My 2007 Patriot has a flaw that Jeep hasn't been able to solve. The brakes suddenly slam on and off rapidly while driving down the road. (My foot is nowhere near the brake pedal when this occurs.) That's a safety hazard, isn't it? What if the brakes started slamming on and off while I was rounding a curve?
This all started in early December when I took my Patriot to the dealer for an oil change. After they did the oil, they supposedly inspected the suspension, then took the wheels off and checked the brakes. That's all part of the "free" safety inspection they do. They told me the only issue they found was slightly worn front ball joint and tie rod ends, and recommended I have them fixed in a few months. With only 33,000 highway only miles on my car, I was upset by this premature failure. I called Jeep, and got them to agree to cover part of the cost. I was asked to take the car back in for a SECOND FULL inspection, to make sure there were no other issues. The dealer poured over my car, and again, could only find the worn front ball joints and tie rods. So I made an appointment to get the control arms and tie rod ends replaced.
The very night I drove to the dealer for the work, my car started this wierd brake pulsing. I was on level, smooth, paved road, and it felt like I was driving on railroad ties. I nursed the car at slow speed 10 miles to the dealer for my appointment. Next day, I was informed that my front brakes, which had been declared OK in two recent "safety inspections" were FRIED. The calipers, rotors, and pads could not be saved. Jeep asked me for $600+ dollars for the control arms, tie rods, and new front brakes. A week later, my rear brakes siezed up, and FRIED. Jeep wasn't open at the time, and I needed the car for work, so I got an independent shop to fix the rears. Another +$600. I'm now the proud owner of a car that occasionally slams the brakes on and off without any operator input. Sometimes the brakes just seem to drag, because the car just won't get up to speed. And it feels a little like pushing a shopping cart with a stuck wheel. It is killing my gas mileage. I took the car back to both shops, but neither could isolate the problem. Turning off the ESP reduces the frequency of the occurrences. Since the Jeep dealer doesn't have a clue how to test the traction control or anti-lock braking systems, I'd like to talk to an experienced Jeep engineer about this. Maybe he'd have some ideas. And in fact, Jeep customer service told me that if I asked the dealer, they could "escalate" the case, and contact an engineer for me. But the service manager claims he can't do this. He says customers have more access to Jeep engineers than dealers do! He must think I am stupid.
A few years back, I had another car that was a lemon, and it was very stressful trying to get a manufacturer to honor the warranty and fix the car. I never did get relief. So I'm not looking forward to a protracted battle with Jeep. I may just sell the car and take the loss. If I do, however, they will have lost me as a customer for good. I can't afford to pay a years salary for a car that can't be driven.
epper::doh: 2008 jeep patriot
