD BE DONE SO THAT JEEP CAN PUT IN PARTS THAT ARE DURABL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: I WAS DRIVING ON NB I-5 IN A 2005 SUBARU. THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME WAS THIS 2011 JEEP PATRIOT THAT I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT. WE WERE DRIVING APPROX. 65MPH. I WAS NOT TAILGATTING! THE JEEP PATRIOT'S POWER DIED. THE DRIVER THOUGHT SHE WAS NOT GETTING GAS AND KEPT HITTING THE GAS PEDAL. SHE NEVER HIT T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BODY/STRUCTURE: WATER IN DOME LIGHTS, UNKNOWN SOURCE & I BELIEVE IT IS LIKELY THERE IS WATER THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)