Here is the situation: When I picked my 2008 Patriot up on Nov 12, I noticed that the rear seats were not the reclining/folding that were supposed to come with the 26E package but rather the folding only of the base model. I mentioned this to my salesman but he was not familiar enough with the Patriot (imagine that) to be sure I was right. Needless to say, I have confirmed that indeed the wrong seats were installed (thanks to Randy Randoo-N-CJ) and contacted my dealership's service department. I sent them a 3 page synopsis of the issue (mostly pictures of my Jeep and Randy's Jeep). When I took it in for the scheduled service on Nov 28, they said that they had been looking at my illustrations and had been in contact with corporate. They would not be able to fix it that day, and just needed to take pictures. So I went on my merry way. They have since been working on the situation with corporate trying to determine how to fix it. I received a call today from the service manager. With much concern in his voice, he asked how much I really wanted the reclining option and whether some form of compensation would be satisfactory (concern is growing that they would have to rebuild the entire rear seat, read $$$$$). I told him that I would prefer to have the feature but would think about the possiblities for compensation.

Here is what I am after from the Forum Family:

1. Does anyone currently have access to the 2008 parts manual for the Patriot (I have the 2007 that was posted, sorry I forget who did it, maybe Nearly Normal Jimmy?). I hope to be able to determine for myself (can't help it that I am an engineer) what parts are different/necessary to get this to work.

2. Are there any Belvidere Assembly workers here that may know who puts in the seats? These individuals would be a wealth of knowledge as to the subtle differences in the standard folding only and optional reclining/folding. If you fear being the "answer man/woman" feel free to send me a private email, I am not a lawyer or doctor but I will treat it with the upmost confidentiality if requested.

3. I don't want to go the compensation route because one of the things I definitely wanted was the ability to recline the seats, not for regular passengers, but because it works better with infant/young child car seats. If I have too, what does everyone feel to be a "fair" trade.

Just to let everyone know, I am not angry yet and I don't feel the need to be. Errors happen, and if this is the worst thing about my vehicle then I am pretty fortunate (after all my roof could be leaking). So there is no need to Chrysler bash, I just want some constructive information.

Thanks, Joe Becker

P.S. Sorry for the novel. I just wanted everyone to know the whole situation.

Man o man....I got exactly the same vehicle as yours. I'm in a condo, and not in the mood to go way downstairs and see what I got.
I got the 2008 colourized sale broshure (sic)here from the dealer.

heres how its got it listed in the specs...
-Front, low-back reclining front buckets, with 60-40 flat-folding rear seatback. (That comes standard on the Sport only).

Theres one right below it...
-Front, low-back reclining with front passenger forward fold-flat seatback, rear reclining 60/40 split folding rear seat back. (Thats only standard on the North Edition, and Limited).

I guess its saying, if you got bucket seats, then the rear reclining seat is standard on the sport.

I dunno, nice catch.

I've been wondering how your situation had been going Joe. I don't envy your position in that you want the right seats but they seem to be shying away from fixing the problem, even to the point of offering money as compensation. Tough call no doubt!
Since you really wanted the seats to begin with (and you had a good purpose for wanting them), I would stick to my guns if it was me and wait until they can be replaced. I can't see it as being too terribly hard, just a little cashy on their part (but they don't pay what you and I pay for parts!). And how would you know what dollar amount is appropriate? Enough to equal the parts and labor? Sheesh, it would seem better all the way around if they just replaced the darned things and said "sorry for the mixup".
Would it really be that expensive on their part as it is warranty work (like a defect) as they get compensated anyhow?
Keep us posted Joe. It sounds like it may take a while to get this resolved.

Randy

It shouldn't be hard to resolve. Just tell them you want what you paid for. It seems like the factory screwed up so it won't cost the dealer anything. In fact they make good money on warranty work. I don't see Chrysler arguing too much about it once they know you won't settle for compensation.

Does the front passenger seat in your Patriot fold flat? Is it supposed to? I thought the reclining rear seat was part of the same package that includes the fold-flat front passenger seat. If they accidentally put the standard seating in your Patriot, then they might have missed both front and rear options. I would check to make sure you have that, because that could come in handy if you ever need to haul something long.

Does the front passenger seat in your Patriot fold flat?

I checked the front immediately after noticing the rear seat. It folds flat like it is supposed to. I went down the list of things that are included with 26E and the rear seats was the only thing missing.

There must have been a glitch in the computerized parts sorter, the person installing the seats did their job because I do have rear seats, but the person checking to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be should have a blank check box.

The solution for future Patriots is just to make all of them reclining/folding. The parts are so similar (yet different enough to make installing the wrong ones a big problem) that there can't possibly be a large price difference between the two setups. Then they would not have to produce two different sets of seats nor have to check to make sure the correct ones are installed.

Sounds like you are in the same seat as me when I got my Patriot! We ordered the Nav. and when we got it there was no Nav.!!! The post is on here somewhere! The dealer said that it was on the order sheet and seen it but the factory didn't..... So we ended up not getting it! They took the price of the nav off, and they gave me a little more off for the mess up! It is just the point that it was going to cost a lot more for the dealer to add it, because they couldn't get it as cheap as the factory! My point is like mine and your situation why can't the factory just send it to the dealer! Make everyone happy!!!!!

But the thing is the FACTORY is responsible for it not the dealer. It is a matter of CORPORATE deciding whether to ante up or not. I can't believe that they would not put in the NAV. How much would it really cost them in material and labor? That would be a heck of a lot easier to fix than having the wrong seats wouldn't it? Hearing that I think I will make sure that they put in the right seats. They need to have some accountability. This will end up being a matter of principle!

Yeah, all they need to do is build an extra set of rear seats at the factory, ship them to Indy (not really that far from Belvidere/Chicago), the dealer will take the old ones out and put the new ones in, problem solved.

Maybe you could see if they'd swap your Patriot for an otherwise identical one?

Yeah, they'd take a hit on it and it would be inconvenient for you (changing vehicle registration, financing, and insurance info), but they'd then be able to resell yours. But then, that may be more trouble than just replacing the seats.

Along that lines, I was thinking they could just swipe the seats from one that is right and replace its with mine. Sell it to someone who doesn't know the difference. That would not be ethical though, unless they black out the reclining on the sticker.

But the thing is the FACTORY is responsible for it not the dealer. It is a matter of CORPORATE deciding whether to ante up or not. I can't believe that they would not put in the NAV. How much would it really cost them in material and labor? That would be a heck of a lot easier to fix than having the wrong seats wouldn't it? Hearing that I think I will make sure that they put in the right seats. They need to have some accountability. This will end up being a matter of principle!

Yeah, all they need to do is build an extra set of rear seats at the factory, ship them to Indy (not really that far from Belvidere/Chicago), the dealer will take the old ones out and put the new ones in, problem solved.

Here is the thread: http://www.jeeppatriot.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1548

They should be able to just switch them! I would talk to them and see!

They are heavily leaning on compensation. :icon_rolleyes:

The service manager says that they would not be able to get a set off the line (or from the third party assembler if that is the case). They could build new ones but worry about color matching (it is dark grey cloth, I don't think color matching will really be a problem) and that it will take a while. They can't swap for ones in another vehicle.

Basically corporate wants the issue to go away via a trade of services.

Possiblities that he threw out:
1. They make a payment (in my case that is $330).
2. Maintenance contract 3 yr, 12 oil changes (assuming $30 per that would be $360)
3. A warranty extension.

Doesn't seem like they are trying very hard.

Just play hard ball. They really don't have a choice. They're legally bound to give you what you paid for. Tell them if they don't agree to it immediately, you'll get a lawyer involved, which will cost them a lot more than a new seat.

Wow, normally I don't like to be so hard-lined like others on here but in this case I think they are treating this like a red-headed step-child. Just go away and don't bother us..
The offers they gave would be decent IF (!!) they were combined but any one of those? I have to agree with the "Hell No" squadron.
It was already said..it's up to them to make it right, just do it guys.
A payment? sheeeesh
Extra oil changed? pffffft.
If it ain't 4 digits in the equation..I'd say go talk to a lawyer. Small claims court would have a field day with this AND you could recoupe the lawyers fees in that case. (gotta love civil over criminal courts in cases like these!)
(wanna see proponderance of evidence? go SIT in it. hehe)
Good luck on a bad-and-getting-worse situation Joe.

Hello Joe,

It really comes down to how much the feature is worth to you, not them.

To be frank $330 is not too bad, however $500 would be better.

Perhaps I missed something in your original post, but is it the seats do not recline, however do fold down?


They are heavily leaning on compensation. :icon_rolleyes:

The service manager says that they would not be able to get a set off the line (or from the third party assembler if that is the case). They could build new ones but worry about color matching (it is dark grey cloth, I don't think color matching will really be a problem) and that it will take a while. They can't swap for ones in another vehicle.

Basically corporate wants the issue to go away via a trade of services.

Possiblities that he threw out:
1. They make a payment (in my case that is $330).
2. Maintenance contract 3 yr, 12 oil changes (assuming $30 per that would be $360)
3. A warranty extension.

Perhaps I missed something in your original post, but is it the seats do not recline, however do fold down?

Exactly. (they should recline about 30 degrees, which is really nice for those passengers)

It really comes down to how much the feature is worth to you, not them.


How do you truly put a value on a feature (not its parts cost but rather the usage)? I compare this to those people that bought the early Playstation 3. In all the literature about it, it was going to be able to play all three versions of Playstation games among other things. When people got them home they found that they were not able to play some earlier games. All they got from Sony was "sorry but we expected this problem". That is just great! Someone spent good money to get a new gaming console with the belief that it would still be able to be used for their old games. How much is the glitch worth to reconcile? A voucher for a new game? The cost of the games that don't work? What would have been fair? I think that answer would be different for each person. For me, I would want them to fix their software so that it works like it supposed to not just compensate for deficiencies.

Anyway, I have not agreed to anything yet. I may have to ask the service guy to put me in contact with the corporate liason and work with him/her directly.

Tis the season to be merry! :)

good luck on getting it resolved, but jeep should make it right, you paid for it.

I took a vacation from the seat issue during the holidays. Now that the holidays are over, I have contacted the dealership and told them that I do want the seats to be as they should be. They have since called me back and told me that they will get to the ordering of the parts and prepare to rally their troops (still sounds like they will have to make the seats themselves, which is a flawed system to me). The plan is for them to work on it while I am on an early vacation with the wife and daughter at Disney World the first week of Feburary. I shall let everyone knows how it plays out. It is nerve racking, it is like seeing a family member go in for surgery.

Possiblities that he threw out:
1. They make a payment (in my case that is $330).
2. Maintenance contract 3 yr, 12 oil changes (assuming $30 per that would be $360)
3. A warranty extension.

They should give you one of the above AND replace the seats with what you paid for!

Just to confirm... The rear seats do not recline in any Patriot?

My rear seats do recline.

Just to confirm... The rear seats do not recline in any Patriot?

Base model Sport Patriots have folding only seats (true for both '07 and '08).
The Sport has folding/reclining with the "E" package (true for both '07 and '08). If I had gotten an '07 the fact that the rear seats recline and front seat folds flat would have been the only reasons for me to get the "E" package. I got the "E" package on my ordered '08 because the package now includes all of the other options I would have gotten (A/C, Cloth Seats, etc).

They should give you one of the above AND replace the seats with what you paid for!

I will be happy with the correct seats. They do not owe me any any more nor any less. I have not been inconvienced yet, as long as they can get it fixed while I am on vacation in a few weeks. I will be needing the reclining capability with a baby due in July because carseats fit better with the seat reclined.

The seats have been successfully replaced. I dropped it off Friday Feb 1 and left for vacation on Saturday Feb 2. I recieved a call from the dealership the morning of Wed Feb 6 to tell me that they were done. I picked it up this morning Thur Feb 7. The service manager said that they did not get all of the parts and therefore had to cannabalize from one on the lot.

I applaud Chrysler and my local dealer (Tom Obrien Chrysler Jeep Indianapolis) for getting this resolved. I just want to let everyone know that they are some positive dealer and corporate experiences out there. :smiley_thumbs_up:

Now if you will excuse me I am gonna recline my seat and take a nap. :zzz:

Congrats! I wish I could drive to IN for my service :)

Got a call from a new Patriot owner.
He got my name and number from a work order that was left in the back of his Patriot.
Apparently he now owns the cannabalized Patriot from which my correct seats came from (or at least some parts). Here is the wierd/disturbing part (as if the work order with my information on it in someone else's vehicle isn't): he bought his from a different dealer. His Patriot has the correct seats, but is missing the bolts that hold the seat down. Apparently someone only did half their job, his Patriot never got put back together.

Got a call from a new Patriot owner.
He got my name and number from a work order that was left in the back of his Patriot.
Apparently he now owns the cannabalized Patriot from which my correct seats came from (or at least some parts). Here is the wierd/disturbing part (as if the work order with my information on it in someone else's vehicle isn't): he bought his from a different dealer. His Patriot has the correct seats, but is missing the bolts that hold the seat down. Apparently someone only did half their job, his Patriot never got put back together.


Hey Joe this is Brandon. I was browsing these forums earlier this morning. Small world. I'm really anxious to see what the people at Crossroads have to say about the half-ass job of putting the rear seats back in. I'm angry for you that they left your info in the back, but kinda glad at the same time. Now I know why the seats are like they are. I'll post back when with what they have to say.

Hey Joe this is Brandon. I was browsing these forums earlier this morning. Small world. I'm really anxious to see what the people at Crossroads have to say about the half-ass job of putting the rear seats back in. I'm angry for you that they left your info in the back, but kinda glad at the same time. Now I know why the seats are like they are. I'll post back when with what they have to say.

I bet that Crossroads didn't even know there was anything amiss. Tom Obrien up at 96th and Keystone did the replacement. They would be the ones that would have put yours back together (at least that is what the paper trail would suggest :) ). There are a few ways that Crossroads could have gotten the vehicle.
(1) Dealer swap.
(2) Tom Obrien sold it at dealer auction and Crossroads bought it.
(3) you said it had some miles on it but it was sold as new right? That would rule out a buy and dump.

Brandon, sorry to meet you under these circumstances, but welcome to the forum. This has been a very helpful and fun place. I hope that this gets corrected for you.

Just got back from having everything fixed at Crossroads. Of course they didn't know anything about it (didn't really expect them to). He searched all service records for my Patriot and it shows no work ever. He was shocked when I told him about the work order that I found in the back. Bottom line is that they were parts sharing between two vehicles which is a big no-no. Funny part is that they called O'Brien North and asked them what the deal was. They said that when yours was delivered it had the correct seats they were just broken. They ordered the replacement parts to fix yours, but they were on backorder. So after some time went by and the parts not being in stock, they took them from mine. When the parts came in mine went back (well half back) together. So you had the correct seats, they were just broken. :icon_rolleyes:

So you had the correct seats, they were just broken. :icon_rolleyes:

Yup, so "broken" that they didn't even have the correct mechanisms. Kinda like saying a vinyl record is a broken CD, a baseball is a broken football, or a PC is a broken MAC.

Glad yours is fixed. Now you can get back to enjoying your new Patriot.

Yup, so "broken" that they didn't even have the correct mechanisms. Kinda like saying a vinyl record is a broken CD, a baseball is a broken football, or a PC is a broken MAC.

Glad yours is fixed. Now you can get back to enjoying your new Patriot.

Lol.. a PC is a broken, want to be MAC

LOL what a crazy situation!!
Look, in my opinion it is only fair that you get what you were expecting...you paid for the car and you want the right one. They shouldn't care whether or not you actually need the reclining seats, it is the fact that you haven't received something which you wanted...
Keep fighting for what you want - it is not your problem :) Good luck!

I highly recommend you get the seats you ordered because they are extremely uncomforable without the reclined back. You almost slip off of the seat because the base is so short.

LOL what a crazy situation!!
Look, in my opinion it is only fair that you get what you were expecting...you paid for the car and you want the right one. They shouldn't care whether or not you actually need the reclining seats, it is the fact that you haven't received something which you wanted...
Keep fighting for what you want - it is not your problem :) Good luck!

Yes it was a crazy situation.

Just to remind everyone, the problem was fixed for both the cannibal (mine in Feb '08) and the cannibalized (his in Jun '08).